CODEWITHSUNDEEP
network-programmingudpupnphole-punching
Carson
Carson

Reputation: 21

Simple multiplayer game network without dedicated servers or requiring players to forward ports manually (No UPnP)

I'm trying to figure out how to make a simple multiplayer game where players don't have to worry about port forwarding and can connect directly to each other without a dedicated server in-between. Manual port forwarding is a hassle for less tech-savvy players and servers cost money.

I've looked at UDP hole-punching but that requires a middleman between the clients, and UPnP from what I understand has security issues and is not supported on all devices.

Is there another way other than what I mentioned - maybe something other than TCP or UDP that I might have overlooked? I want the players experience to be as easy as possible, and not have to worry about server costs myself.

Thanks in advance

Upvotes: 2

Views: 705

Answers (1)

Drgnkght
Drgnkght

Reputation: 121

Any solution you implement is likely to have the same security implications that UPnP does. NAT as used by your average home router is basically a hack to get around ISPs charging for multiple IP addresses. Since most home users aren't running servers this has worked reasonably well. But as you've discovered, it doesn't allow hosting a game without jumping through some hoops. My recommendation is implement UPnP and document what ports you use for users whose routers lack support.

Upvotes: 1

Related Questions