Bedrock shows large amount of online players and refuses connection

[Just-Leah]

When I have the server sleeping, if someone tries to connect via bedrock edition through LAN, the amount of online players shows an extremely large number that clips into the green circle next to it, and when you try to connect, the client says “This server is too popular, wait a bit for it to free up some space”. This renders starting the server via LAN bedrock impossible. I am unable to get some example screenshots for more info right now, but I will try and get some as soon as possible.

[Just-Leah]

Added some screenshots of the bug, censored the IP address of the server

The server in the LAN games list

The message on attempt to connect

[vincss]

That's strange, I cannot reproduce on my setup.
Which versions on what platform are you using ?

[d1ddle]

I get the same message when joining from Xbox. Just tried it.
This is weird because it worked fine in v1.16.200.
Just seems that Bedrock v1.16.210 on Xbox One just seems to get confused.

[Just-Leah]

I’m on version 1.16.210 as well, on an IPad.
The normal problem occurs on my brother’s iPad but on mine the same number shows except it’s negative, and it allows me to connect.
I’m pretty sure that he’s on the same update because there was a point where geyser wouldn’t let him connect and I had to update it.

[d1ddle]

Could be something to do with the Protocols being changed and info being read from packets where it shouldn't. Of course I could be completely wrong, but this gives me a good idea..
I'll try and opt-into the beta releases of Bedrock on Xbox and see if it fixes the problem. I'm not very hopeful, though.

[vincss]

Hi ! Maybe you could join our discord support private chat and try to debug it together, unfortunatly, I don't have a Xbox One to try it.
https://discord.gg/5DrncMSC (available 24h)

[ArmoredFuzzball]

I am having the same issue on the mobile Bedrock Edition. When the server is asleep there is a huge amount of players online, preventing joining (also, setting the max player count to -1 does not work). I am on the most recent version of Bedrock (v1.16.220) and the most recent version of the sleep system.
I'm using a plugin called Geyser for Bedrock players to connect to the Java server. At first I thought that was the issue, but after seeing this, it may not be Geyser's fault.
I noticed that when I first manually start the server the player count begins as a very large negative number of players over 0 (eg. -5732562/0), which DOES allow you to join, but after the server shuts down and restarts with the suggested sleep plugin, the number is just very big, and you can no longer join!
I hope this info helps.
Also, sorry if I should have opened my own issue, first time poster here.
Thanks!
EDIT: The server is also on the most recent version, 1.16.5. I have some other plugins like ViaVersion installed but I don't believe these are causing the issue.

[Just-Leah]

Most plugins would not matter as the issue here is present while the server is offline, if that makes sense

[vincss]

I added a web-gui so mobile player can launch the server since bedrock support is still WIP by the library.

[vincss]

There is a new version to support bedrock:

https://github.com/vincss/mcsleepingserverstarter/releases

#130 (comment)