Can't Connect - Suggestions, please?

[nbd149]

I have just upgraded to Flight Sim 2004 from 2000. Multiplayer worked fine in 2000 but I cannot connect in 2004. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

When I go into multiplayer, I add my name and then the IP address of a known good and currently active session. Then I click search. Most of the time, nothing happens and there are no messages from my firewall (which has been set to allow FS access). Occassionally, a session description will flash up in the sessions box, but it will quickly disappear and never stay long enough to allow me to join. Clicking on the join button when nothing is in the session box understandably doesn't do anything.

I have tried this with multiple sites that are active and always get the same results.

FWIW, I can click on the News section in FS and it will access and download from the internet normally, so I know FS is able to access the internet.

I have installed TeamSpeak and it works fine for the IP addresses I try to reach via the multiplayer option in FS. I can hear everything just fine but still get no joy via FS. I thought there might be a conflict between TS and FS, so I closed TS, rebooted and tried FS alone. Still no joy.

I am using the standard port settings in FS multiplayer options.

System info in case it helps:

XP SP2
Latest ZoneAlarm, FS 2004 9.1, Latest TeamSpeak
P4 3.0
1 GB RAM
128MB FX5200 Video Card
Latest modem drivers, usually connect between 48 and 50 kbps
No other system or network problems

Thanks in advance,
Doug

[FS9]

Try switching off Zonealarm, I had the same problem and this solved it. :)
Hope this works. :-wave

[capn_sonic]

Personal firewalls and FS9 MP are not a good match. You can fluff about with zone alarm forever and a day trying to let FS9 ports through but the best thing to do by far is disable it completely whilst flying online.

Also check if you have XP Svcpk 2? If so then disable the XP firewall also. It's in the control panel.

You can always re-enable after you have finnished flying online.

[TX_3306]

I agree with FS9 and Capt. Sonic. ZoneAlarm is most likely your problem. I run FS2K4 with the XP SP2 firewall on with no problem.

Mike

[a1cpilot]

Do you have a router? I know Linksys has a built in firewall. You can disable it or open the ports.