OldDog
03-27-2005, 01:22 PM
Some of you (me, too!) have had some initial problems connecting to the Ubisoft server for multiplayer sessions. The big key here, I found, is to download and install the patch. Below, are some excerpts from the Ubisoft Support Center:
For 'CD Key Already Online' or 'CD Key in Use' messages:
This is usually a simple connection problem that is reporting as a generic error message. Please follow these instructions to troubleshoot what exactly is causing your connection issue:
- If you are using Windows XP, please make sure that the default firewall is disabled. (Please refer to your Windows XP documentation on how to disable this feature). If you have any other type of firewall software installed, please make sure that it is configured to allow access for the game that you are playing, or disabled. McAfee Personal Firewall is the exception, that software will need to be completely uninstalled.
- If you have a router in your home network, please make sure that you have the latest firmware installed for that device. Your router manufacturer should be able to help you complete this update.
- In addition, the following ports will need to be open in your router or any firewall software you may be running:
Brothers in Arms: TCP 40000-43000. UDP 44000, 45000, 45001 inbound + outbound
If you are unsure of how ports work, your best course of action would be to contact your system administrator, ISP, or http://www.portforward.com (http://www.portforward.com/) for more information.
- In some cases, the server does not properly report your disconnection. Therefore, ubi.com still thinks you are online playing. Usually, if you wait about 15 to 30 mins, it will finally disconnect your key. It will also disconnect you once the server changes maps. Sorry for the inconvenience.
For 'Invalid CD Key' messages:
First, please make sure that you have the latest Patch for Brothers in Arms from http://www.ubi.com/US/Downloads/Info.aspx?dlId=791.
You will not be prompted to enter your Brothers in Arms CD key until you use the in-game multiplayer browser for the first time. If you have never used the in-game browser, but instead used third party game services such as GameSpy or The All Seeing Eye, you will need to login to ubi.com through the in-game multiplayer browser at least once to be prompted for your CD key. These other game services will not ask you for a CD key, so if you are getting the 'Invalid CD Key' error, or something similar, you will need to make sure your CD key gets entered through the game.
If you are still encountering CD Key problems, please try the following:
Make sure that you are entering your CD Key correctly including the dashes.
After the first 3 characters in the CD key, there will not be any ‘I’, ‘O’, ‘S’, or ‘Z’ alphabetical characters. Instead, they will be '1', '0', '5', '2' respectively.
The CD Key should be in this format: BIA-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
----- -----
Any firewall technology between the player and our services must be configured appropriately to allow the validation to work. If you are behind a router or firewall, please make sure that the following ports are open in the firewall/router configuration:
UBI.com ports:
[TCP] 40000-43000 included
[UDP] 44000 inbound-outbound
[UDP] 45000 inbound-outbound
[UDP] 45001 inbound-outbound
- In a few cases, these ports may be blocked by your ISP. If you are not behind a firewall/router, please contact your ISP with this port information to verify whether or not these ports are available to you.
- Users with Windows XP will want to make sure that the built-in firewall has been disabled through Windows.
To do this:
1. Go to the Control Panel and open the 'Network Connections'
2. Right-click on your network cards connection icon and choose properties.
3. Click on the 'Advanced' tab and uncheck the 'Internet Connection Firewall' box.
4. Click OK to save the settings.
Game servers handling more players than their bandwidth allows face the possibility of refusing some players with the error ‘Invalid CDKey’ because they will not have a good quality communication with ubi.com.
Interesting about the ports, and the disabling of the XP firewall, as well as uninstalling COMPLETELY the McAfee product (personally, I wouldn't have McAfee ANYTHING on my system, but whatever...).
For more information (admittedly sparse right now) on other issues, go to http://ubisoft.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/ubisoft.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php
then select "PC Titles" under Products|Platforms, and "Brothers in Arms", then click Search.
For 'CD Key Already Online' or 'CD Key in Use' messages:
This is usually a simple connection problem that is reporting as a generic error message. Please follow these instructions to troubleshoot what exactly is causing your connection issue:
- If you are using Windows XP, please make sure that the default firewall is disabled. (Please refer to your Windows XP documentation on how to disable this feature). If you have any other type of firewall software installed, please make sure that it is configured to allow access for the game that you are playing, or disabled. McAfee Personal Firewall is the exception, that software will need to be completely uninstalled.
- If you have a router in your home network, please make sure that you have the latest firmware installed for that device. Your router manufacturer should be able to help you complete this update.
- In addition, the following ports will need to be open in your router or any firewall software you may be running:
Brothers in Arms: TCP 40000-43000. UDP 44000, 45000, 45001 inbound + outbound
If you are unsure of how ports work, your best course of action would be to contact your system administrator, ISP, or http://www.portforward.com (http://www.portforward.com/) for more information.
- In some cases, the server does not properly report your disconnection. Therefore, ubi.com still thinks you are online playing. Usually, if you wait about 15 to 30 mins, it will finally disconnect your key. It will also disconnect you once the server changes maps. Sorry for the inconvenience.
For 'Invalid CD Key' messages:
First, please make sure that you have the latest Patch for Brothers in Arms from http://www.ubi.com/US/Downloads/Info.aspx?dlId=791.
You will not be prompted to enter your Brothers in Arms CD key until you use the in-game multiplayer browser for the first time. If you have never used the in-game browser, but instead used third party game services such as GameSpy or The All Seeing Eye, you will need to login to ubi.com through the in-game multiplayer browser at least once to be prompted for your CD key. These other game services will not ask you for a CD key, so if you are getting the 'Invalid CD Key' error, or something similar, you will need to make sure your CD key gets entered through the game.
If you are still encountering CD Key problems, please try the following:
Make sure that you are entering your CD Key correctly including the dashes.
After the first 3 characters in the CD key, there will not be any ‘I’, ‘O’, ‘S’, or ‘Z’ alphabetical characters. Instead, they will be '1', '0', '5', '2' respectively.
The CD Key should be in this format: BIA-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX
----- -----
Any firewall technology between the player and our services must be configured appropriately to allow the validation to work. If you are behind a router or firewall, please make sure that the following ports are open in the firewall/router configuration:
UBI.com ports:
[TCP] 40000-43000 included
[UDP] 44000 inbound-outbound
[UDP] 45000 inbound-outbound
[UDP] 45001 inbound-outbound
- In a few cases, these ports may be blocked by your ISP. If you are not behind a firewall/router, please contact your ISP with this port information to verify whether or not these ports are available to you.
- Users with Windows XP will want to make sure that the built-in firewall has been disabled through Windows.
To do this:
1. Go to the Control Panel and open the 'Network Connections'
2. Right-click on your network cards connection icon and choose properties.
3. Click on the 'Advanced' tab and uncheck the 'Internet Connection Firewall' box.
4. Click OK to save the settings.
Game servers handling more players than their bandwidth allows face the possibility of refusing some players with the error ‘Invalid CDKey’ because they will not have a good quality communication with ubi.com.
Interesting about the ports, and the disabling of the XP firewall, as well as uninstalling COMPLETELY the McAfee product (personally, I wouldn't have McAfee ANYTHING on my system, but whatever...).
For more information (admittedly sparse right now) on other issues, go to http://ubisoft.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/ubisoft.cfg/php/enduser/std_alp.php
then select "PC Titles" under Products|Platforms, and "Brothers in Arms", then click Search.