Can't Direct Connect to Servers Via Domain

I never originally attached a log as it shows nothing of use after attempting the connection

Hello, Jessica!

Thank you for this. Is it also please possible to provide a server log too?

Kind Regards

Laura, QA Department

I have logs from torch, keen.

However I don't believe these logs will show anything of use as the client never resolves a connection to the server in the first place.

Considering this issue is universal, I believe something would have messed up in the DNS resolver when direct connecting to servers.

When a client inputs a domain rather than IPv4 address it should resolve the host address using code similar to this:

string hostname = 'my.domain.com';
string port = '27016';

IPAddress[] addresslist = Dns.GetHostAddresses(hostname);
private string IP = addresslist[0].ToString() + ':' + port;

Hello, Jessica!

After speaking internally about your issue, I have been told it is most likely due to a port not being open on the firewall or something similar that is causing this. Can you please double-check this?

Kind Regards

Laura, QA Department

I have taken another look at the servers and just to be certain I have tested it with some other on 3 separate servers, 1 in a datacenter and 2 in a home network.

The one in the datacenter was best case to test as I only have to open the ports on windows where as the home network also has to go through the router.

All 3 servers are opening any port the SEDS instance needs by using the program option within the firewall, so I can guarantee that all ports are open for the server in the datacenter but with the home network servers I opened the extra valve ports which didn't change anything.

I do have a little extra information that may help with this issue which, if you use valve protocol to connect to the server (the game cannot be running for this to work) then using the domain will work, however if you try using valve protocol whilst the game is running it will not work even if you try using it with the IPv4 address.

Valve Protocol: steam://connect/horizons.gg:27016

Hello everyone,

I am having the same issue as described by Jessica.

I have setup a server, opened all the correct ports and everyone can connect to it by using the join button in space engineers, as long as they enter the IP it works just as intended.

If however anyone tries using the hostname it does not seem to work.

I am using a sub-domain with A-level DNS rerouting to the correct IPv4 address and port, in this case 27016 (the default port).

When using the steam browser protocol steam://connect/se.myserver.domain:27016 it works, but only when the game has not started yet. This indicates a problem where Space Engineers requires resolved IP addresses the moment the game is started and not when these addresses are actually being resolved.

Looking through discussions on the Space Engineers Steam page, people have had this problem since 2017.

I hope this Issue can be resolved as hosting a public server without a DDNS address or the DDoS protection offered by my Domain provider, is not in my best interest.

Kind Regards

Natrium

I am also having this issue. I home host a server and I am using a public free domain which has the backend set to a VPS provided by Winstri. The VPS is set to reverse proxy connections using NGinx to my network on port 27016. Unsure if this particular configuration is causing the issue but players are unable to connect using the subdomain address or the VPS IP address, and can only connect via a direct connection to my network.

sorry Laura K, you are mistaken, this is definitely a keen problem, it has been broken for months, please re-assess what is going on, we used to be able to connect to servers with by host name, it is definitely broken, not user error on configuration.

Typical Keen saying it's the users at fault and not them. XD

Same issue here. Tried CNAME / A records.

I've also had this issue.

Keen, its been 15 months

you gonna fix this or not?

Don't expect Keen to fix this for another century, it takes them over 2 years just to respond to bug reports.

2 months later, i have some more information and a test that anyone including QA can do.

"After speaking internally about your issue, I have been told it is most likely due to a port not being open on the firewall or something similar that is causing this."

im almost certain this is incorrect, and has absolutely nothing to do with firewall, or port forwarding.

connecting to a server with the ip address and port works absolutely fine when firewall or port forwarding are done correctly, its just failing with the 'hostname' connection, for example, my server, if you click 'direct connect' and connect with 45.13.7.46:27034 you will connect to it without a problem, but if you use weavernet.ddns.net:27034 it wont work, doing a ping on that host name, it will show you its the same ip address, it wont actually ping though, my router is set to not reply to a ping.

so using 'direct connect' and connecting via ip address works, but by host name does not :)

+1

This seems to be a major oversight if it was working in the past. This means that people hosting servers behind a dynamic public IP address using a DDNS domain have to go through an extra hoop of having to resolve the IP to put it in.

that server in last post now down... im sure devs can pop up a server that should connect via domain, and discover that it doesnt

20 months with this many people reporting the issue, and Keen has still done nothing about it. Typical lmao.

Still present in current release: Client & Server 1.202.117

I don't think anyone is getting around it, and as expected Keen is doing nothing about it after nearly 2 years of this issue being reported.

It really is astonishing how people can still support this game. Keen also just cranked out yet another microtransaction instead of prioritizing actually improving and fixing their game first. This bug report has literally been unsolved for 2 years. At some point you have to ask yourself "are they even trying"?

was planning on making a server but yeah... not doing that anymore this game and company needs to fail it sucks but that's the truth

Well when you have a blatantly abusive administration (namely their community "ambassador" Dan2D3D and Erin Truitt) and favor your own gatekept community over new players who actually have valid critiques, AND the lack of prioritization of proper things from the developers (releasing new DLCs while the game itself is extremely unoptimized and lackluster), you tend to have the perfect formula for a shitty game.

Only took you guys two years.

also this was 9 months ago that it was finally reported....still an issue.