DataOuptut/Input Streams || grouping my packets together!

Question

So I just got done networking a 2D side-scroller. There's a little problem. When I test the program on my network using "localhost" it works fine and everything is as smooth as a baby's butt. But when I run it through the network, with two computers connected to the same router.. It seems to be grouping my packets (about 28 per second and it puts them in 4 groups) and the computer that ISNT running the ServerSocket looks like it's really jerky, but actually it's just taking the last packet of each group and setting the players location to that.. I'm using standard DataInputStream and DataOutputStream. Anyone have any suggestions?
To give you a clearer picture.. how this is working is: The ServerSocket program holds both Player information sets, and it recieves keystrokes from both clients. . It then updates the internal Player information and sends x,y and a few other pieces of information through the stream back to the each of the players. There is a 30ms delay between each send. The client receives as much info as it can from the server and sets the updates X,Y locations as long as data is coming in. Any ideas as to why it's grouping my packets?
Edited by: PaRlOaGn on Sep 27, 2008 6:59 PM

Answer 1

I actually was not flushing after each output set. I added a flush, and I wrapped my InputStream in a BufferedInputStream but it didn't seem to do much, thank you for the tip though. Also in response to the first reply, I understand what you are saying, I do have an identifier integer as to which player I'm sending through the stream.. Well what I just did that feels like "cheating" to fix it, is I put a wait time (12 ms) after each "packet" the client recieves. But there is a noticeable delay before anything happens on the screen.. not a huge delay but about 100-200ms. How i'm sending data back to the clients is like this:
public void run() {
          while (1 == 1) {
               if (p1.isClosed() || p2.isClosed()) {
                    try {
                         p1.close();
                         p2.close();
                    } catch (IOException ioe) {
                    System.exit(0);
               updateEntityState(player1);
               updateEntityState(player2);
               int px = (int) player1.getX();
               int py = (int) player1.getY();
               int ppx = (int) player2.getX();
               int ppy = (int) player2.getY();
               try {
                                p1output.writeInt(1);
                    p1output.writeInt(px);
                    p1output.writeInt(py);
                    p1output.writeInt(player1.getFacingDirection());
                    p1output.writeInt(player1.getImageNum());
                    p1output.writeBoolean(player1.onLadder);
                    p1output.writeBoolean(player1.onGround);
                    p1output.writeBoolean(player1.isJumping());
                    p1output.writeBoolean(player1.standingStill);
                    p1output.writeInt(0);
                    p1output.writeInt(ppx);
                    p1output.writeInt(ppy);
                    p1output.writeInt(player2.getFacingDirection());
                    p1output.writeInt(player2.getImageNum());
                    p1output.writeBoolean(player2.onLadder);
                    p1output.writeBoolean(player2.onGround);
                    p1output.writeBoolean(player2.isJumping());
                    p1output.writeBoolean(player2.standingStill);
                    p1output.flush();
                    p2output.writeInt(0);
                    p2output.writeInt(px);
                    p2output.writeInt(py);
                    p2output.writeInt(player1.getFacingDirection());
                    p2output.writeInt(player1.getImageNum());
                    p2output.writeBoolean(player1.onLadder);
                    p2output.writeBoolean(player1.onGround);
                    p2output.writeBoolean(player1.isJumping());
                    p2output.writeBoolean(player1.standingStill);
                    p2output.writeInt(1);
                    p2output.writeInt(ppx);
                    p2output.writeInt(ppy);
                    p2output.writeInt(player2.getFacingDirection());
                    p2output.writeInt(player2.getImageNum());
                    p2output.writeBoolean(player2.onLadder);
                    p2output.writeBoolean(player2.onGround);
                    p2output.writeBoolean(player2.isJumping());
                    p2output.writeBoolean(player2.standingStill);
                    p2output.flush();
                    Thread.sleep(30);
               } catch (InterruptedException ie) {
               } catch (IOException ioe) {
     }So this code is on the server, and it's how i'm sending data back to the clients.
The first int that I'm writing represents whether or not it's the clients player position or the other players position. 1 meaning it is that clients player info, and 0 meaning it's the other plays info.
Here is how i'm reading info from the clients
public void run() {
          while (1 == 1) {
               try {
                    int playa = input.readInt();
                    if (playa == 1) {
                         int y = (int) player.getY();
                         player.setX(input.readInt());
                         player.setY(input.readInt());
                         player.setFacingDirection(input.readInt());
                         player.setImagNum(input.readInt());
                         player.setOnLadder(input.readBoolean());
                         player.setOnGround(input.readBoolean());
                         player.setIsJumping(input.readBoolean());
                         player.standingStill = input.readBoolean();
                    } else if (playa == 0) {
                         other.setX(input.readInt());
                         other.setY(input.readInt());
                         other.setFacingDirection(input.readInt());
                         other.setImagNum(input.readInt());
                         other.setOnLadder(input.readBoolean());
                         other.setOnGround(input.readBoolean());
                         other.setIsJumping(input.readBoolean());
                         other.standingStill = input.readBoolean();
               } catch (IOException ioe) {
     }So what I added to cheat was I added a 12ms delay right before the "catch(IOException ioe) line. It seems to work but it feels like i shouldn't have to do that. Any suggestions?
(Also I dont indent like that, the code tag did it >_>)
Edited by: PaRlOaGn on Sep 28, 2008 12:50 PM
Edited by: PaRlOaGn on Sep 28, 2008 12:53 PM