PSO Homebrewed Server?

[MrBob]

would you need to be running PSO through your computer or could you just run it on you normal dreamcast modem connection ?

You would have to run it through your computer because you need PSO to access your homemade server rather than the Sega PSO server. If you run it through your computer, you can set up a DNS server to redirect PSO to the homebrew server.

Wait a sec!!
Actually, you don't have to run it through your computer. You can just set up the DNS server on the same server thats running the homemade PSO server. Then, you give out that IP address to everyone you want to play with. In the Dreamcast modem settings for PSO, you set this IP address to this homemade DNS server. You connect normally through your Dreamcast, and the homemade DNS server redirects you to the homemade PSO server.
Example: Joe wants to run a PSO server. His IP address is, lets say, 206.254.64.1. He gives out this number to everyone who wants to play on it (or maybe posts it on a message board or something). The people who want to play put this number in as their DNS server in the DC Internet options. The DC contacts 206.254.64.1, thinking it is a real DNS server and gets the IP of what it thinks is the Sega PSO server. Joes computer however just tells it that the PSO server is at 206.254.64.1, his IP. PSO connects to Joe's homebrew server.... etc
However, there is an upside to running a DNS server on every player's computer, forcing you to run your DC through your computer. You could make a program that searches the internet for homemade PSO servers that are running then lets you select one from your computer. With the one DNS method, you can't do this.

Heck why not, I'll make the DNS server. I have college stuff to do,btu I'm not gonna do it anyways. I'll just make a simple one for now. Oh yeah, and sorry if I started rambling

MrBob

PS. I might not be able to start cracking so soon. I'm having trouble setting up the PPP-DC server. I think I have to build a line simulator.

[User815]

As miah said, if you are serious about this incredibly difficult project, you should capture as much tcpdump data as possible. I mean lots of it. Play the game lots and lots and setup a website where people can submit their logs. You should submit saves too so people can look for differences that occur with different level characters and such.

[BlackAura]

I don't know if this would work, but a PC version of PSO was due for release sometime (I have the demo of it), and I think that it uses the same servers/protocol and the Dreamcast version. So, it might be easier to experiment with a PC version instead of a Dreamcast version (if the protocols are indeed the same). This might be worth a look, as it's easier to get two PCs running a client/server, or even the same PC, than it is to get the DC<->PC server working.

[miah]

It probably would be easier as we wouldn't have to 'dick around' with getting that DC->PC connection going, which would make figuring out the protocol 100* easier.

-miah

[MrBob]

Its a good idea, but 1 big problem. The PC version is not nearly completed and is due to be released much later in the year. The Demo is very early and doesn't support online play. It could be a year or so before we have a PC PSO online that we can hack.

However, I think I have an idea to catch the PSO data without setting up a DC-PPP server. Set up a proxy server on your computer (has to be broadband for this to be effective). Then run TCPDump on your computer. In the PSO options, set the Proxy server to your home computer. Start up PSO and dial through a phone line. PSO should send all the data throught your home computer proxy, so TCPDump can catch it.

If you have Windows, check out Windump (http://netgroup-serv.polito.it/windump/), the Windows version of TCPDump. Also, for a proxy server, check out http://macronet.tucows.com/proxyserver95.html .(Also http://www.analogx.com/contents/downloa ... /proxy.htm)

Maybe someone with a cable connection is willing to leave a proxy server and TCPDump running for a few days. That way, people who want to help can use this computer as a proxy and play PSO as usual, but will also be helping crack PSO.

MrBob

[Chalavet]

This is definitely something that I think would truly provide a real "afterlife" for the Dreamcast. Who knows. If this works, maybe for matching service could be next?

[dkoikadabra]

Yeah, someone running a Proxy server on a Broadband connection would help immensley in the direction of cracking PSO's server. How much bandwidth (I think I spelled that right) do you need to have a char? I think I read somewhere that about 2k/sec is needed per char, so I *might* be able to run one that about 10-12 ppl can use at a time (I have semi-access to a computer with a DSL connection with a downstream of about 75k and an upstream of about 20-25k... those are the real-use numbers, at least). I'll check into it. I'll post a link to some directions (when I find them) on how to set up a Proxy Server if anyone wants to volunteer a connection.

[dkoikadabra]

Is CommView a good packetsniffer proggie (does it even sniff packets?). I'd use snort or tcpdump, but I have little coding experience, and can't get either to compile on my WinME comp. Only one I can use is CommView, since I grabbed the Zipfile with the binaries in it.
If anyone can help me compile those programs, or send me the binaries, it'd be really helpful.

[dkoikadabra]

got Tcpdump AND Snort running. Nevermind about the help. CommView sucks, btw. =-)

[tidal]

I'm very interested in this as well... i dont have much hacking experience but i'll help test.... i have a win2k server and BBA for both dreamcasts as well as PSO1 for both....

my gf and i play all the time

[Lilmuckers]

in response to the post right after my last one

yeah, that may be so, but i thinmk that PSO is configured to connect to that type of server only

plus the IP, or location or whatever of the server would have to be in the game

[MrBob]

the IP, or location or whatever of the server would have to be in the game

We resolved that already. Only the domain name (ex. pso.sega.net) of the server is stored in PSO. The PSO sends this name into a DNS server and gets back an IP address (ex. 643.127.6.3) which it later connects to. So, you could set up a DNS server of your own that would tell PSO the IP address of your home PSo server instead of the real one.

Now all we need is to crack the protocol.

MrBob

[Lilmuckers]

hmm, but the DNS is teken, and i doubt sega are going to release it any time soon

so yer stuffed

[MrBob]

hmm, but the DNS is teken, and i doubt sega are going to release it any time soon

I think you have terms mixed up
IP address = numerical address of server which you need to connect to (ex: 63.54.34.1)
Domain name = Names which are assigned to IP adresses to make them more convenient to remember (ex: microsoft.com). Must be translated into IP addresses to be useful
DNS = a server, owned usually by an ISP, which translates Domain Names into IP addresses

Sega doesn't have a DNS server. Every ISP that you connect to has its own DNS which translates Domain names into IP addresses. Usually you get the location of the DNS server automatically when you connect to the internet. However, using the DC internet options, you can tell it where the DNS server is, and you can set this to your own DNS server.
Sega owns the PSO server Domain name, and it probably won't release that, but we don;t have to worry about that. Since were using our own DNS server, our server will just tell PSO that Sega's domain name is our IP address.

MrBob

[dkoikadabra]

Well, since the idea was suggested, I made a Homepage for the 'project' (too early to call it that, really) and set up an FTP server that logs can be uploaded to. the URL is http://get-me.to/PSOproject . It's the first Webpage that I've made, so please bear with the horrid color scheme and bad layout. =-)
See ya'll

[Spock]

If you are afraid of not being able to use the DC modem, do uou know that the new european dreamkey 3.0 allows to deactivate that modem and activate instead the serial port of the DC? Could be a way to use (with the coder cable) another modem (like 3Com56FaxModem for example) or a nullmodem cable to connect to a PC gateway with DSL or cable and winroute.
You should look about that.

[Lilmuckers]

why is no-one seeing that this is not possible without extreme hacking!

and i think sega would come down heavily on you hacking to nick the ip redirection shit

plus, i THINK pso was designed to only log into that specific OS that the server runs!

does anyone here know owt about that


thouht not

[dkoikadabra]

Well, for one, the FTP server I set up is gonna be down 'till Sunday. Damn XP and its idiosyncrasies (if I spelled that right).
For two, in reply to the above post, why would Sega care all that much? It's not like we're competing with them, and it's not like this sort of thing hasn't been done before. Look at the homebrew servers for Everquest and Ultima Online- there's at least two variants for each, and I've yet to see either of the games' respective companies step in to say a word (despite the fact that they probably know about it). It's not like we're hacking into the main server run by Sega and doing malicious things, we're just monitoring the packets getting sent and recieved through the connection between the DC and the server. Besides, I highly doubt Sega will be pissed about people reviving a bit of interest in a system they wrote off about a year ago. If they did, they'd shut down this entire site, in addition to all the other sites pertaining to homebrew Dreamcast software/hardware.
On another note, PSO doesn't get any packets relating to the OS the server is running (as I have seen in my own logs) , and, therefore, PSO has no way of knowing if it's Sega's custom OS or Linux that the server is using (for example).
Not to say this isn't gonna be hard, but it's far from illegal.

[AnimeUSA]

I have PSO Version 1 and a BBA for my Dreamcast. E-mail me at AnimeUSA@bellsouth.net if you have anything for me to test!

[LoUiS_ThA_KiLLa]

lilmuckers
ebays servers fill a warehouse and use special software that was written specificly for them
does that mean no one else can make an auction website?
NO
http://auctions.yahoo.com
well looky there evidently size doesnt matter.

Ebay and yahoo have different formats and systems, a fan made pso server would have to be the same. Any way the same server will run the game cube psov2 so i think the current server should be ok for a while hope fully