Minecraft [see post #1 for MP server info]

[Spike88]

Originally Posted by CaptainHaplo

OK guys - I need abit more help. I got this for my son as well. I started a server for he and I to just play around on together. However, I have run into a really weird problem. He can connect fine and I see him in game and interacting with objects (he killed a zombie right at the start) but he cannot collect anything. He chops down a tree, the block disappears for a second, then returns and he doesnt get a block of wood. If he digs in dirt right below him, he falls down into the hole but gets no dirt block. If the block is now where he is standing - it comes back after a second. My player collects just fine.

I am wondering if this could be a latency issue - since I am running the server on my machine - and he is connecting wirelessly to me through my lan. Wired isn't an option for me, so I am hoping that there may be some play in the latency tolerance for Minecraft server.


Or have you guys seen this before and its just something lame I didn't set up right? Thanks!

Is he connecting to the external IP or the internal? I had a similar problem(had troubles even getting everyone to join) while hosting Terraria(different game, I know) on LAN, until I realized that everything worked fine using Internal IP's.

[CaptainHaplo]

He is connecting through the local (192.xxx.xxx.xxx) address. Nothing is pointing outside the local network. Its also "spotty" - sometimes it works fine for him, others it doesnt (we have been trying to troubleshoot it). The more I see of it - the more I think latency.

[Krauter]

Could be lag, but it could also be he is trying to dig in an "admin area" where players who aren't admins cannot place or destroy/collect blocks.

[Arclight]

Might be a combination of latency, packet loss and low server tick-rate. Wired, dedicated machine would be ideal for hosting.


What are the specs of the machine your hosting on? CPU use when hosting and you're both playing? Particularly note peak use on individual cores.

[CaptainHaplo]

Good points - will have to check later today when he is home from school.

As for the specs of the machine, its a Phenom 2 955 (3.2 Ghz) running 8Gigs of memory. OS is 7 pro x64. It should have the horsepower. Could be that Java isn't allocating itself enough memory - can fix that. Also haven't checked cores - I assumed it was taking advantage of them all, but I know what assuming does.

Let me get back to you later today with some results.

[Arclight]

Well, should be alright CPU wise. I started out hosting on my own PC; running other things alongside wasn't too much of an issue. Was really when I started up something like Shogun 2 that the server (obviously) stopped playing nice.

I'm not sure, but I think the problem still occurs here occasionally. Seems a combination of multiple people online (driving the ticks up) and high-ish latency. Mostly I remember issues for Geno, Task and Spike, connecting from the US and Australia.


If you're using the .exe you should be able to see the ticks on the gui. In-game you can hold tab to see who's connected and a 'ping-bar' to get an idea of the connection quality.

[Pisces]

Unrelated to Minecraft, but lag might be reduced, or wireless bandwith improved, if you search out a relatively unpopulated WiFi frequency band (channel) to communicate over. Most Wifi-routers allow you to set the frequency channel in the settings. I used this application to see what my neighbours are broadcasting on:

http://www.metageek.net/products/inssider/

Now my wireless network has less chatting of neighbouring routers to filter out, improving bandwith.

Also do realise that wireless bandwith (depends on which IEEE 802.11 standard a,b,g,n your wifi router supports) hardly ever catces up with cable connections. Worst case is IEEE 802.11b (max 11 Mbit), that's an order of magnitude slower than your average cabled Fast-Ethernet (100Mbit). IEEE 802.11g can do upto 54Mbit, which is only halve. Best is to have IEEE 802.11n. (100Mbit min. to 540 Mbit) But those are just max ratings, routers usually throttle down if there is too much noise on the frequency channel they receive on. My advise, reconsider your no-cable/wireless-only requirement, or make sure you both can use IEEE 802.11n.

[CaptainHaplo]

OK - I adjusted the memory from the stock 100mb to 2G, that helped a good bit. He doesn't have the collection problem - though he is still getting booted randomly.

Tick is averaging about 6.xx ms total. Level 0 is where its high, level 1 and 2 are very low.

Good info there Pisces - unfortunately wireless is the only option for me in this case. We are using N devices. Channel wise we are clear, not much cross signal.

Thanks for the help all - and any additional input is welcome as well.

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by CaptainHaplo

...

Tick is averaging about 6.xx ms total. Level 0 is where its high, level 1 and 2 are very low.

...

Help me out here. Levels? I do not comprehend what you are talking about.

[Arclight]

It's the tick rates for the other "dimensions". Level 0 is the normal world.


Getting booted off happens, game is really sensitive to connection quality.

[Pisces]

Originally Posted by Arclight

It's the tick rates for the other "dimensions". Level 0 is the normal world.


Getting booted off happens, game is really sensitive to connection quality.

OIC, I do not use the windows server, but MineOS Crux (linux flavour). So I've never seen those statistics.

[Wigabee]

Hello..

I have Minecraft and have played it for a while now. I have the latest version but is this server only for alpha? Lastly, how can I actually get the server name/IP? I'm not the kind to grief and would love to play with you guys!

[CaptainHaplo]

Server works fine for 1.1 production clients. My son and I are both using the latest version (1.1). The server I started is just he and I, internal to my own LAN, sorry. However the one that is the main topic of discussion in this thread may allow you on.

[Dowly]

@Wigabee

The server is running the latest Minecraft (1.1.0), contact Arclight for server details.

[Wigabee]

Thanks guys! I'll do just that.