Download lag: How to not freeze a server

[EvilMike]

Have you ever been hosting a server and suddenly have your computer "lock up"? This is a result of someone downloading the tileset the level uses. The only way to prevent this as a server is to kick the person downloading, but unfortunately they usually just try again. This problem happens to everyone who hosts custom tilesets, and can be very annoying to you and your clients.

I'm making this post so you will know how to prevent YOU from freezing people's servers. When you see that you are downloading a file, keep a close eye on the download bar. If it is moving throughout the whole download, it is ok and will be causing minimal lag. Problems arise when the bar stops moving. If the bar suddenly stops, you are creating download lag. For as long as it is not moving, the server's computer will be frozen. Usually, the bar will continue moving after a second or so, and it won't be more than a nusance.

The serious problem is when the bar comes to a full stop and does not move any more. If it stays like this for an extended period of time (more than 5-10 seconds), quickly press escape to cancel the download. Any longer and everyone in the server will time out, while the server remains frozen until you cancel your download or they ctrl+alt+delete out of jj2.

To paraphrase this, just cancel your download if it isn't working. Give it another try if you want, but if the same problem arises, just give up. Don't make the server have to ban you just for the sake of being able to keep the server running.


I don't really know what technically causes this infamous download lag, in case you want to know. Someone else has to say that. I only know how to cause it.

[Trafton AT]

Hmm...Interesting. I never knew that was what caused it. Thanks for the article, Mike!

[Cpp]

I just can't understand why people don't download tilesets from J2O. If I host a server using my "Top secret 3" tileset (which is an old one) these days I still find some people who actually don't have it. So it's just sick to wait in the frozen server to unfreeze losing all players that were in it.

Hmm... *thinks*
It would not be a waste of time if someone does a bit more research on how to prevent this.

[Newspaz]

You can't expect everyone downloading your stuff Overlord.

[BlazinDragon]

yeah, dont be so greedy :D

[Warlord!]

This thing doesn't only happen with tilesets but if someone is downloading the level they already have the tileset of(for example a custom level using an out of the box tileset). I've witnessed this numerous times.

[Cpp]

Originally posted by Newspaz
You can't expect everyone downloading your stuff Overlord.

Heh Actually that was not the point :p
I and some other people hosted levels with that tileset a million times and people are still downoading it instead of moving it from cache folder to jj2 folder.

And Killerrabbit! I'm not greedy. I'm a dictator :cool:

[EvilMike]

The best way to prevent this is not to get everyone to download stuff off j2o, but rather to keep an eye out for the download bar freezing.

[White Rabbit]

Yep, you are absolutely right, Evilmike. I have this problem EVERY time I host a lvl cause I almost always host custom lvls. Once, I even discovered ppl who hasn't even got the Heaven tileset!

Although Evilmike's idea is good, an even better way to solve this is to simple download every single thing on J2o. :D J/k. At least download anything you think you'll need... ;)