L4D Dedicated Server (RCON Errors)

[pamunoz]

Hi there,

I'm new to this world of Dedicated Servers. My wife and I play Left 4 Dead a lot and we setup a PC for the sole purpose of hosting a L4D dedicated server.

The image shows the configuration of our setup:



Things that are working:
- I can connect to the dedicated server using sv_search_key.
- I can host 8 player vs games successfully on the DS.

Here's the problem:
- I cannot rcon my dedicated server from my game play machine. When I try, the game siezes for a half a second only to have the gameplay console return the following error:
"Unable to connect to remote server (IP Address)"
- I cannot bind critical rcon console commands to the server because I cannot connect to it from my game play machine. I have to physically go to the dedicated server pc and type in commands which is limiting and annoying.

Can you please tell me what I need to do to get my gameplay machine talking to my dedicated server machine? P.S. - The router is routing port 27016 to the Dedicated Server.

Thank you kindly for your help.

-------------------------------------- EDIT ------------------------------------------------
NOTE: Instead of disclosing my actual WAN IP address, I am representing it as follows: 12.345.67.8


Server starting command line / Set Launch Options: +exec server.cfg +IP 12.345.67.8 +hostport 27016


With a WAN IP (12.345.67.8) in the Dedicated Server's starting command line:
- I can find and connect to the dedicated server using:
- openserverbrowser
- sv_search_key
- connect 12.245.67.8

With a LAN IP (192.168.1.105) in the Dedicated Server's starting command line:
- I CAN see the dedicated server in Openserverbrowser but I CANNOT connect to the dedicated server through:
- openserverbrowser
- sv_search_key
- connect 192.168.1.105:27016

FYI - I INSTALLED the L4D Dedicated Server VIA STEAM and I tried all the suggestions below (Up until Mooga) with no luck. :-(

Here is a snapshot of my latest attempt at trying to connect to my DS (client console):


] rcon_password MyServerPassword
] rcon_address 192.168.0.105
Unknown command: rcon_address
] rcon address 192.168.0.105
Unable to connect to remote server (12.345.67.8:27016)
] rcon sv_cheats 1
Unable to connect to remote server (12.345.67.8:27016)
] rcon address 192.168.1.105
Unable to connect to remote server (12.345.67.8:27016)
] rcon address 12.345.67.8
Unable to connect to remote server (12.345.67.8:27016)
] rcon address 12.345.67.8:27016
Unable to connect to remote server (12.345.67.8:27016)
] rcon address 12.345.67.8:27016
Unable to connect to remote server (12.345.67.8:27016)

[ClanWoof]

If you're using the command line, put your ip and port into it.
That should work for you, I had the same issue once on my server I forgot to add the +ip xxx.xxx.xxx.xx

Hope that helps.

[Drocona]

On the client make sure you do the following:

rcon_address 192.168.0.105
rcon_password <yourpwhere>
rcon say test

If it still gives an address bind error, try adding the port behind the address like 192.168.0.105:27016

[Mooga]

First off: Can i give you a hug? You explained everything so well I might cry....

What Drocona said should work. I would also try adding the local IP to the server start up line.

Few questions:
1) The game computer is showed using post 27015. If you're not hosting on that computer, you don't need to forward the port. (That isn't really a question, is it...)
2) Did you install the server with hldsupdatetool or via steam?

[pamunoz]

Thanks everybody for their help and advice. I have EDITED my original post above to include answers to your questions!

[Drocona]

You should set your internal IP in the commandline and join on the LAN IP.

not join through external IP
For others it will still be in the server list, just not for you.

[pamunoz]

I am able to connect to the dedicated server successfully either through the LAN IP or WAN IP.

LAN IP:
"Connect 192.168.1.105:27016" <-Game Console
WAN IP:
"Connect 12.345.67.8.27016" or "sv_search_key MyServerName" <-Game Console

I can setup lobby's and successfully connect and host campaign and vs games on my Dedicated Server. The errors come up when I try to use RCON commands using the game console on my local machine.

Whether it's setup to connect through LAN IP or WAN IP, when I attempt anything RCON, (Example:rcon say hello world) my game freezes for a brief moment only to return the following error in red:

CONNECTED VIA WAN IP:

] rcon say Hello World
Unable to connect to remote server (12.345.67.8:27016)

CONNECTED VIA LAN IP:

] rcon say Hello World
Unable to connect to remote server (192.168.1.105:27016)

And yes... my router is port forwarding to 27016. I wouldn't be able to connect to the server otherwise and I am successfully able to do so.

And yes, I checked all my firewalls on both pc's and all the necessary ports are open and applicable permissions granted.

Right now... I'm starting to think that it's a dedicated server setup problem... not a connection problem.

It is just so bizare how I'm able to connect and host games on the DS with no problems yet it refuses to allow rcon commands to function. It's like the rcon door is closed and that I have not properly enabled my server to accept rcon commands.

This is what I have written on my server.cfg file:

sv_search_key "MyServerName"
rcon_password "MyServerPassword"
sv_password ""

It's quite frustrating isn't it? :-) Well... I appreciate all your help! :-) Hopefully I'm not the only one with the same setup and maybe one of you guys who have figured it out can tell me what it is that I'm doing incorrectly.

[Drocona]

It should be listening on the LAN IP, are you sure the rcon settings in the server.cfg are correct?

[pamunoz]

Drocona Wrote:It should be listening on the LAN IP, are you sure the rcon settings in the server.cfg are correct?

Yes - When I setup the dedicated server's ip address to LAN: 192.168.1.105:27016 I can connect to it using the LAN IP on the game system ("connect 192.168.1.105:27016" on L4D game console).

When I connect to the game this way, RCON works...

...BUT...

...only I (LAN computer) can connect to the dedicated server. I setup a public lobby then filled it with people and then typed: connect 192.168.1.105:27016 on the L4D game console... I was able to connect... everybody else was not.

The only way I can get the server to run properly where others can connect to it is if I include the IP address in the startup command line for the Dedicated Server. If I do this, I am not able to connect to the dedicated server using ("connect 192.168.1.105:27016" on L4D game console) <- the Dedicated Server cannot be found.

[MjrNuT]

this may sound out of this world, but in your command startup line, do NOT specify any ip address.

We have a l4d server setup out of a friends home as well. Person on LAN could connect to it and we had ppl connect via lobby as well. Of course, not through the LAN player.

The missing part was rcon access, which was tested via HLSW. I removed the ip from the startup and rcon was operational.

[Spartanfrog]

You are not supposed to specifiy an external IP address when you are inside a router, but you can still specifiy the internal.