[CoolJosh3k]

NULL ISteamGameServer in ConnectClient. Steam authentication may fail.

A couple of weeks ago now, I noticed I started having this issue on my dedicated server. It is the private TF2 server I use for testing plugins and I have never had any issues in the past.

For proper (and easier) testing I need to be able to use my loadout, but due to this error I cannot.
There are plenty of resources out there on how to resolve this issue, but none of the proposed solutions work for me.

^- Deleted clientregistry.blob
^- Reinstalled absolutely everything
^- Running no mods at all (not even Metamod)
^- Registering a server identity token and account
^- Forwarding all the correct ports
^- Disabling software firewall (ZoneAlarm)
^- Fully updated server
^- Verified the issue is not the client
^- Set up a reserved static LAN IP
^- Tried running in non-lan (internet) mode
^- Specifying ip and port in command line
^- Specifying different ports
^- Tried forcing a heartbeat

I run both the server and client on separate machines, both under an official Windows 7 build. No virtual environment is being used. This is the first time I have had this issue.


=== === ===

Note:

This issue has now been resolved. The solution for those who do not wish to read all of the posts:

Make sure that your installed copy of Steam is not interfering with your Dedicated Server installation. The issue has to do with steamclient.dll being loaded from the incorrect location.

Until this can be patched, the easiest solution is to uninstall Steam. Alternatively you may wish to install your dedicated server such that it it is using steamclient.dll from the same location as your steam client.

[Powerlord]

Are you sure you have all ports forwarded correctly? I ask because by default, TF2 listens on port 26901 for connections from Steam.

Why 26901? Because there's a bug in older Source games that make it use the port one higher than the -sport switch, which defaults to 26900.

I can confirm that this is still the case on my Linux server:

tf2@powerlord:~$ netstat -lnp | grep srcds
(Not all processes could be identified, non-owned process info
 will not be shown, you would have to be root to see it all.)
tcp        0      0 74.91.124.178:27015     0.0.0.0:*               LISTEN      28689/srcds_linux
udp        0      0 74.91.124.178:27005     0.0.0.0:*                           28689/srcds_linux
udp        0      0 74.91.124.178:27015     0.0.0.0:*                           28689/srcds_linux
udp        0      0 74.91.124.178:27020     0.0.0.0:*                           28689/srcds_linux
udp        0      0 74.91.124.178:26901     0.0.0.0:*                           28689/srcds_linux

In the above, 27015 is the -port, 27005 is the -clientport, 27020 is the +tv_port, and 26901 is the -sport +1

[asherkin]

If Steam is installed (it does not need to be running) on the server machine, make sure it is updated.

[CoolJosh3k]

Originally Posted by Powerlord Are you sure you have all ports forwarded correctly? I ask because by default, TF2 listens on port 26901 for connections from Steam. Why 26901? Because there's a bug in older Source games that make it use the port one higher than the -sport switch, which defaults to 26900. I can confirm that this is still the case on my Linux server: tf2@powerlord:~$ netstat -lnp | grep srcds (Not all processes could be identified, non-owned process info will not be shown, you would have to be root to see it all.) tcp 0 0 74.91.124.178:27015 0.0.0.0:* LISTEN 28689/srcds_linux udp 0 0 74.91.124.178:27005 0.0.0.0:* 28689/srcds_linux udp 0 0 74.91.124.178:27015 0.0.0.0:* 28689/srcds_linux udp 0 0 74.91.124.178:27020 0.0.0.0:* 28689/srcds_linux udp 0 0 74.91.124.178:26901 0.0.0.0:* 28689/srcds_linux In the above, 27015 is the -port, 27005 is the -clientport, 27020 is the +tv_port, and 26901 is the -sport +1

Thanks, I will try opening both 26900 and 26901.

Originally Posted by asherkin If Steam is installed (it does not need to be running) on the server machine, make sure it is updated.

Nah, I am using SteamCMD and I always run without Steam.

[CoolJosh3k]

Sadly, allowing those extra ports didn't help.

.Service Type . . . External Start Port . . . External End Port . . . Internal Start Port . . . Internal End Port . . . Internal IP address
TCP/UDP . . . . . . 27000 . . . . . . . . . . 27050 . . . . . . . . . 27000 . . . . . . . . . . 27050 . . . . . . . . . 192.168.0.2
TCP/UDP . . . . . . 26900 . . . . . . . . . . 26901 . . . . . . . . . 26900 . . . . . . . . . . 26901 . . . . . . . . . 192.168.0.2

As an added measure, I also rebooted the router (a Netgear Nighthawk R7000).
The only things I can think of that had changed right before this started happening, is TF2 updates and the usual Windows updates.

[Potato Uno]

Open ports 20000 to 30000 (not specific port numbers) and see if the problem somehow corrects itself. The port numbers srcds uses can be wonky, and this is the setup I have put in place for my MvM servers.

As a temporary test, you can use DMZ. (Although on my test server, which has no ports open to that machine, the item server connects fine...)

As for what asherkin said, if you have the steam client installed on the machine the server is on, make sure it's updated and/or enter the steam beta (this fixed a really odd bug in the past). My servers are on a machine with the steam client on it (which I leave myself logged in to catch chat messages).

Although you said you did reinstall everything, run the server validation (app_update 232250 validate) and see if it fixes anything (I'm doubtful if it will, but try it).

[CoolJosh3k]

Good idea about the DMZ, but sadly nothing good.
I have never actually had to forward ports for my dedicated tf2 server in the past, so I am inclined to think this is not the issue.

[asherkin]

This isn't a networking problem, it's loading a bad steamclient.dll.

[VoiDeD]

On top of the fact that port forwarding Steam ports is ludicrous considering that the connection to Steam is outbound, not inbound.

[Powerlord]

Originally Posted by VoiDeD On top of the fact that port forwarding Steam ports is ludicrous considering that the connection to Steam is outbound, not inbound.

...and yet srcds still opens a listening port for it.