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Network / Three general questions about networking in SFML
« on: January 20, 2009, 11:52:29 am »
Hi!
I'm working on a simple multiplayer game, a school project. The game is based on the server-client model and it is using both TCP and UPD for different connections. I started out doing a simple chat-program, consisting of a server program and a client program, and the result was quite successful. I can start the server program on one computer, connect with several clients which can send and receive both TCP and UDP messages.
However, I've got some basic features that I would like to implement. Firstly, is it possible to have both a client program and a server program running on the same computer? I'm new to network coding, but I think it has to be something with the ports you use. At present, both my client and server program are using two ports, one for TCP listening and sending and one for UDP listening and sending. Maybe it is possible to achieve the wanted effect by using different ports for listening and sending, so that the send socket at the client program is using the same port as the listening socket at the server program and vice versa.
Secondly, in most network programs (e.g. multiplayer games) it is only necessary to open the ports for the server program, not the client. Although, when I tried my program over internet (I've previously only tested on LAN) I needed to open up ports for my client as well. HAs this something to do with the fact that I'm using a selector in the client program as well (which is not necessary, however, abit easier)?
Lastly, I'm also thinking of how to detect when a client is detected. It can be easily done by letting the disconnecting client send a "goodbye"-message and then the server can remove it from the list containing connected clients. However, if the client just cuts its connection with the server (e.g. it crashes) the connection will not be closed properly and I've experienced that the selector's timeout-function goes crazy and behaves as if it's set on a very short time (like 0.0...01 seconds). Is it possible to have the TCP socket nature of a constant connection to tackle this problem (which is the reason why I've been using it in the first plce)?
I'm working on a simple multiplayer game, a school project. The game is based on the server-client model and it is using both TCP and UPD for different connections. I started out doing a simple chat-program, consisting of a server program and a client program, and the result was quite successful. I can start the server program on one computer, connect with several clients which can send and receive both TCP and UDP messages.
However, I've got some basic features that I would like to implement. Firstly, is it possible to have both a client program and a server program running on the same computer? I'm new to network coding, but I think it has to be something with the ports you use. At present, both my client and server program are using two ports, one for TCP listening and sending and one for UDP listening and sending. Maybe it is possible to achieve the wanted effect by using different ports for listening and sending, so that the send socket at the client program is using the same port as the listening socket at the server program and vice versa.
Secondly, in most network programs (e.g. multiplayer games) it is only necessary to open the ports for the server program, not the client. Although, when I tried my program over internet (I've previously only tested on LAN) I needed to open up ports for my client as well. HAs this something to do with the fact that I'm using a selector in the client program as well (which is not necessary, however, abit easier)?
Lastly, I'm also thinking of how to detect when a client is detected. It can be easily done by letting the disconnecting client send a "goodbye"-message and then the server can remove it from the list containing connected clients. However, if the client just cuts its connection with the server (e.g. it crashes) the connection will not be closed properly and I've experienced that the selector's timeout-function goes crazy and behaves as if it's set on a very short time (like 0.0...01 seconds). Is it possible to have the TCP socket nature of a constant connection to tackle this problem (which is the reason why I've been using it in the first plce)?