Slitherine

Howdy, until yesterday I have had no problems connecting to the server for MP games. Yesterday it happened a few times when I uploaded. Today when I try to download my turn all I get is a unable to connect to server, check internet connection, which is working fine. Any idea's?
Thanks

I was told that yesterday we had some issues with our server. Could you please check now if your issues are persisting?
Thanks.

I was still having issues this morning. After rebooting my cable modem, router and PC, access appears to be better. not sure if there was a bad route/arp entry/whatever stuck in there but the reboot appears to have flushed it out...for now.

I am getting "Failed to connect to server ..." errors. The level of problem was just about ok yesterday, less so this morning and is impossible now. I also got this e-mail from the support team. If there is something that I am doing wrong please let me know what it is. Thank you.

Dear alfamail,

The server tracks all actions taken by all users in the PBEM++ system and we notice that you have consistently downloaded your turns multiple times.
Please contact technical support via www.slitherine.com/forum to resolve the issue or you may find you are unable to continue to use the PBEM++ server system.

Regards,

The Slitherine Team.
http://www.slitherine.com

If you are reloading the turns you can get that message. Anyway I have already reported to our web admins about the server issues.
Sorry for the inconvenience.

Thanks for your help. Just to try to be clear, I am not successfully downloading "multiple times". All I am trying to do is see what my opponent has done in his turn and I get the "Failed to connect ..." message, so then later I try again, and again and again. If that counts as downloading multiple times then ok but it is only multiple times because it does not seem to work - all I get is the error message.

Howdy, Still having the problem today, BUT, today when I get the failed to connect to server message when trying to upload, and I push retry, I get a "wrong turn" message, and then push cancel, it uploads anyway, I guess, because the game continues.
Thanks

alfamail wrote:Thanks for your help. Just to try to be clear, I am not successfully downloading "multiple times". All I am trying to do is see what my opponent has done in his turn and I get the "Failed to connect ..." message, so then later I try again, and again and again. If that counts as downloading multiple times then ok but it is only multiple times because it does not seem to work - all I get is the error message.

It counts as multiple times, but don't worry with the message. Like I've said we're already looking into the issue.

Hey Big V, could that be the problem. When we get the failure to communicate (Ha Ha )message and retry over and over again, the server is counting them as multi downloads and kicking us out of the system?
Just an Idea.
Thanks.
"What we have here, is a failure, to communicate" (Strother Martin, in Cool Hand Luke.) I know its not funny, but, it is what it is!

FYI. Can no longer download.

Hello,

not able to play online, problems began on thursday.
First, it went after about 30 tries, now, it seems that it doesn't work any more.
Always getting failed to connect to server. Check your i9nternet connection.
But the internet connection works fine, as you see.

Best regards

I have the same problem and for you is e new downloads. May internet connection in ok.
Thanks.

4p0int wrote:Hey Big V, could that be the problem. When we get the failure to communicate (Ha Ha )message and retry over and over again, the server is counting them as multi downloads and kicking us out of the system?
Just an Idea. :idea

Don't think so. This is an issue with our server.
As soon as I get a word that the issue is fixed I'll post it here.
Our apologies for all the inconvenience.

For what it is worth, I have had the "Failed to connect to server ..." message under three separate conditions:

Condition 1: Trying to log in for a multiplayer game, asked for username/password (suggesting some form of connectivity to a host), received the "Failed to connect ..." message. Immediately retried and successfully logged in. This has happened to me only once.

Condition 2: Having successfully logged in and gained access to my multiplayer game status screen, if it is "my turn" I try to download (i.e. to me) my opponents moves, sometimes and getting more and more frequent until it has become every time I received the "Failed to connect ..." message. This has happened many, many times. I can still see the game status screen and it is still "my turn". Obviously I am connected to one of your servers to see the game status screen.

Condition 3: Having successfully logged in and successfully downloaded my opponents moves and then made my own moves (presumably on my computer) I then try to upload (i.e. to you) my moves and I have twice (only) got the "Failed to connect ..." error. If I then click on "retry" I get the message that it is not my move (can't remember the exact wording) and I then see that the game status has been changed to show it is the opponents move. This condition is the most strange, and I see that at least one other person has had the same condition, because having had the "Failed to connect ..." error it seems to sort itself out.

I am only guessing because I know that it is fiendishly complicated and, of course, I know nothing, but it seems that under this third condition my moves have been uploaded successfully to one of your servers (call it server A) and then that server tries to pass it along to another server (call it server B). It is at that stage that there is a problem Server A is failing to connect with server B. Then (without any further input from me) Server A finds another way to connect with Server B or finds another server altogether.

So, if you are still with me, I am suggesting/guessing that the problem lies between the servers and not between the clients and the servers. When I try to upload, the system sorts itself out because it can use any free server. When I try to download I must be looking for a particular server and the system cannot sort itself out. An even wilder guess is that one of your servers is not always relinquishing ports after a service has been completed and so after a while (days perhaps) there are no more ports available.

In summary, the error message "Failed to connect .." covers several problems and it would probably help (your techies) if the messages were enhanced to include the server id.

Again, for what it is worth, when the moves are made the game seems to be intact/ok. However, there has been at least one case where a message successfully exchanged between me and my opponent has been "lost". This my be a completely separate issue, of course.

I sincerely hope this helps. Good luck to us all.

Someone clearly gave the server(s) a laxative overnight and game play is certainly easier this morning. This morning I have successfully downloaded two games without incident, made my moves and uploaded one also without incident. The second game did upload eventually but only after a "Failed to connect ..." message, a retry followed by a not my move message, i.e. condition 3 above.

No I was wrong, I am getting reports that the server is constipated again.

I tray: don't go.

I have been having problems as well during the past days, and today is even worse. During the past days, when trying to connect to multiplayer the connecting process often timed out, but the first retry attempt usually established a connection. It's the same with sending turns, after a long wait is times out, but when retrying it gives a 'wrong turn' message as it sneakily uploaded it anyway. But now it won't connect even after several tries. Quite odd.

I'm afraid that the issue is not fixed yet.

To help us to pinpoint the cause, could you send us an email to multiplayer@slitherine.co.uk when the problem occurs with the following info: time when the problem occured (including timezome), game and your Internet IP address.

Thanks!