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Hosting a simulation

You are here: Home > Forum > Hosting and Events > Hosting General Topics > Hosting a simulation

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Hosting a simulation 23/02/2012 at 18:21 #29846
CTCThiago
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232 posts
Hi all,

I have some problems to host a simulations, if anyone can help me...

Well,

1. IP

I have 3 IP's:

xxx.xxx.x.x = My IP address (internal)
xxx.xxx.x.x = getaway
xxx.xx.xx.xxx = clicking on what's my ip address on SimSig website.

note: this third IP changes every 5 minutes.

ok, the question is: if I create a host of a simulation, which of these IP's i should put in the forum for players entering the simulation?


2. Port

What port should I use to perform the host?

Primary (50505)
Secundary (50507)

grateful,
CTC.

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Hosting a simulation 23/02/2012 at 19:21 #29847
mfcooper
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707 posts
" said:
1. IP

I have 3 IP's:

xxx.xxx.x.x = My IP address (internal)
xxx.xxx.x.x = getaway
xxx.xx.xx.xxx = clicking on what's my ip address on SimSig website.

note: this third IP changes every 5 minutes.

ok, the question is: if I create a host of a simulation, which of these IP's i should put in the forum for players entering the simulation?

I'm not sure what IP number 2 "getaway" means.
I would have said use IP 3, but as this keeps changing I am confused...

" said:
2. Port

What port should I use to perform the host?

Primary (50505)
Secundary (50507)

You can use whatever port you like, just make sure you have opened it through your router, if you use one.

If you host a chained set of simulations, then each simulation that is hosted on the same computer will need a unique port number.

Last edited: 23/02/2012 at 19:22 by mfcooper
Reason: typos

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Hosting a simulation 23/02/2012 at 19:43 #29848
tlib
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" said:
Hi all,

I have some problems to host a simulations, if anyone can help me...

Well,

1. IP

I have 3 IP's:

xxx.xxx.x.x = My IP address (internal)
xxx.xxx.x.x = getaway
xxx.xx.xx.xxx = clicking on what's my ip address on SimSig website.

note: this third IP changes every 5 minutes.

ok, the question is: if I create a host of a simulation, which of these IP's i should put in the forum for players entering the simulation?
Hi CTC,

1st question back to you:

Do you use Tor or any other anonymising service? If so disable this as this will confuse the what is my IP page.

Also have you forwarded the ports on your router or "gateway" to your internal ip (you can normally login if you type the ip address of your gateway into your browser).

" said:
What port should I use to preform the host?
Doesn't matter as long as you forward that port from your gateway to your machine. If you wished to host a chained game from 1 computer the other sims in the chain would requre aternate port numbers.

Tlib

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Hosting a simulation 23/02/2012 at 20:56 #29851
Danny252
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At a guess, "getaway" is "gateway", and being aaa.bbb.c.d it looks like a 192.168.x.y, and is probably the router IP.

Not entirely sure how you can get a randomly changing external IP without constantly losing connection to everything.

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Hosting a simulation 23/02/2012 at 20:57 #29852
headshot119
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4869 posts
" said:
At a guess, "getaway" is "gateway", and being aaa.bbb.c.d it looks like a 192.168.x.y, and is probably the router IP.

Not entirely sure how you can get a randomly changing external IP without constantly losing connection to everything.
Some ISPs give you a non static IP address.

"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
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Hosting a simulation 23/02/2012 at 22:16 #29854
Lardybiker
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Almost every ISP gives you a dynamic IP address (a non-static IP address) unless you specifically request a static one. The only reason to go to a static IP is if you intend to run some sort of server which invariably always needs to be in the same place IP-wise. Most ISP's will charge you extra for requesting a static IP as this is seen as something only businesses would typically use.

The dynamic IP address you get usually comes from a pool of addresses allocated to the ISP. They can't give everyone a static IP address as there is not enough to go around (least not on IPV4 but that's a different topic). Any IP address you get will be "leased" to the internet facing-device (that may be your router or your PC or something else depending on your setup)for a limited period. This lease time can be anything from seconds to weeks or maybe longer. It's defined by the DHCP (Dynamic Host Control Protocol) server that provides the IP addresses to you which is owned and set up and maintained by your ISP. You, obviously, have no control over it.

So you get an IP address with a certain lease time. At some given point during the lease period (I believe its 50% but it may be different depending on OS and so on), the PC will start requesting a new lease from the server. The DHCP server responds by either (a) renewing your lease utilising the same IP address you already have or (b) giving you a new lease with a new IP address.

This is all done seamlessly without you ever realising its taking place and you have no control of which option the server will choose. So IF your ISP gives you a lease that lasts for several days, and IF the DHCP server updates your lease leaving you with the same IP address then it will look like you have a single IP address but I very much doubt you actually have (unless you paid for a service that provides one of course!!).

Anyway, it is thus entirely legitimate for an IP address to change mid-use though the likelihood is you are normally given the same IP address your system had been using. You can see this happening in your own network for those with a router in there system. The router has a DHCP server built in and does the same thing when allocating addresses (unless you use static IP's throughout your network). If you go to the command prompt and then type IPCONFIG /ALL it will list your IP setup for each network interface and you'll note there is lease information included where it's available.

Now, as for the original question...It looks like you probably have an internet gateway on your network which is likely to be a router but may not be. If that's the case....

IP address (1) is only the internal one given to you by your router. Only machines on the same side of the router as the PC can see or use that address. That's OK for local hosting where other PC's are directly connected using your network but no good for setting up an internet multiplayer game.

IP address (2) I think is named incorrectly and actually meant to be "gateway". Its the IP address your PC uses if it reaslises the destination address is not on your local network. The PC uses a combination of your PC's IP address and its subnet mask to work that out. Anyway, this address will be the IP address of your router on your PC's side of the network or your internet gateway device (incidentally if this is missing your access to the internet will also disappear too...)

IP Address (3) is your external address. This is likely to be the IP address of the internet-facing part of your router or internet gateway deivce. THIS is the one you want to use. However, I would not expect it to change every 5 minutes and if it does, that's going to prove challenging to host. In fact thats sounds decidedly odd. As for why it's doing it, I don't know. It could be you have some software running that's forcing it to change, your router maybe set up to do change it often or it could be your ISP. Unfortunately, I can't offer any more help than that.

Last edited: 23/02/2012 at 22:18 by Lardybiker
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Hosting a simulation 23/02/2012 at 23:13 #29861
maxand
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Quote:
The DHCP server responds by either (a) renewing your lease utilising the same IP address you already have or (b) giving you a new lease with a new IP address.

I always thought that for dynamic IPs, a lease would be renewed, using the same IP address, while your router maintained connection, otherwise this would cause havoc any time a long download was taking place that requires the same IP address to be maintained. Of course, that might depend on the duration of the standard lease. I'm thinking of downloads lasting 1-2 hours.

Last edited: 23/02/2012 at 23:14 by maxand
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Hosting a simulation 24/02/2012 at 01:24 #29865
Lardybiker
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771 posts
As I stated in the first line of the fifth paragraph, "you are normally given the same IP address your system had been using". It is possible though it may change. I don't know all the in's and outs of the system as I have not read the RFC's that relate to DHCP servers and IP leasing arrangements. However, it is the explanation why people think they have a fixed IP when they in fact do not and it is a plausible reason why the original poster IP address may change.

Most leases are for a few days...My own router gives my PC an a lease of 2 days.

Incidentally, I've seen IP address changes happen. I've seen it whilst a hosting session was going on. Not surprisingly, it caused havoc! Its one reasons why static IP addresses are used for the sim servers during a meets to ensure that doesn't happen.....(especially as it takes long enough to get set up as it is!!)

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Hosting a simulation 24/02/2012 at 09:02 #29880
clive
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It would be unusual for a DHCP server not to give you the same address as the one you're currently using when you attempt to renew the lease. Doing otherwise would be very disruptive, to the ISP's systems as well as to yours. The most usual reason for a change is that something at the ISP end thinks you've disconnected, so it frees up your address and another customer gets it.
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Hosting a simulation 25/02/2012 at 16:23 #29976
handle
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I'm not shore with hosting because you have to use your IP address which it dogie as it leaves you vulnerable on the internet doesn't it
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Hosting a simulation 25/02/2012 at 16:26 #29977
headshot119
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4869 posts
" said:
I'm not shore with hosting because you have to use your IP address which it dogie as it leaves you vulnerable on the internet doesn't it
I don't know why you're not sure about hosting, your IP address is already broadcast all over the internet every time you visit a web page anyway. So hosting isn't going to make the slightest bit of difference.

"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
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Hosting a simulation 25/02/2012 at 16:29 #29978
Stephen Fulcher
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I am not aware of any issue with anyone who has hosted having any problem in this area.

There are a couple of precautions anyway:
1. The hosting page is only available to signed up members.
2. All hosts tend to edit their post advertising the session when it closes to remove their IP address from the thread.

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Hosting a simulation 25/02/2012 at 18:45 #29995
handle
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its just people could hack your computer couldn't they
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Hosting a simulation 25/02/2012 at 19:10 #29997
headshot119
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" said:
its just people could hack your computer couldn't they
No.

"Passengers for New Lane, should be seated in the rear coach of the train " - Opinions are my own and not those of my employer
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Hosting a simulation 25/02/2012 at 19:12 #29999
ralphjwchadkirk
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" said:
its just people could hack your computer couldn't they

Yes, they could, but your IP address is freely available anyway, and posting it on here isn't going to back any difference to you being hacked.

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Hosting a simulation 14/10/2013 at 07:22 #49952
CTCThiago
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232 posts
Hello again Guys, another question:

Copy from Wikipedia:

============================

1. DMZ: In computer security, a DMZ or Demilitarized Zone (sometimes referred to as a perimeter network) is a physical or logical subnetwork that contains and exposes an organization's external-facing services to a larger and untrusted network, usually the Internet. The purpose of a DMZ is to add an additional layer of security to an organization's local area network (LAN); an external attacker only has direct access to equipment in the DMZ, rather than any other part of the network. The name is derived from the term "demilitarized zone", an area between nation states in which military operation is not permitted.

============================

R: It should be activated. okay.

============================

2. UPnP: Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) is a set of networking protocols that permits networked devices, such as personal computers, printers, Internet gateways, Wi-Fi access points and mobile devices to seamlessly discover each other's presence on the network and establish functional network services for data sharing, communications, and entertainment. UPnP is intended primarily for residential networks without enterprise-class devices. The concept of UPnP is an extension of plug-and-play, a technology for dynamically attaching devices directly to a computer, although UPnP is not directly related to the earlier plug-and-play technology. UPnP devices are "plug-and-play" in that when connected to a network they automatically establish working configurations with other devices.

============================

R: This should be activated?

Cheers,
Thiago.

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Last edited: 14/10/2013 at 14:35 by CTCThiago
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Hosting a simulation 14/10/2013 at 10:03 #49954
Hawk777
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The DMZ is a computer that is fully exposed to the Internet. There’s very, very rarely a reason to use this, and it’s dangerous, since anything listening on a port is then exposed to the Internet—including services that would normally only be used between computers on your local network. You certainly don’t need it for SimSig. Just use the port forwarding option to forward the one single port you’re hosting on.

UPnP is a protocol that lets a computer automatically set up port forwarding, so you don’t have to do it by hand. Some applications and games have support for this, so when you choose to host, a port is automatically forwarded. I don’t think SimSig has this capability, though, so enabling or disabling UPnP in the router won’t make any difference.

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Hosting a simulation 14/10/2013 at 13:28 #49965
CTCThiago
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Thanks to clarify Christopher.

cheers.

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Hosting a simulation 14/10/2013 at 13:45 #49966
Sacro
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No, DMZ should not be enabled, manually forward the individual ports you require.

I'm in two minds about uPNP, it is rather useful to allow things to automatically port forward, but there's always that threat of something nasty poking holes itself.

As an aside, you should cite Wikipedia when you copy things verbatim.

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Hosting a simulation 14/10/2013 at 14:32 #49968
CTCThiago
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" said:


As an aside, you should cite Wikipedia when you copy things verbatim.
Ben, Sorry for that, i forgot to mention the Wikipedia.

I'll edit the post, I'm on time to fix it.

It'll not happen again.


Last edited: 14/10/2013 at 14:34 by CTCThiago
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Hosting a simulation 14/10/2013 at 16:19 #49974
GeoffM
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" said:
" said:
I'm not shore with hosting because you have to use your IP address which it dogie as it leaves you vulnerable on the internet doesn't it
I don't know why you're not sure about hosting, your IP address is already broadcast all over the internet every time you visit a web page anyway. So hosting isn't going to make the slightest bit of difference.
"Broadcast" is a bit of a strong word. "Publicly viewable" might be a little less alarmist.

Though it may make little difference to hacking attempts, most SimSig hosts would prefer their address not to be visible in a forum to all and sundry. To that end this forum provides that ability if the host chooses to do so, but it does not force the issue.

SimSig Boss
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Hosting a simulation 14/10/2013 at 16:40 #49976
Lardybiker
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UPNP is not used by SimSig so you'll need to set things up manually.
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