[ISSUE]: Network multiplayer not working while loading the game from SMB (samba) server.

[GabubuAvailable]

Checks

• I have checked existing OPL issues for duplicates and found none
• I am using either OPL latest stable version, or archived version or OPL beta version

Describe the issue

The title says all, but I'll try to explain. Picture this! You make a SMB (samba) server on Windows to keep the PS2 backups on your PC. You launch OPL (Open PS2 Loader) then you configure it to connect the PS2 to the SMB server. You launch the game from SMB and you want to play multiplayer (on network) but you can't because the ethernet port is already in use by OPL and loading the game from SMB server... aaaand you get this error:

If there's a software fix, or maybe a hardware solution, let me know!

Console model

SCPH-75004

OPL version / revision

OPL v1.2.0 Beta 2012

In which device(s) have you experienced this issue?

SMB

Context and extra information

That happens on every game with multiplayer feature if that's loaded from SMB.

[Masamune3210]

Likely can't be fixed, and you really wouldn't want it to be even if it can be. Trying to handle multiplayer while also streaming the game through the same connection is going to either be dog slow or more likely just crash at best, and at worst two things using the same piece of hardware without any sort of knowledge of what the other is doing is not going to end well for either.

[Aced14]

It might technically be possible to play online PS2 games via OPL SMB with a USB modem or Ethernet adapter... but compatibility would likely be limited. Only older online PS2 games tend to work with USB adapters and even then, they're probably picky about which chipsets they support. I've never tried it.

Getting a setup like that going would probably be more trouble than it's worth. OPL USB or HDD with a real genuine network adapter would probably make for a much better online experience - unless your online game only supports USB modems/adapters.

[Buzzardsoul]

Support for a USB WI-FI dongle might be more feasible than this.

[GabubuAvailable]

Support for a USB WI-FI dongle might be more feasible than this.

Online PS2 games doesn't even know about Wi-Fi connectivity. Just ethernet.

[Masamune3210]

Yeaaaah, ps2 games barely have a concept of USB on average, let alone a completely separate to the system piece of networking hardware. Not sure where the idea came up that they can use a USB networking adapter, but they cant lol

[Buzzardsoul]

I was under the impression you could emulate it similarly to how a bluetooth dongle works

[Aced14]

Yeaaaah, ps2 games barely have a concept of USB on average, let alone a completely separate to the system piece of networking hardware. Not sure where the idea came up that they can use a USB networking adapter, but they cant lol

@Masamune3210 Not sure if this was directed at #984 (comment), but just to clarify, I didn't make up what I said. Some older online PS2 games contain network drivers with support for USB modem/Ethernet adapters. A few older online Japanese games don't even support the PS2 network adapter.

Some third party accessory companies released USB adapters that were marketed towards PS2 owners and advertised support for several games. For example, Datel released the GO-net USB Ethernet adapter (via eBay). InterAct advertised a PS2 SharkModem (unreleased). Several PS2-oriented USB dial-up modems were also released in Japan. Members of a Japanese Armored Core community have even managed to reverse-engineer the chipset of one of the dial-up modems.

Does that mean anyone can plug any random USB Ethernet/Wi-Fi dongle into their PS2 and expect it work? No. Why? Because compatible games are few and far between and their network drivers were likely designed around a handful of specific USB adapter chipsets in the early 2000s. Many latter online games supposedly use network drivers that lack support for USB adapters.

In the context of OPL, I wouldn't expect there to be any conflicts between SMB and a game connected to a supported USB adapter (both would be leveraging separate hardware for their respective networking features). But if SMB turned out to be a resource hog, maybe that'd risk interfering with the game's USB interactions. That's just speculation on my part though.

[Double-0-seven7]

If i am not mistaken on modded ps3 you could use the ps3netserv which is the equivalent of SMB on the ps3 and still play online on games (not sure if you gotta rely on being on wifi/ethernet for each though).
So it's definitely possible for ps2 as well I think.

[Masamune3210]

@Aced14 Huh, today I learned. I knew the really early days of the PS2 were weird in the hardware department, but I never figured it was "try to run network through a USB 1.1 interface" weird.