Installed FAF but can not connect to chat, or join a game

[Tex]

Not trying to throw Funkoff under the bus, but he sent me here after we found out that we could not fix my problems.
As it stands, so far with my old computer I downloaded and ran FAF without any problems. Flash forward, now with the same OS
and same download methods just a new location after leaving for college I can not connect to the main FAF server, host or join any game.
When i first try to launch FAF I get this message; "The following error occurred: Network operation timed out." then "Cannot connect to central server.
Please contact an admin." Then FAF closes. this will happen twice before it lets me log in. After logging in I will not be able to connect to chat.
I can view games being hosted or search under ladder but the moment it tries to launch or start up a game it will get stuck at a black/grey screen.
I have no problems playing games with GPG.net so I don't think Forged alliance is a issue. I have already tried run as administrator and according to Funkoff
I am using the right port. I think the problem lies in me not being able to connect to the FAF server, but I'm sure there could be other reasons.
Thank you for your time, sorry to bother you.
-Cerberus

[Ze_PilOt]

There are several issues here, and not really related :

- The login : It's weird, I will look into that when we've got our new server. Sometimes the current one is overloaded by the minecraft server and can indeed timeout. I'm not aware that a lot of people are in this case, but if it's happens a lot, I would like to know.

- The chat : When trying to login multiple times, it's possible that you manage to reach the IRC Server. When you disconnect, maybe the IRC server doesn't manage to see your disconnect, resulting in a ghost connection. When you relog, your login name is not available (because of the ghost), and so you can't log again into the chat.
You should see if it's the case on the server log windows.

- The black screen on ladder : it happens if your opponent quit the game before you reach his game : FA is initialized, but can't reach the host lobby, resulting in a black screen. In that case, alt-f4 is the way to quit.
Can't do much about it, except lauching the "joigner" player earlier to have a better chance to connect, but won't solve completely the issue. I guess that less people are aborting games on GPGnet so it's not happening a lot.
I can also fake that the server found a game, so you have an endless "setting up connection" message instead of a black screen, not sure it's better

- The gray screen : a totally other issue, it's a graphic/directX problem with FA. Alt-F4 doesn't work, and I can't do much about that. Try to not alt-tab during any loading, it seems to produce it. I've found that ctrl-alt-del seems to solve the problem.

[Ze_PilOt]

Ok, the login issues should be fixed in the last update. Tell me if you still have problems.

[Ze_PilOt]

Can you confirm that the problem is gone ?

[Tex]

I can now log in with out any problems, however I still cant connect to the FAF chat nor can I get a game to successfully launch. I just get stuck at a black screen with the sup com cursor.

[Ze_PilOt]

Can you try connect using an IRC ?

The infos : http://88.191.143.136/faforever/fafwiki ... IRC_server

It's really strange that you are not able to connect to an IRC server..

[FunkOff]

Cerberus, you don't by any chance login to IRC before you try logging into fafchat with the same name, do you? Fafchat will not load your name if it's already taken on irc lol

[Tex]

To Ze_Pilot: I can connect to The chat room through Mibbit, Funkoff showed me how to a while back.
And to Funkoff: No I did not try to log into both at once. I even tried to make a new account and that failed to log me into the chat through FAF as well.
Honestly it seems like nothing is updating or patching correctly on my system. Every time i try to log in it installs a update, then failed to load, closes the program, then after i restart, i get in. I cant connect to the chat server. If i try to join a game its started telling me something new in the last two days, It tells me i need to install the patch in the FA folder. I do that but it never seems to stick. -_-. From there i try to join a game and it gets me stuck at a black screen.

[Ze_PilOt]

I don't know any good reason for this behaviour.

What is the version of the lobby you are using (check the number in the about menu).

Post me a screenshot of the server logs once you list games.

[Tex]

The lobby version is ( Current Lobby version : 0.4.2.12b. )
And I don't know how to post my screenshot but all it says is ( Connecting to FA server..... (and right under it) Connecting to FA chat...)
That's it.