[Loll10T]

Edit 24/07/2022 03:41 AM:
According to Bacardi,

Originally Posted by Bacardi Try simple way first: srcds.exe -console -game left4dead2 +map c1m1_hotel

Of course, that's a common fix. However, you can try to set these cvars

Originally Posted by Bacardi in ...cfg/server.cfg sv_allow_lobby_connect_only 0 sm_cvar sv_hibernate_when_empty 0 Google your own ip (public IP) and share that your friend. connect IP:27015 ...or recheck port and public IP from status command

And in theory, it should fix the issue. However, we're not done yet. When trying to connect via console, I noticed that for some reason the public IP no longer works (for other people it will, however), so you'll have to connect using your private IP.
So instead of using

connect 69.420.133.7:27XXX //This is an example IP, duh

you'll have to use

connect 192.168.x.xxx:27XXX //or whatever your private IP is, if using another adapter or something

instead.

Thanks for the help, everyone. Have a nice one.
Now, if you still want to read the original post, it's down below.

Originally Posted by Loll10T Ports are open, firewall is already configured so there's no connection issues. I set up a loopback adapter, so I can connect to my public IP (w/o the adapter I could only connect to my private IP, i.e. 192.168.x.xxx). However, when I invite friends to the lobby and start the game, only I get connected to the server and they get a "Disconnected" message saying that it failed after 10 retries. I've been searching around AlliedModders and other places but the only "fix" I found was to set up a loopback adapter, as mentioned at the beginning. Then I found a second workaround, which is creating a local server through the game and installing my SM plugins (also worth noting that in the case of SRCDS I've tried with and without addons). However, it crashes randomly. It variates and I don't remember how to make the game create a log (other than "-debug" but for some reason it doesn't seem to create a log). Either way, I'd rather use SRCDS than hosting it through the game. Parameters I used (inside batch files): Batch file A srcds.exe -autoupdate -steam -debug -condebug -usercon -console -nobreakpad -insecure -dev -game left4dead2 +map c1m1_hotel +hostip <publicIP> Batch file B start "" "%~dp0\srcds.exe" -autoupdate -steam -debug -condebug -usercon -console -nobreakpad -secure -dev -game left4dead2 +ip <privateIP> +hostip <publicIP> +port 27017 +clientport 27017 +hostname "The Hellhole of the Elliot" +map credits +maxplayers 8 +exec server.cfg +sv_lan 0 +sv_pure 0 +sv_consistency 0 Do I give up? I'm not sure if this is the right place to post it, but I just can't find an answer.

[Bacardi]

Launch your server and use command "status". What console print out ?

[Loll10T]

Originally Posted by Bacardi Launch your server and use command "status". What console print out ?

CPU   In    Out   Uptime  Users   FPS    Players
2.05  0.00  0.00       0     0   29.62       0
hostname: The Hellhole of The Elliot
version : 2.2.2.5 8490 insecure  (unknown)
udp/ip  : PrivateIP:27016 [ public PublicIP:27016 ]
os      : Windows Dedicated
map     : c1m1_hotel
players : 0 humans, 0 bots (8 max) (hibernating) (unreserved)
# userid name uniqueid connected ping loss state rate adr
[there are no players, duh]
#end

Using "stats;status"

[Bacardi]

Does your private IP start 192.168.x.x ?

Your public IP, is not in these IP range ?

10.0.0.0 — 10.255.255.255;
172.16.0.0 — 172.31.255.255; 
192.168.0.0 — 192.168.255.255

[Loll10T]

Originally Posted by Bacardi Does your private IP start 192.168.x.x ? Your public IP, is not in these IP range ? 10.0.0.0 — 10.255.255.255; 172.16.0.0 — 172.31.255.255; 192.168.0.0 — 192.168.255.255

Yes, my private IP starts with 192.168.x.xxx; my public IP is different and I no longer use the net_addr thingy.

[nidzo]

Hello. I have been running a L4D2 for the past three years on a dedicated machine in Linux. What I've had as a problem from the very start was that everybody else COULD connect to the server from the lobby while I could NOT. Maybe due to the fact that the server and the client (my PC) are using the same IP address and the ISP would have firewall rules that forbid this. So a friend suggested that I start the server with the public address of 0.0.0.0 and after that it was working. I could connect to my own server from the lobby.
Here is the line that I am using to start the linux server.

screen -L -Logfile /home/user_name/l4d2_server_02.log -S l4d2 ~/l4d2_server_02/./srcds_run -tickrate 100 +ip 0.0.0.0 +fps_max 300 -console -game left4dead2 -maxplayers 4 +port 27035 +map c2m1_highway +exec banned_user.cfg; +exec banned_ip.cfg

Hope this can help you. Also make sure that the ports are reachable on your "router" (I call that Internet Service Provider device). And that you have correctly configured (NAT and PORT forwarding) in that same "router". This is very cruical for others to be able to connect to your server.
A link about the difference between NAT and PORT forwarding.
https://superuser.com/questions/4306...ort-forwarding

[Loll10T]

Originally Posted by nidzo So a friend suggested that I start the server with the public address of 0.0.0.0 and after that it was working. I could connect to my own server from the lobby.

Tried it before, but I'm not sure if it may actually work given I reconfigured the ports and that I also enabled DMZ.
Either way, I noticed that when hosting the server through the game gives players a 0.0.0.x IP when they join. So, if we connect the dots...

Thanks a lot for your reply. Hopefully this finally helps me fix my issue.
I will post another reply later on, indicating if it worked or not.

[Loll10T]

Update: It doesn't work. Strangely enough, instead of being the only one connected, either the server or the game tries to connect me and for some reason reconnects me, resulting in a infinite loading screen.
Also the IP setting you suggested appears to be for private IP, not public.
I will, however, try to use the same port as your server's.

Update 2: Tested both your port and IP settings, still the same behavior.

[Loll10T]

I guess there is no fix then?

Also I read about NAT forwarding, and I found out that it requires enabling DMZ. I did this when I wrote the post, but I forgot to mention that.
Still, I'm not sure if that is enough, as no one seems to be able to connect to my server, but me.

[Bacardi]

Try simple way first:

srcds.exe -console -game left4dead2 +map c1m1_hotel

in ...cfg/server.cfg

sv_allow_lobby_connect_only 0
sm_cvar sv_hibernate_when_empty 0

Google your own ip (public IP) and share that your friend.

connect IP:27015

...or recheck port and public IP from status command

*edit
And it would be better to disable hibernation. You need SourceMod sm_cvar command to change hidden cvar sv_hibernate_when_empty

*edit edit
You, yourself, you connect from LAN side. Look server browser LAN tab