[SOLVED] "Unable to connect to online services, extended error. Please try again later."

[Et in Exilio ego]

SOLUTION AND EXPLANATION:
The in-game multiplayer problem, "Connection Error" or "Unable to connect to online services, extended error. Please try again later", which I have experienced consistently since 2022 is related to the fact that my ISP (as it turns out) switched from NAT to GC-NAT about two years ago. Of course, this meant that the AoE games became unplayable online as they all require the individual user to have access to an individual IP address.

The solution to this problem is to contact one's ISP and demand an individual public IP address from them.

* * *

PERSISTING PROBLEM:
I try to login to Xbox Live in-game to access my explorer skins and play multiplayer online. I have all DLCs bought and downloaded. My user name shows up in-game, however, my profile pictures do not. When I press the multiplayer button, I receive the message: "Unable to connect to online services, extended error. Please try again later." Events never show up anymore. I cannot play multiplayer online. The game is practically unplayable, thus.

ACTIONS TAKEN PRIOR TO CONTACTING SUPPORT:
I have tried disabling all sorts of firewalls and added the URL for aoe3 to the list of allowed apps.
I have disabled Steam Cloud.
I have added the new patch files (P1) which I received from a friend.
I have uninstalled and reinstalled a bazillion times.
I have verified the integrity of the game files.
I have removed the userdata files in my aoe3 folder.
I have verified my security settings ax Xbox Live.
I play in a supported region.
I play on a 2TB gaming PC, Windows 11.
I already had automatic time sync turned on, and it is updated automatically.

ACTIONS TAKEN AFTER CONTACTING SUPPORT:
I contacted the official Age of Empires III support. They provided me with all sorts of suggestions--but no solutions.

I cleared my cache in Microsoft Edge and Google Chrome. It did not change anything.
I uninstalled Microsoft Edge. It did not change anything.

I followed the suggested troubleshooting guide (https://support.ageofempires.com/hc/en-us/articles/360051018451-Known-Issues-Solutions). It is quite outdated. Internet Explorer does not exist anymore, for instance.

Following those steps (and applying them on my current browser, i.e., Google Chrome) changed nothing.

I decided to uninstall the game for the third time, remove all the leftover files I could find, disabling all my firewalls, and downloading the game from Steam once again, but upon entering, the problem persists.

When logging in to Xbox Live and changing my profile picture in-game, nothing happens. I get the same extended error message. Using Vsync does nothing. Now, there is no "P1" or "P2" at the end of my recently installed version. How is the game supposed to be patched properly, then?

I press the Xbox-button in AoE III and I sign in and I hit the green "Let's go" button, then my name appears (but my profile icon remains a question mark even though I press the button to change my profile picture). The problem persists: I am kicked out of my profile when trying to access the online services in-game and I receive the "extended error".
I then press the "log in with another account" button in the Xbox Live login-screen.

I downloaded the Xbox equivalent to Steam. I found a linking option there. I pressed it, and logged in via Steam to have the accounts linked. It showed up in blue in the list. When I logged in to the game, I still had to manually log in to Xbox Live (by pressing the round Xbox button twice) and there was still no change; the events simply do not appear, as if though the game installed is not the game advertised, so to speak. Any chance of getting the correct files through some other method than Steam, perchance?

I was asked to uninstall Steam. I refused, as it took me days to install all my AAA games.
I was also asked to contact my ISP. I did. They had no clue.

I have checked, and I notice that my recently bought gaming PC still has the Internet Explorer files hidden in some folder - even though the browser used nowadays is Microsoft Edge. I suspect that Age of Empires III: DE uses the old browser to sign in to Xbox Live. However, as I have seen others commenting (see this thread, describing a similar issue with the prequel game, Age of Empires II: https://forums.ageofempires.com/t/internet-explorer-why-does-xbox-live-sign-in-prompt-an-ie-pop-up/84701), there is an issue with Internet Explorer, specifically, as it is no longer supported (which, I suppose, must be the reason why I cannot login, because my firewall somehow blocks this vulnerable old software).

I went into my firewall, I added all the following ports to be allowed (as suggested) in the inbound rules: TCP Port 8888 and UDP Port 9999, as well as Port 3478 (UDP & TCP) and Port 5222 (UDP & TCP). The connection error persisted despite the allowed ports added. Still no profile picture changes. Still no access to multiplayer. Still "connection error" when hitting the News tab.

I purchased an ethernet cable. I plugged it in. I uninstalled AoE III and downloaded it from Steam for the fifth time (with much haste, I might add; God bless ethernet cables and ♥♥♥♥♥ curse all routers). However, this was done to no avail: the connection error persisted. All my previously added TCP and UDP ports still exist in the firewall list, though. Kindly provide me with your next suggested solution.

I have already tried to add the URL aoe3-api.ageofempires.com to the allowed list on my antivirus (that is, Avast). It did not work. I uninstalled Avast. It still did not work.

I added all sorts of folders and files related to Aoe III (that is, Steam, Xbox and whatever collaborating piece of software required to simply play the game online) to the list of exclusions, but still no dice. I validated the Steam files. The extended error persisted.

Furthermore, I tried disabling my browser adblocker, thinking that this would somehow solve the issue. I validated the Steam files. Alas, the extended error was persistent.

I was recommended by the official support to play the game through a VPN. I doubted the legibility of said procedure. I have never used a VPN and I do not know how they function. The game should be perfectly playable on a paid private network with all firewalls disabled and all suggestions followed and with an ethernet cable attached to the rear end of my gaming PC. I play from a country which is apparently supported by the Xbox Region Live-whatever-thingie. I will not pay for extra services to be able to connect to the game servers when I can play all sorts of other demanding online multiplayer games perfectly fine without having to hide my Internet traffic behind some "VPN". I request a fair and open solution to this issue.

Today, prior to compiling my correspondence with the support for your hitherto conducted and hopefully most pleasant reading, I tried doing a network reset. I then validated the files in Steam. Apparently, 7 files were not found and had to be "reacquired". I validated again. Everything was said to be fine. I logged in to the game. The problem persisted.

I emplore you, fellow AoE gamers of the web, to give me a definitive solution to this connection error.

[Eaglemut]

Wow, this is rough.

I have a quick suggestion; try to exit Steam and then launch it as administrator. Maybe it helps something.

[Et in Exilio ego]

Originally posted by Eaglemut:

Wow, this is rough.

I have a quick suggestion; try to exit Steam and then launch it as administrator. Maybe it helps something.

Thank you for your suggestion! I tried this approach, but there was no difference. The game remains the same after validating the files as administrator, and the connection error persists.

A friend of mine (from the same supported region and with the same ISP) downloaded the game on their Windows 10 device. They had the same problem.

[Et in Exilio ego]

PROBLEM SOLVED.

The problem, "Unable to connect to online services, extended error. Please try again later", has been solved - and an explanation has been found (by me).

I just tried validating the AoE III: DE files in Steam while connected to my campus wifi. It worked perfectly. This concludes the following:

The problem, "Connection Error", that I have experienced consistently since 2022 is related to the fact that my ISP (as it turns out) switched from NAT to GC-NAT for about two years ago. Of course, this meant that the AoE games became unplayable online as they all require the individual user to have access to an individual IP address.

I should like you to forward my request to the developers to add an elaboration on the so called "Connection Error" message in-game. It ought to include this suggestion, namely, to inquire if one's ISP has switched to GC-NAT (which seems to be increasingly the case in many regions, as individual IP addresses are running out). Had this suggestion been stated in the beginning of this circus, I would most certainly not have had these connection issues for almost two years - as I would have made sure to contact my ISP and demand what I needed to demand from them (if I, by then. would know what to demand from them, that is). Likewise, I would now be in possession of all those explorer skins that I have been missing out on...

I suggest that these aforementioned explanations be added post-haste to the FAQ page on the website containing the "We are aware of this problem"-platitude in relation to the specific "Unable to connect to online services, extended error. Please try again later"-problem.

[MSL_1138]

Potential super easy fix!

Sooo I encoutered the same error yesterday night. Restarted my device and verified the game files. Still the same bug: "Unable to connect to online services, extended error. Please try again later"

Today i ran into a problem with my computer which made it that i could not download anything from chrome or edge. It wasnt a problem with my internet since Youtube and such worked fine. I didn't think it was connected to the problem i had with the game, but it turns out the fix for it also made the error message on AOE3de go away :D.

What i did:

-Go to windows security settings
->Virus and threat secuirity
->Scan options
->Microsoft Defender Antivirus (offline scan)
->run it

This restarted my device and took about 15 minutes total. After which all problems were gone. So i guess i had a virus?? Wanted to share because it may be a really easy fix for anyone facing this annoying issue.