PSU-PC: Connection Stops before Character Select

[Wraithwin]

Well... I looked over several pages and didn't see anything to this effect. If I've missed, I apologize. Feel free to direct me to the appropriate topic if one exists for it already.

Here's the problem:
This Monday, 7/16/07, I payed for my friend's first month of PSU for him as a BDay thing so he could join up with us and do some runs. Figure we could always use another of our local friends for stuff like this.

His game is installed, fully patched, account made and paid for...
...but he can't get to his character select screen?

Loads up just fine, GG checks for updates and grabs whatever it needs. He enters his log-in, it brings him to the EULA agreement screen, but when he selects "agree" a message pops up:
"Error(can't remember the # off the top of my head): Cannot connect to server. The server may be under maintenance. Please check the official site for server status." - and we know for a fact that the servers aren't under maintenance because my GF's logged in.

And that's it. He can't get any further than that. I've tried logging in with my account from his place and get the same problem meaning that it has to be on his end somewhere, but the question is where? He tried to connect and find answers (even doing two fresh installs) for a few hours tonight before he gave up in complete frustration.

I've tried having him tank every other running process he could safely tank on his computer, and still the problem persists. He has ZoneAlarm, but PSU and GG have full and complete access rights - and even with the program completely shut down, same scenario.

I'm hoping this wasn't money and hopes wasted. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif

I'm looking for any and all help I can cull on this one.
Thank in advance for any sage advice!

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Wraithwin on 2007-07-19 19:33 ]</font>

[purdylink]

This sometimes happens to me, but only when a certain program is running. Is he running Aim 6 while trying to load psu? For some reason, when that certain Aim program is running when I load up PSU, I get that connection error. Aim shuts downs, and that connection error pops up.....dunno if that is what is happening to him...but meh, thought I'd let you know about it.

[Wraithwin]

Not sure what version of AIM he's running, but he's tried with it turned off too.
It just seems so strange that it'll confirm his username and password, then disconnect.

I read in another location about a problem similar (though still not the same) where the problem was due to a spoofed mac address in their NIC, and it was fixed with a new one... But frankly (no offense to my friend) I don't think he'd have any clue how to do something like that - so I doubt that's the problem.

Looking over to the support section of Sega's primary boards...
My gods, that's depressing. I've been a Sega boy since the Genesis, and their apathy stings.

[VioletSkye]

Need a little more info.

What type of connection? Cable or DSL?

Does he use just a modem/wireless gateway or does he use a router also? If he uses a router also, what brand and model? And what the heck, list the brand and model of the modem/wireless gateway also lol.

Does he have Windows Firewall turned on?

Have him turn off Windows Firewall, shut down ZoneAlarm and make sure he has the DirectX files from the PSU disk installed on his machine, then try running it. If you can, take a screen capture of the error and post it for us. I haven't had PSU installed on any of my machines for so long now it's hard to troubleshoot but that should be a good start. If it still won't work we can go from there and I'll need to get more specific info from you.

It may be an issue of having to do some port forwarding and opening up some ports that may be locked. It could also be a case of his ISP blocking those ports (though that isn't likely.)


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: VioletSkye on 2007-07-19 20:13 ]</font>

[Wraithwin]

Here's what information I can give you for now.I tried to ask him to screen cap the error for me, but by then he was too frustrated and just logged out and went to sleep. I'll try and get it from him Friday or Saturday.

Connection: Cable (TimeWarner RoadRunner)
Router: LynkSys (model unknown)
Firewall: Almost 100% positive he's disabled the Windows one (as it would conflict with the other games he's played)

And now for the interesting one...
DirectX: Well now... I didn't really consider this one in all honesty. I didn't consider that skipping the DirectX install off the disc would stop him from accessing the character selects, but it has been known to be a tricky thing. The newest game he's installed previously to this was WoW - and he was probably too prideful to install the DirectX provided by PSU. I'll have him do that one next time I speak to him.

Thanks for the quick responses as well. I honestly wasn't expecting one before I went to sleep. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif
I'll dig up whatever extra info I can and post it here as I get it.

[VioletSkye]

I'd be willing to bet that once you install the included DirectX files it will allow you to access the character select. An older version of DirectX 9 simply does not include the extra developer runtime files that some newer games need to run. He could log onto Microsoft's site and download the latest redistributable but obviously it would be easier to pop the disk in and install from there. let us know if that works http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Wraithwin]

Well, the DirectX didn't fix the problem.
Same issue, same error, same frustration... (sigh)

Here's a screencap of the error message - hope this helps.

http://img30.picoodle.com/img/img30/9/7/22/f_errorm_bc55a91.jpg

It's probably good to note that his connection has no problems, all other programs were disabled, and the server is not under maintenance. It just makes no sense to me.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Wraithwin on 2007-07-22 11:41 ]</font>

[VioletSkye]

Does he have McAfee? if so look to see if he has the Internet Security Suite. If so check out the settings on his firewall. Also try forwarding ports 11000-11099 and 12000-12099. Lastly try deleting the GameGuard folder and letting it reinstall. I forgot to ask is this for XP or Vista?

[Wraithwin]

It's for XP - I'll have to wait for him to get home again before asking him the rest.
I hate the hours he works... LOL

[Siertes]

I just started getting the same error today. I hope whatever the problem is, it's only temporary.

[Dre_o]

My little brother has the same error screen. Again, I checked his firewall and everything. These just seem to be far to synchronized to be coincidence.

Wireless LynkSys

[Wraithwin]

Alright - been trying a lot of stuff, and Port Forward is pretty much the only thing I can think of left. So far, nothing else has done the trick.

But there's one problem...
Neither of us know how to do Port Forwarding, exactly.
Mind giving a quick tutorial (or a link to one) for us?

(Also: LinkSys Router Model = BEFSR41)



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Wraithwin on 2007-07-29 12:51 ]</font>

[VioletSkye]

BEFSR41 (http://www.portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Linksys/BEFSR41/default.htm)
BEFSR41v1.40.2 (http://www.portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Linksys/BEFSR41v1.40.2/default.htm)
BEFSR41v2 (http://www.portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Linksys/BEFSR41v2/default.htm)
BEFSR41-v3-v4-v5 (http://www.portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/Linksys/BEFSR41-v3-v4-v5/default.htm)

If you aren't sure of a particular step or something isn't quite clear let me know. Good luck and hopefully this works http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Wraithwin]

Got the ports forwarded - not sure if I'll let us in yet or not...
But the "Checking for New Patches" screen is staying there for a good 6 minutes so far...
Will update further. Any idea why the Checking for New Patching thing would take so long?

Edit 1: Now he's timing out during the "Checking for Patches" process... http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_frown.gif

Edit 2: The forwarding didn't affect any of his internet capability - he can still load websites and everything just fine.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Wraithwin on 2007-07-29 14:17 ]</font>

[Wraithwin]

Update:
Static IP Set, ports forwarded in the values you suggested, lag resolved...
...and the same error I have screen-capped above.

It's pretty dang weird that even after all this, it still won't connect for him. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_frown.gif
Again, he plays a variety of online games, and this is the only one he has a problem with.

Edit: I'm having him install it in his room-mate's computer to see if he can connect from there. If he can't, I'm going to assume the problem lies either in: 1) His NIC, 2) His router itself, 3) His modem.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Wraithwin on 2007-07-30 18:20 ]</font>

[Wraithwin]

Well, sucks to be him I guess. Unless you've got more sage suggestions my good VioletSkye, I'm out of ideas now.

He installed it in his roomie's computer, and it works fine. Completely without a hitch.
He even went so far as to buy a new NIC, and it still won't work for him, with all other programs tanked.

This is just frustrating... LOL
Thanks again for your help so far though. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_smile.gif

[Dj_SkyEpic]

I remember having this problem mainly for not adding PSU.exe into the exclusions of my firewalls and virus protector.

Say if you're using NOD32 virus protector, make sure you give PSU.exe into the IMON exclusions.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Dj_SkyEpic on 2007-07-31 16:08 ]</font>

[Wraithwin]

All the relevant files are set to allow access in his firewall, but even with the firewall completely shut down, the game errors out as noted above in the screenshot I posted. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_frown.gif

[Dj_SkyEpic]

Can you name the virus protector and firewall that you're using? Just to be sure.

Also from the official forums, they've had a few solutions:

Tech Support wrote:
Unfortunately, this problem is linked to a number of different issues
and may be difficult to troubleshoot. Typically, users may experience
an
error 51 after the EULA page and before reaching the Character
Selection
screen. If you are experiencing this problem, please check through the
following fixes or workarounds before contacting our Technical Support
staff.

TCP Port Range
Please make sure your computer is configured properly with the correct
TCP ports forwarded within your Firewall. TCP ports 11000-11099 and TCP
ports 12000-12099 should be forwarded when using any item that could
restrict your accessibility to the internet.

Manually Allow Phantasy Star Universe
Some virus applications may place blocks against the Phantasy Star
Universe program. If you have a virus program, or other internet
monitoring program, please check the application carefully for any
blocks and manually allow Phantasy Star Universe access. If you are
unsure of how to perform this action within your specific Virus
Application, please consult the Program vendor for more information.

Winsock LSP Fix:
Originally posted by Antipika

This particular fix has proven useful for a number of different users.
However, we advise that only users who are comfortable working with
their PC should attempt this fix. SEGA is unable to troubleshoot any
issues that a direct result of this workaround.


First, download Spybot: Search and Destroy, it can be found here:

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/download/index.html

Once that has been downloaded, click on the "Mode" pull-down menu and
select "Advanced Mode." Once that is selected, three options should pop
up in the lower left side. Select the "Tools" option and select
"Winsock
LSPs" All of the options should have a green checkmark next to them. If
they don't, download the LSP fix from here:

http://www.snapfiles.com/download/dllspfix.html

Open up the file and select "finish". Once this has been done, start
Phantasy Star Universe again and the game should be able to log you in
with no issues.


Thanks,

Juan
Sega Support

Also another possible fix from the offcial forums:

Error51MustDie wrote:
WHOOO!!! I FIXED IT!!!

Turned out I had NVIDIA network access manager. I removed it, and now it works perfectly. To anyone with an NVIDIA graphics card that is having this problem, look under add/remove programs for "NVIDIA Network Access Manager" and uninstall it. It doesn't harm your computer in any way. It's just a useless tool. And I was having problems with this error since day 1, but this fixed it. For everyone who's tried everything, try this.

See you online:

HodZ: Beast - Hunter

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Dj_SkyEpic on 2007-07-31 16:33 ]</font>

[Wraithwin]

I'm uncertain of the virus software he uses off the top of my head, but I know his firewall is ZoneAlarm. We made sure all the settings for ZA were set to "allow" - and even tried closing it completely first.

I'll try and get back to you on the Virus Scanner.

[Wraithwin]

Virus scanner is "Nod32" Firewall is ZoneAlarm.

He's running an ATI card (so no NVidia issues), and his ports are forwarded.
We tried running the winsock-fix, and it reports "No problems Found"...
Yet when we check the SpyBot Winsock LSP report, four are unchecked.
I don't know why. I know the LSPFix utility is supposed to open them, but it didn't.
Is there another way to open/heck them, or would that be a horrible idea?

Here's a screen cap of his report summaries;
http://img37.picoodle.com/img/img37/9/8/2/wraithwin/f_infom_78f0d3d.jpg

Protocalls 1,2,3,4,5,11 are all unchecked, everything else is checked.
Similarly when I ran the same processes on mine, all of my results were checked, and I didn't get the "imon.dll (Protocol handler)" on my LSPFix report. Wouldn't it be theoretically bad for there to be two handlers?

Again, my knowledge is limited, but with 6 items unmarked, that may have something to do with his inability to access. Imon.dll by explaination of SBS&D is a bybroduct of Nod32 - his virus scanner. It could well be here that his scanner is screwing him over, but I'm not sure what the best route around it is. He won't get rid of the program. Perhaps there's some way to go through the program and allow access?

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Wraithwin on 2007-08-02 17:23 ]</font>

[Dj_SkyEpic]

I really think it's all about NOD. I currently just upgraded to Windows Vista so I can't remember all the exact properties or any visualization in my head but try doing what I said earlier:

Open the control center of NOD32 then look into the IMON properties.
There should be a tab within it somewhere that would let you add Exclusions.

If you find that extension, add the exe programs called PSU.exe and even the PSUoff (if you want to play offline without hassle. All found in C: Program files > SEGA > PHANTASY STAR UNIVERSE >

There's probably not a need to add Gameguard into the NOD32 exclusions
( I don't remember doing it for that one.)

It should let you pass the license agreement screen and into your account to play.

Ya, NOD32 is an award winning virus scanner and even I wouldn't want to uninstall it lol.
(I was hesitant to remove it to upgrade to Vista.)

Sorry again for not giving visualization since I currently don't have NOD32 installed

-Best of luck and tell me if you did it or not and the outcome.

[Uncle_bob]

I'm having the same problems. I'm willing to bet it's some sort of screw-up on their (SEGA's) part.



<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Uncle_bob on 2007-08-06 22:50 ]</font>

[Dj_SkyEpic]

When you're this close to actually playing the game, it has to be some program that's preventing you from accessing the rest of PSU.

I myself had just went back to XP since I didn't have the proper hardware to make use of Direct X 10, and so far all the troubles I've ran across I remembered and was able to trouble shoot it properly.

It just has to be a software program that's preventing you. Just look thoroughly and see if you have any blockers, netlimiters, protects, etc. causing you to be held back.