[FIXED] root cause of many login issues - with workaround for error 209

elderscrollsb16_ESO109

latest update : from
forums.elderscrollsonline.com/discussion/79726/error-after-patch-cannot-verify-version/p2

ZOS_AmeliaR wrote: »

The 209 Error (inability to verify version) should be resolved as of earlier today. Please let us know if anyone continues to encounter this issue.

---

Post widely edited to correct / add some info.

Credits to @Saerydoth ; @Rhoric ; @Darzil and some others...


1 - The cause



There's 10 servers (actually 10 IP addresses) that can respond to the launcher to check version and download patch.

When you open the launcher it try to contact the addres "launcher.bethesda.net"

So it requests the IP address to the DNS system. The DNS server respond with 1 IP from this 10 IP pool.

But for a non-yet elucidated reason, the launcher cannot contact some of those servers.

So you have 50% chance to receive a "good" IP or a "bad" one.

This is what cause some randomness in the issue.


When the launcher starts, it check if there's any update availble on the servers. (updates for the launcher itself and fof the game).
If it received from the DNS one of the "bad" IP, this check fail and you get an error message, no matter your game is actually up to date or not.



2 - Workarounds


Note : A workaround allow you to bypass an issue without solving it. A fix solve the issue.




Also for some people there was issue due to their anti-virus, so prior to do anything else, try connecting with anti-virus & security solutions disabled.
Do not forget to re-enable them, of course.


A ) If you are already up-to-date
Simply ignore the launcher part and run eso.exe from your game folder


B ) If you are not up-to-date yet

Several options :

B1 - try, wait, try, etc...

B2 - in case of error, flush you dns cache an retry


B3 - bypass the DNS check by setting "good" IPs in you own file.
it is harmless BUT YOU WILL NEED TO REMOVE THEN WHEN THE ISSUE WILL BE FIXED.





- HOW TO


B2 - flush Windows DNS cache

- Open a command prompt as admin.
- type "ipconfig /flushdns"
- type "nslookup launcher.bethesda.net"

check the result against the list below, repeat until you get a "good" address.
Run the launcher


B2 - flush MAC DNS cache

Any help on this is welcome



B3 - Edit host file - Windows

- open notepad as administrator
- click File Menu , Open and navigate to C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc
- on bottom right , in the drop down list that shows "Text Documents (*.txt)" select
"All files (*.*)"
select the "hosts" file and open it
- at the end of the file add a line like
54.197.248.206 launcher.bethesda.net
- save and quit

* Please, choose a random address among the good ones to help balance the load accross the servers *



B3 - Edit host file - Mac

pscheible1nrb18_ESO wrote: »

For you Mac users, you can also edit your hosts file. You will find it at /private/etc/hosts. The format is the same as the Windows file. You will need to have root access in order to edit the file. You can acquire root access using the following command in a terminal window if your account is an admin account. (Substitute your text editor of choice. If anyone knows how to use TextEdit to open something with root access, feel free to provide instructions.)

sudo nano /private/etc/hosts

Annex 1 : list of servers IP

54.197.248.206 GOOD
54.197.250.95 GOOD

54.217.220.128 BAD
54.217.220.134 BAD
54.217.220.144 BAD
54.217.220.147 BAD
54.217.220.152 BAD

54.243.115.56 GOOD

174.129.248.207 GOOD
174.129.249.106 GOOD



Annex 2 Launcher and game version

As of patch 1.0.3

the launcher correct version is 1.3.5.964404
the game correct version is eso.live.1.0.0.968197 2014/04/12 (mousover the version on the bottom of the login page to get the tooltip)

Vigaaxe

Finally a solution that worked...

ZiRM

You should work for ZOS!

Muizer

If the patch has installed, what version numbers should we be seeing for launcher and client?

Korereactor

While I give you kudos if this is the issue, you can't expect people to edit their host file on a whim - that's a major security no-no. I know you're just trying to help though.

elderscrollsb16_ESO109

I got those :

Rhoric

How is it a major security no-no. You are connecting directly to the server IP not the domain name.

Korereactor

Rhoric wrote: »

How is it a major security no-no. You are connecting directly to the server IP not the domain name.

How do you know all of those IPs belong to Zenimax if they are part of a pool at Amazon Web Services? Is there a list somewhere?

elderscrollsb16_ESO109

@Korereactor , what kind of security issue do you have in mind?

Would be happy to discuss about it.

I'm not really confortable with this solution myself but can't think of a better one the time being.

But I will edit the original post to warn people they will have to remove it when the cause will be corrected.

Rhoric

Do a nslookup for launcher.bethesda.net and it will list all IPs associated with domain name

Korereactor

elderscrollsb16_ESO109 wrote: »

@Korereactor , what kind of security issue do you have in mind?

Would be happy to discuss about it.

I'm not really confortable with this solution myself but can't think of a better one the time being.

But I will edit the original post to warn people they will have to remove it when the cause will be corrected.

Can you guarantee those IPs belong to Zenimax somehow? where did you get the IP list from?

pscheible1nrb18_ESO

Finally! An answer that makes sense and appears to work.

For you Mac users, you can also edit your hosts file. You will find it at /private/etc/hosts. The format is the same as the Windows file. You will need to have root access in order to edit the file. You can acquire root access using the following command in a terminal window if your account is an admin account. (Substitute your text editor of choice. If anyone knows how to use TextEdit to open something with root access, feel free to provide instructions.)

sudo nano /private/etc/hosts

Sidney

I agree, not everyone will trust the IP but if he has indeed identified the issue, it won't matter - ZOS can take that info and work with it and players won't have to edit anything (as they shouldn't have to, but it's a handy work around).

For anyone who doesn't want to change their host file, or are lazy you can just keep opening the client over and over until you see Play instead of repair.

Korereactor

Rhoric wrote: »

Do a nslookup for launcher.bethesda.net and it will list all IPs associated with domain name

OK I see now thanks.

Chirru

All this technical talk is fine for people who know what they are doing.
for the average person...like me... it is most confusing talk.
the issue needs to be fixed by Z-max and not by the costumers of their product.

Rhoric

Sidney wrote: »

I agree, not everyone will trust the IP but if he has indeed identified the issue, it won't matter - ZOS can take that info and work with it and players won't have to edit anything (as they shouldn't have to, but it's a handy work around).

For anyone who doesn't want to change their host file, or are lazy you can just keep opening the client over and over until you see Play instead of repair.

I have actually given this topic on to support thru my ticket I had sent in about my error 209.

elderscrollsb16_ESO109

The IP list was gathered by simply performing a NSLOOKUP against the name launcher.bethesda.net

I.E. it is the DNS server responsible for bethesda.net that gave them.

You can check the official information about those IP here : http://www.ra.net/query/

Those IP actually belongs to AWS (I.E. amazon web services)

It's true that AWS cant re-affect those IP to another customer, in theory, but in practice there's few chance it happens (except if Bethseda decide to break their contract with AWS, which I doubt)

And in the unlikely event it happens those IP will not likely be re-affected to a pirate that set a false launcher server to gather players data.

But it's totally legitimate to worry about those kind of things. I understand your concern.

Korereactor

Chirru wrote: »

All this technical talk is fine for people who know what they are doing.
for the average person...like me... it is most confusing talk.
the issue needs to be fixed by Z-max and not by the costumers of their product.

Yeah I agree - they need to probably adjust their DNS entry for now, you'd think that would fix it, no? Those things do take time though.

elderscrollsb16_ESO109

Chirru wrote: »

All this technical talk is fine for people who know what they are doing.
for the average person...like me... it is most confusing talk.
the issue needs to be fixed by Z-max and not by the costumers of their product.

True, and prior to post this, I sent the info privately to ZOS.

The tip given here is a workaround, i.e. a way to bypass the issue without resolving it.
The fix (I.E. solving the actual issue) must come from Amazon Web Services (and not Zenimax, but this is Zenimax that can request it to AWS)

Darzil

I suspect as these servers cannot help the load balancing sees them as lightly loaded and keeps redirecting to them, which is why doing nslookup repeatedly I'm only getting pointed at the bad ones (tried a few DNS services and getting the same from all of them).

I wonder if they weren't patched, or if they've been taken out of the pool now launch has happened, but are still in the load balancing.

Maestro_Sartori

Chirru wrote: »

All this technical talk is fine for people who know what they are doing.
for the average person...like me... it is most confusing talk.
the issue needs to be fixed by Z-max and not by the costumers of their product.

Exactly, agree 100%. I'm a computer tech and there's no way I'm going to do any of that. Its not our fault....patch the damn launcher so it works or patch whatever is broke on your end. Seriously...

qwertyburnsb16_ESO

Thank you sooo much OP. You have got my launcher patching. Maybe I'll get to the 209 error stage at least

elderscrollsb16_ESO109

@Darzil and @Maestro_Sartori
No, many people don't have any issue at all, they can contact any of those servers.

The issue is not in Zenimax servers. It's located somewhere beetween Amazon Web Services and some (but not all) Internet Service Providers.

Well that's still hypothetical but I have more and mode clue that is really the root cause.

It would also explain the authentication code email issue if those emails are sent by a server that has IP addresses routed incorrectly.

qwertyburnsb16_ESO

I'm in, I'm in after a long 24 hours. No thanks to the ZOS customer support joke shop though

Darzil

elderscrollsb16_ESO109 wrote: »

@Darzil and @Maestro_Sartori
No, many people don't have any issue at all, they can contact any of those servers.

The issue is not in Zenimax servers. It's located somewhere beetween Amazon Web Services and some (but not all) Internet Service Providers.

Well that's still hypothetical but I have more and mode clue that is really the root cause.

I disagree. Using telnet on port 80 I can connect to all those servers. Only the 5 good ones work with the launcher. So doesn't look like a routing / ISP issue for me at least.

driosketch

Well someone will have to look into that network error at some point. My launcher is still giving me the version error even after a reinstall, but I found clicking the eso.exe file directly got me into the game. Simplest course of action, I'm just going to do that for the time being rather then continue fiddling with my game files.

Rhoric

Just got a response back from customer service on my ticket about the 209 error where I pointed them to this topic. He responded back saying thank you for the feedback and they are already into the problem.

Magdalina

You...you did it!o.O What sort of magic is that?

And, more importantly, why is it YOU using that magic and not one of Zeni/Beth guys? I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm very grateful, even I do feel kinda suspicious tweaking system files But seriously, why should we have to come up with all that dancing after paying 60-80$ to play? We paid for working game, not the "best way to fix your launcher after a patch" competition>_>

Anyway, thank you so much^^

Darzil

As far as I am aware this isn't a problem that has occurred before. Before 209 errors have been generally related to broken launcher. This one seems to be some broken or outdated patch servers or a load balancer that should be using fewer servers now (it would make sense for Zenimax to have fewer patch servers now than at launch, after all).

elderscrollsb16_ESO109

Darzil wrote: »

I disagree. Using telnet on port 80 I can connect to all those servers. Only the 5 good ones work with the launcher. So doesn't look like a routing / ISP issue for me at least.

Ah thank you for the info, looks more like a firewall issue then, or maybe a proxy somewhere on the path...

unfortunately none of the various IP I manage experience the issue, so cannot test it myself.

GrundelWolfe

I just disabled my anti virus (Norton), and it worked for me.