Chrystoph, with the last version, the worldserver URL has changed. It is now :
+set wsrv_url http://www.coopordie.com/rpc
You can refer to the coopordie.bat file included in the zip release package.

PS : I have updated the old worldserver with a more explicit error message

That change seems to work internally. I will need to arrange for a test outside of my firewall.

On an upbeat note, we may have figured out how to deal with it by using OpenVPN to put the players all on the same subnet. More on that as we can move forward with it.

I want to be sure I clearly understand you :
- When you host a simple server (non dedicated) everybody can join you.
- When you host a dedicated server, nobody can reach your firewall, even if you let open the right port.

If the text above is right, it's maybe related to a sort of security fix made by Knightmare with his engine. I don't know exactly why, but there is a sort of random port choose somewhere, I think I have deactivated it, but maybe not in dedicated mode. If so, I need to look more indeep.

Not quite. The default Quake2 port (27910) is open with a NAT redirect to the hosting box. I have also tried this by putting the dedicated host into my DMZ, but get the same result.

A regular session does the same thing.

With Co-op or Die, anyone inside my router can connect, but no-one outside the router can. Eventually, the external connections time out. While that is happening, my router is registering a Ping of Death attack from the connecting client. My router is set to accept ping requests from the Internet.

It basically breaks down into whether or not the person is connecting from UDP or bookmarks. UDP succeeds, bookmarks do not.

With Q2 and the commercial expansions, the game works perfectly well, allowing for the usual Internet problems of lag.

We are now playing the game as four players, but I had to configure OpenVPN (openvpn.sourceforge.net) for the people outside of my router to connect.

Since they are coming in through the VPN tunnel, they are seeing the server as a UDP connection.

If anyone is interested, I can post my OpenVPN configurations. They amount to a Point to Point connector on two different 10.(3/4) networks.

Chrystoph, if you want, you can you start a new thread in this forum and give info about what you do with OpenVPN.
I'm sorry if I haven't currently the time for investigate more about this firewall problem. If the classic Q2 work and not COOP or DIE, I think it is because of a modification made by knightmare about protocol and connection. But I have no news from him. And I don't really know this part of the engine.
Just for info, my real life will be #@! very soon, my wife wait for 2 twins
So my time for Q2 will be very very limited :/

Pat, try using the net server build version of my engine. The really long max packet size could be to blame.

If that doesn't work, I remember there was some kind of fix made to the connect code somewhere, probably in the server or common code, but that was so long ago that I can't remember exactly where.

Hi Knightmare,

It's so cool to have news from you. I will look at the code related to "max packet size", but I suspect the "kind of fix to the connect code".

I really need to make COOP or DIE "firewall compliant".

CU