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Docking Station Connection & Registration Issues
Are you having trouble going online in or registering for Docking Station? Or perhaps you're not even able to register a new DS world. If so, this CDN_article may help you.Please check out the suggestions below for ways of resolving Docking Station related connection problems. We're always looking for extra details so we can increase our experience on this type of problem and thus help more people out. So if there's something you've tried that worked that we didn't show here, please let us know by submitting feedback on the Contact page - thanks!
Recent Server Relocation Issues
If you have recently tried to access Docking Station and have been unable to connect, it may be due to a recent server re-location. To attempt to resolve the issue please go into your main Docking Station folder and delete the server.cfg file and then launch the Docking Station shortcut to run InstallBlast and then Docking Station. This should download a new server.cfg file which gives the new, correct server details and hopefully you should be able to connect without any further problems. If not, please read on.Registering for Docking Station
Another common reason someone cannot connect to Docking Station is that although they've managed to join the Creatures Network they haven't then gone on to register for Docking Station. It's a two step process, so be sure to register for Docking Station as well - otherwise the DS server will not recognise who you are - even if you're a member of the Creatures Network and you've already downloaded and installed the DS Software! Please take a look at the following information which will make sure that you have registered to play Docking Station.
- Go to Docking Station Central at http://www.creaturelabs.com/ds/ and log-in to the Creatures Network.
- Once you've logged in, click the Add Services button which is at the top right of the page - this will take you to the Add Creatures Network Services page.
- You should see now see a list of Creatures Network services. There's a "Go" button next to some text that reads "Register for Docking Station." Click that "Go" button.
- You will then be asked for a bit more information, please answer these questions as they help us to better understand the diversity of members of the Creatures Network.
- Once you've answered all the questions click the "Submit" button.
- You should now be registered for Docking Station and as long as your computer and connection are configured correctly, then you should be able to log-in to our servers and play Docking Station online.
Going Online in Docking Station
Are you having problems going online from within Docking Station, or you're simply unable to register a new world? Then please read through all of the suggestions below. Some of them may help you diagnose the problem with your computer or connection which is preventing Docking Station from going online.
- Make sure you are connected to the Internet - this seems obvious, but sometimes a connection to your ISP can be severed.
- Shut down any banner advert removal programs, or any other software that may possibly be filtering your Internet connection in any way.
- Try closing all other running applications, including those on your task tray (next to the clock on the task bar). Remember that although DS was tested on a large range of different machines it could well be that it will not work alongside another program you have running.
- If you use AOL, try connecting from the Master screen name. The parental controls on other screen names may cause problems with AOL.
- Using your Internet browser, please go to this page. You should see something like "dsbuild 195." The number is the latest Docking Station build number, so it may be higher that 195. If you get an error message, then this indicates there is definitely a problem with your ISP or Internet browser configuration - you will need to either contact your ISP or seek help to configure your browser correctly. Docking Station for Windows uses the same proxy settings as you have set in Internet Explorer, so if your usual web browser requires a proxy setting, you must also set it in Internet Explorer. Please note that having Internet Explorer 4+ installed and functional is a minimum requirement for running Docking Station on Windows.
- If your Internet connection is going through a proxy server, firewall or a similar program then you need to make sure that it will allow full access to the following IP addresses: 195.153.6.152 or 195.153.6.153 on port number 49152. If you are trying to access Docking Station from work, university or similar, you may need to ask the system administrator if s/he can make this amendment for you.
- Your ISP may have a firewall or proxy server which is stopping the connection. Get in touch with your ISP and ask them (nicely) if they are or could possibly be blocking full access to the following IP addresses 195.153.6.152 or 195.153.6.153 on port number 49152.
- Try using a different ISP! This may sound a bit drastic, but for some of our customers this was one thing that worked. The Internet Connection Wizard should help you locate a different ISP in your area. You may need to refer to a local directory, or ask a friend, relative or neighbour for ISP recommendations. Please note that you will still be able to use your current ISP even if you sign up for another. Some people believe it is advisable to be registered with at least two ISPs because if one is busy or goes offline and you need to use the Internet you can simply dial in to the other ISP. This is possibly the best suggestion as any suspected issue with a current ISP can quite quickly be confirmed or eliminated. Please be aware that some ISPs are not free and you may be asked to submit credit card details before you can use the system. Check all the details before signing up.
Further Suggestions
The following suggestions are of a technical nature and so unless you're technically knowledged then we suggest you ask a friend, colleage or professional who is to help you.
Go to your Start Bar and click the Run menu item, you should see a dialogue box. Type in Command and then click OK.
You should see an MS-DOS screen. Please type in the following:
ping heart.creatures.net
After you've typed that, press the Return or Enter key.
This will send packets of data to our server and is used to see if the server responds. If the ping returns with 'dropped packets' or the request 'times out' then it is very likely that you have Internet connection problems. Try 'pinging' another website local to your country or area -- even your own ISP -- to see what response you get. Please note that some websites may block 'ping' commands so try a number of websites. If it works for other sites, but not for ours it is an indication that either something on your computer or on your ISP is blocking access to our servers.
If the ping returns with data and is OK please try the following:
Open a browser window and type in the following address or click the link below:
http://heart.creatures.net:49152
You should see a black page with yellow writing that says, "heart.creatures.net" - it will also show your IP address. This is a check to make sure that you can access port number 49152. If you cannot see this page it is most likely due to an ISP, personal or corporate firewall which has blocked access to the specific port.
It could be that our server is down or your ISP is experiencing problems. If you ping (see above) the server and get request time outs try to connect later on.
Get the most up-to-date version of your Internet Browser, if this doesn't help, try using a different web browser.
Still unable to go online?
Generally if you can't find the answer on our Support site then there's not much more we can suggest. However, there are ways to bypass the need to register each new world online that have been developed by some of our third party developers.
We don't officially support this bypass, but we don't like seeing some Creatures Network members and faithful customers being unable to play Docking Station simply because of connection difficulties. This bypass isn't perfect though. It will let you play the game but it prevents you from using any of the online functionality. This is annoying but much better than being completely unable to play the game! You can obtain the DS Login Disabler from the C3/DS agents page on The Creatures Mainframe.
Further Help on this Subject
There is a discussion thread in the Support Discussions area that has been made especially so that people can talk about this Support CDN_article. Please click here to visit that thread. It is hoped that people will use this discussion thread to give further advice, or to ask for assistance should the suggestions in this CDN_article not help you. You need to be a member of the Creatures Network before you can participate in a Support Discussion.
Topic Keywords: cie connection ds login