SoulseekQt randomly stops responding to searches

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Swiwer Swiwer

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Mar 21, 2023, 8:18:58 AM3/21/23
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I've been using SoulseekQt build 2019.7.22 on a Windows 7 64-bit PC for several years now without issues, but I have recently noticed that the client stops responding to public searches, seemingly at random.

I used a different Windows PC with a different Soulseek user account to test this issue and so far this is what I have been able to find out for myself:

The issue applies to public searches (Search target: All). When I perform a public search on the other PC, for a file that I know resides in my primary Soulseek username's share, the search shows nothing. If I add myself to the User List and search the users in the User List only (Search target: User List), then the search works.

On my main PC I can see on the "Search -> Received Searches" tab that the searched string log is stopped. I only see a new search come through if I perform a "User List" search on my other PC.

I have noticed that this for some reason only happens if I use my main username that I have been using for years. If I disconnect from the server and change my username (log into another username), the SoulseekQt client will again start to respond to all searches (without having to restart it). But if I then change (log into) my old username again, it will again stop responding after some time (maybe 30 minutes to an hour later).

For some reason it only grinds to a halt when I'm using my main, long time username. If I log into a different username, it will not happen. At least that has been my observation so far.

Aside from this issue, everything else works normally, my ports are open. I'm just not sure how it's possible that this only happens when I'm using a particular username.

One could argue that somebody is perhaps targeting this particular username somehow.Maybe with excessive "browse user's files" requests or uniquely crafted search queries that end up freezing the client's replies to searches. This may sound paranoid but since logging into a differently named account solves the problem, it's something I thought of first. Are there any known issues / exploits that may be causing this?

Nir Arbel

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Mar 21, 2023, 8:51:49 AM3/21/23
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Can you try this build? It's got some performance improvements: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QMwUmCrOGSypL5NYYVJdr4o_Gb7PsmVU/view?usp=drivesdk

Swiwer Swiwer

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Mar 22, 2023, 12:23:00 AM3/22/23
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Well, considering what I wrote in my original post (that the problem only occurs if I use my main
account) I didn't think the problem is in the SoulseekQt 2019.7.22 client since it works just fine if I
am logged in as a different user. But I did try the 2023.1.20 one like suggested.

I was logged-in on the old SoulseekQt 2019.7.22 with my primary account and waited until it stopped
responding to search queries. I then closed it and installed SoulseekQt 2023.01.20 over the old one
and ran it. It automatically logged me into my primary account and the Received Searches were
frozen/blocked from the very beginning. I tried to run a "User List" search on my other PC, which did
show up on (get through to) my main PC but it was not marked as "MATCH" even though it should have been.

I then logged out of my primary account and logged-in to an alternative account. "Received Searches"
log immeditaly came to life.

I then again disconnected and logged back into my primary account, and after a few hours, the
"Received Searches" log window stopped again and my Soulseek client (this time 2023.1.20) was again
not responding to "All user" searches. So it seems 2023.01.20 is acting exactly the same as
2019.7.22 as far as my problem is concerned.

So, why is this happening only when I am logged into my primary account username but not any other?

Also one probably unrelated thing that I noticed:
Even after I disconnect from Soulseek (click on the "Disconnect" button under the "Options -> Login"
tab, I can still see incoming search queries coming into the client under the "Received Searches" tab.
How is that possible if I'm supposed to be disconnected from the Soulseek network?

Swiwer Swiwer

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Mar 22, 2023, 5:57:40 PM3/22/23
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Today I did a test and logged into the "alternative" account on my main PC (Windows 7) and I logged into my "primary" account on the other PC (Windows 10). This time the Soulseek client on my other PC that was logged into my primary account stopped responding to searches after about 5 hours, and the client on my Win7 PC that was logged into the alternative account worked fine. The Win10 PC is on a different network and has a completely different share. So this indeed seems to be specifically account related.

f.s. r

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Mar 23, 2023, 6:44:50 PM3/23/23
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I'm having the same issue, I can only receive searches when changing to another username. Downloading from other users works fine. I tried both SoulseekQt and Nicotine+, and I can friend list-only search myself and download fine on a virtual machine with VPN. My Soulseek username is FlowerSunRain, did I get blocked from receiving searches for some reason?

Dàwéi Hēiér

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Apr 7, 2023, 4:47:24 PM4/7/23
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Yep, finally.  I'm affected by the same issue ... started early march or something like that.

Dàwéi Hēiér

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Apr 7, 2023, 4:51:30 PM4/7/23
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I noticed the same as you... I think the connected is for the slsk server and the searches are received through p2p ... I think the server is not sending a list of master peer to us for some reasons so we can do things like download, search, etc but we're not participating in the search community .  That's either a bug or we were shadow banned.

If you look at the diagnostics tab in the logs sub tab, you can see with the broken account, we're not receiving peer masters (or whatever they are called) and with your alternate account, you are.   

If you disconnect the alternate account, it will work for a few minutes/hours until the account is refreshed in the peer list and the server returns another nothing for master peer and the "received searches from server" or the "search" tab in the diagnostic/logs is halted again.   

Dàwéi Hēiér

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Apr 7, 2023, 9:21:02 PM4/7/23
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You probably are banned.  If you go in the Diagnostics -> Distributed network, you'll see :

~~~

[Fri Apr 7 20:33:58 2023] Received parent min speed 1, currently not processing

[Fri Apr 7 20:33:58 2023] Received parent speed connection ratio 50, currently not processing

[Fri Apr 7 20:33:58 2023] Determining whether we can accept child connections.

[Fri Apr 7 20:33:58 2023] Currently have 0 child connections, max capacity 94

[Fri Apr 7 20:33:58 2023] Status changed, sending notification.

[Fri Apr 7 20:39:29 2023] Determining whether we can accept child connections.

[Fri Apr 7 20:39:29 2023] Currently have 0 child connections, max capacity 97

[Fri Apr 7 20:39:29 2023] No status change, not notifying.

[Fri Apr 7 20:59:47 2023] Determining whether we can accept child connections.

[Fri Apr 7 20:59:47 2023] Currently have 0 child connections, max capacity 97

[Fri Apr 7 20:59:47 2023] Status changed, sending notification.

[Fri Apr 7 20:59:47 2023] Received parent min speed 1, currently not processing

[Fri Apr 7 20:59:47 2023] Determining whether we can accept child connections.

[Fri Apr 7 20:59:47 2023] Currently have 0 child connections, max capacity 97

[Fri Apr 7 20:59:47 2023] No status change, not notifying.

[Fri Apr 7 20:59:47 2023] Received parent speed connection ratio 50, currently not processing

[Fri Apr 7 20:59:47 2023] Determining whether we can accept child connections.

[Fri Apr 7 20:59:47 2023] Currently have 0 child connections, max capacity 97

[Fri Apr 7 20:59:47 2023] No status change, not notifying.

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:34 2023] Determining whether we can accept child connections.

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:34 2023] Below minimum parent speed, so no.

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:34 2023] Status changed, sending notification.

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:35 2023] Received possible parents list, 10 entries

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:35 2023] Attempting parent connection to ValdikSS1

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:35 2023] Attempting parent connection to KRAYDIO

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:35 2023] Attempting parent connection to fishfingus

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:35 2023] Attempting parent connection to sushi

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:35 2023] Attempting parent connection to andreakofman

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:35 2023] Attempting parent connection to forense2020

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:35 2023] Attempting parent connection to shredingercat1

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:35 2023] Attempting parent connection to emperorz

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:35 2023] Attempting parent connection to popville

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:35 2023] Attempting parent connection to tothemoon

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Parent connection to user ValdikSS1 accepted

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Adding as possible parent candidate

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Parent connection to user popville accepted

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Adding as possible parent candidate

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Parent connection to user fishfingus accepted

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Adding as possible parent candidate

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Received possible parents list, 10 entries

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Attempting parent connection to CU_server

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Attempting parent connection to theflyingrobindj

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Attempting parent connection to Northcircular

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Attempting parent connection to wackee

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Attempting parent connection to Ra57

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Attempting parent connection to fresh23

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Attempting parent connection to jcamachii

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Attempting parent connection to Gripkus

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Attempting parent connection to goopsie

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Attempting parent connection to lastleaf

[Fri Apr 7 21:04:36 2023] Received first search request from parent candidate popville, adopting as parent.

~~~


This means it works and if you use your "shadow banned" account, you'll see this blocks here:
~~~

[Fri Apr 7 20:33:58 2023] Received parent min speed 1, currently not processing

[Fri Apr 7 20:33:58 2023] Received parent speed connection ratio 50, currently not processing

[Fri Apr 7 20:33:58 2023] Determining whether we can accept child connections.

[Fri Apr 7 20:33:58 2023] Currently have 0 child connections, max capacity 94

[Fri Apr 7 20:33:58 2023] Status changed, sending notification.

[Fri Apr 7 20:39:29 2023] Determining whether we can accept child connections.

[Fri Apr 7 20:39:29 2023] Currently have 0 child connections, max capacity 97

[Fri Apr 7 20:39:29 2023] No status change, not notifying.

~~~


On Thursday, March 23, 2023 at 6:44:50 PM UTC-4 f.s. r wrote:

Dàwéi Hēiér

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Apr 7, 2023, 9:22:00 PM4/7/23
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See my previous post.   I've spent way too much time trying to figure out what was happening ...

Swiwer Swiwer

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Apr 8, 2023, 2:45:19 AM4/8/23
to Soulseek Technical Discussion
In short, yes, you are "shadow banned", or in other words, your account is disconnected from the search network. This likely happened because you are sharing something that caused a DMCA complaint and because the owner (Nir) couldn't block the search string, he blocked you. So you have two options: 1. change and use another username if you don't mind, or 2. contact Nir so he can tell you which share content is the problem, unshare it and they he will re-add you to the search network.

f.s. r

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Apr 13, 2023, 6:20:43 AM4/13/23
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Thank you, just one problem, how do I contact Nir? I can't find any email address. If he doesn't want to write it publicly, you can email me (fsrfs...@gmail.com).

Nir Arbel

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Apr 13, 2023, 6:26:12 AM4/13/23
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Send me your Soulseek username privately and I'll forward it to Roz.

f.s. r

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Apr 13, 2023, 6:40:09 AM4/13/23
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My username is FlowerSunRain.
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