Multiplayer Problem. FSUIPC? SquawkBox? SBRelay?

[jalvarezsp]

I am experiencing the following problem while connected to IVAO or VATSIM networks:

A few minutes after connecting, I stop receiving messages from other players, as well as location updates from other players. Everything appear to freeze, so if I had another player next to me, the player maybe moving, but I only see the last update that FS2004 got from the network. They can still see me, and continue to see updated information about my user (e.g. location, altitude, speed). This problem does not appear if I just connect to another user via straight multiplayer, or if I connect to Microsoft GameZone, only when using the SquawkBox, SBRelay, FSUIPC (Not suggesting FSUIPC is the problem Mr. Dawson). I have spoken to the folks in SquawkBox and SBRelay, and they believe their software is working properly, in fact, you can send updates or messages directly from SquawkBox with no problem.

Another curious thing that happens is that a few minutes after connecting, normally at the same time as I stop getting message and updates, while in automatic pilot, the speed drops to 0, and the power goes to maximum. If I disengage the auto pilot, then I can once again control the speed, but the gauge continues to show 0. This happens on all aircraft. Mr. Dawson flat out said that it was pilot error, and that it was related to not putting pitot heat, however, this does not ever happen in regular multiplayer (FS2004 to FS2004) or in regular single user flight.

My reasoning from coming to this forum about FSUIPC possibly being the cause, is because I believed that SquawkBox somehow passed the locations of other players and messages to FSUIPC to be inserted into FS2004.

... Oh yea, I also opened several cases with Microsoft, and updated DirectX several times. FSUIPC was the very last in my list of elements to check.

If anyone have experience this problem or have any suggestions, I will greatly appreciate.

Jose L. Alvarez

[Pete Dowson]

A few minutes after connecting, I stop receiving messages from other players, as well as location updates from other players. Everything appear to freeze, so if I had another player next to me, the player maybe moving, but I only see the last update that FS2004 got from the network.

OkayI am hoping some other SB users will jump in here to help. The interface SB uses to update the MP aircraft is the FS MP interface, which is outside my experience and also outside of any of my software. I do know that the FS2004 MP protocol is different from the FS2002 MP protocol, but I think your SBRelay program is supposed to take care of that.

They can still see me, and continue to see updated information about my user (e.g. location, altitude, speed).

That proves that (a) your link to the centre is working, and (b) the interface between SB and FSUIPC is okay. This is the information which FSUIPC supplies to SB, and apart from weather, if you use the SB weather, is, I think, the only use made of FSUIPC.

This problem does not appear if I just connect to another user via straight multiplayer, or if I connect to Microsoft GameZone, only when using the SquawkBox, SBRelay, FSUIPC (Not suggesting FSUIPC is the problem Mr. Dawson).

It's actually "Dowson", but please call me Pete.

It seems that the problem lies somewhere between SB and SBRelay or SBRelay and FS's MP interface. I'm very sorry, but I know nothing about this stuff, but there are visitors here who should be able to help. Unfortunately, it may be a bad time as they may be away this week.

It may help also to post this very same message in the FS2004 forum, near here. I have noticed quite a number of SB-type queries being posted and discussed there recently.

I have spoken to the folks in SquawkBox and SBRelay, and they believe their software is working properly

So they are saying it is FS's multiplayer module going wrong? I wonder if they can provide some way of you getting diagnostics of this so it can be reported/analysed.

I think there are many happy users of this stuff on FS2004, so it sounds as if it is specific to something on your system. The usual answer (e.g. from MS support) is to re-install FS and see if that fixes it. However, if you have a lot installed that is a bit annoying. One thing I do is always have a "virgin" installation of FS as well as the one I used with all the add-ons I like. That way I can quickly try things out on the "virgin" setup to see if it's another add-on or possibly some file corruption which is causing the problems.

To do that you will need enough disk space. Then rename your FS9 folder temporarily, install a complete new installation. When that's up and running, add the minimum necessary to get your on-line flight running and tested.

If that works, then a process of elimination follows -- you need to find what the difference is that matters, whether it be a corrupted FS file, some CFG or other parameters, or an add-on.

If it still doesn't work, then remove/remane the FS9.CFG file (which both installations would have used) and try again. If it still doesn't work, I'm afraid you might be looking at some sort of Windows driver or hardware problem.

You can swap between the two installations by just loading from the appropriate folder, but to get back to "normal", rename the new (almost-virgin) installation to, say "FS9test" and change the renamed original to its normal name.

Another curious thing that happens is that a few minutes after connecting, normally at the same time as I stop getting message and updates, while in automatic pilot, the speed drops to 0, and the power goes to maximum. If I disengage the auto pilot, then I can once again control the speed, but the gauge continues to show 0. This happens on all aircraft. Mr. Dawson flat out said that it was pilot error, and that it was related to not putting pitot heat, however, this does not ever happen in regular multiplayer (FS2004 to FS2004) or in regular single user flight.

The symptoms you describe are almost always associated with pitot heat not being on, but this omission will generally only cause a problem when flying through or near clouds which have icing capabilities. This is a weather function. Maybe SB is setting some of your weather, and it is this which is the difference. If the problem does occur at the same time as the loss of MP aircraft, then maybe there is some relationship, though I can't guess what I'm afraid.

I think you can turn SB's weather off, so you could try flying without its weather control. If that seems to fix one or both symptoms, you are well on the way to resolving the issue.

If this is the case, turn the weather back on and enable FSUIPC's Weather and IPC Write logging (see the FSUIPC Options, Logging page). Zip up the resulting FSUIPC.LOG file (after you get the problem), and I'll see what sort of things it is doing.

Also, when you get the symptoms, run WEATHERSET to see what sort of cloud layers and icing levels you are getting.

My reasoning from coming to this forum about FSUIPC possibly being the cause, is because I believed that SquawkBox somehow passed the locations of other players and messages to FSUIPC to be inserted into FS2004.

I see. But it doesn't. That's the function of Multiplayer. FSUIPC doesn't know how to do that at all.

If anyone have experience this problem or have any suggestions, I will greatly appreciate.

Try with SB weather switched off first, assuming it is on. If that helps, let me see the log so I can tell what it is doing. If not, and no SB experts here can suggest anything, then all I can think of is that process of elimination I mentioned above.

Regards,

Pete

[jalvarezsp]

Pete,

... a short test showed that you may be right to suspect the weather. I disabled the real time weather in Squawkbox, and for the first time, I was able to connect to IVAO, and continue to receive messages and updates. Being Xmas eve, there weren't too many people around to test with other players, but the behavior has definetly change.

More information to come as I do a more thorough test in the next couple of days.

Thanks.

Jose L. ALvarez

[Luxpilot]

Hi there,

Well I had the same problem for weeks , and found the solution :

get ad-aware from http://www.webattack.com/get/adaware.shtml

then run it un quarantine the stuff it finds , after that , everything works fine again for me , the other players dont disappear anymore , and my SBrelay doesnt lockup anymore , i am now very happy to fly online again and see all the traffic around me

I hope this helps for you as well

Grretings

Frank Krier

[jalvarezsp]

thanks.

I will download adaware and give it a try, but there is only one problem left, and I have been able to isolate it, but I am not sure how to solve it.

Pete was right, the speed problem was pilot errorpitot heat took care of that, but the other problem not being able to see other traffic and SBRelay locking up remains. Also, the other program made by IVAO as an laternative to SBrelay remains.

I have been able to determine that the problem starts the minute an aircraft leaves the session, so it could happen right away in a busy airport, or may never happen if you are flying close to another aircraft in an isolated area, the fact is that it happens, and it happens every time. As soon as I get the "XXXX Has left the session" that is it, no more updates or messages are sent, and therefore, I can no longer see anyone moving.

-Jose