Well thanks for the input, I never gamed on a router, better yet wireless, until about a year ago.
Comcast definitely sucks out here near Chicago. I've pinged and and ran tracert on it a good 100 times. As it passes through Chicago, it gets real weak and ugly. I do beleive Skuzzy verified this for me, if I remember right.
Comcast may be better where you are located, but it has real issues out this way, and I can pin point where they start. And the only thing I can attribute it to is I'm losing less packets as an end result in the last step to my PC, just enough to keep it connected until the next packets come in,...by port forwarding.
Obviously, if things are in good shape where you are located then you have no need to venture for every thread of help you can muster out of something. Losing a couple packets because it's so weak means the difference of staying connected and not. If port forwarding improves end result latency then I'll take it. If it's weak as it approaches the router, and going through the router weakens it more, then the streamlining might be producing a little less loss.
The router is setup just fine. All those things that should be on are on, including DHCP. I've tried the setup many different ways, from reset to default , update the firmware, to fancy changes. Right now it's running back to default with THE only thing that produced results,..port forwarding and static IP.
As a common rule, the more thing you have connected in line, the more chances for loss, error or latency.
My point being, if you run through a router and have the same issues, it's well worth trying, that's why they implement it in the firmware. If it works for me there's no reason why it can't work for someone else with the same issues. It's not a universal setting everyone should invoke.
Chances are if you run without a router you're getting a more even direct flow and less latency to begin with. But lets not talk like it can't help someone else by saying it's all my router's fault, of course it is.
You could very well be right 100%, BUT, it's an option that really shouldn't be down played. The router is set up for gaming (even labeled as such) and port forwarding for a reason, it's not a hidden trick.
Thanks for the input, as long as I can play because of it, I guess it's to my benefit.
I just hope other people remain aware of it in case they have the same problems too. Some people may not be aware of it existing in their router at all.
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Animl
