Battlefield 2 - Rule Set

Hi.

Sorry if this has been covered elsewhere on forums so apologies beforehand.

BF2 is the only game I play online but since installing LnS when I search for servers it only comes up with about 10 and the message 'searching for servers' remains displayed until I cancel.

I can log on fine, of course, since I allow BF2 access through applications but I know it's something to do with the Internet Rule Sets which is preventing it from finding all the servers. I'm aware of various ports which are required to be open but since I'm new to LnS I just wondered if anyone has created rule sets already to enable BF2 to find the servers.

If so, are the files something I can download and import into LnS or if not, has anyone got any hints/tips.

I found a couple of threads relating to this but nothing seems to work and/or they're not very clear.

Sorry again if this has already been covered.

 

Hi Ade 1

http://support.ea.com/cgi-bin/ea.cf...F90ZXh0PXRjcCB1ZHAgcG9ydHM*&p_li=&p_topview=1

According to the EA games the ports for Battlefield 2 are as follows:

UDP ports:

* 27900
* 29900
* 29910
* 27901
* 55123
* 55124
* 55215
* 16567
* 1500-4999
* 18060

TCP ports:

* 80
* 29900
* 29901
* 29920
* 28910
* 4711
* 18060

The TCP ports are managed by the rule "Allow common Internet progams" of the Enhanced rules set of LNS.
So you don't have to care of these ports since the rule is a general one (for all programs).

This is true if Battlefileds 2 is using the "standards" local ports range:
in XP 1024 to 5000,
in Vista vista 49152-65535
in XP sp2 file sharing config.: 60000-65000

In case of problem for this just to change the local port of the rule to 1024 to 65535 (and that's it!)

For the UDP ports you have to create specific rules for the program BF2
(a general one is impossible/ not recommmended in UDP...)


So the most simple way to do is like this:

In the Application filtering add the list of UDP allowed ports for BF2:

53;1500-4999;1860;16567;27900;27901;29900;29910;55123;55124;55215

In the internet filtering add a rule like this

Protocol: UDP
packets: incoming and outgoing

(left side of the editing windows):
Address: Equal my@
ports: between 1024, 5000 (or 65535 if needed...)

(right side of the editing windows)
Address : all (no entry)
ports : all (no entry) : the ports are controled by the application filtering...

IMPORTANT
Applications...: add the executable here from the right list windows to the left one...

and save.

Put that rule just after or under the rule "Allow common Internet applications" save and apply.

Reboot your PC.

Try BF2.

If somethings block check in the LNS log...

Hope this help. Let us know.



P.S. Like all games please update it with the patches provided by the editor
unless you may have problem to connect to the games servers ...

(Hint given by my 17 Th years old son: an expert, I presume... )

 

Hi, Climenole,
This setting (application and internet) restricts BF2 to some specified UDP ports.
When you are running BF2, another program (say, GF2 ) can access Internet through any UDP ports (if no application rules have been added for GF2).

 

Hi and many thanks for the tips.

I'll try this out and let you know.

Thanks again for your help. Much appreciated.

 

Hi Ade 1

Try it and let me know if it's working or not.

The best way to see if there's some blocking is the LNS log.
You may create a copy of this log and upload it here.

The LNS log is in this folder:C:\Program Files\Soft4Ever\looknstop\logs

 

Hi.

Sorry it's taken so long to try this out. (TR Anniversary has kept me occupied for the last few weeks!).

Anyway, I've created a new rule in Internet Filtering as you suggested (wasn't sure how you add the UDPs to BF2 in Application Filtering so I left that). Just tried it and it works! BF2 now loads up all of the servers and I can get on and play again.

Many, many thanks for your help with this.

Regards,

Adrian

 

Hi Ade 1

OK. Thank you for your feedback.

 

Hi, I'm having the same problem with this game - I can log into EA's master servers but not to join any game server... could I trouble you to show me some pics of the process for BF2? Every time I want to play I have to stop the firewall which I'd rather not do

Thanks in advance

 

free time expired... moving on...

 

Restored my disk image and got LnS to run with BF2 (and CoD) - a little experimenting and time and it's now working... I think.

Now I'm having issues with Punkbuster. When joining a game I get almost instantly disconnected with "Service Communication Failure: PnkBstrB.exe could not be started".

Apparently you now have to have 2 services running to play Pukebuster ruled games: PnkBstrB.exe and PnkBstrA.exe

If I turn LnS off I can play the game with no issues so I guessed it was LnS blocking the service. I created 2 specific rules for both services (i placed them just below the rule for BF2).

After saving and minimizing if i try to play, it kicks me off the game again. The only way I seem to get this working is by starting the game and joining a server and then starting LnS. Then LnS asks me if I want to allow PnkBstrB.exe. If I say yes, everything is ok, but upon reboot LnS seems to have forgotten I allowed it and I have to revert back to this routine

 

Hi bombing,

Is it Application filtering or is it Internet Filtering? Or?

If you have two or more Punkbuster Application filtering entries, one might have been seen starting another application / Punkbuster component that will connect..., in this case the decision to just 'Authorize' will place an entry to authorize starting of another application that will connect, but place itself automatically with deny attribute, the both components are design to automatically update itself, I'm not sure if what else the two components does over the Internet, but this might be the problem.


As for Look 'n' Stop not remembering your your decision, what it a signature change notification? As mentioned in the above, Punkbuster components will automatically update itself. If they weren't for signature change notification, Look 'n' Stop application might not be saving upon shutting down, after having added them to the Application filtering list, try manually exiting the Look 'n' Stop application just before shutting down, does this help?

 

Hi Bombing

1) Did you have the most recent version of LnS ?
2) On which operating system ?
3) Which rules set ?
4) is it possible to give me the link to this game web site?
With Google I found a lot of link to forums (with poeple having trouble with this game...)
5) Did this game is the most recent version?

To check:

a) In the "options" tab | advanced check the option "advanced mode"

b) In the application filter tab: be sure all executable related to this game are allowed with no restriction. In the 4 th column add an exclamation mark. If the program is blocked there will be an entry in the log ...

c) The TCP is managed by the general rule "TCP: allow common Internet applications" but for the UDP you have to create rules specific to this application.

If this application used UDP without these rules the log shows some outgoing UDP packets when you run the appplication.

It's possible when this happen to create a rule "on the fly" by right clicking on the line showing this UDP blocking and create a "scratch rule"...

An other way is to create a specific rule in UDP with no restrictions for ports or IPs for the program you want to check.

Like this:

Ethernet Type: IP
Protocol: UDP
Packets: in and out

Left side of the editing window:
Address: all (non entry)
IP: all (non entry)

Right side of the windows:
Address: all (non entry)
IP: all (non entry)

"applications..." button: click on this and add all executable for the game from the right windows to the left one. Save.

Put this new rule just after the rule "TCP: allow common Internet applications"

Save and apply.

Reboot and try your game...


Hope this help. Let us know.

 

Thanks a lot for the help guys.

I'm not much into this config thing on security issues but I want to learn now that I have recently found this forum. As for LnS I really like the fact that it's very light on my system and I want to keep it although it's not that easy on a newbie... at least as far as getting through this final step. Bare with me please!!

Rules are created on internet filtering and both services have their own port

I think i'm ok here, see below… on Win startup there’s always a service already running – pnkbstrA.exe – on Task Manager. I think, upon joining a server, the B flavour service is called upon and that must be the problem - it can't start with LnS running. When I’m getting kicked, the B service doesn’t come up on Task Manager… when it’s ok they both show up.

As I described, when I start LnS after joining a server, comes out one of those typical LnS popups asking whether to authorize or not the B service. I press authorize and everything is fine from then on.

2.06

XP SP2

The new enhanced ones (also using your rules for emule, big thx! They work perfectly)

It all starts here I suppose…there’s a big history of issues with this game. But the problem is really on PB side since all the forums with games running with PB client have this type of issue!
There are many discussions about this issue like this one

Yes, all patched up and everything. This issue began to appear on forums since last month. PB did “something” to their proggie… I've been playing this game for well over 2 years now and the BF community has through a lot... this is just another issue lol

check!

check! See log below as I boot PC start BF and get kicked...
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/3954/logok5.png

Check... somehow...

Now for the challenge!

I followed the suggestions and at least now LnS doesn't seem to be forgetting the services... this is good

But i'm still getting kicked as described previously... this is bad

This is how my Task Manager looks on first boot
http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/8441/tmlsua5.png

This is how it looks when almost everything is right... I mean, I'm playing the game but... LnS is stopped!
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/6636/tmqq5.png

Overall look of Internet Filtering
http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/2705/interfilterti3.png

The details of the 3 rules I created. I got the ports from running an installer/uninstaller for PB called pbsvc.exe by evenbalance.com
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/5606/bf2zm6.png

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/8365/59423250ut2.png

http://img413.imageshack.us/img413/605/63715557cn4.png

And how App filtering is running.
http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/8681/appfilterqd7.png

If you need more details let me know. I don't quit easily but I don't know what else to do at the moment...

Thanks for reading a loooong post

 

... Oops

 

Hi Bombing

1)

I guess you have a router...
I see BLOCKED UDP packets on the netbios ports and BLOCKED IGMP too (protocol used by routers)

This must be fixed with the correct NetBios and IGMP rules...

2)

There's 2 rules with a local port ... I supposed this is incorrect.
If these ports are used as remote server port these rules will never give you the access to the games servers

See screen captures and rules samples ...

 

Wow I really have absolutely no clue
Where can I learn more about this??

Now... about the rules you gave me... It would be too easy if they should stay on top of it all . Where should I move them?

Thanks and I'll have a go at the game next!

 

Hi Bombing

Check this screen capture (unfortunatly I don't have the english version of this rules set but the lines are the same in Fr.version)

 

Argg... the problem remains

I have rules 60, 80 and 81, but no 82. Is this ok?
I've seen your file of experimental rules, but i don't think its for me at the moment... too confused.

A big thanks for your efforts though Climenole

 

Hi Bombing

Rule 82 :

(It's late here: we check that tomorrow...)

 

Thanks again Climenole
It was late here too so I guess I went to bed first

I saw here that your rules with an u+e can have the red dot removed - I tried that too this morning and no go.
As little as I know about LnS I can't figure out why it's blocking this service from starting. As you can see from my pics, I'm not running any HIPS software like ProcessGuard ou AppDefend where some issues with PB have been raised as I had the chance to read on this forum - I'll haunt and terrorize those forums later as those programs also interest me and I didn't even know things like that existed

PS - people say you have a website. Can you post the address also?

 

Is it Application filtering or is it Internet Filtering? Or?

Disable Internet Filtering by visiting the Look 'n' Stop - 'Internet Filtering' screen, un-check 'Internet filtering enabled', does the game NOW work? If this step didn't allow the game to work properly, now visit the Look 'n' Stop - 'Application Filtering' screen, un-check 'Application filtering enabled', does the game now work? If this step also doesn't allow the game to work properly, then try disabling 'DLL Filtering' in 'Options'\Advanced Options\DLLs, once disabled, does the game now work?

 

Thanks for your input also Phantom
I'll check all those options when I'm back home.
I didn't post screens from DLL filtering, which are enabled as per setup instructions here, and this game has quite a few running, most of them are allowed and only one isn't and it's related to Punkbuster. I'll post feedback later.

Support is first class here

 

Hi Bombing

http://climenole.wordpress.com/

but it's in french and not updated since a long time.

 

Thanks for the link Climenole. My french is a bit rusty but I'll look into it later on

As for Phant0m's tips... I think we may be getting there!

How this game works (just a bit of info because maybe this could turn out useful for others):
- It's a ranked game where your activity on ranked servers (PB is mandatory) is all logged for your rank and stats. Just for fun, here are my stats lol
- You start up the game, then;
- You login with EA's master server for validation
- If you want to play online on a ranked server you then join the game and in a few seconds PB will kick in

Disable Internet Filtering by visiting the Look 'n' Stop - 'Internet Filtering' screen, un-check 'Internet filtering enabled', does the game NOW work?
Not - same thing as ever

If this step didn't allow the game to work properly, now visit the Look 'n' Stop - 'Application Filtering' screen, un-check 'Application filtering enabled', does the game now work?
Made things even worse. Took forever to login to EA master server and only a couple of server popped out of the thousands available.

If this step also doesn't allow the game to work properly, then try disabling 'DLL Filtering' in 'Options'\Advanced Options\DLLs, once disabled, does the game now work?
YESSSS!!!! As I disabled the DLL "thing" and load the map and join the server this baby comes up
http://img49.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dll2fw1.png

Here's the looks of my DLL filtering module.
http://img49.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dllme0.png

How should I proceed from here, since like this I'll be lowering my defense?

Thanks!
Life is good!!

 

Hi bombing,

Now that we have determined the problem, if you hadn't already, re-enable the 'DLL Filtering' too, and find the blocking entry that belongs or is used.

Looking at the image that have you kindly provided, http://img49.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dllme0.png, I find two belongings that are set to deny, which happens to be the very two things being denied in that entire list...

Now unblock one, test the game, problem still exists? unblock the other one and re-test, working? Set block to the first one entry that you have unblocked, test again, still works? Yes? Nothing more needs to be done.... No? remove block and leave it!