How does the server alias system work?

[msd]

At the point where a user looking to connect to a game server hits a SmiteWorks server with a request to resolve a server alias, is it simply handed the IP with all further requests to the game server being directly made by IP?

My more general question - notwithstanding the initial resolution request, is server aliasing and IP to IP the same?

Or am I drastically misunderstanding how the aliasing system works?

[Dupre]

At the point where a user looking to connect to a game server hits a SmiteWorks server with a request to resolve a server alias, is it simply handed the IP with all further requests to the game server being directly made by IP?

My more general question - notwithstanding the initial resolution request, is server aliasing and IP to IP the same?

Or am I drastically misunderstanding how the aliasing system works?

The alias service is basically a dynamic DNS service. When the host decides to use the alias feature(check box is checked), or generates a new alias, the IP of the host is stored on our database and linked to the alias. Similarly, when a client connects using an alias, the alias is resolved into an IP with a request to our server. This is a one-off event and all game connections are directly made between the host and clients.

The benefit of using the alias is to avoid having to tell your group your new IP(which in many cases is dynamic) at the beginning of every game session. Second benefit is that our server always sees the external IP of the host while the one displayed in the dialog might be internal.

We could, I suppose, remove the ability to enter the IP when connecting and solely rely on aliases since that would remove some confusion about internal and external IPs, but some might prefer to use IPs.

[msd]

Great, thanks. So, during gameplay there should be absolutely no difference in performance since all requests are being made directly by IP (i.e. are not continually going through the resolution process).

Thanks again...

[Dupre]

Great, thanks. So, during gameplay there should be absolutely no difference in performance since all requests are being made directly by IP (i.e. are not continually going through the resolution process).
Thanks again...

No difference in performance during gameplay. The resolution is done only once in the beginning after which the connections are formed using that resolved IP.

We have plans for setting up a service(as part of a bigger picture) where the connections would actually go through a centralized server if so chosen by the host. This though comes with a performance penalty(increased network latency), but we're talking about tens or couple of hundred milliseconds of delay, which should be undetectable in most cases.

[sunbeam60]

I rely on the IP feature being present as my external IP is most often discovered to be my cable provider's (UK NTL) proxy. I manually have to connect to my router to find out my real external IP, so the ability to use an IP and not an alias is vital for me.

Not that I take the response as an indication that this feature is to be removed, but I just wanted to let my voice be heard and say that raw IP is vital for me.

[Crusader]

Another alternative is to use a Dynamic DNS-service of your own. I use this and have an agent that send updates to the DynDNS-provider so that the players can connect to a hostname that is constant rather than an IP that can change. There are several of these providers and they usually offer some free service.