Does depend on what settings clients
are set to but the below was from observations from data in the Dedicated
Server, and information from Sammie from GG.
I might also note that i'm unsure whether the
server rates are the total avaliable bandwidth or individual client
avaliable bandwidth. Best to test and observe if possible(If someone
reading this can tell us the truth, im sure we can handle it. Post any
observations on the greater green forums). As a guess it seems to be
individual client avaliable bandwidth.
The word from Sammie of the Greater Green IL2FB
server, is that a setting of netspeed=8000
seems about optimum for 28~32 players on a 1.5mb connection. This
consumed 720kb/sec with 30 players. Lowering this value caused lag
effects, and raising caused lag effects.
From this one could assume that; (Total
bandwidth-headroom) divided by player numbers= netrate setting. But the
netrate setting is still a little vauge on what it means so a
calculation like this is a ball park starting point.
At a session on the Internet and LAN at the
same time with a 256/256
connection we had 7~9 ppl on the internet with the 8 on LAN side. The
internet clients were set to 14.4k though. I had the rate set to LAN(from
the table of results below) Having just a couple join from the internet at full rate
settings did cause pauses from time to time and some major pauses aswell. This
was most likely due to that the client tried to consume all avaliable
bandwidth, since i had the netrate at 100000. Also there was ppl downloading through the connection
video footage of 767 simulation flights. :) since we were lanning at a
mates work, a plug :) www.simhardware.co.nz
End of the day you need the clients to set the
right rate or have full bandwidth available(T1 or T3). But the server rate
must be set right or lag will result once the max bandwidth is consumed.
These are what the Dedicated Server sees when
clients join.
Dedicated Server client rates:
9.6k [rate 900 bytes/sec]
14.4k [rate 1500
bytes/sec]
28.8k [rate
3000 bytes/sec]
56k[rate
10000 bytes/sec]
128k/isdn [rate 10000 bytes/sec]
Adsl/Cable [rate 25000 bytes/sec]
Lan [rate 100000 bytes/sec]
Client rates: This is like what they may
in theory consume. I run my server on a 128k line and i work with these
figures.
rate:9.6k [rate 900 bytes/sec]=
total of 11 clients on 128k[9900 bytes/sec]
rate:14.4k [rate 1500
bytes/sec] = total of 7 clients on 128k[10500 bytes/sec]
rate:28.8k [rate
3000 bytes/sec] = total of 3 clients on 128k[9000 bytes/sec]
rate:56k[rate
10000 bytes/sec] = total of 1~2 clients on 128k
These are taken from the server "socket
udp" . For me the strange one is 56k...says 10000..seems to high when
isdn and 128k also set rate 10000.
So the result, i will always ask the ppl joining
to set 14.4k rate for my server. 9.6k rate is a little warpy/laggy. And I limit it to 8 max players on my 128k line.
My line can peak at 250k before the brakes come on and bring it back to
128k, so thats how i can squeeze 8 on internet. When a 9th joins the
wheels fall off. The host(me) can now connect via the
lan socket ip so avoiding the internet socket ip and save bandwidth. You
can't do this via the standard game.
Out of interest the Hyper Lobby service that ppl
use auto sets clients to 14.4k rate. Connecting manually the clients can
set that rate, but can be tuned in game on the fly so to speak by going to
(in flight)ESC and networking and selecting network speed.
Conclusion: You cannot set the clients rate values for them, except if
they join through hyperlobby, but even then they can alter that ingame. So
you have to limit it server side what each client can draw. If you are
setting up a 1.5mb connection a netrate of about 8000 is a good starting
point, which would be roughly a 36k connection for a client with client
numbers set to 28~32. It of course makes sense to slowly decrease the
client numbers and netrate value as the connection speed decreases. It
seems that with flightsims(past and present) a 28.8k rate which is 3000
bytes/sec gives a good balance of warp and total players, so would make
sense to use that as a guide aswell.