Do you have crappy internet?

[crockett]

I'm going to be moving soon to one of those nice Caribbean islands for a while, Curaçao to be exact.

Problem is, while there are a lot of advantages and great things about living on such an island out side the US. One major draw back is the internet. In fact it kinda sucks fastest "hardwired" internet available is only 1mpbs/down and it's around $300/month.  

So needless to say the broadband is slightly lacking, which is to be expected on a Caribbean Island. I'm used to 8mbps down so it will be a big change, so I was just wondering if anyone plays on connections like that? If so can you play effectively or are you one of those warper's we all love so much?

[Lusche]

Connection stability and, to a lesser degree, ping time is what you should look for, not the advertised connection speed.
Many players of this game would still call your "crappy" 1mps high-speed. And it's more than sufficient to play AH by a HUGE margin - IF it's stable.

[crockett]

Originally posted by Lusche
Connection stability and, to a lesser degree, ping time is what you should look for, not the advertised connection speed.
Many players of this game would still call your "crappy" 1mps high-speed. And it's more than sufficient to play AH by a HUGE margin - IF it's stable.

Yea that's why I'd be going with the hard wired. There is a wireless ISP on the island that advertising about 3-4mbps but I know wireless has a long way to go as far as stability goes. The hard wired that's offered is DSL which I'm not a big fan of, but I guess you have to take the good with the bad.

I was on the waiting list to get a cable modem when they first came out several years ago. So I'm spoiled to say the least in regards to net speed. I'll put it like this.. one of the first things I look at if I'm moving is what's the fastest broadband internet I can get.. lol

Considering I work online it's kind of an important factor.

[tedrbr]

Originally posted by crockett
Yea that's why I'd be going with the hard wired. There is a wireless ISP on the island that advertising about 3-4mbps but I know wireless has a long way to go as far as stability goes. The hard wired that's offered is DSL which I'm not a big fan of, but I guess you have to take the good with the bad.

I was on the waiting list to get a cable modem when they first came out several years ago. So I'm spoiled to say the least in regards to net speed. I'll put it like this.. one of the first things I look at if I'm moving is what's the fastest broadband internet I can get.. lol

Considering I work online it's kind of an important factor.

Well, wireless ISP's, WiMax and such, are an alternative, if there is stability and you are happy with the security.  Also, there is the price difference to check out.  Also, that 3-4mbps is max throughput, you what portion you can expect to have from the wireless?  And there is LOS and interference issues.  If the price is right, security okay, average throughput good, stable connection, and price is low enough, it could be a substitute for the DSL.  

Also, you may want to check if either the DSL or WiMax jumps to satellite to get "off" the island at any point, or if they connect via underwater cable.  Can make a big difference.  

Myself: I'll take hardwired over WiMAX, and WiMAX over satellite, and any broadband over dial-up.  

As to DSL, I'll take DSL over Cable any day, simply the way most internet cable systems are networked.  Cable may often post higher rates, but you share that pipe with everyone else in the neighborhood.... many of which have unsecured WAP's or become jump off points for attacks all along the cable network.

[crockett]

Originally posted by tedrbr
Well, wireless ISP's, WiMax and such, are an alternative, if there is stability and you are happy with the security.  Also, there is the price difference to check out.  Also, that 3-4mbps is max throughput, you what portion you can expect to have from the wireless?  And there is LOS and interference issues.  If the price is right, security okay, average throughput good, stable connection, and price is low enough, it could be a substitute for the DSL.  

Also, you may want to check if either the DSL or WiMax jumps to satellite to get "off" the island at any point, or if they connect via underwater cable.  Can make a big difference.  

Myself: I'll take hardwired over WiMAX, and WiMAX over satellite, and any broadband over dial-up.  

As to DSL, I'll take DSL over Cable any day, simply the way most internet cable systems are networked.  Cable may often post higher rates, but you share that pipe with everyone else in the neighborhood.... many of which have unsecured WAP's or become jump off points for attacks all along the cable network.

Yea I'm familiar with the way cable works.. I used to install HSD modems for commercial accounts.  

Cable is a "shared" system, but it's really tuff to fill up a node unless you are in a major city. I will agree I've seen differences in speed in isolated areas such as beach side barrier islands like we have here in Daytona vs mainland connections. Beach side connections tend to be much faster, simply because the amount of people in a node is greatly reduced.

While I've never personally used DSL, considering the speed differences in what's available here.. Well, I'd pick the cable any day of the week. Simply because I've never ran into an issue where a shared pipe had an issue.

Now, I'm not going to say that's not the same case in a larger city where they can max out the load on a node area. Just In most cases I've never seen a "real life" issue of it happening. So I'df take the "shared" cable and it's faster overall speeds vs the DSL.

btw is a good point about checking if it's a hardwire cable across trhe ocean or sat uplink. I'll have to look into that.. I'm pretty sure it's hard cable.. I sure hope it's not a sat uplink.

[trax1]

I had a squad mate that use to play AH on a dial up and he had no problems playing it, the only problem he would have was when they would update the game, it would take awhile to download the update, or when a new map was added.

[tedrbr]

Originally posted by trax1
I had a squad mate that use to play AH on a dial up and he had no problems playing it, the only problem he would have was when they would update the game, it would take awhile to download the update, or when a new map was added.

As crockett stated he "works online", dial up certainly is not any kind of option for him.   Besides, once you've gotten used to broadband, it can be very painful going back.  

WiMAX is going to replace most dial-up connections in the future (where cable and DSL is not available, and to undercut cost and lag of satellite systems).  When it becomes more commonplace, future online gaming will cease to support dial-up speeds altogether.

[trax1]

Ahh guess I should have read it more, i thought he was talking about playing AH.

[crockett]

Originally posted by trax1
Ahh guess I should have read it more, i thought he was talking about playing AH.

well I was.. I was just wondering how the game plays for people with less than desirable HSD connections. I remember Mech warriors 2 on dial up and lets just say it's not something I'd care to repeat.

[Ack-Ack]

One of the 479th guys, Odege, used to live in the Virgin Islands and his connection was always crap.


ack-ack

[mtnman]

Crappy internet?  I used to be stuck with 56K dial-up.  That was really bad.  Then I moved to a place further out in the country.  My phone company limits dial-up to 28K.  The only other option available is satellite, which I cannot afford.

My normal dial-up connection speed is 26.6K, but it is very solid.  In-game my net status shows a flat line with barely perceptible up and down.  I get occasional "episodes" of warping etc, but rarely.

When I connect at the full 28K speed I see some stability issues, so generally log off and try again.

Any other use of the internet requires me to have a book in my hand.  Click- then read a page or two, then click again.  I also sometimes click, and then go out and work in the garage for a bit before I come back in and see how the computer is doing.

Definately a very "relaxed" pace.

MtnMan

[DoNKeY]

Well I don't think I have crappy internet (dsl) so much as I have Norton...  As you guys can guess my computer warps like it's its god given right.

[thndregg]

Originally posted by crockett
I was just wondering how the game plays for people with less than desirable HSD connections.

I have dial-up. My ISP is CMC.net. Malheur Bell is supposed to have DSL installed out here. One town, four miles south of me has it. One town,  eight miles north of me has it. We don't.

Aces High runs alright overall for me, but there are times where UDP just won't hold, despite how clean I run my computer. Also, when TCP kicks in, I can transmit on vox alright, but I get only partial vox reception. That is, the first part of someone's vox Tx comes through, but then is abruptly cut off.

[bj229r]

Originally posted by crockett

..... One major draw back is the internet. In fact it kinda sucks fastest "hardwired" internet available is only 1mpbs/down and it's around $300/month.   .....

 

So I guess my 49.2k DIALup is somewhat lacking too:)

[VWE]

I'm currently deployed to Iraq and playing on a satellite connection with ping rates of 750+... as long as your connection is stable even with these ping rates I have the game is playable. Speeds not your issue, stability is...