Dedicated Server - What Am I Doing Wrong?

[Sir Max]

Hi all,

So im trying to setup a dedicated server so me & my friends can play together (Co-op No Mercy), but im having som issues getting it up & running.

So i will be plaing on my desktop, while the server will be running on my laptop. While my friends will be playing at thier homes.

On my laptop i have these folder set up;

C:\Game Servers\Left 4 Dead 2\STEAM CMD
C:\Game Servers\Left 4 Dead 2\Server

In that first folder i have steam cmd, running the latest version. I also have a bat file thier that i use to update the server (to that second folder) this is what the bat file says;

start steamcmd.exe +login anonymous +force_install_dir "C:\Game Servers\Left 4 Dead 2\Server" +app_update 222860 validate +quit

The next step i did was to download and add to the server;

The newest Stable Build of SourceMod
The newest Stable Build of Metamod
A newly crated VDF for Left 4 Dead 2

After they were added to the server i edited the admins.cfg from the SourceMod to add myself as the main Admin and one of my friends as a second admin.

Then in the root of the server folder i crated a bat file to start the server, that file says;

srcds.exe -console -game left4dead2 -hostport 27015 +exec server.cfg +map c8m1_apartment -insecure

Now before starting the server i did one last thing, i crated a Server.cfg file. you can read what that file says here ... https://pastebin.com/raw/78VMbA8Q

So then i run my server from that bat file i crated, at this point i then leave the laptop running and swap to my desktop.

In steam if i go View>Servers>Lan i can see my server runing and when i click to join it and type in the password i get an error saying;

"You do not have this 3rd part mod installed"

If i start left 4 Dead 2, i open the console and type connect [myip:myport] then i load to a screen that ask for a password, so i type it in. But then nothing happens im just left on a screen with no menus, just the video background of the menu with the zombies walking around.

if i then reopen the console i get taken back to the menu, and after typing in the connect command i can see 5 new lines they are;

Connecting to public (myip:myport)
Sending UDP connect to public IP myip:myport
Server Using '<none>' lobbies, requesting pw yes, lobby id 0
RememberIPAddressForLobby: lobby 0 from address myip:myport
binkopen( e:\program files (x86)\steam\steamapps\common\left 4 dead 2\ left 4 dead 2\media\l4d2_background05.bik )

Thats as far as i can get, and as far as i can tell from the server cmd window on my laptop thier was no attempts to join it.

I have checked my firewall on both my laptop & desktop and nothing is been blocked. I have also checked and i have the correct port forward rules applyed aswell.

Can you see what im doing wrong? any help would be much apreciated.

[flipya4real]

do you have those mods locally you installed on your server?

Originally posted by DarthJoe2056:

The newest Stable Build of SourceMod
The newest Stable Build of Metamod
A newly crated VDF for Left 4 Dead 2


"You do not have this 3rd part mod installed"

.

[Sir Max]

Originally posted by germs83:

do you have those mods locally you installed on your server?

Yes thoes 3 mods are installed on the server (on my laptop), inside the addons & cfg folders. However they are not installed on the game (on my desktop)

I did previously add them to the game folder as well, but after starting the game i got an error warning me some plugins where not loaded, and to load them i needed to set the launch option to -insecure.

So i added the launch option and started the game back up, this time i got a warning telling me the plugins had loaded. But that would stop me connecting to VAC servers.

Also when i tired the connect command with these installed to my game i still got the same results so i removed them from the game folder.

[Sir Max]

Ok i have solved the issue and have maged to join the game. the server.cfg had a line in it to password protect the server but while that line was active it would not let anyone connet even when they enter the correct password.

that line is;

sv_password "PASSWORD" // Password protects server

so i commented this line out and now people can join the game.

[Sir Max]

I have a new question, is it possible to have this game start at a lobby? At the moment when the server starts it waits for a player & starts the match when the first player joins.

This means we dont get to pick what character we want to play as, and it means we join the game as we load in insted of wating for us all to load in so we start at the same time.

[Juniper]

Create a lobby, open console and type: mm_dedicated_force_servers "server_ip:port".

If you're using the default (27015) port you do not need to specify it.

Make sure your server is already up.

[Sir Max]

Originally posted by 𝓡𝔞𝑦𝔱𝔥:

Create a lobby, open console and type: mm_dedicated_force_servers "server_ip:port".

If you're using the default (27015) port you do not need to specify it.

Make sure your server is already up.

Thank i will try this but at the moment im getting an error.

I can join my own server by connecting to my local IP but myself or my friends cant join when they use my external IP says valve_reject_lan_game do you know what that means?

[Juniper]

Make sure you don't have sv_lan 1 in your server.cfg.

Are your ports forwarded?

[Sir Max]

Originally posted by 𝓡𝔞𝑦𝔱𝔥:

Make sure you don't have sv_lan 1 in your server.cfg.

Are your ports forwarded?

Yes i do have that line in the server.cfg but its set to 0 not 1. My cfg is not very big you can see whats inside it here https://pastebin.com/raw/78VMbA8Q

As for my ports yes the are forwared. I run a Conan & Ark server from time to time and they work.

For my laptops IP i have ports 27015, 27016, 30120, 7777 set to forward both TCP & UDP

[Juniper]

And your firewall(s) is/are configured to allow traffic through said ports?

[Sir Max]

Originally posted by 𝓡𝔞𝑦𝔱𝔥:

And your firewall(s) is/are configured to allow traffic through said ports?

Yes, i also just doubble checked. I turnd off my firewalls & anti virus but we still get the same error where it says valve_reject_lan_game

[Juniper]

Open up your server, once it has loaded go here: Click! [checkopenports.utility-application.com] and type in the port you're currently listening your server to.

[Sir Max]

Originally posted by 𝓡𝔞𝑦𝔱𝔥:

Open up your server, once it has loaded go here: Click! [checkopenports.utility-application.com] and type in the port you're currently listening your server to.

hhmm strange it says it seems to be closed

[Juniper]

This means you either have not properly forwarded the port or your ISP is blocking it.

[ᴠᴀʀ]

turn off LAN discovery on your client PC.

L4d2 > Options > Multiplayer > LAN discovery disabled

That allows you to connect from your client to your server in the same network if you wanna start from a lobby.

Also, that page checking for open ports only work if the server is running. If it ain't running, it doesn't seem to be open.

[Sir Max]

Originally posted by 𝓡𝔞𝑦𝔱𝔥:

This means you either have not properly forwarded the port or your ISP is blocking it.

I have fixed it, i can now connect to the server with my external IP.

I have changed the port from 27015 to 27000 and made a portforward rule.

Dont know why its not working on the normal port i set it up the same as i just did for the new port