Geofilter issue

[tommy]

I received my Netgear XR500 today and I am having major issues with the Geo-Filter. Prior to updating the firmware to the latest version, my friends were showing on the Geo-Filter but they were displayed as "Dedicated Hosts." Thinking this was a firmware issue, I went ahead and updated the firmware to the latest version and now none of my friends are being displayed on the Geo-Filter.

 

Is this a known issue or do I have a defective product?

[Netduma Fraser]

Hey, welcome to the forum!

 

We're here to help don't worry. What console/game are you playing?

 

How did you identify that the dedicated host was actually one of your friends? On the ping panel where it says dedicated hosts there is an ID as well (its an encrypted IP address). Could you give us the ID of one of these dedicated hosts that is your friend please and we can look into it right away.

 

If you can't see anything on the map still to give us an ID do a reboot of your console. Also make sure the console is using IPv4 not IPv6 to connect to the internet.

 

I can do a 1 on 1 with you where I can see your PC and take control to try to identify the issue. It's 2am here in the UK so if you can do a 1 on 1 within 30mins I can help now otherwise we can schedule it for tomorrow.

[tommy]

Hey, welcome to the forum!

 

We're here to help don't worry. What console/game are you playing?

 

How did you identify that the dedicated host was actually one of your friends? On the ping panel where it says dedicated hosts there is an ID as well (its an encrypted IP address). Could you give us the ID of one of these dedicated hosts that is your friend please and we can look into it right away.

 

If you can't see anything on the map still to give us an ID do a reboot of your console. Also make sure the console is using IPv4 not IPv6 to connect to the internet.

 

I can do a 1 on 1 with you where I can see your PC and take control to try to identify the issue. It's 2am here in the UK so if you can do a 1 on 1 within 30mins I can help now otherwise we can schedule it for tomorrow.

 

I am playing on the Xbox One. I knew my friend was listed as a "dedicated host" because I know which state he lives in and I was able to see his IP address. Believing this was a firmware issue, I updated the Netgear XR500 to the latest firmware and now my Geo-Filter map is completely blank.

 

My Xbox One is running at IPv4 by default and no offense but I am not interested in a teamviewer session.

[Netduma Iain]

Hi Tommy,

 

That's fine if you don't want a teamviwer 1 on 1 it is often just quicker.

 

If you can't see anything appear in your Geo-Filter these are the common causes:

 

- Make sure you've added the right device to the Geo-Filter on the top panel. An easy way to verify this is go to the device manager and click the device you think it is. A panel on the righ will appear that will show the IP address of the console. Confirm it is the same as the one on your on console.

- If you're sure it's the right device then turn off the console, reboot the router wait a minute or two. Then turn on the console. It should work now.

 

If neither of the above work make sure your console is connected to the router. It is a common mistake that the console connects to the old routers wireless network.

 

Finally which game are you playing on the console? If possible please post a screenshot of your Geo-Filter here. Thanks

 

PS it shouldn't be possible to see the IP address. When you installed the router did it ask you to upgrade?

[Netduma Iain]

Also just a minor heads up Tommy we're based in the UK. So it'should 4am over here right now so we may not respond for a few hours. I'll keep an eye out for next 20mins though.

 

We are not the official support channel. Netgear offers 24/7 telephone support. It should be on the side of the box. We're always happy to help but can't provide 24/7 support.

[tommy]

I went ahead and factory reset my XR500 and now I'm able to see other players/servers on the Geo-Filter map. The issue I'm having now is I'm connecting to players and/or servers outside of the location I've specified on the Geo-Filter.

 

For instance, I set my location to Australia/NZ with Filtering Mode and Strict Mode enabled and this is what I see. No, I am not from Australia but the simple fact is I should never play on a host outside of the location I've specified.

 

Also, the firmware update still shows other players as servers which makes it impossible to allow or block bad connections. I am aware that these players are players because I am playing a game that is primarily peer-to-peer.

 

We are not the official support channel. Netgear offers 24/7 telephone support. It should be on the side of the box. We're always happy to help but can't provide 24/7 support. 

 

Yes, I'm aware sir. I am posting on the Netduma forums because DumaOS is the software that Netduma developed. If I had a problem with Netgear's hardware, I'd contact them.

[Netduma Fraser]

I went ahead and factory reset my XR500 and now I'm able to see other players/servers on the Geo-Filter map. The issue I'm having now is I'm connecting to players and/or servers outside of the location I've specified on the Geo-Filter.

 

For instance, I set my location to Australia/NZ with Filtering Mode and Strict Mode enabled and this is what I see. No, I am not from Australia but the simple fact is I should never play on a host outside of the location I've specified.

 

Also, the firmware update still shows other players as servers which makes it impossible to allow or block bad connections. I am aware that these players are players because I am playing a game that is primarily peer-to-peer.

 

 

Yes, I'm aware sir. I am posting on the Netduma forums because DumaOS is the software that Netduma developed. If I had a problem with Netgear's hardware, I'd contact them.

 

Hi tommy, 

 

The screenshot is showing whitelisted servers, these are servers that we have automatically allowed because they are required for chat, authentication etc. They can appear all over the world, this is why they will appear outside your radius. You've identified a usability issue that this may be too much information and cause users to think the Geo-Filter is not working correctly.

 

What game are you playing on your console? Can you show a screenshot of the players that are appearing as dedicated servers please as well as an ID of one of them.

[tommy]

Hi tommy, 

 

The screenshot is showing whitelisted servers, these are servers that we have automatically allowed because they are required for chat, authentication etc. They can appear all over the world, this is why they will appear outside your radius. You've identified a usability issue that this may be too much information and cause users to think the Geo-Filter is not working correctly.

 

What game are you playing on your console? Can you show a screenshot of the players that are appearing as dedicated servers please as well as an ID of one of them.

 

Why am I able to connect to a host that is outside of my specified range? I have the correct device selected along with Filtering Mode and Strict Mode on.

 

From my understanding, once you specify a radius within the Geo-Filter it's supposed to force the host to be within your specified radius. This clearly isn't the case as I am connecting to many servers outside of my radius. For instance, the image I linked above was me limiting my radius to Australia yet I was connected to and playing on a host located in the US. I know this because I live in the US and I'm obviously able to differentiate an Australian host from an American host.

 

I've tried downgrading the firmware, reformatting the router completely and nothing has seemed to help. This has to be a software issue.

[Netduma Fraser]

Could you let us know what game you are playing please as that will help us determine what is happening. Is it Destiny by chance? If so for that game you need strict off, if it is Destiny and you have strict on, that would explain what is happening as you're not able to connect to players so it is forcing servers instead to connect - strict off is required for Destiny because they use a hybrid system of P2P & server connections. We created strict mode especially for this game because it works differently to others. I would recommend using the profiles to setup the Geo-Filter optimally for your game - you may be playing one that we can't filter.

[tommy]

Could you let us know what game you are playing please as that will help us determine what is happening. Is it Destiny by chance? If so for that game you need strict off, if it is Destiny and you have strict on, that would explain what is happening as you're not able to connect to players so it is forcing servers instead to connect - strict off is required for Destiny because they use a hybrid system of P2P & server connections. We created strict mode especially for this game because it works differently to others. I would recommend using the profiles to setup the Geo-Filter optimally for your game - you may be playing one that we can't filter.

 

Yes but in theory, the concept of the "Geo-Filter" in conjunction with "Strict Mode" is to 100% guarantee that you are playing on a host (P2P or Dedicated) within your specified radius. If a host is not available within your specified radius, "Strict Mode" is supposed to tell the XR500 to continue searching, for better or worse.

 

To test my theory, I set my home location in the Geo-Filter in the middle of the ocean. Next, I set the radius to ~200 miles to ensure there was no possibility of me connecting to ANY host (server or p2p) yet I was finding games quicker than I would have been had the Geo-Filter been disabled.

 

I have disabled my firewall, tried a different browser (I use Google Chrome primarily), I've disabled browser extensions (adblock, etc.) and as I said in my previous post, I've downgraded firmware and even factory reset the XR500 multiple times and nothing seems to have helped. My Xbox One is on a static IP address, fully DMZ'd and all Xbox Live ports are forwarded.

 

The games i play primarily are Halo, Call of Duty and Madden. I do not play Destiny.

 

If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I am on the verge of returning the XR500.

[Netduma Iain]

Hi Tommy,

 

Did our suggestions resolve the original issue? If not please let us know.

 

To answer your latest query. You are correct, If you have strict mode on then you will only get hosts inside your radius. If you see a server with a white circle around it - that is a matchmaking server. We added it to DumaOS to give users more information. However it seems to have caused more confusion than benefit so we're removing it in the next firmware.

 

Just to clarify a matchmaking server (i.e. one with a circle around it) is simply a server that the game communicates with while you're online. I also play Halo and will often see a matchmaking server in Ireland. You can safely ignore that server as it is not your game server. Look for servers without circles round them or peers.

 

Also note that any friends that you've added to your allow list will also be allowed even if you have strict mode on and put yourself in the sea. Hope that makes sense.

 

PS one thing to note - it's a good idea to add all your friends that you're playing with to the allow list. But at the very least make sure the person hosting the lobby is definitely white-listed.

 

Hope that helps and let us know if you have any other issues. We don't handle distribution NETGEAR does so If you'd like to return it please contact them and they'll assist you. But the support team is on hand to help you with any other queries you have. And we're confident you'll love your optimised gaming expierence once you're fully setup.

[tommy]

Hi Tommy,

 

Did our suggestions resolve the original issue? If not please let us know.  

 

To answer your latest query. You are correct, If you have strict mode on then you will only get hosts inside your radius. If you see a server with a white circle around it - that is a matchmaking server. We added it to DumaOS to give users more information. However it seems to have caused more confusion than benefit so we're removing it in the next firmware.

 

Just to clarify a matchmaking server (i.e. one with a circle around it) is simply a server that the game communicates with while you're online. I also play Halo and will often see a matchmaking server in Ireland. You can safely ignore that server as it is not your game server. Look for servers without circles round them or peers.

 

Also note that any friends that you've added to your allow list will also be allowed even if you have strict mode on and put yourself in the sea. Hope that makes sense.

 

PS one thing to note - it's a good idea to add all your friends that you're playing with to the allow list. But at the very least make sure the person hosting the lobby is definitely white-listed.

 

Hope that helps and let us know if you have any other issues. We don't handle distribution NETGEAR does so If you'd like to return it please contact them and they'll assist you. 

 

As always, appreciate the timely response. No suggestions have worked as of yet.

 

To simplify this thread, here are my two issues:

 

1. I am able to connect to servers outside of my specified radius in the Geo-Filter. Both "Filtering Mode" and "Strict Mode" are enabled and I have no IDs whitelisted.

 

2. I am unable to whitelist my friends as I am not able to view them on my Geo-Filter map. I've invited them to P2P games, party chat, nothing has helped.

 

Are there any settings I'm missing here? I've tried the suggestions, feeling a little helpless at the moment. If nothing else I can always return the XR500 but I'd much prefer to keep it as I am a fan of DumaOS' capabilities.

[Netduma Iain]

Hi Tommy,

 

Thanks for your patience. Let's address one problem at a time. On problem 1 does the server outside of your radius have a circle around it?

[tommy]

Hi Tommy,

 

Thanks for your patience. Let's address one problem at a time. On problem 1 does the server outside of your radius have a circle around it?

 

Yes, there are several circles around the radius which I've specified.

[Netduma Iain]

Ok those are all matchmaking servers. So you would expect that to happen. What game were you playing in when the screenshot was taken?

 

Also please post a screenshot of the Geo-Filter R-App so we can see what devices are added to your Geo-Filter.

 

Thanks

[tommy]

Ok those are all matchmaking servers. So you would expect that to happen. What game were you playing in when the screenshot was taken?

 

Also please post a screenshot of the Geo-Filter R-App so we can see what devices are added to your Geo-Filter.

 

Thanks

 

Given that "Filtering Mode" and "Strict Mode" are enabled, I'd actually expect to not find any games at all... The game I was playing when this screenshot was taken was Halo: MCC.

[Netduma Iain]

Ahh Halo MCC that makes sense.

 

We stopped supporting halo MCC because the game was so broken and had many issues. Also as a halo player myself I thought the game had died and had a very low population count.

 

We can take a look at making halo MCC compatible tomorrow and get back to you if you can wait.

 

Can you please try out CoD and verify all your issues are resolved on that game. So we can safely conclude that MCC is the problem.

[tommy]

Ahh Halo MCC that makes sense.

 

We stopped supporting halo MCC because the game was so broken and had many issues. Also as a halo player myself I thought the game had died and had a very low population account.

 

We can take a look at making halo MCC compatible tomorrow and get back to you if you can wait.

 

Can you please try out CoD and verify all your issues are resolved on that game. So we can safely conclude that MCC is the problem.

 

Yeah, MCC is pretty outdated and has a fairly low population but it's the only real source for classic Halo without heading over to the PC. If the Netduma team could add support for MCC and alleviate my issues, I would be very grateful.

 

I tried Halo 5 and it seems the Geo-Filter was functional so it may literally just be the game. It's just a little confusing for me because I have friends who used the Netduma R1 for MCC awhile back and they loved it. Did you guys stop supporting it recently or was it just for the XR500?

[Netduma Iain]

Yeah Luke & I are massive Halo fans. Proud to have had a 50 in MLG on Halo 3

 

Yeah we used to play halo MCC with Geo-Filter back in the day. But the game was so bugged we stopped playing.

 

Normally when it comes to supporting a game we do it on 3 occasions:

1) When a new game comes out

2) When users let us know there is an issue

3) Users request a game to be supported

 

We haven't heard anything from people about MCC so consequently haven't made any changes in a while.

 

We will upgrade our copies tomorrow and have a look ASAP.

 

We can push cloud updates to all routers once we've fixed it but to start with we'd much rather push it just to yours. Would it be possible to do a 1 on 1? We understand if not.

[tommy]

Yeah Luke & I are massive Halo fans. Proud to have had a 50 in MLG on Halo 3

 

Yeah we used to play halo MCC with Geo-Filter back in the day. But the game was so bugged we stopped playing.

 

Normally when it comes to supporting a game we do it on 2 occasions:

1) When a new game comes out

2) When users let us know there is an issue

3) Users request a game to be supported

 

We haven't heard anything from people about MCC so consequently haven't made any changes in a while.

 

We will upgrade our copies tomorrow and have a look ASAP.

 

Dang, you must've been pretty good! 

 

Quick question though, what does "adding support" actually entail? I mean, isn't the DumaOS software simply pulling IPs, geolocating them and placing them on a map? If that's the case, wouldn't the Geo-Filter be able to locate and filter them out as per the users' request? It doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me that the game connects to whoever it wants when I'm specifying that I only want to connect to hosts within a certain radius.

 

Also, given the nature of MCC (P2P) it doesn't make sense that I wouldn't be able to locate my friends in order to whitelist them. When the XR500 initially arrived, I was able to see my friends (although they were listed as "dedicated hosts") but after updating the firmware I'm unable to see them at all. 

[Netduma Iain]

Behind the scenes we whitelist a bunch of IPs that represent the matchmaking servers. If those got filtered you wouldn't even be able to go to the online menu or search for a game, let alone getting an actual game. Those servers with circles around them are the white-listed ones.

 

I don't know what Halo MCC is doing about your friends. Can you see them in other games? We will look into it tomorrow.

[tommy]

Behind the scenes we whitelist a bunch of IPs that represent the matchmaking servers. If those got filtered you wouldn't even be able to go to the online menu or search for a game, let alone getting an actual game. Those servers with circles around them are the white-listed ones.

 

I don't know what Halo MCC is doing about your friends. Can you see them in other games? We will look into it tomorrow.

 

I'm assuming you're referencing Microsoft's Azure servers? Yeah, I understand the matchmaking servers have to be whitelisted in order to play due to basic communication but even if you guys aren't whitelisting every server, wouldn't that only make it harder to connect? I could have my home location set to the middle of the Atlantic Ocean with a ~100m radius on the XR500 and I'll find games like the Geo-Filter isn't even active.

 

As for the friend issue, I have no clue.

[Netduma Iain]

We may have added too many whitelist servers on MCC hence why you can get in a game with filtering on. That's what we are going to investigate tomorrow.

 

On the friends issue I remember MCC being weird. I think chat could go through servers instead of direct to your friend. In which case we just need to whitelist those servers.

[tommy]

We may have added to many whitelist servers on MCC hence why you can get in a game with filtering on. That's what we are going to investigate tomorrow.

 

On the friends issue I remember MCC being weird. I think chat could go through servers instead of direct to your friend. In which case we just need to whitelist those servers.

 

I see. Hopefully my issues can be resolved! I'd love to play MCC with friends again in a lag-free environment. 

 

Thanks for all of the help thus far, you've been excellent. 

[Netduma Iain]

Thanks for your patience and the kind words.

 

Will get back to you tomorrow as soon as we know