Server not appearing in master server list

[KingJ]

Hi there,

Set up a TF2 dedicated server on my secondary Win2k3 box, using srcds. Downloaded all the files ok (eventually), set up a few mods and started running the server.

I can connect to it fine, as can some friends of mine. I got them to connect by either adding my static IP (81.149.184.29) to their favorites or typing connect 81.149.184.29 in the console, no problems with this either.

The problem i'm having is that the server is not showing up in the master server list. I understand that I cannot view it (since i'm on the same network as the server) but I asked my friends to look for it in the master server list and they couldn't find it, which probably explains why no one else joined the server.

Any ideas why it doesn't show in the master server list? If any of you want to try and find it, the name start with KJ TF2, and is not password protected.

Setup information:

Server (LAN) IP: 10.0.1.2
Internet IP: 81.149.184.29
Firewall: pfSense v1.2 RC3
Ports forwarded: Click here

Command line used to run: srcds -game tf +map ctf_2fort +maxplayers 16 -autoupdate
IP is set as the external IP in server.cfg, otherwise server defaults to its LAN IP.
Port: 27015

Thanks.

[Spartanfrog]

Sometimes it takes a while for it to appear. Let it run for a while and also then search for it on game-monitor.com

[KingJ]

How long does it usually take for it to appear?

[Drocona]

I'd say maximum of 30 minutes, if it doesnt appear it won't be there.

Usually if it doesn't show up it indicates a problem with the router, a lot of routers are incompatible of running servers

[KingJ]

30 mins has passed a long time ago. I just manually added my server to game-monitor.com, and it detected it successfully, will have to see if it enters it into the DB now.

My 'full' network setup is as follows

Internet --> Router (2700HGV, DMZ set to firewall) --> Firewall --> Internal Network

Nothing has ever been blocked by the router, ever. The firewall however is currently running at 7000 blocks per hour. I searched though the logs, and none of the ports related to the server (Searched for 27015) showed up as being blocked.

Of course, if it is the router, I have a few spare, including an Ethernet modem, just in case the routing really is playing havoc.

Any more ideas are appreciated of course, I don't really want to swap out the current router since it also provided basic wireless to devices that can't conform to the secure mode of our internal wireless and is really good with low-signal lines, such as ours.

Edit: Server now appears in the game-monitor.com database, http://www.game-monitor.com/search.php?search=KJ%20TF2&type=server

[KingJ]

Okay, got some new internet equipment and fixed a small firewall issue.

Instead of the 'double NAT' issue of before, where I had a router going into my firewall, now there is simply an ADSL modem going into the firewall.

Another thing I noticed, ICMP (ping) packets where being dropped by the firewall, if I can't be pinged, i'm assuming i'm not allowed on the master server list!

Anyway, we'll have to see if my changes make any difference. Hopefully they will!

[Drocona]

If you have just a modem in front all your worries are gone, it's the best setup available.

[brown]

In pfSense, you need to enable manual outbound NAT rules and add a rule for traffic from your server's internal ip, port 27015 and check 'static-port'. That rule also needs to be ABOVE the default rule that pfSense will create for you. And yeah, you probably need to allow ICMP echo requests.

Edit: You should be able to replace all your source ds port forwarding & firewall rules with one rule that forwards/allows tcp/udp traffic on 27015 to your server.

[KingJ]

Okay, switched over to manual NAT, pfsense created the auto rule for LAN, good. Added in the server and port, moved the rule above the default one and now hoping that it will work!

Below is a screenshot of the outbound NAT page:



Is this correct?

Also, since I won't be able to see my server on the internet list, could someone please look for a TF2 server with a name beginnning with "KJ TF2" playing ctf_2fort? Thanks

[Drocona]

Is that your firewall or router?

[KingJ]

Ah, its complicated. I do have a modem, but its attached via a dedicated firewall (running pfSense v1.2-RC3). Previously, I had my ISP's router, then the firewall, then the normal network, thus encountering the nightmare that is double-NAT. With just the modem and firewall this no longer happens.

portforward.com has no information on port forwarding under the pfSense platform, but I know how to port forward with it, see the screen shot a little further up the thread for a list of forwarded ports and destinations.

[Drocona]

Ok well I have no idea how that firewall works so I can't really help you with that.

But just 1 question, why don't you put that firewall BEHIND your computer so the LAN is protected but you can run your server without configuring anything! That's how I run it.. it works like a charm and is the best setup

[KingJ]

Drocona Wrote:Ok well I have no idea how that firewall works so I can't really help you with that.

Works just like your modem/router firewall/NAT would, but with more options and better logging.

Drocona Wrote:But just 1 question, why don't you put that firewall BEHIND your computer so the LAN is protected but you can run your server without configuring anything! That's how I run it.. it works like a charm and is the best setup

The server that runs SRCDS runs a few other small things that the network needs, plus I wouldn't really want to put a system outside of a firewall

[Drocona]

Well I was having a look at that screenshot again, it looks like a router, not a firewall to be honest.. firewalls don't forward ports.

on the screenshot I see destination port etc, like it has multiple ports to send it to... I'm a bit confused.. anyway I think destination IP and port have to be filled too

[KingJ]

Drocona Wrote:Well I was having a look at that screenshot again, it looks like a router, not a firewall to be honest.. firewalls don't forward ports.

on the screenshot I see destination port etc, like it has multiple ports to send it to... I'm a bit confused.. anyway I think destination IP and port have to be filled too

The screenshot shows the port forwarding page, when a port forward is added, a rule is automatically created. I didn't think to show the rules, since they are identical to the port forwarding.

I looked up every port possible for SRCDS and added all of them, just to be sure. However, I beleive I only need port 27015 forwarded, is this correct?

Source and Destination are filled, I ommited the header. Headers should be (from left to right), Interface, Protocol, Source Port, Destination IP, Destination Port, Description.