Setti server scanner was updated couple days ago. The new server scanner searches for new free-for-all servers from the official Steam masterservers constantly.

The system used to be semi-automatical this far. Semi-automatical means that there was script to find authentication free servers from the Steam masterservers. The results had to be semi-automatically inserted into the main server scanner system. Semi-automatical here too means that there was script which added list of servers from a file to the main system.

The new system does searching for new servers completely automatically. There are few sensibility checks in the system, which prevent false servers from getting on the list too easy. The system scans all servers listed by Steam masterservers periodically. After a certain server has been confirmed few times to allow the test dummy client to join, the server is added on the main list where it goes through same kind of verification all over again - but it’s also listed at Setti server list.

Here’s graph about number of servers found by the server scanner. The gentle slope in the number of servers is caused by the new server scanner. It has found about 800 new servers, which are mainly non-interesting HL1 based servers, though ;).

Number of servers (daily, 2008-03-13)

Most of the new servers “die” quickly in a week or so. That’s because the servers are probably home-hosted servers with dynamic IP. After their IP changes, the old server seems to have died, although most likely there’ll be new server from another IP. Usually home-hosted servers have big latency and unreliable connection altogether. That’s why it’s not so important to try to keep up with all the new home-hosted servers, but find those servers which are reliable.

Here’s graph about how servers disappear in a month time period. In the right end there’s that 800 new server boost in the graph.

Number of servers (monthly, 2008-03-13)

Now with the new system it’s expected to have steadier curve there. Servers shouldn’t disappear in a steady dozen servers per day speed. For every lost server there should be a new server found. That way the system can keep the server list fresh without any manual processing.

The historical reasons why the server scanner didn’t search for Steam’s masterserver before, is that there weren’t server patches which allowed the servers to show up in Steam’s masterservers. Maybe there were some patches, but there weren’t enough to have any good interest for anybody. Now there are, and they’re listed at Setti server list.

In a case you read this, you might be interested reading History of Setti server querier, Setti Masterserver - Better server browser and Masterservers upgrade.