Hey Team,
Over the past couple of weeks I've been trying to identify why I can't connect to a game server I have running at home.
Simple setup, port forwards to allow remote connection via PS Portal etc and has been working flawlessly for nearly 3 months when I join from the PS5.
Originally I was convinced it was an issue with the dedicated server app given the sudden change but I feel I'm being gaslighted by my own setup whenever I get close to an answer and so I have finally called it, I need some help... Long post but I wanted to make sure everything was covered from the beginning.
Background- First occurred night of 18/06/2025 as I tried 4-5 times to join, it eventually worked and everything seemed OK.. same issue the next few days but now can't even do this
- Server shows in the list but gets to 99% then drops out without letting me actually join... it's like that final handshake just doesn't take place because something stops it
- Unlike other games, I can't try connecting with an IP address as you just pick it from the server list and join
- No config changes made in the VM (firewall, AV) or Opnsense.. I did an update before I went away that weekend but I can't see anything in the release notes (https://docs.opnsense.org/releases/CE_25.1.html#june-12-2025) that would be related
- ISP did confirm that my session expired on 23/06/2025 and a new IP address assigned 27/06/2025 but this occurred after it started (CG-NAT has remained off)
- Firewall live view shows everything seems to be okay when the connection is initiated / player is joining but nothing when it goes wrong
- VM shows there is definitely network activity when trying to join the game but again no indication something went wrong
- Wireshark, Process Monitor etc don't show anything out of the ordinary before or after connection is initiated
- Time and dates are correct on all devices involved
Configuration- Opnsense VM (Proxmox) - 192.168.0.1
- Multiple ports added to firewall rules for remote play via PS Portals in early Feb
- Port 10823 was added into alias at some point between March-April but was being port forwarded to PS5.. never the PC (can't recall the reasoning here)
- Win 10 VM (Proxmox) - 192.168.0.46
- Dedicated server for Farming Simulator 2022
- Inbound firewall rules added by FS otherwise untouched
- IPV6 disabled
- PS5 - 192.168.0.20 (Mine)
- PS5 - 192.168.0.45 (Sibling) > Was added into aliases in late May and doesn't join server
Troubleshooting - Updated VMs and Proxmox to the latest versions on 22/06/2025 (hotfix (https://docs.opnsense.org/releases/CE_25.1.html#june-18-2025) for Opnsense) > No difference
- Reset network adaptors, cleared DNS and ARP caches, changed IP addresses, changed DNS settings, disabled VM firewall etc > No difference
- Created new VM and installed FS22 with newly downloaded files to rule out corruptions etc > No difference - Also rules out common reports of this - FS22 mods
- Changed port to 10824 (they say to use 10823) > Worked once, exited game and tried again... didn't work
- Configured UPNP in Opnsense and FS22 > No difference
- Connected PS5 to WiFi > No difference
- Removed second PS5 from aliases (originally set up for just one PS5) > No difference
- Added port forward and rules for Win 10 VM > No difference
- Enabled Reflection 1:1 and added rules again then rebooted > No difference
- Unplugged everything from switch (just a dumb TP-Link 12 port) except PS5 and mini pc > No difference
- Restarted PS5 and switch > Worked... exited game and tried again, it didn't work
- Removed port forward and outbound rules > No difference
- Restored Opnsense config from Feb 2025 (same settings shown in screenshots besides second PS5 host and port 10853 in aliases) > No difference
- Added 10823 into the aliases following restore and could join > VM Firewall was off so I figured it was maybe this... tried again and it didn't work (on or off)
- Clicked "Disable all packet filtering" in Opnsense (out of ... helplessness at 9pm after failing all day? ...) and it worked > Exited the game and tried again, it didn't work
- Can join a multiplayer game created within FS22 (hosted on their end) as well as other random servers that people host
- If I hotspot the PS5, I can join the server reliably
Based on the last part and from what I've been reading, it makes me think NAT reflection / hairpinning (https://docs.opnsense.org/manual/how-tos/nat_reflection.html)... after trying (and failing) to set this up, I just can't help but question why it's only
now stopped working if that's the case.
If it was a change due to a release, maybe it patched something that shouldn't have been working when I originally set things up.. or, it truly
is the server app. I've also now realised that some of my changes may have worked if I knew that the console needed to be restarted each time (https://forum.opnsense.org/index.php?topic=22437.0#:~:text=under%20upnp%20%2D%3E%20status.-,Make%20sure%20you%20reboot%20your%20consoles%20or%20PC.%20I%27ve%20noticed%20my%20Xbox%20or%20PS5%20won%27t%20send%20AddPortMapping%20requests%20after%20they%20are%20up%20and%20running%20so%20no%20port%20mappings%20will%20show%20up%20in%20OPNsense%20until%20you%20reboot.%20But%20this%20isn%27t%20always%20the%20case.,-Let%20me%20know), so that was a nice discovery if true.
Feels like I'm trying to catch a fish by hand where I have it one moment then it slips away the next, it's honestly fascinating... and somewhat frustrating.
Can someone please shed some light on whether it has been misconfigured or simply provide some ideas of areas I could look at to resolve the issue?
I can only attach a few screenshots so I'll pick the most obvious ones but let me know if others are required
Very much appreciated,
Marc