Server status checker.

Sevlon

EDIT: This thread has been changed for a question to updates and information for the server status program. Thanks for understanding!

So I am currently building (not using) an automatic server checker that will ding 3 - 5 times when the status of a server changes. (Interval for checking is 5 seconds)

I am curious if this breaks any tos for the clients.

Also curious if people would want to use this software regardless? You know, so you get many dings when the server you are in comes back online and you need dem world bosses.

Kimimishan

ToS applies when playing in game or posting on forums, nowhere else. Obviously you're not gonna get an official answer saying "go right ahead, use program that can be helpful", but there is a lot of ambiguity when it comes to such, as you're well aware since you're already defending yourself from breaking any rule by claiming you are simply building it, and not using it.

In short, you can not bot or software for in game stuff. All the rest is no rule, so feel free~

Xandervb

It's not affecting your client and data packets send by it so tos have nothing to do with it, it's a separate app. It's like running auto-refreshing Firefox in background.

This is also a great idea for worldboss hunters, thanks for sharing it!

counterpoint

You weren't exactly clear in the description, but I think it isn't necessarily a good idea to build client-side software for this, as it would just mean that every single client would be pinging the servers constantly. Even at 5-second intervals, it's still unnecessary traffic. (Not to mention it would require people to install client-side software from untrusted sources.)

I think it would be more efficient to build a website that does the checking and allows the clients to just be notified through that (via Notification APIs in Chrome and Firefox). That way people don't have to install anything and can still be notified.

Sevlon

Okay. Unfortunately pinging the servers is the only way to check.

I am personally building the program for a friend who is hunting down world bosses but isn't getting into the server fast enough.

Zensa

I agree with what counterpoint said above. You can still use the ping method to see if the server responds to the ping request, but do it on a single webserver (to limit the quanity of pings to just one source) and, as counterpoint mentioned, notify users via your website. This could be done very similar to how the nowinstock alarm works for checking product stock availability.

Sevlon

I have finished the program, if anyone would like it feel free to Private Message me on the forums or in Celestial Hills (User name = Soft.Paws)

(Also, for people inquiring about the website idea i do not have the funds to create a website myself.)

Kossploss

Use an auto refresh on the server status page ?_? lol

Sevlon

Kossploss wrote: »

Use an auto refresh on the server status page ?_? lol

Program has an audio ding when the server comes back online so you don't have to sit and stare at your screen while spamming F5

Sevlon

Also to clarify, The game servers will not respond to ping requests. Thus we can only use the web page and its data. EU might be different but for NA there is no way to ping the game servers.

(Most likely to prevent DDoS)

Sodadrink

Yup game servers wont respond to ICMP, but will response to TCP requests.
So the simplest way to check sever status is to use tcping with syntax -t -b 2 -i n.

Sevlon

Sodadrink wrote: »

Yup game servers won't respond to ICMP, but will respond to TCP requests.
So the simplest way to check server status is to use tcping with syntax -t -b 2 -i n.

Good information, going to test and see if i can work this into the program.

EDIT:
TCP Connection works, going to replace pinging their webserver with pinging the game server directly. Unfortunately i cannot test a dead server connection without asking EME to close one of their servers. So this update might take a bit.

Also, going to add support for my friends across the pond o/

Sevlon

Update:

I have finished updating the NA app to ping the game servers directly using an empty TCP request. however i have yet to test a dead server.

As far as the EU server checker i have created another app but it isn't connecting to the EU servers. Not sure if it's because it's region locked (Wouldn't work even if i was using a VPN) or what. So if anyone from the EU wants to test it feel free to PM. I have decided to go an HTML parser route.


Thanks to @Sodadrink for the TCP information!

I am now going to link the two applications incase anyone comes across this in google and i am no longer around.


-EU-
https://www.dropbox.com/s/g3d39p8lft01vrf/TeraServerCheckerEU.exe?dl=1
*This parses the HTML on the server status page every 5 seconds. You are at the mercy of that page*


-NA-
https://www.dropbox.com/s/nnex2mf0ajo9il8/TeraServerChecker.exe?dl=1
*This will TCP ping the gameservers directly every 5 seconds. You are not at the mercy of Enmasses' server page*
*This is now also using HTML parser, as the servers will respond to TCP pings even when under maintenance. I will look more into this later*
*Working on creating a TCP comparison to their website. If they shut down the server to the public the program will display closed, not down. If the server actually goes DOWN (as in shut off) it will show down. These changes haven't been created yet. I am working on them*