Network Timeout on rented Dedicated Server? Can connect and play for a while, then randomly get timed out.

[Nikson]

Hey all,

I've been playing with some friends on 2 rented servers we have (Both hosted by Nitrado). No mods or anything, just a vanilla server.

I have no issues connecting to either server and I can play without any issue or lag. Ping seems to be fine, nobody sees me lagging or teleporting around, and there's no issue at all with the gameplay. However, randomly, whenever I'm opening my inventory or trying to loot something, the game will suddenly freeze completely, and it'll be a toss up as to whether the game will continue or the game will just give me a Network Timeout issue and kick me out.

Nobody else on the server has any issues with getting timed out.

I'm playing on wi-fi, connected to the 5ghz band, and I have a fast, 500 mb connection.

Here's my log for one of my crashes: https://pastebin.com/uEcmRF9G

This seems to be the line of text for when I get disconnected:

2022-02-02T01:50:17 8559.678 INF NET: LiteNetLib: Connection closed: Timeout
2022-02-02T01:50:17 8559.681 INF [NET] DisconnectedFromServer: Network Timeout
2022-02-02T01:50:17 8559.684 INF [EAC] Disconnected from game server

 

[Nikson]

Update: I got the server log message for when I got disconnected, if that helps with analyzing what happened.

2022-02-01T22:54:26 1851.572 WRN NET: LiteNetLib: SendData requested for unknown client EntityID=830, PltfmId='Steam_76561197984762346', CrossId='EOS_00022ad529a34e039673f5bd7d65c154', OwnerID='Steam_76561197984762346', PlayerName='Nikson'
2022-02-01T22:54:26 1851.576 INF NET: LiteNetLib: Client disconnect from: 71.140.147.174:52616 (Timeout)
2022-02-01T22:54:26 1851.576 INF [NET] PlayerDisconnected EntityID=830, PltfmId='Steam_76561197984762346', CrossId='EOS_00022ad529a34e039673f5bd7d65c154', OwnerID='Steam_76561197984762346', PlayerName='Nikson'
2022-02-01T22:54:26 1851.578 INF DynamicMusic: 830 successfully removed from Bloodmoon state cache
2022-02-01T22:54:26 1851.578 WRN Client disconnected from dy mesh: Id: 830 Total: 2
2022-02-01T22:54:26 1851.578 WRN Client disconnect complete for 830 Total: 1
2022-02-01T22:54:26 1851.578 INF Player disconnected: EntityID=830, PltfmId='Steam_76561197984762346', CrossId='EOS_00022ad529a34e039673f5bd7d65c154', OwnerID='Steam_76561197984762346', PlayerName='Nikson'
2022-02-01T22:54:27 1851.708 INF [EAC] FreeUser: EntityID=830, PltfmId='Steam_76561197984762346', CrossId='EOS_00022ad529a34e039673f5bd7d65c154', OwnerID='Steam_76561197984762346', PlayerName='Nikson'
2022-02-01T22:54:27 1851.709 INF [EAC] Log: [EAC Server]  [Info] [22:54:27:110][Windows][EAC Server] [Info][UnregisterClient] Client: 0000000000000002 PlayerGUID: 76561197984762346
2022-02-01T22:54:27 1851.736 INF GMSG: Player 'Nikson' left the game

 

[meganoth]

You say you use Wifi. Unless you are in a secluded location interference from other Wifi users could lead to losing a connection. Maybe try connecting with cable for an evening and see if it changes anything.

I don't see anything interesting in the logs except for some messages about waiting for locks to get cleared, but they don't seem significant for the issue you have as they are just informational and happen all the time, they seem to be about the new impostor redraw feature. But that's just a guess.

EDIT: Turning off dynamic meshes (rightmost tab in options) would be something you could test as well, just to be sure the messages really have nothing to do with your problem

 

[Nikson]

I switched to using my 2.4ghz wifi network and it seems to have fixed the problem for now! I'll try out the dynamic meshes thing too just in case.

 

[P3rf3ctVZer0]

Has this ever been fixed? I have been able to link to two things ... time played (about 20mins and looting after that time.)

 

[Star69]

For OP’s issue, the problem is playing using a wifi connection instead of an ethernet cable. There is so much data traveling back & forth between your pc and the server that by using a wifi connection can cause loss of data. It’s not a game problem but is a user problem. I believe I’ve heard it explained as wifi is half duplex while ethernet connection is full duplex. Many games you can play using wifi just fine but 7 Days is an exception.

 

[funk]

I know this is more than a year later, but my friend was having the same issue. There is a general bug with Unity engine that unloads certain assets and has to load them again. The disconnecting/timing out to the server was occuring when opening inventory/map/searching loot. WiFi to Ethernet didn't help.

This problem cannot be caused by WiFi, but it doesn't help being on WiFi when you add it together the local freezing with your game client and therefore it doesn't respond to the server because it only happens after a while when assets are unloaded for too long. In the beginning opening inventory/loot/map doesn't freeze but after 10-20 mins it occurs. More RAM helps going from 16GB to 32GB, but we found out that my friend's page file which was located on the Hard drive and not SSD was causing the issue.

Loading/unloading assets and joining to my server was much faster after that, although it still freezes for a few seconds, after a while again, although it's not enough for the server to see a time out/not responding client.

To add even more to this, my computer with 32GB RAM, Ryzen 5 2600, and around 2500MB NVME SSD still has the inventory lag issue, but my GF's new laptop which has a NVME PCIE 4.0 SSD @ 6500MB/s doesn't have inventory lag at all. Now I'm not 100% sure that's what the problem is, as the new laptop is runnign Win 11, has a i7 12700H 14 Core CPU, faster than my Ryzen so idk, but it seems that way considering what my friend's PC has tried and what I've seen with the new laptop's specs and no inventory/looting lag at all..ever... and my friend's PC has a SATA SSD(around 550MB/s).

Also to add to all this, we are running 15K map size and Undead Legacy with many compopack POIs, so this would make it use alot of RAM(especially when joining the server)goes all the way to 32GB usage. I'm not sure if more than 32GB would completely alleviate the issue SSD page file trick or not.

 

[meganoth]

I know this is more than a year later, but my friend was having the same issue. There is a general bug with Unity engine that unloads certain assets and has to load them again. The disconnecting/timing out to the server was occuring when opening inventory/map/searching loot. WiFi to Ethernet didn't help.

This problem cannot be caused by WiFi, but it doesn't help being on WiFi when you add it together the local freezing with your game client and therefore it doesn't respond to the server because it only happens after a while when assets are unloaded for too long. In the beginning opening inventory/loot/map doesn't freeze but after 10-20 mins it occurs. More RAM helps going from 16GB to 32GB, but we found out that my friend's page file which was located on the Hard drive and not SSD was causing the issue.

Loading/unloading assets and joining to my server was much faster after that, although it still freezes for a few seconds, after a while again, although it's not enough for the server to see a time out/not responding client.

To add even more to this, my computer with 32GB RAM, Ryzen 5 2600, and around 2500MB NVME SSD still has the inventory lag issue, but my GF's new laptop which has a NVME PCIE 4.0 SSD @ 6500MB/s doesn't have inventory lag at all. Now I'm not 100% sure that's what the problem is, as the new laptop is runnign Win 11, has a i7 12700H 14 Core CPU, faster than my Ryzen so idk, but it seems that way considering what my friend's PC has tried and what I've seen with the new laptop's specs and no inventory/looting lag at all..ever... and my friend's PC has a SATA SSD(around 550MB/s).

Also to add to all this, we are running 15K map size and Undead Legacy with many compopack POIs, so this would make it use alot of RAM(especially when joining the server)goes all the way to 32GB usage. I'm not sure if more than 32GB would completely alleviate the issue SSD page file trick or not.

Whatever your issue is, it doesn't seem to be the same as the other posters in this thread. It would have been wiser to start a new thread.

7D2D has to do some Unity memory housekeeping tasks from time to time. The head developer of 7D2D determined that for gameplay it would be the least disruptive if this happened when trying to access the inventory. This is a delay that can be as long as 2 seconds on older CPUs. I get it as well. 

 

[funk]

Whatever your issue is, it doesn't seem to be the same as the other posters in this thread. It would have been wiser to start a new thread.

7D2D has to do some Unity memory housekeeping tasks from time to time. The head developer of 7D2D determined that for gameplay it would be the least disruptive if this happened when trying to access the inventory. This is a delay that can be as long as 2 seconds on older CPUs. I get it as well. 

Respectfully I disagree that it isn't the same issue, it is exactly the same. Just that if the delay is so long(on older systems too, whatever the cause) it eventually times out. You only have to look at the original post to see, the symptoms and behaviours are the same.

 

However, randomly, whenever I'm opening my inventory or trying to loot something, the game will suddenly freeze completely, and it'll be a toss up as to whether the game will continue or the game will just give me a Network Timeout issue and kick me out.

Exactly this was/is occuring to my friend's PC(I also tested the same thing on my older PC to figure out the issue) and was solved by making the game client not freeze for too long by removing the page file from the hard drive and only leaving a page file on the SSD. Keywords are "inventory", "loot something" "game will suddelnly freeze completely", "Network Timeout issue". All were occuring on my friends PC and also my older PC, the first 3 ocurring on my faster PC. Too long a freeze and the time out occurs....If you are playing on your own server you wont have a time out, only the freezing.

 

[Beelzybub]

"Network Timeout issue"

Most common causes of high ping/network issues:

    1: AntiVirus: Add a folder exception for the game folder and the save folder
        in your antivirus software. (on both client and server)

    2: Using Wifi. (WiFi is half-duplex, encrypted, and subject to interference)

    3: oem gaming or lighting software like Gamefirst from Asus, Dell, HP, Corsair,

        etc. Uninstall all this junkware.

    4: VPN or proxy: Use split tunneling to add an exception for the game.
    Or turn off the vpn.

 

[funk]

Most common causes of high ping/network issues:

    1: AntiVirus: Add a folder exception for the game folder and the save folder
        in your antivirus software. (on both client and server)

    2: Using Wifi. (WiFi is half-duplex, encrypted, and subject to interference)

    3: oem gaming or lighting software like Gamefirst from Asus, Dell, HP, Corsair,

        etc. Uninstall all this junkware.

    4: VPN or proxy: Use split tunneling to add an exception for the game.
    Or turn off the vpn.

This isn't a normal network timeout issue though. The time out occurs because the whole client completely freezes due to inventory open lag problem, long enough for the server to time you out(disconnect you from the server), and therefore you also get the time out message. Many people have that problem, but on slower computers, or wrong windows settings more than 2 seconds 5 seconds, 10 seconds etc whatever is enough for the server to time you out because your game isn't sending any more data in that timeframe. The original poster mentioned his ping is fine.

 

[bdubyah]

Sounds like it's when the game runs its garbage collection. It does this every so often when you open your inventory.

 

[Riamus]

Unloading unused assets is certainly a cause it network timeout problems.  If the game freezes for someone because of this (it happens every 20 minutes triggered by opening inventory/containers), it can cause a network timeout.  You can easily tell if this is the likely cause because it is on a 20 minute timer.  If it happens 20 minutes after starting (or every 20 minutes after), it is the most likely cause.  Less than that and it is something else.

RAM and location of pagefile will help resolve this if it is the problem.

Note that I have had that freeze last for 3-5 minutes sometimes.  I have low RAM and due to limited space on my SSD, my pagefile is on my HDD, so that is why I have the problem.