Same network, connection stuck in relay mode

[Darkknight1812]

I am currently in the Steam Client Beta. I know Steam has made it possible to stream games from your home computer to outside of the home (different network). However, I am now having problems with remote play between two Windows 10 computers on the same network. I noticed poor performance (even when both computers wired) and I checked to "display performance information" under "Advanced client options" in the Remote play area. I then noticed that the that under ping time it listed the time as 50 ms (relay). I did a ping test and found that between the computers it is about 1 ms. I then proceeded to restart both steam clients and reconnect. The ping time now read 1ms or less (direct).
I am guessing there is a problem with the network detection that was implemented to stream outside of the home. I contacted Steam Support and they were of no help with a copy and pasted response. I suggested that either the network detection is fixed and/or there is an option to force network mode (direct or relay). I suggest that anyone having recent problems with remote play to see if you are connecting directly or though a steam relay.

[Xjph]

I've also noticed that desktop to desktop remote play chooses to use a relay more readily than the Steam Link app. In my case I am at a remote location, but the Steam Link android app will find a direct connection, while the desktop client defaults to relay. I can force the desktop client to use a direct connection by enabling the console and issuing a "connect_remote" command.

[Genohai]

I tried using "connect_remote", and it worked for a few moments, but then immediately fell back to relay. Any way to just disable using relay?

[Bullfrog]

Hey guys, how can I check if my setup is using Relay or Direct?

My Steam Link used to work perfectly, but since the Remote Play updated it's "broken". When testing the connection to my computer, I would get around 3ms, now I get a message saying that I should try getting a wired connection (even tough everything here is wired, nothing was changed) and no real ping measurement is shown anymore.


I found this:
https://steamcommunity.com/groups/homestream/discussions/0/1642041106374866743/
That leads to this workaround:
https://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/354049/steam-remote-play-slow-stutters-buffers-when-in-home-streaming-it-connects

but I'm not sure how to run this command: connect_remote <ip>:27036
should I change "ip" to my host computer IP?

[Xjph]

The performance details you can enable in the advanced streaming client settings will tell you if you're getting a direct or relay connection.

As for how to run the command, that's for desktop to desktop streaming only. That command doesn't work on the Steam Link.

[Bullfrog]

Hi @Xjph, thanks for answering!

https://imgur.com/a/I3zFKVY
Is this the performance details that u are talking about? I couldn't find the relay/direct information on it. Not know if it's really not here or if I'm just too dumb,

"As for how to run the command, that's for desktop to desktop streaming only. That command doesn't work on the Steam Link."
And sad to hear this, I tought I had a solution for a moment,

[Xjph]

Originally posted by Bullfrog:

Hi @Xjph, thanks for answering!

https://imgur.com/a/I3zFKVY
Is this the performance details that u are talking about? I couldn't find the relay/direct information on it. Not know if it's really not here or if I'm just too dumb,

"As for how to run the command, that's for desktop to desktop streaming only. That command doesn't work on the Steam Link."
And sad to hear this, I tought I had a solution for a moment,

Yeah, that's the correct details. "SDR" is Steam Datagram Relay. That will simply say "Direct" otherwise.

I don't remember if the option to input the ip address of the computer you want to connect to still exists on the Steam Link. Once upon a time you could pick "other computer" when trying to pair and you enter the address manually, but I don't remember seeing that since they implemented the PIN based pairing.

What is your network setup like? Which devices are the PC and Steam Link connected to?

[Bullfrog]

Originally posted by Xjph:

Yeah, that's the correct details. "SDR" is Steam Datagram Relay. That will simply say "Direct" otherwise.

Ah, nice, thanks for clarifying

Originally posted by Xjph:

I don't remember if the option to input the ip address of the computer you want to connect to still exists on the Steam Link. Once upon a time you could pick "other computer" when trying to pair and you enter the address manually, but I don't remember seeing that since they implemented the PIN based pairing.

I searched here but I didn't find it. When selecting the "add new host" option it says something like: "searching for machines running Steam on your local network" with sadly no option to input anything manually.

Originally posted by Xjph:

What is your network setup like? Which devices are the PC and Steam Link connected to?

My setup is pretty simple and straight forward: a Host Computer and the Steam Link both connected to the same Router (and both using regular Ethernet cable).

I use the original Steam Link hardware, with the latest beta build. (HDMI to TV and Dualshock 4 as controller, but I guess this shouldn't be important).
Steam on the host PC is also using the latest beta build.


This very same setup was running perfectly some weeks ago, nothing was changed besides upgrading Steam and the Steam Link.

[_I_]

can you ping the link from the host pc?

do the host and link get a similar ip?
192.168.same.different?

[Bullfrog]

Originally posted by _I_:

can you ping the link from the host pc?

Not sure how to test this properly, but they propably can "see" each other just fine, since the Steam Link can only search for computers on the local network and it's finding the host PC

Originally posted by _I_:

do the host and link get a similar ip?
192.168.same.different?

Yes! At first, my computer and the Steam Link were both using dynamic IP on the LAN and using static IP was pretty much the first thing that I tried as a fix. Unfortunately dind't work,

[_I_]

find the links ip using its menu
from the host
start -> run/search -> cmd
ipconfig -all
will show local ip
ping 192.168.x.x (link ip)

there should be no reason to use a static ip

[Xjph]

Originally posted by Bullfrog:

Originally posted by _I_:

can you ping the link from the host pc?

Not sure how to test this properly, but they propably can "see" each other just fine, since the Steam Link can only search for computers on the local network and it's finding the host PC

Untrue. Steam Link now connects to Valve's servers and will report on any PC you have connected to Steam, regardless of its location. You'll see it in the list even if it's not directly reachable.

[_I_]

to add a pc, enter the code the link gives into the host
add pc -> other [x/y/square] if it does not show on the list
but again if its not on the list, the host and link are not on the same subnet

steam -> settings -> remote play -> pair link

[Bullfrog]

Originally posted by _I_:

find the links ip using its menu
from the host
start -> run/search -> cmd
ipconfig -all
will show local ip
ping 192.168.x.x (link ip)

there should be no reason to use a static ip

Thanks _I_, this is a quite useful thing to know and helped me to solve the issue here.

Originally posted by Xjph:

Originally posted by Bullfrog:

Not sure how to test this properly, but they but they probably can "see" each other just fine, since the Steam Link can only search for computers on the local network and it's finding the host PC

Untrue. Steam Link now connects to Valve's servers and will report on any PC you have connected to Steam, regardless of its location. You'll see it in the list even if it's not directly reachable.

Nice, I didn't know about it. So, now I can get my Steam Link to anywhere and stream form my PC, very good to know!


Guys, thanks everyone for the help, everybody here was really helpful!

This last weekend I got some spare time and was able to successfully find the problem and it was something so simple that I can't believe: Somehow my network settings was set to "Public Network" instead of "Private Network". I don’t remember changing this setting to Public, it's a Desktop Computer, so that's not the case of a Laptop that you walk around and use different networks that would prompt the Windows to ask for this option. Seeing the amount of threads discussing this, maybe some of the latest Windows update may have changed this setting to default for some people, idk.
Anyway, thanks again my good people!


In case OP hasn't figured out it how to solve to him, he should check if it was the same problem that I had

[Darth wahl]

I regularly stream movies from my PC to the Steam Link over a wired connection, but two weeks ago my streaming became choppy and unwatchable. I want you to know that this post fixed it for me. Apparently my network had also been set to Public instead of Private as well. Must have been a windows update or some BS. Regardless, thank you all for your work in diagnosing and publicly displaying the results, it's made quarantine waaaay better.

[Bullfrog]

Hey mate, I'm glad to know, =)