basic question about setting up server
 

I have considered setting up a server. A major question I have however is what type of computer system do you need to make a decent server? I don't want one of these crap servers that only lets you have 4 zones open at a time. Between me and a friend we could probably get a pretty decent PC put together that would be solely for running the server. Just wondering what the recommended specs would be, what the best OS would be, etc. I have win2k, windowsxp, and 95/98 to choose from. Also wondering if my router is going to cause any problems with connecting. I don't have the firewall enabled on it, but I have noticed with other programs not being able to send files to other users due to it.

Well I have a router, and I have TONS of problems with it. I just directly link my computer to my modem to run a server. I also have never got my server to work when running through a router either. So I would just try to make a server directly linked to your modem for now.

This could be a big problem then. I have no way to really do that. I have my computer and another computer in another room both shareing this connection. Devoteing my whole cable connection to a eq server just isn't a option for me. Only way I will be able to do it is if I can share it with the router. My plans would be to build another computer all together to run this. My friend has offered to help out. I would probably use the Motherboard/processor I got now in it, then upgrade my main computer.

Does the video card make much of a difference in running a server?

So is it pretty much impossible to run a eqemu server through a router?

Video card doesn't make a difference for a server. It's not impossible to run a server through a router. It would just take a lot of time. I called my router's customer service, and they couldn't get it work right. It's all about port forwarding. If you get the ports forwarded correctly, then it's possible. :)

A router has to have certain ports before letting people into a server.....


so best is to fix your router so that people can visit & play on your server....

Read the Server Guide. It will show you how to run a server behind a NAT router. I do it. I run the server on my laptop, and multibox with my desktop, and people outside my local network can access it.

Basically, do this: Go to no-ip.com or someplace that will let you register a free domain name. In your loginserver.ini, set your server address to this domain name (not an IP number).

In your OS hosts file of each computer on your local network that you want to use for EQ, set the domain name to resolve to the internal IP address of the server.

In your boot5zones, use this format for each instance of zone:
<internal IP of zone server> <port> <localhost>

BTW, you can have as many instances of zone.exe as your machine can support. You can start 20 zones at once if you want.

But what I'd like to know is how make the zones stay up all the time (i.e. not "sleep"). I already know how to make them persistent.

hmm thanks for the suggestions all. I guess before I invest anything into this I will set up a test server and try and figure out how to get it to go around my router. I tried running a eqemu server a LONG time ago, but this was like over a year ago when the emu didn't hardly work right to begin with. Also since then I have gotten a different router. I had some generic no name before, now I got a linksys.

I have looked around the site and not found anything useful on actually getting this to work with a router. I went to noip.com and registered, but have no idea what I am supposed to do with it. Its wanting to know what host I want for one thing, I guess it would be something to do with a re-direct? And what IP address would I give it, my computers IP address with the router, or the main IP address?

What guides I do find on here seem to be out of date, or have broken links, etc. They also seem to be really vague in many area's, guess they are aimed at the college graduates or something. The guide that comes with the server files don't say nothing about routers either. All this talk about what ports need to be opened pretty much has me lost as well.

A Walk-thru showing how to do this with the ip redirect would be helpful for sure.

You missed the EQ Emu Server Guidebook, the fifth topic from the top in the tutorials and how-tos section.

Do you understand what no-ip does? You give your public IP that your ISP assigned to you. If this IP changes, update it with no-ip or d/l the app that does it for you.

With which part do you need more help? Note, though, that if you have a different router than I (I have an SMC), you'll have to figure out your machine-specific issues OYO.

I have a router and people can connect to my server fine and Im not using DMZ. Contact me on AIM (TheBigSim03) sometime next week when Im home and Ill tell you exactly how my router is set up.

Well with everything, I have no idea what numbers to put into the ini files with eqemu, I don't know what options to select at the no-ip site. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable with computers, but when it comes to routers and networking I get myself lost really quick. I have a D-Link Router. As far as opening up certain ports or whatever I need to edit within my router, I can figure out how to do it, once I know what needs to be done.

Get a US-Robotics /nod.

in boot5zones.bat, replace "." with a zonename

so instead ofuse

TYVM, that'd be what I needed.

Just select the basic free account. If you don't know your public IP, use the ipconfig command or go to www.whatismyip.com.

In loginserver.ini, under worldname, use the domain name you chose at no-ip.com. Everything else in that file is the same as in the normal emu documentation.

In boot5zones.bat, use the following format to start the zoneservers:

then update your hosts files on your local machines as I described above. The above info is in the GuideBook.

Ok I got the free account set up at that noip.com place. The thing is it askes me what type of service I want as in:

DNS Host (A)
DNS Host (Round Robin)
DNS Alias (CNAME)
Port 80 Redirect
Web Redirect

I have no idea what any of these are. I just left it on default (dnshost A) cause it was asking for a URL and port for the redirects. I got my ip address in there (the main ip, not my actual pc's ip given by the router).

I tried booting world.exe useing the redirect and it said it couldn't connect. So then I tried world.exe useing just my external IP address and it seemed to connect just fine. However the boot5zones won't do anything with my noip.com address or external IP, it pops up and closes out so fast I can't even read what error message it gives. My files look like this ATM, of course I have X's where username/password should be, as well as part of my ip address for safety reasons.

--db.ini--

# READ README.TXT!

[Database]
host=localhost
user=xxxx
password=xxxx
database=eq
compression=off

--loginconfig.ini--

[LoginServer]
loginserver=eqlogin1.eqemulator.net
loginserver2=eqlogin2.eqemulator.net
loginserver3=eqlogin3.eqemulator.net
loginport=5997
loginport2=5997
loginport3=5997
worldname=jimbos test
worldaddress=24.154.xxx.xxx
locked=false

[WorldServer]
Defaultstatus=0
Unavailzone=

[LoginConfig]
ServerMode=Standalone
ServerPort=5999
UplinkAddress=
UplinkPort=
UplinkAccount=
UplinkPassword=

--Boot5Zones.exe--

start zone . 24.154.xxx.xxx 7995 localhost
start zone . 24.154.xxx.xxx 7996 localhost
start zone . 24.154.xxx.xxx 7997 localhost
start zone . 24.154.xxx.xxx 7998 localhost
start zone . 24.154.xxx.xxx 7999 localhost

As I said I tried useing the domain name made at no-ip.com before useing the actual ip address, and world.exe wouldn't work period with it. Boot5zones does nothing either way. I also did make sure my windows XP firewall was down.


**EDIT**

Do I need to edit anything inside my router? I just went in and checked and most of the stuff I have no idea about, but I was able to conclude the Firewall is disabled inside of it.

use DNS Host (A)... the help link next to it describes what the options do, and this is the option that does what you want

OK, did you select anything for the hostname box? don't worry about assigning to groups, remailers, accepting mail, etc. Just enter a hostname, type dns host a, and your external IP.


These are the old login servers. use eqemulator.net only.

This is the wrong port. Use 5995 only.

I said to use your no-ip.org domain name here.
worldaddress=yourdomain.no-ip.org

you may need add the [chatchannelserver] section. I had to, although I'm not sure why.

[chatchannelserver]
chatchannelserver=yourdomain.no-ip.org

set this to start zone . yourdomain.no-ip.org port localhost again, and try the above changes. also, did you update your hosts file?


Work on this other stuff first.

I made all the changes you talked about, things are looking better. World.exe seems to boot up fine, I even seen my server in the server selection locked. I noticed my server wasn't .5.7 dr6, it was .5.6? I got the newest file, least thought I did.

The boot5zones still does the same thing though, it just pops up and closes out so fast I can't even read it. Im going to go browse the tutorials and such, doubt I will find anything though.

Think my internal router settings might have something to do with boot5zones not working?

If you downloaded it from the downloads section of this webpage it will be 5.6 thats the last "official" release that was put out. The 5.6 dr 7's is a dev release its not official but its what most people are running, its found on http://cvs.biosprite.net

Ehh I will just try to get what I got to work for now, then worry about that later. I never could find anything on what to do about the boot5zones error I am getting. I do assume the 5 windows that pop up SHOULD stay open right? Not just pop up and close??

The problem you will run into is that each release is compatable with a certain live patch date, if you are not patched to that certain date it will not work for you to log in.

I cant remember 100% but I belive at the release time of 5.6 the new login server stuff was not in place. I could be incorrect though.

I see, I am currently patched for that june16th patch I think? Guess I will try the most updated emu then. I opened the file up and didn't recognize any of the files, guess I just unzip them to my eqemu directory then?

I found it, gonna tinker with it some, hopefully it will work now.

That is just the source, I cant remember who but someone has a thread that they have the newest source, database and stuff all compiled for windows systems.

I finnally got it working, well somewhat. It is on the server screen (Fronglo's Paradise) but its locked and I can't get into it. I granted my username/password full access with mysql. I tried to log into it anyways and it just kicks me back to login screen.

Your server is locked b/c there are no zone servers running, as you mentioned below.

Unless you have EQ client files from ages ago, 5.6. won't be of any use to you. Get 5.7DR6 if you have a pre-June 22nd client. If you have a post June 22nd client, you'll have to either find a June 22nd client or wait until a compatible release comes out.

Make sure you have the right source for world and zone, and make sure the compile occurred correctly.

Search anyway... you'll be surprised.


I think it's more along the lines of a compatiblity/compile error. If zone can't find world, it will say so, rather than just poofing.

Are you sure that your loginserver.ini reads:

and that at least one instance of zone is running?

The server came unlocked. Boot5zones and world.exe are both working fine. I just get kicked back to login when i try to connect to the server though. I also upgraded to the newest emu as well.

I got a router i run a server and it works fine too

OK, now which version of the client are you using?

Also, did you edit your hosts file (NOT the loginserver.ini file; the one in windows/system32)?

And, did you fix that locked server problem? From your other posts, I'm not clear if you did or not.

The server is now unlocked, just can't log into it. I am useing the newest version now (same all the other servers are useing).

What is this file I need to edit in system32 directory?

OK, again, which version of the >client< are you using (meaning hte last date it was patched).

The hosts file: It is just called hosts, there is no extension. IF you have win2k or win xp, it is in windows\system32\drivers\etc. If you are using some other flavor of windows, just search for it. You need to add a line

for example, mine looks like this:

Oh I am useing the June 16th patch I beleive, its the one that works with every server on there pretty much. I know it works with eqclassic, scorp2k, etc etc. I will try editing that host file, I never did see anything about editing that host file.

EDIT

I edited that file and now I can log into the server. However now my boot5zones don't wanna work again. They just list 4 lines and hang there forever. My server shows locked again, but i was still able to log in. It might just take boot5zones some time to get going? Gonna try again see what happens. I actually was able to create a charactor on there at least.

Dude, it was in the first post I made on the topic =)

But yea, you have to edit that file. That is the reason why your client can't find your server. Actually, right now, other ppl could probably login to your server, but you can't.

I'd check for you, but I burned a hole in my MB on my desktop, and FedEx hasn't arrived yet =)

It works now, finnally. Thanks for the help. For some reason boot5zones don't want to do anything if my internet browser is open.

Now I just gotta flag myself to actually be able to use the commands, and figure out why the emu can't load the database. I got no items and no mobs as of now.

That may have something to do with a setting in iexplore

What's the error? I'm willing to bet you didn't do the AC fix, but we can't tell w/o any output.

I get a error with world.exe saying it can't load the database. Also the zone.exe windows say something about not being able to load the database. I don't know what a AC fix is, so I guess that is it?

Post some >output<. "something about xxx" isn't detailed enough to find the problem.

I took some screenshots of the zone and world windows.

http://www.netacs.net/~jimbox114/world.JPG

http://www.netacs.net/~jimbox114/zone.JPG


Sometimes Boot5Zones takes 5 and 10 minutes to completely boot up. Other times it comes right on. I know I got a database, I have been useing the item editor to make some custom items with it. It shows pretty much every item in the game in it.