Hi.

Is it ok to use any port number, Dumb ass me set my server to listen on port 7777

and only assigned port 7777 to the router, thats ok the clients can connect to it but then the clients can't create a room on the server

if it uses port 7777 to create a new room all net work messages just go to the server.

Help from google say's user should use ports from 49152 to 65535 doe this matter.???

So I came up with this class to reuse ports

.

//-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
//this class will hold our available port number
//we can't assign the same port to a room that is all ready in proccess
//using ranges from 49152 to 65535
//------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
class cAvailablePorts
{
public:
	cAvailablePorts()
	{
		int32_t startrange = 49152;

		while(startrange < 65535)
		{
			PortNumbers[startrange] = false;//a free port
			startrange++;
		}

	}
	~cAvailablePorts(){}


	//--------------------------------------------------------------------
	//returns a port if -1 then there is no ports left to create a room 
	//--------------------------------------------------------------------
	int32_t GetPort()
	{
		//we need find the room the client is in and delete it as well
		for(PortNumbersIT = PortNumbers.begin(); PortNumbersIT != PortNumbers.end(); ++PortNumbersIT)
		{
			if(PortNumbersIT->second == false)
			{
				PortNumbersIT->second = true;//set in use
				return PortNumbersIT->first;
			}
		}

		return -1;//error we must have some good game hehehe
	}//end getport
	///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


	//----------------------------------------------------------------------
	//when we close a room we need to reclaim the port
	//----------------------------------------------------------------------
	void RecliamPort(int32_t port)
	{
		PortNumbersIT = PortNumbers.find(port);
		if(PortNumbersIT != PortNumbers.end())
		{
			PortNumbersIT->second = false;//flag as not used

		}

	}//end RecliamPort
	////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////



	//holds our port and a flag if in use
	std::unordered_map<int32_t, bool> PortNumbers;
	std::unordered_map<int32_t, bool>::iterator PortNumbersIT;

};//end class cAvailablePorts
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

That assigns ports to clients rooms they create on the server. Each room needs its own port.

But now comes the router issue I've now assigned port ranges from 7777 to 65535.

should I just move the server port to 49152 and start the reuse ports from 49153 to 65535.

or is it ok to leave it. Whats the correct practise.

I have it on line if anyone would like to test it. I'm hosting it on my lap top with a dns from noIP.com works great.

link

Sorry about the late reply, got roped into helping the brother inlaw take out his HQ engine

fun fun.

This is how the server works.

The goal was to have persistent room's hosted on the server

By persistent, when the last client leaves the room, the room will set a timer and self

monitor, when the time has reach a threshold it will remove the room.(that should take

care of freaks who spam rooms creation).

All Room will have a identifier assigned. For the chat this is just the room name

but if this was a game it would be its map, the map is created in a editor that

when saved creates a id also used as version number(For sending updated maps later story).

if a room has the same type this means it's allready active on the server and the creating

client will just be told by the server to join it.

When a client initiates a request to the server to create a new room. It first check to

see if a room exists if not it creates a listening socket, it then sends the accept back

to the client with the port number(I did send the IP of the server but that turns out to

be the local networks IP. I have removed and fixed this).

The client then recieves this message if not its a lost connection, then with the sent port

attempt to connect using the correct IP.

The room is now waiting for the clients response that holds the name of the client and

anything else that maybe needed. Once the room recieves this data it sends current clients

list to all clients.

my reason was to have each room control all connected clients to the room

and this allowed for processing the game server side. Each room would need to process the

game logic. I can't see that using one port controlling all login and disconnects and processing

all rooms and game logic even working, also the design help in haveing each room its own message

handler that cut down on the amount of case statements in the message proc recieved from the network

layer, My first try was the other way it worked but this is the improved version. So far I'm

glad I changed it.

I'm implementing the auto port numbering mentioned above pass 0 to bind.

I'll get it in a working state and see if it is something. I've only been at it for 5 weeks give or take.

And I had so much to learn in fact 5 weeks went fast. I actually really enjoyed it, it was like it renewed

my love for programming, maybe because I've been working on the same app for 8 years and this was a change.

I learnt about boost, GoogleProtocol, refresher on multi threading, boost::bimaps(very cool, once you get

your head around it) lockfree queue's never new dooms port was 666(woooo), and setting up server assigning

static ports, port forwarding and the rest I think I have forgotten.

And thank all for your time and patient. Any advice on the above is fine.