Hi BleedoutBill,

Sorry to hear about your trouble. Are all other players also disconnected from the server when you receive the message from the servers?

Regards,
JStewart

I typically play lone wolf/hermit, so I can't say for sure, but when I log back into the same server and hit the "P" key, it looks as if I am the only one affected.

I was playing the other day and it was sunny. I heard thunder, it began to rain and then the lightening started. It was such a strange experience! Typically, it will be sunny and clear. There will be no dark clouds, nor thunder. I'll get kicked from the server and then when I log back in, it will be raining like hell. The other day is the first time that I have ever seen the transition from clear to stormy weather in over 100+ hours of play.

It was this experience that led me to research the "No message received ..." problem. But, no one else seems to have a weather-related cause/linkage, at least that I could find.

Additionally, I tend to play late at night, so the servers are generally low pop.

One thought - I play experimental, almost exclusively, and there are only about a half dozen servers available that have decent pings. All of the servers seem to be related. I think they are named US South Central #1 through #14, but there are typically no more than 4 or 5 of then on line at a time, from which to choose. This past week is the first time that I have played stable in a long time. Perhaps there is a connection there?

The devs are constantly working with the Experimental branch servers, so there will be a lot more bugs/disruptions on those servers. In case you get the disconnects while other players don't, then there's not much we can do from our side I'm afraid. Just in case though, I'll post the networking guide from the devs which might give a couple of ideas on what to tweak on your network:

NAT Types:

• Open
• Moderate
• Strict

Open NATs can connect to any of the three types. --> Probably the least common type
Moderate can only connect to open and moderate. --> Probably the most common type
Strict can ONLY connect to open.
Strict NATs are a difficult problem with peer-to-peer games. Since most people don't have open NATs, the player with a strict NAT won't be able to find many joinable games.

Also, if the player with a strict NAT does manage to join a game, if another player with a moderate NAT joins later, the player with the strict NAT gets kicked out.

Another problem is that sometimes the ISP (Internet Service Provider) is also behind a NAT, which often means even if you have a direct connection to the internet (without a router/firewall), the ISP still acts as a strict NAT.

Port Forwarding:
The following Ports need to be open on your router to connect to the online servers:
TCP 80, UDP 88, UDP 2302, UDP 2314, UDP 2326, 2338

If you need assistance with opening these ports, please refer to the following website for more information (you will need to know your router brand and model, as the website guides are based on specific routers)
http://portforward.com/english/routers/port_forwarding/routerindex.htm

Here are some additional tips that have helped many players improve their connectivity:

1. Make sure your router's firmware is upgraded the latest version (very important).
2. Unplug your router for 10 minutes and plug it back in. Some older routers degrade in performance over time until it is rebooted, similar to a PC.
3. Disable any firewall or other network filtering for the game.
4. Enable uPnP (universal plug and play) on your router.
5. If you don't care about security, enable DMZ (de-militarized zone) on your router for your PC's address. This turns off all of your router's firewall features for that specific PC.
6. Run 'cmd' in administrative mode and use command ipconfig /flushdns
7. Contact your ISP and ask them what your DNS setting should be.

Direct Connection:
If you are still having issues connecting to the online servers after trying the above steps, try connecting your broadband modem directly to the console or PC you are playing the game on. This can help determine if the issue is related directly to the router or another source.