How do I play online multiplayer games?

When I playe ye olde Freelancer, I couldn't find any servers toplay online (the official ones are gone but there are user-created ones). But now I've got two Steam games (Killing Floor and Left 4 Dead 2), and neither of those work online (KF won't find any games, L4D2 finds a game but can't connect to it).

It turns out, at least in KF's case (haven't tried it on L4D2), that this is because of Look 'n' Stop - I can play if I don't have Look 'n' Stop loaded.

So how do I play online without having viruses and malware attack me?

EDIT: Steam says "Look 'n' Stop has been reported to cause issues with Steam when its "Unknown UDP Packet" filter is enabled". Where can I disable it and does this put me at risk?

 

Valve server browser (what l4d uses) is a ~ Snipped as per TOS ~. You need to create a rule restricted for hl2 to allow UDP packets in and out. The port range for local is Local IN (yes its a boatload of ports but unfortunately thats the range it uses). You also need to create a udp rule for 27018 i believe it is.

 

Hmmm. How do I do all that?

 

This should give you some insight on how to do it.

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=271577

You need the plugins and the port numbers that the games require.

 

I'm sorry, but it's really not making a lot of sense. There's 100 posts with a lot of jargon, testing and advanced computing talk.

It would be nice if I could just open ports as simply as with the BT Home Hub (just say whch ports should be open and that's it), assuming doing that's safe. And assuming it's unopen ports that's the problem (it usually is with internet stuff it seems).

 

No attempt no gain, if you get stuck, or uncertain, simply ask and we will help.

 

I AM stuck. I can't follow 100 posts of jargon. Please be sensible if you really mean to help! :/

 

I have used lns sense it first came out,but lns is just too much of a problem with the magnitude of games i play.Alot of time i would not see the lns pop up while joining a game and bam--kicked out due to punkbuster or steam. I just use the firewall in kaspersky 2011 now.

LNS is the best firewall i have ever seen,but just too much of a headache for gamers.

 

Its not a headache if your not lazy and do it properly.

 

Im lazy

 

I am a HEAVY gamer and I completely disagree with this statement. It takes all of 2 min to check your logs see what requests are hitting and create a rule. Obviously if you want a firewall to do all the decision making for you this isnt the firewall for you, keep in mind its obviously going to require more resources. Most people who like look'n'stop are looking for something extremely lightweight.

 

Punkbuster refuses to obey for some reason.I have allowed it ,but everytime it still ask for permission.If i do not see the pop up and forget then i am kicked out of the game.Atleast thats how it is on my computer and i had become tired of it.Glad to know it is working for you.

Like i said i have used this firewall sense it came out,love it.Just lately i am tired of aggravations.

Peace

 

It came out in 2001


PunkBuster.B file signature changes everytime it’s launched, and as Look ‘n’ Stop should, it detects this change.

Someone already asked Frederic if there was a way to ignore/disable signature changes on PunkBuster files.

Frederic said “there is no way to ignore/disable that, otherwise it could be a vulnerability.”.

If PunkBuster.B file is always digitally signed, we could use WinTrustVerify API in Windows and through plug-in interface have it to automatically allow PunkBuster.B signature changes.

 

The resolution to this issue is to add punkbuster.a and punkbuster.b manually into look'n'stop. Never have had a punkbuster issue after that and seemed to work for other users as well.

See: https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showthread.php?t=271366&highlight=punkbuster

Honestly the only thing thats a pain is valves server browser used in games like tf2 l4d etc... They use the ENTIRE Local in/out range for udp packets and it drives me crazy because so many ports need to be opened, you just need to make sure you lock it down to the hl2.exe application.

 

I’d be concerned then, if adding applications manually to Application Filtering list secretly causes these applications from being monitored for future checksum changes... Not something Frederic knowingly would support, must be a bug.

 

Looking back I also did a manual punkbuster update using pbsetup after the manual add. That probably stopped the constant sig change.

 

Soooo...help.

 

If I can't get help by the time I get more RAM/a new computer, I'll need to buy a new firewall. :/

 

Just to make you aware of it for the next time; when I personally reading those two last posts that you’ve made, I get the impression we are being demanded of to assist you, and if we don’t ..., heave your ultimatum. After that, only person that ‘might’ still care would be Frederic, but since he isn’t quick to jump in, I’m not betting on it.

https://www.wilderssecurity.com/showpost.php?p=1795981&postcount=4 shows a member putting you on the right path, if you refuse to make any attempts, then who’s fault is that?

I’m wanting to help you, but I’m not going from scratch again. If you have questions or doubts on something, ask away, and I’ll clarify it for you.

 

Hi Phant0m, thanks much for your helping time here. I wonder where is Climenole, maybe did you have some news from him those last months/years?
Right now I am not using any 3rd party firewall on my new pc. And what keep me shy with L'n'S is this long absence of Frédéric. I mean I deeply wish him all the best for any adversity he could beat in his life, but how about the future of his great FW...
And, please, enlight us if you ever have any little more hindsight on this.

 

I don’t know where those two ran off to, I’ve read someplace that Frederic is still very much active through Priority Support, but I never verified yet.

If there’s problems to be fixed, he’ll surely fix them. But as for doing other enhancements, I really don’t know when he’ll be back in the game.

So far, Look ‘n’ Stop continues to be the #1 for Lightweight and powerful firewall.

 

...got it!
I will install next, on my 7x64 froggie system.

 

LnS is indeed a very strong firewall and the lightest on the market. However, the reason I'm now using Windows Firewall is that LnS is extremely non-friendly towards online games (and Steam games in particular). Enabling the game itself via the application module isn't enough to be able to play the games. More often than not you also need to watch the behaviour of the game and allow wide ranges of ports (thus making you vulnerable) in order to play the games properly. There are ways to make the games work without opening up your network defense too much, but it's very, very time consuming. I simply can't be bothered with it.

Should LnS one day be more friendly toward gaming, I'd definately use it as I believe it's the best on the market when it comes to protection (hell, I've even bought phant0m's ruleset which is epic).

 

Ok, great to know, thanks Shadek. Gaming online is not my tasse de thé. And I already bought Phant0m's ruleset some months ago but I did not play with it as yet other than a short install test

 

How about instead of pretending you're helping, you actually acknowledge my posts after that post and help?

But I guess it's too late, you lot seem to only care about the like-minded/computer experts, and anyone who doesn't understand all that jargon or a 100-post experiment thread filled with lingo and advanced/intermediate computing should **** off. So I am ****ing off, that's what you're passively asking me to do without having the balls to just write it.

I'll have to use another firewall. It's not an ultimatum as in a demand, nor is it "laziness", nor trolling (in case you go that route next post), it's because, making it clear for the very last time if, for some reason, you actually did miss all my later posts: I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE SAYING, WHAT THE FINAL SOLUTION IS AND HOW TO DO IT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO STEP-BY-STEP. I AM A REGULAR (PAYING) MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC, NOT A TECHNICIAN.

So I have no choice. I am gone.