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Static IP and Router
For what it is worth, I have experienced the same symptoms with a Pocket PC. What I noticed was it kept coming back to the login screen, but if I got the login right, I could then browse to another website and was authenticated on the Mesh, even though it looked like I wasn't. It appears setting my mesh router / wiana settings to nocatsplash … disabling the wiana login splash page seems to work. I can connect using wipeout’s browser and connect to a psp portal page. But turning the wiana splash page just returns me back to the select connection in wipeout.

You're doing right -- just need to do some redirection so that instead of the wipeout download page -- you send the PSP to your own page You can set up your own DNS server to do that or you can enter the dns servers that some folks have put out on the net Google on "PSP browser hacks" and you'll see more -- So far the utility is not there -- more gee wiz -- but it could be great for things like surveillance monitors -- turn wifi power saving off to get any performance at all Do you mind explaining to me how you got the PSP to connect? Are you using the wiana login page? Or is it set to open? I just get to the splash login screen and enter my username/password. Then I hit Login and the login screen appears again. I set it to open and it seems to work. But in wipeout all I see is the screen (image) that tells me that wipeout online content isn’t available yet and to hold on. And that’s all I get. I can’t browse anything.

gaming
www.froglevel.net I have a user that I've assigned a static ip to that wants to play Warcraft over the internet. He wants to be able to create a Warcraft game in which other users can join. As it stands, he can join games, but not create them. FWIW, the static IP address is assigned to a   router (Linksys BEFW1154) and he has port 6112 opened on the RouTer and it's being directed to 192.168.1.10, the static IP address that he has assigned his PC. Everything is working perfectly on getting the static IP to the router.

He also trying to use Roger Wilco for VoIP communication with other gamers. He can join channels, but not create a voice channel.

I suspect that it's because his outgoing traffic is masquerading under the ip of my gateway meshbox. Does anyone know of a workaround? Or, are there any Warcraft player gaming over the mesh that can send some pointers my way for him?

>It appears setting my mesh router / wiana settings to nocatsplash Š >disabling the wiana login splash page seems to work. I can connect >using wipeout's browser and connect to a psp portal page. > >But turning the wiana splash page just returns me back to the select >connection in wipeout. > >Is that happening to you?

My guess is that you need to set up MAC authentication for the PSP to bypass the splashpage. Perhaps the PSP isn't able to follow the redirect....

Verify which ports are required for gaming. Back in my gaming days, I recall in games such as Quake that you could set any port for the server to listen on when creating a game. If you map port X to their IP but they set their game to use Port Y, then that won't work very well. Theoretically, if you map all the required ports to their IP and they don't step outside that box, then everything should work fine.

> This is because of masquerading. Most gaming servers will kick you back > if they already have that IP playing. > We are having a very similar problem with Halo 2 on the Xbox on our > network. Users can join games on Xbox Live without a problem but when they try to create games they are given a message stating network > errors have occurred. We are also having a problem with clients on > different nodes not being able to join in the same game with other > clients on the network. If all clients are attached to the same node > through a single CB3 or if they are all connected to the Ethernet port > of the node everything functions normally. I have tried this with a > static public IP and with DHCP assigned address both with the same > result. I too believe this to be an error stemming from the > masquerading on outgoing traffic from the gateway. If anyone has a > solution or experience with this type problem please let me know.

VPN router
Is there a simpler way of doing this? Couldn't you just put a VPN Server at your local office that is connected in between your mesh and the Internet? There is no use wasting a MeshAP just for VPN connectivity. This would make it easier and more manageable in my opinion.

> I don't know the specific games they want to play, other than it's > mostly PC based. They want to keep it all on the mesh, so it's just for > local use only. There are about 20 guys all-together. They are spread > all over the mesh. > > I've been burning the midnight oil and I've determined that it's > possible to set up an AP like I described (no firewall b/t clients) and > if a user establishes a VPN connection to that node from anywhere on > the network, they can access other clients AS WELL AS anything on the > wired side (total block on incoming wireless OFF). > > So, what I'm contemplating doing now is building up an AP that would be > out in the mesh with limited wireless connectivity (wireless clients = > 0) but full mesh access so they can connect to it using the VPN > connection. Once a VPN connection was established, they would all be on > the same network, with full connectivity to the wired side of that > network as well (the server will be on the wired side). > > I'd like to say thanks for all of the recommendations I've received > (onlist and offlist). I *think* my way of thinking is right on target > now, but I'm always looking for a better (smarter) way of doing it. > > The answer depends on what game your customers are going to play and> > how they would like to play it. Generally gamers have a particular game they play or like. What game is it? Most games include online > > internet based play where you can set up a hosted game on somebody else's > > site/server. The mesh will already support this quite well depending on  the number of hops to the gateway. If they are looking to game strictly within the mesh, then you have two options, set up a gaming server for them based on their favorite game with routes from your gateway, or look at setting up all of your gamers on a private subnet (such as what you stated about a mesh access point > > with VPN connectivity) > > > > So the answer is....  We need more information. > > > > What game(s) are they wishing to play? > > LAN gameplay or internet based? > > How many users? > > Are the users local to 1 Mesh AP or spread across your mesh?

Subject: RE: [MeshAPuser] Gaming over the mesh Erm, seems we've started something here...For those who have replied direct, here is a somewhat out of date but comprehensive guide to hosting Halflife on Linux. http://www.linuxforum.com/linux-game-server/halflife.html I'll see what else I can dig up if people are still interested.

> >> I would think it should be possible if you take yourself an > >> old PC or something cheap and make it a node. Then forward > >> all the incoming VPN traffic on br0 to a cheap VPN server you > >> should be ready. You might need to do some testing between > >> PPTP and IPSEC to make sure they work across the mesh. It > >> would go something like the this User logs into his or her local node to access the mesh network The wiana ip address of your game node can be accessed from anywhere on the mesh with out disabling the firewall The user sets up a VPN client using the gaming nodes wiana ip address The user starts his or her VPN client and it hits the gaming nodes IP address and is redirected to a local server on the ethernet interface of the gaming node

> >> then let the games begin !! > >> What is really cool is if you can get someone to lend you a > >> copy of windows server or something you are familiar with > >> setting up and get your IP forwarding working and VPN tested > >> out. Then all you really need is something like a linksys or > >> netgear router that has VPN services. The cost is about 100 > >> buck new and about half that if you can find one on ebay. The > >> router will act as your VPN server and create a little subnet > >> all in a 4 by 4 box, just plug the wan port into the ethernet > >> port of your node and forward the traffic. No old PC that > >> might brake, no need to buy a copy of some high prices > >> server. The little routers also have some of the same > >> advantages as the LW node, if the power goes out and comes > >> back on, no need to restart the server or buy a battery > >> backup. The only drawback to a VPN router is some of them > >> have a limit to the number of users that can access it, so > >> make sure you check that or just use linux on an old PC.

> >> some of this may be rambling it is late, but I will be happy > >> to clarify any cloudy points

> >>> What I'm thinking is that you can install a MeshAP within > >> the network > >>> somewhere to serve as a VPN server into which all of the gaming > >>> clients could authenticate. I would install this (most > >> likely) in my > >>> office and not rely on it to serve clients wirelessly - as > >> it needs as > >>> many resources as possible to handle the gaming.

> >>> My question is, can gaming clients authenticate into this > >> node out in > >>> the mesh instead of locally into vpnhost. ? And if so - if > >> same node > >>> clients firewall is set to OFF, will they all be able to > >> play against > >>> each other with VPN authentication???

> >>> It's going to take someone with more smarts than I have to > >> figure out > >>> whether this is possible - or if there is another (better) way of > >>> doing this. I'm not a gamer and I will admit to know practically > >>> nothing about the technology... hence the reason I'm > >> asking! I would > >>> like to make it possible for them to play against each > >> other with many > >>> different games.. not just a few or some specific ones. I > >> want it to > >>> be as open as possible.

> >>>> When you say a standalone unit, do you mean still > >> connecting to your > >>>> mesh as a hole then vpn to some box for bandwidth control and > >>>> routing info piggy > >>>> backed across your mesh?

> >>>>> Today has been a crazy day for me, so forgive me if I'm > >> rambling. I > >>>>> had a group of gamers approach me today about gaming > >> over the mesh. > >>>>> They want to set up some sort of game system and wanted some > >>>>> advice. If I can get something going, I will likely pick > >> up a dozen > >>>>> or so more accounts.

> >>>>> My issue is that I don't want to drop the firewall > >> between clients > >>>>> or use cross-mesh routing, as reports have indicated > >> that this is > >>>>> still in development. Is there some way of possibly installing > >>>>> standalone unit > >>>>> of some sort for them to access? I was thinking that > >> possibly a VPN > >>>>> connection to a standalone MeshAP would work - and have same node > >>>>> clients firewalled set to NO would work. Or would it? > >>>>> > >>>>> Strange thing is another local mesh operator just called asking > >>>>> this same thing... so it looks like the gamers are out!

BSD
Another thing you probably should consider is that if they want to be able to play games using the lan option in the game which is probably what they want since other options would only require them being on the internet. The lan option wont work though even with a vpn, I tired with both a windows and a linux vpn server. The problem is that the games use a upd broadcast to signal an open game and this isn’t broadcast over a vpn I did some research on it and the best solution so far that I found on the net is here: http://www.bsdnews.org/01/game_vpn.php I don’t have a bsd box though and don’t feel particularly inclined to set one up. Its also possible to have a application that will rebroadcast the packets to specified computers but I haven’t found any myself. If anyone is able to do it I would love to hear your solution.