No packet flow (punkbuster)

[Night_mist]

Hello,

Whenever I try to join a server, I get kicked by Punkbuster with the message "No packet flow". This either happens in the server's lobby, or after about a minute of online play.

I tried updating the punkbuster client to the latest version, but still get the same error. I tried disabling the windows firewall, but no change.

I'm running XP SP3 if that helps.

I tried the search function, but it doesn't seem to work.

Can anyone help me resolve this issue?
Thanks.

[Agent00Kevin]

I wou;d bet $$ that you are using a router. Some (most) normal household routers routinely drop OOB packets, and all Punkbuster packets are OOB. So, if your router drops these, you will get kicked. It happens to me now and then as my server is hard wire connection and my PC runs on another IP on a wireless connection.

[Night_mist]

Originally posted by Agent00Kevin:
I wou;d bet $$ that you are using a router. Some (most) normal household routers routinely drop OOB packets, and all Punkbuster packets are OOB. So, if your router drops these, you will get kicked. It happens to me now and then as my server is hard wire connection and my PC runs on another IP on a wireless connection.

I get No packet flow every single time I join a server, though. And I don't have a router, just a broadband modem. It's connected to whatever set-up they have in the apartment building, though.

I have other games that uses Punkbuster that work, like Battlefield 2 (Project Reality, that is), so not sure why this doesn't.

[JET-WTF]

how many ethernet connections does your modem have? is it wireless as well? if yes to wireless or 2 or more ethernet then the modem is also a router. Most likely thats the case.

[Night_mist]

Originally posted by JET-WTF:
how many ethernet connections does your modem have? is it wireless as well? if yes to wireless or 2 or more ethernet then the modem is also a router. Most likely thats the case.

Just one connection. Not wireless.

I managed to play on non-ranked matches that were not Punkbuster-infested. Any server with punkbuster boots me off after a minute of playing, though.

[Mangs607]

Is your FC2 retail, Steam, or Direct2Drive?

How did you update Punkbuster? Did you use PBSETUP or manually add the files?

Also, could you give the exact game path where you installed PB or a screenshot of the folder with the details view displaying "date created" and "date modified"?

[JET-WTF]

Originally posted by Night_mist:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JET-WTF:
how many ethernet connections does your modem have? is it wireless as well? if yes to wireless or 2 or more ethernet then the modem is also a router. Most likely thats the case.

Just one connection. Not wireless.

I managed to play on non-ranked matches that were not Punkbuster-infested. Any server with punkbuster boots me off after a minute of playing, though. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ok so you have what is known as an internet gateway. saves tons of issues with port forwarding.

So now it is narrowed down to your PB not being correct. run PBsetup and see if that fixes the issue.

[Night_mist]

Originally posted by JET-WTF:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Night_mist:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by JET-WTF:
how many ethernet connections does your modem have? is it wireless as well? if yes to wireless or 2 or more ethernet then the modem is also a router. Most likely thats the case.

Just one connection. Not wireless.

I managed to play on non-ranked matches that were not Punkbuster-infested. Any server with punkbuster boots me off after a minute of playing, though. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ok so you have what is known as an internet gateway. saves tons of issues with port forwarding.

So now it is narrowed down to your PB not being correct. run PBsetup and see if that fixes the issue. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I've already run PBsetup, and everything looks up to date:

http://stashbox.org/541850/Punkbuster1.jpg

[Night_mist]

Originally posted by Mangs607:
Is your FC2 retail, Steam, or Direct2Drive?

How did you update Punkbuster? Did you use PBSETUP or manually add the files?

Also, could you give the exact game path where you installed PB or a screenshot of the folder with the details view displaying "date created" and "date modified"?

I used PBSetup (see above).

Game path is E:\Games\Far Cry 2

Here's a screenshot:

http://stashbox.org/541856/Far%20Cry%202%20path.jpg

I downloaded the game from Ubisoft's site.

[Mangs607]

Game path is E:\Games\Far Cry 2

I freakin knew it.

You have made the mistake most people make when installing Punkbuster. You put it in the wrong folder.

Go ahead and delete that pb folder in your Far Cry 2 directory.

Next time you run pbsetup, make sure you choose the "bin" folder when installing punkbuster. The bin folder is where the pb folder is supposed to be.

[Agent00Kevin]

You may be correct, but if PB was not working at all it would be a driver failure, an initialization failure or it would say "Punkbuster is required to play Ranked Matches"

Since your packets are being stopped, and PB recognizes this, it must be working to some extent. It it were completely in the wrong place to where it didnt work at all, you wouldnt even get to the packet - flow stage. Something is stopping those packets, and I am still inclined to think it it your modem.

But, Im no expert, though I have managed to make everything work on 2 different OS and even survived the new dedicated server changeup with very minimal downtime http://forums.ubi.com/groupee_common/emoticons/icon_smile.gif

So by all means explore every lead.

[Mangs607]

Unless he managed to install the game without installing punkbuster, then he already has it. Just and outdated version.

Whenever you have Punkbuster problems, the first step you should take is to make sure it's updated or installed correctly. If you are 100% positive it is has been updated correctly and still encounter problems, then the next troubleshooting step should be your hardware\software firewall.

Whatever type of firewall software you use, make sure all FC2\Punkbuster programs are allowed through. Then the next step would be the hardware firewall, like a router for instance (if you use one) to make sure it's not blocking PB communication or otherwise losing packets.

[Night_mist]

Originally posted by Mangs607:
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Game path is E:\Games\Far Cry 2

I freakin knew it.

You have made the mistake most people make when installing Punkbuster. You put it in the wrong folder.

Go ahead and delete that pb folder in your Far Cry 2 directory.

Next time you run pbsetup, make sure you choose the "bin" folder when installing punkbuster. The bin folder is where the pb folder is supposed to be. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I just tested on one server, and most of the ranked servers seemed to be down for some reason, but it looks like that fixed the problem!

Thanks (rank 2 now, wooo).

[Agent00Kevin]

I have (2) servers up and running...DM and TDM. Feel free to stop by!

!...UberNerdServer DM
!...UberNerdServer TDM

Dont ask why Uber Nerd, I dont know. Its what popped into my head when I forst started it, and thats how it is now.

[Agent00Kevin]

Originally posted by Mangs607:
Unless he managed to install the game without installing punkbuster, then he already has it. Just and outdated version.

Whenever you have Punkbuster problems, the first step you should take is to make sure it's updated or installed correctly. If you are 100% positive it is has been updated correctly and still encounter problems, then the next troubleshooting step should be your hardware\software firewall.

Whatever type of firewall software you use, make sure all FC2\Punkbuster programs are allowed through. Then the next step would be the hardware firewall, like a router for instance (if you use one) to make sure it's not blocking PB communication or otherwise losing packets.

Well, it is possible (used to be) to host a dedicated derver with no PB. All you had to do was delete all PB folders rom your hard drive and then do launch a dedi. It will say PB enabled, but it wont have pb. The drawback is, you couldnt play on that PC if you wanted to play ranked or any PB player match. (I did that to make a 100% supervised Vista 64-friendly server, then sent my vistitors off to correctly install PB on their Vista 64 rigs.

I never publicized this before as it most likely would have been used to cheat in ranked matches, and with the new dedi it wont work like that anymore.

[Night_mist]

I sometimes get "Corrupted packet flow" now, though. I'm starting to hate Punkbuster...

At least I can play for a while when I can finally connect now...