Packet Types

The packetType field in BMPacket determines how the packet should be handled by the receiver.

See the Packet Types Reference Table for the complete list of values.

Behavior

Data (0)

The default packet type of all application traffic. The receiver looks up the sender by deviceId and dispatches the packet to the corresponding device handler. If no matching device is found, the packet is dropped.

Ping (1)

A latency probe. The receiver changes the packetType to Echo (3) and sends the packet back as-is, preserving the original timestamp. This allows the sender to calculate the round-trip time.

Ack (2)

A connection acknowledgment sent by the game host to the controller in response to a deviceConnectRequested relay. The message field contains an AckPacket (class ID 9), which carries two nested objects: a Device (the game host's identity) and a BMAddress (the game host's connection address and ports). Upon receiving an Ack, the controller registers the game host as connected and establishes the direct connection.

Echo (3)

The response to a Ping. Contains the original timestamp from the Ping, allowing the sender to calculate RTT by comparing against the current time.

Analysis (4)

Presumably intended for performance or diagnostic metrics. Not observed in normal protocol operation.

KeepAlive (5)

A heartbeat signal sent to maintain the connection. No response is expected.