Bandwith research (for servers with limited bandwith)

Mon May 26, 2003 8:33 pm by Europremium-OP-R8R

Hello guys,

Maybe you already knew but if you hosting on a limited connection, this could be good info...

I will be straightforwarded: I host the europremium server on a 512/128kbit connection. Should be enough to cover 9 players. I guess I am not the only one hosting on such a connection with limited players.

Now I checked my upload connection when my server was not hosting anyone and it still showed a lot of uploaded bytes a second. (really with no players!). I installed a sniffer to watch the data that was being sent and all packages were 63 and 489bytes long continuesly.

What the **** I thought. They have hacked my server into a Kazaa ghost , I thought. NOT the case.

Flserver.exe is sending a package of 63 bytes to everyone that is looking for a multiplayer server or refreshes his list. Well, no problem there. Then I researched the packages of 489 long!! This is what was send continuesly:

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
.`XDTõ.ÐA..J..E..é9Å..€.vPQ;O.Ù,.w.þ.þ.Õ¬÷..¡ÚŒ...=...P...?...
.......X...4...........................>j.ˆ¯?!A»Hˆò/•.ê&ð?¦ð&WN¬ ìøhä?!..E.u.r.o.p.r.e.m.i.u.m. .2.4./.7. .S.e.r.v.e.r.....1:1

xxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx:M.o.r.e. .i.n.f.o.r.m.a.t.i.o.n. .o.n. .w.w.w...g.e.o.c.i.t.i.e.s...c.o.m./.e.u.r.o.p.r.e.m.i.u.m... .T.h.i.s. .s.e.r.v.e.r. .i.s. .p.a.s.s.w.o.r.d. .p.r.o.t.e.c.t.e.d. .t.o. .t.o.o. .m.a.n.y. .c.h.e.a.t.e.r.s. .b.e.f.o.r.e... .P.e.n.t.i.u.m. .2...5.3.!.....‚
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Packages of 489 bytes. Continuesly on my 128kbit upload connection

So I made my servername discription shorter and nearly no server discription left.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
.`XDTõ.ÐA..J..E...;O..€.K?Q;O.Q0Áˆ.þ...÷Ø?..Q.z...q...P...?...
.......X..."...........................x±JîRQ#A¥$.ô\3>~&ð?¦ð&WN¬ ìøhä?!..E.u.r.o.p.r.e.m.i.u.m.2.4./.7...1:1

xxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx:g.e.o.c.i.t.i.e.s...c.o.m./.e.u.r.o.p.r.e.m.i.u.m.....n. .w
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

now my server sends packages of 281bytes instead of 489 continuesly. Decrease of 200bytes a package. Still too much but it, it is better.

These packages are NOT send only to players that click on your server!! Really to anyone who activates the 'search for multiplayer servers' list. So more and more packages are going to be send in the feature (more online players)

I decreased upload traffic with lots of bytes a second only with changing servername and serverdiscription in flserver.exe

Could be a good hint for you too if you have limited bandwith...

Greetz,
Europremium-OP-R8R

Edited by - Europremium-OP-R8R on 26-05-2003 21:43:28

Edited by - Europremium-OP-R8R on 26-05-2003 22:26:08

Mon May 26, 2003 8:56 pm by Europremium-OP-R8R

I did a check last 10 seconds. Package was sent 14 times!! I decreased server discription into it's name only to minimize data.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
.`XDTõ.ÐA..J..E..én¢..€.6ÄQ;O.RA¢..ÿ.ÿ.Õ·ê..Á.Š...?...P...?...
.......X...2...........................fÿÏ‡ë9TO•E>?5²%Æ&ð?¦ð&WN¬ ìøhä[email protected]:1

xxxxxxx

xxxxxxxx

xxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx-xxxxxxxx:....L
---------------------------------------------------------------------

241 bytes left a package.

Let's say in a second, 8 players search for a server simontaniously. Then my server uploaded 8x500bytes = 4KB that second. I have 11,5 upload max. Now with the reduct, I send 8x240bytes = less then 2KB that second. See what I mean ? A reduction of 50%.

MORE research:
And it is really happening.. Every 10 to 20 seconds there is a second with 7 requests. I send 1.75Kb that second now. Instead of sending 3,5kb!! On other seconds usually 1to 4 requests now.

Greetz again.

Edited by - Europremium-OP-R8R on 26-05-2003 22:39:51

Tue May 27, 2003 3:03 am by Dreglor

i think the server does nothing but send that out and send out the postions of all players and some of the required info the rest is down loading of the players postions and info and evry thing about the person for saveing of the file as a save game(you can put it into single and play it lol)
so the server downloads more than it up loads unless mircosoft likes to have lag on all servers becasue they send useless info
and my is a cable connection with 250-/+ up and 1860-/+ down and i have my server full of 32 players and most of them say that theres hardly any lag the lag that htere seeing is from my cpu that can't keep up and i know this because they say that theres more lag when i play with them on the same computer then when i at the console not running the game

Edited by - Dreglor on 27-05-2003 04:06:25

Tue May 27, 2003 5:15 am by Argonus

Yeah....It really seems to be a combination of both CPU access...from the server leak....and the stupid uploading crap that it does every 3-7 seconds...

I have a 1024 down/256 up cable connection...and I can usualy get 35 people with little complaint (except from Malaysia and Canada) I might be able to get more when the patch is released.

-Arg

Join The Argonian Ryders[!

Something Awful

Tue May 27, 2003 6:43 am by Europremium-OP-R8R

Hey Argonus,

A little correction to your text (a package each 3-7 seconds).

I wish that was the case. I sniffed only one minute and that minute it was 3-7package requests a second!. I have seen more. Sometimes I lost 6,5Kb a sec. (were 13 packages). That was the point that I thought I had been hacked and installed the sniffer. Now with reduce it still costs 3.25Kb a sec when 13 requests. (very sometimes).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
DREGLOR wrote: "so the server downloads more than it up loads unless mircosoft likes to have lag on all servers becasue they send useless info".
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Server really uploads more then it downloads. And they indeed do send useless info continuesly. You won't notice with server that have a 256kbit or more up (approx. 23-24 kilobyte a second) but with 128kbit up (11.5 kilobyte a second), and a package request of 13 times a second (13x500 bytes) was too much for me. That's why I reduced to 241 bytes (now 13x241 bytes).

Greetz,
Europremium-OP-R8R

Edited by - Europremium-OP-R8R on 27-05-2003 13:10:15

Tue May 27, 2003 5:49 pm by Europremium-OP-R8R

Last post for now

This will conclude the research I did...

Package is sent twice !! to everyone who starts checking the server list or refreshes the list. So.. my package of 500bytes was not sent once but twice to the same user. The difference between both packages are 7-8bytes!! Just 7-8 bytes are not the same. The rest of 500bytes is completely the same. Now packages also include data like ip-numbers/ports and other stuff, but to send the servername and it's description twice ?? Not a good idea...

Also the server name and discription are taking 2bytes for every char. So the word europremium does not take 11bytes (((Europremium = HEX: 45 75 72 6F 70 72 65 6D 69 75 6D))) but 22 (((HEX: 45 00 75 00 72 00 6F 00 70 00 72 00 65 00 6D 00 69 00 75 00 6D 00)))! If you have a server discription of 100 characters then it will take 200bytes for 1 package. And the package is sent twice to the same user that is just looking for a server, not even clicking on yours, so that took 400bytes (only 1 user and 100characters of discription).

-----------

If you want to check yourself, here are the instructions:

First download and install the sniffer: http://www.ufasoft.com/sniffer/
Then run sniffer and select TOOLS -> Select Adaptor. Then ONLY select your modem or ethernetcard that uses the internetconnetion.

Select in the left top block the UDP protocol with including the V there.
Then start the green play button left top of screen. Press the stop button after say 30 seconds. Click on TCP and then back on UDP.
In the right column are the packages that were sent and their size (included with a time stamp so you can see exactly what time the package was sent). Just select a large package that returns all the time and you will see the information sent in the box below.

Greetz!

Edited by - Europremium-OP-R8R on 27-05-2003 20:11:27

Wed May 28, 2003 11:03 am by Niwo

Hi there,

my experience with flserver Bandwith are:
at 26 Player (absoulte no lags because 2Mbit Line)
~10KB/sec upload
~5kb/sec download

This is what my firewall report and may be false.

The Problem in my Configuration is the CPU, it is a P3 933 and it is on 100% Load with 26 Players :-(

i would be interessed in other experience with player/Bandwith relationships

greeting from germany

Niwo

Fri May 30, 2003 10:56 am by Europremium-OP-R8R

I have some very other experience with upload:

I used to check the upload with use of Norton Firewall , but this was NOT giving me good information. I ran 3 speed-checkers at once, norton, DuMeter and NetStat live. Both DuMeter and NetStat live gave me both the same amount of upload a sec. Norton gave me numbers much too low.

Get DuMeter&NetStar live here:
http://www.netzwerkrouter.de/Netzwerk/T ... _tools.htm

I have the following experience with my server (9 players host max.)
Run with 0 players: Upload from 0 to 3.2Kb a second (server info requests)
Run with 9 players: Upload from 3.0 to 13.6 Kb a second

Maximum Cap of my 128kbit connection is 14.8Kb up. So all can still play safely. Adding a 10th player starts giving LAG.

FlServer server load with 9 pleople: 2 to 12 msec on a P4 2.53

Also I would like to see more information from other servers, what experience they have with the upload.

Greetz,
Europremium-OP-R8R

Edited by - Europremium-OP-R8R on 30-05-2003 13:39:45

Sun Aug 24, 2003 3:34 am by Zaphod-WaM

Would this bandwidth issue also apply to the server news text?

Also, what should the max client number for a cable connection?

-Steve

Sun Aug 24, 2003 8:57 pm by freelancing

Just Stop Decrypting The Bini Encrypted Files !

then you can run ATLEAST 18 users on 14Kb/s Upload Broadband !

Cloak Is For Newbies

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