Internet killer?

[Cee64E]

When ever I try to fly in the online arenas I lose all internet connection on my game machine.  No other devices on my home network lose their connection.  It doesn't disconnect, it just stops working.  It still shows as connected but there is absolutely no traffic.  Can't even get to my router with my web browser.  I just signed up to play this game again after a long break.  I've used this machine to play before with no trouble and I still meet the recommended system requirements.  I ran a couple of ping plots to see if that might be the problem, and they are pretty ugly, But I don't understand how the connection being iffy could cause my internet connection on this one machine to lock up.

Please help.

[Skuzzy]

You are tracing to the wrong address.  That is our WEB server.  Use 206.16.60.38 for a game server IP address.

Make sure you do not have a machine set to a static IP address that is part of the DHCP pool as another machine can get the same IP address which will cause what you describe.

You can also test the network by going around the router with your computer, assuming your router and Internet modem are two separate devices.

[Cee64E]

Thanks for the advice.  I checked and there aren't any conflicting IPs.  However while I was at it I forwarded the whole range of ports on my netgear router just to see if that would help.  Apparently it did, I was able to play online for a good while last night.

[kilz]

Thanks for the advice.  I checked and there aren't any conflicting IPs.  However while I was at it I forwarded the whole range of ports on my netgear router just to see if that would help.  Apparently it did, I was able to play online for a good while last night.

glad that helpped also if you decided to get rid of that router i would go with a Cisco

[ToeTag]

Thanks for the advice.  I checked and there aren't any conflicting IPs.  However while I was at it I forwarded the whole range of ports on my netgear router just to see if that would help.  Apparently it did, I was able to play online for a good while last night.

having a similar problem how do you forward the range on your ports?

[Cee64E]

Well I thought I had it fixed.  It's doing it again.  It happens when I actually get in a plane.  I lose UDP then a few seconds later I lose all connection.  After that I have to restart my computer to get any kind of internet connection working again.  When it happened tonight, I immediately checked to make sure nothing was connected to my network but my game machine.  Checked my ports, still forwarded.  Checked the logs for the firewall and antivirus, nada.

Previous versions of the game (back a couple of years ago) I had to bridge the connection to my router and run the PPOE from my game machine.  Do you think I need to do that again?  I may as well try it, I suppose.

having a similar problem how do you forward the range on your ports?

Log into your router (My netgear is http://www.routerlogin.net/adv_index.htm)  Look for port forwarding/port triggering in it's menus.  I forwarded the whole range.


Edited to add:

To add a new wrinkle, I could get into the late war main arena and launch in a panzer h at v26 and drive all over the place until I got egged  but couldn't up a trio of B17Gs at a12.  As soon as I hit the runway the beacon light goes yellow and I lose UDP, followed shortly by the whole shebang going kaput.

[Skuzzy]

The game cannot kill an Internet connection.  However, if your computer runs out of resources, that could kill your computers connection to its network.

A DXDIAG output might be helpful here, assuming it is your computer that is dropping its network connection.

Also, a Ping Plot to 206.16.60.38 might be revealing as well.

[gyrene81]

do you guys with the netgear routers have qos setup in the router admin panel?

[Cee64E]

The game cannot kill an Internet connection.  However, if your computer runs out of resources, that could kill your computers connection to its network.

A DXDIAG output might be helpful here, assuming it is your computer that is dropping its network connection.

Also, a Ping Plot to 206.16.60.38 might be revealing as well.

As requested...



NOTE:  This is abridged.  Full readout was too long

------------------
System Information
------------------
Time of this report: 11/15/2012, 18:32:57
       Machine name: WERERAT
   Operating System: Windows XP Professional (5.1, Build 2600) Service Pack 3 (2600.xpsp_sp3_gdr.120821-1629)
           Language: English (Regional Setting: English)
System Manufacturer: System manufacturer
       System Model: System Product Name
               BIOS: Phoenix - AwardBIOS v6.00PG
          Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM)2 Duo CPU     E8400  @ 3.00GHz (2 CPUs)
             Memory: 2046MB RAM
          Page File: 910MB used, 4078MB available
        Windows Dir: C:\WINDOWS
    DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0c (4.09.0000.0904)
DX Setup Parameters: Not found
     DxDiag Version: 5.03.2600.5512 32bit Unicode

------------
DxDiag Notes
------------
  DirectX Files Tab: No problems found.
      Display Tab 1: No problems found. DirectDraw test results: All tests were successful. Direct3D 7 test results: All tests were successful. Direct3D 8 test results: All tests were successful. Direct3D 9 test results: All tests were successful.
        Sound Tab 1: DirectSound test results: All tests were successful.
          Music Tab: DirectMusic test results: All tests were successful.
          Input Tab: No problems found.
        Network Tab: No problems found. DirectPlay test results: All tests were successful.

--------------------
DirectX Debug Levels
--------------------
Direct3D:    0/4 (n/a)
DirectDraw:  0/4 (retail)
DirectInput: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectMusic: 0/5 (n/a)
DirectPlay:  0/9 (retail)
DirectSound: 0/5 (retail)
DirectShow:  0/6 (retail)

---------------
Display Devices
---------------
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     Manufacturer: NVIDIA
        Chip type: GeForce 9600 GT
         DAC type: Integrated RAMDAC
       Device Key: Enum\PCI\VEN_10DE&DEV_0622&SUBSYS_23621682&REV_A1
   Display Memory: 512.0 MB
     Current Mode: 1920 x 1080 (32 bit) (60Hz)
          Monitor: Plug and Play Monitor
  Monitor Max Res: 1600,1200
      Driver Name: nv4_disp.dll
   Driver Version: 6.14.0013.0681 (English)
      DDI Version: 9 (or higher)
Driver Attributes: Final Retail
 Driver Date/Size: 9/23/2012 09:28:00, 4494208 bytes
      WHQL Logo'd: n/a
  WHQL Date Stamp: n/a
              VDD: n/a
         Mini VDD: nv4_mini.sys
    Mini VDD Date: 9/23/2012 09:28:00, 12557728 bytes
Device Identifier: {D7B71E3E-4562-11CF-9B77-6F0300C2CB35}
        Vendor ID: 0x10DE
        Device ID: 0x0622
        SubSys ID: 0x23621682
      Revision ID: 0x00A1
      Revision ID: 0x00A1
      Video Accel: ModeMPEG2_C ModeMPEG2_D
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         Registry: OK
     DDraw Status: Enabled
       D3D Status: Enabled
       AGP Status: Enabled
DDraw Test Result: All tests were successful.
 D3D7 Test Result: All tests were successful.
 D3D8 Test Result: All tests were successful.
 D3D9 Test Result: All tests were successful.

-------------
Sound Devices
-------------
            Description: Realtek HD Audio output
 Default Sound Playback: Yes
 Default Voice Playback: Yes
            Hardware ID: HDAUDIO\FUNC_01&VEN_10EC&DEV_0883&SUBSYS_10438249&REV_1000
        Manufacturer ID: 1
             Product ID: 100
                   Type: WDM
            Driver Name: RtkHDAud.sys
         Driver Version: 5.10.0000.5324 (English)
      Driver Attributes: Final Retail
            WHQL Logo'd: n/a
          Date and Size: 11/15/2006 01:34:40, 4225920 bytes
            Other Files:
        Driver Provider: Realtek Semiconductor Corp.
         HW Accel Level: Standard
              Cap Flags: 0x0
    Min/Max Sample Rate: 0, 0
Static/Strm HW Mix Bufs: 0, 0
 Static/Strm HW 3D Bufs: 0, 0
              HW Memory: 0
       Voice Management: No
 EAX(tm) 2.0 Listen/Src: No, No
   I3DL2(tm) Listen/Src: No, No
Sensaura(tm) ZoomFX(tm): No
               Registry: OK
      Sound Test Result: All tests were successful.

---------------------
Sound Capture Devices
---------------------
            Description: Realtek HD Audio Input
  Default Sound Capture: Yes
  Default Voice Capture: Yes
            Driver Name: RtkHDAud.sys
         Driver Version: 5.10.0000.5324 (English)
      Driver Attributes: Final Retail
          Date and Size: 11/15/2006 01:34:40, 4225920 bytes
              Cap Flags: 0x0
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DirectMusic
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        DLS Path: C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\drivers\GM.DLS
     DLS Version: 1.00.0016.0002
    Acceleration: n/a
           Ports: Microsoft Synthesizer, Software (Not Kernel Mode), Output, DLS, Internal, Default Port
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                  Microsoft GS Wavetable SW Synth [Emulated], Hardware (Not Kernel Mode), Output, No DLS, Internal
        Registry: OK
     Test Result: All tests were successful.

-------------------
DirectInput Devices
-------------------
      Device Name: Mouse
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: n/a
Vendor/Product ID: n/a
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: Keyboard
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Vendor/Product ID: n/a
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Vendor/Product ID: 0x045E, 0x001B
        FF Driver: C:\WINDOWS\system32\swpdflt2.dll
   FF Driver Date: 8/18/2001 00:36:32
FF Driver Version: 4.05.2600.0000
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      Device Name: G13
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: 0x0
Vendor/Product ID: 0x046D, 0xC21C
        FF Driver: n/a

      Device Name: Logitech G13 Joystick
         Attached: 1
    Controller ID: 0x1
Vendor/Product ID: 0x046D, 0xC2AB
        FF Driver: n/a

[The Fugitive]

What settings are you using in the game? That video card is a bit old, and low on memory. Adding any shadows or anti-alisen can use up over  a gig of memory and you only have half that. You may have to turn down the eye candy a lot to get it to run smooth.

[Cee64E]

I run with most of the effects off.  Detail is set at full fast  Ground detail at about the middle.  All bump mapping is off but I left detailed water and terrain on so I can tell where the water begins.  Resolution is at 1920x1280 which is native to my monitor.  Max texture is at 1024.  On the ground I can usually pull 60 fps though that dips to half when I go to gunsight view.  In the air I get an average of 55 - 60 fps.  Video doesn't seem to be the problem.

My problem is that I lose the UDP connection, followed moments later by the TCP connection.  After that, my game machine's network adapter just quits.  It reads as connected but there is no packet exchange happening at all and it only affects my game machine.  Other devices on the network like my Blu-Ray player and android tablets are not affected.  I have to restart my game machine to get any kind of internet connection back, even to the router.  My game machine is the only device that is directly wired to the router everything else is on wi-fi

My router is a netgear WINR2000v3.  My internet is 6Mbit DSL with an IPv6 to 4 tunnel.  QoS is enabled with my game machine set at highest and everything else set to low.  I have ports 2000 through 6000 forwarded for aceshigh.exe.  I was going to set my game machine to doing the PPOE connection and just bridge through the router but I haven't figured out how to do that with this router yet.  I had to do that before when I was a subscriber a few years ago but that was with a different router.  Back then I couldn't connect to the game at all until I bridged it

And the weird part is I was able to run around with a tank for like 20 minutes but as soon as I hit the runway in a bomber the beacon light goes yellow and I lost connection as described above.

[kvuo75]

another suggestion, make sure router firmware is current..

my playstation 3 used to really mess with my connection for every other device in the house (might have even been rebooting the router, IIRC).. Updated router firmware, problem completely solved.

[The Fugitive]

two things I would try, first powercycle your router and modem. Turn them both off for a few minutes, turn on the modem, and a minute or so later the router. Home version get "clogged up" for lack of a better word. Cycling them resets and clears them. If you find yourself doing this more than once a week or so it's time for a new modem and/or router. On an average my router last 18-24 months, modems 3-4 years. your mileage may vary.

second, turn the texture size down. I'd go to at least 512 if not 256. Personally Id start with 256 and see if I could stay flying. Like Skuzzy says, if you over load your computer, it could dump your network settings forcing you to re-boot to clear room and get it to work again. Changing a texture size and few times really isn't that big a problem and it could really lead you to an answer.

[Skuzzy]

I would do like Fugitive says, and you should disable 'skins' as well.

That said, your Ping Plot does not look good at all.  If it is always like that, you should send it to your ISP, which also happens to be our ISP for the game servers.

[Cee64E]

You guys keep acting like my game machine can't keep up.  While I know my graphics card is a little on the old side, I can still pull 60 fps, which is what my monitors refresh rate is, at full view distance in a ground vehicle.  My Logitech G13 keypad is set to display CPU and RAM usage.  At no time does ram usage go over 50%.  CPU tends to hover around 40% in the tower and around 25% in cockpit, be it vehicle or plane (though it does seem to be using only one of two CPUs).  I can get in a vehicle and drive around, engage in combat, run down a mountainside at lightspeed if I want but as soon as I hit the runway in a bomber I get a beacon light.  My game machine more than meets minimum specs and other than my older graphics card is doing pretty good on the recommended specs.  Making sure all drivers and firmwares were up to date is the -first- thing I did.  I'm going to reset my DSL Modem and Router after I post this.  I'm going to get in touch with AT&T as well about the packet loss, but again this is only a problem in planes.  If I was experiencing a lot of warping I could understand that.  But I'm not seeing a hardly any warping or rubber bullets, at least not on the ground.  I've got almost all of the eye candy turned off and even disabled the download of skins in the background.

I've only had this problem with one other game (ie completely killing my connection to the network & requiring a restart to get it back) and that was early versions of Minecraft.  (The early versions of Minecraft would throw out a Java Exception Error on WinXP Pro, service pack 3 users, but that was something in the Java code not liking certain motherboard ethernet chips)

I'm at a loss to figure this out, guys.