[cod] Problems with NAT (Multihomed) and COD

Gary Taylor gtaylor at electricwerks.com
Sun Dec 28 18:03:01 EST 2003


The way to get around this on my Linux box was to add the following line
to my /etc/hosts file:
"192.168.100.200 codauthorize.activision.com codauthorize"
(I got this tip off of some message board)

Now, I'm sure this is a vary bad thing in terms of properly authorizing
clients, but if I want to run a dedicated server on my LAN and allow
myself and someone outside to join, that's the only way it will work.
I can't get the server to show up in the public server lists (gamespy,
etc.), but that might be a separate issue, and it's really just a
private server for a couple of friends anyway.

I'd like to think Activision (or whoever) would want to fix the server
code so this isn't necessary.


-----Original Message-----
From: Eduardo E. Silva [mailto:esilva at silvex.com] 
Sent: Sunday, December 28, 2003 3:24 PM
To: cod at icculus.org
Subject: Re: [cod] Problems with NAT (Multihomed) and COD


I have the same problem and anybody that is doing NAT will have the same
problem. I think that Activision made a rather poor decision of how to
handle cdkey. perhaps they should use MAC adresses or simply allow 1-2
non-public ip addresses. The only logic I can see, is that they wanted
to avoid piracy. This is particular from Internet cafes where they might
have 200 some clients. Otherwise I see no logic behind this. I hope the
patch it up in the promised patch that was supposed to come out a month
ago. They also promised a non-beta linux server.

VERY BAD ACTIVISION.


Boy_One \(COD System Admin\) said:
> All,
>
>
>
> A little time ago i had dropped this problem here, but there was no 
> strait answer to solve it. Now i tried by Activision to see if they 
> had a solution for this problem, but see below still no luck. I'm 
> getting desperate, is there a programmer here that worked on the linux

> binary??? And is it possible (if he is here) to discus this with me???
>
>
>
> Just to let you know here is a little drawing i made of my home 
> network. See attached.
>
>
>
> Regards
>
> Quint
>
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------- Cut from 
> activision
> -----------------------------------------------------
>       Response (Kirk McNesby) 12/26/2003 09:15 AM
>       Hi,
>
>       The fan community is your best bet at this point, since what you

> are doing is unsupported. Sorry we were unable to help you further.
>
>        Customer 12/26/2003 04:41 AM
>       Dear Reader,
>
>       Where could i get this kind of information then, i enjoy the 
> game, but in this way a can't join my own server.
>
>       Regards
>       Quint
>
>        Customer 12/26/2003 04:40 AM
>       See the site i have update it.
>
>        Response (Nick Bee) 12/25/2003 03:58 PM
>       Hi,
>
>       Unfortunately, Activision only provides support for in-game menu

> options. We are also a publisher, not a developer. We do not have any 
> information for advanced server configurations.
>
>       We also do not provide setups for modified network stacks. We do

> not design or test our games for passive IP connections.
>
>        Customer 12/25/2003 10:07 AM
>       Dear Anthony,
>
>       Sorry for the late response, but I was in deep debug to give you

> more information.
>
>       You said go to
>
>       www.codadmin.com
>       www.callofduty.org
>       www.codfiles.co
>
>       I did already before I mailed you, also I am an active user in 
> icculus.org this group made also Mohaa linux. All the groups I talked 
> to gave me some hints, I tried out. Here my debug information below. I

> hope you can answer these questions.
>
>
>       I am sending you a picture of my network at home. A little 
> background of my knowledge, I am a network/security advisor, and work 
> at a large bank community in the Netherlands.
>
>       Here my debug information.
>
>       after i put it up and try to connect from my lan machine to the 
> server i get awaiting cd key authorization. I read on www.codadmin.com

> that you have to put a redirect in your host file like this
>       10.5.1.2 codauthorize.activision.com
>
>       After i did this it worked like a charm but i am not showing up 
> in either ASE or Gamespy or inside the game. Now i read on this forum 
> that when you block this Actvision is blocking you on gamespy etc. So 
> i removed it and i can see that i get more connections now in my 
> logfile
>
>       SV packet 212.4.59.227:28960 : getinfo
>       SV packet 217.187.228.176:28960 : getinfo
>       SV packet 66.171.20.41:28960 : getinfo
>       SV packet 81.50.168.236:28960 : getinfo
>       SV packet 213.7.84.188:28960 : getinfo
>       SV packet 80.130.183.223:28960 : getinfo
>       SV packet 62.15.142.49:6956 : getinfo
>       SV packet 62.181.213.155:28960 : getinfo
>       SV packet 194.255.159.186:-496 : getinfo
>       SV packet 67.163.174.179:28960 : getinfo
>       SV packet 80.142.139.40:14529 : getinfo
>       SV packet 213.89.220.43:-1909 : getinfo
>       SV packet 80.135.182.47:28960 : getinfo
>       SV packet 81.189.29.89:28960 : getinfo
>
>       And it goes on and on. When i put the block again i only see 
> this 1 or 2 times in 15 minutes.
>
>       I also see that the logfile is saying
>
>       sending getIpAuthorize for 10.5.1.123:28960
>
>       I understand that this won't work becuase this is a private 
> range and Activision can't registrate my CDKEY.
>
>
>       Now I tried after you told me not to support the linux server a 
> windows server in the same network setup, but this gives me the same 
> result.
>
>       What I did then was put the linux environment back and to a 
> tcpdump on my network to see how the packets are send etc.
>
>       I saw in the packets that my translation doesn't work to my 
> external address this way both servers are trying to AUTH my internal 
> address.
>
>       I tried the to see if I could make a loop to my external 
> address, tried proxy port forward etc. etc. but no luck still (because

> my ip isn't NAT) it is trying to AUTH my internal ip. This due to that

> my server is seeing that the external ip is local on my server and 
> isn't putting it to NAT.
>
>       I mailed this to icculus.org but nobody knows a solution. In my 
> eyes this is coming due to the fact that the server is resolving my ip

> sends it to the AUTH server this one Is trying to connect to my client

> to try to AUTH my CD-KEY.
>
>       Can't this changed from this one to server is giving me a push 
> to Activision AUTH server where I registrate my CD-Key and when this 
> is done the AUTH server is giving the COD servers an ok.
>
>       Please help me, I'm now more debugging then enjoying the 
> game.:-(
>
>       Regards
>       Quint
>
>        Response (Anthony Lu) 12/18/2003 09:24 AM
>       Hi,
>
>       Unfortunately, we do not provide support for the Linux server. 
> For assistance with setting up or running a Linux server, your best 
> bet is to look on the Internet at sites like:
>
>       www.codadmin.com
>       www.callofduty.org
>       www.codfiles.com
>
>       If you have any problems or questions in the future, please feel

> free to email us.
>
>        Auto-Response (Anthony Lu) 12/18/2003 05:24 AM
>       You have picked Unlisted title as your game title.
>
>       Please make sure the title you are inquiring about is not listed

> in our product list before proceeding. Click the Back and select the 
> Platform the game is for and then find and select your game from the 
> list.
>
>       If you do not see your title listed then the product is more 
> than likely not supported by Activision.
>
>        Customer 12/18/2003 05:24 AM
>       Dear Reader,
>
>       I have a question about a COD server and NAT. I have a dedicated

> COD server running on a linux enviroment, but when a connect from 
> inside my lan to the linux box i see in the log file that my cd-key is

> tried to be registered with my internal LAN network adress. I talked 
> to a lot of guys in mailing groups like www.codadmin.com etc. but 
> these guys say it is not possile to connect to the server like this. I

> have also a mohaa server running and this one works. The guys in the 
> mailing group are saying that the client should be patched, is this 
> true or do you know how to help me.
>
>       Regards
>       Quint
>
> --------------------------------------------------- Cut from 
> activision
> -----------------------------------------------------
>


-- 
Thanks,

Ed Silva
Silvex Consulting Inc.
esilva at silvex.com
(714) 504-6870 Cell
(714) 897-3800 Fax






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