Aces High Bulletin Board
Help and Support Forums => Technical Support => Topic started by: Jackle1 on December 23, 2015, 07:08:31 PM
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I used PingPlotter and have now noticed Packet Loss. I have included an attachment of the PingPlotter traceroute.
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power cycle both your router and modem. Shut them down, wait 15 seconds or so and then restart them. Check pingplotter again to see if it clears up.
Also, this 71.252.137.154 is the address you want to ping. The HTC web site and game are on different servers.
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What he said.
Also note, when you run the ping plot to the game servers, the last and/or the next to last routers will always show 100% packet loss as they do not honor the ICMP ECHO message, which is acceptable.
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Thanks for your help. :aok
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So I have unplugged the router and wifi as suggested.
I jumped back into the game today and I still get the same message within 5minutes of playing. UDP switching to TCP. Then shortly after the connection is lost.
I am not sure what else to do.
Any suggestions.
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I have included tow of the most recent pingplotter image which I captured shortly after AH crashing. One from IP 71.252.137.154 and one form Hightech web page.
Can someone explain what is going on and what I need to do. I have read it could be my router and that a new one may help.
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I have included tow of the most recent pingplotter image which I captured shortly after AH crashing. One from IP 71.252.137.154 and one form Hightech web page.
Can someone explain what is going on and what I need to do. I have read it could be my router and that a new one may help.
There is nothing wrong with that plot. Like Skuzzy said, the last two wont return the echo so will show a packet lose even tho there isn't. In game, what does your net stats look like? If its a tight squiggly line with no big peaks your connection could be ok. It may just be the last minute xmas shoppers pounding your section of the internet.
Id give it a couple days to settle down. It may be fine tomorrow
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Thanks Fugitive. I think you are right in that it is probably everyone in my area being online shopping.
I did look at the Net Status. Every so often there would be a huge spike in the Variance Delay (more than a second) and I also noticed very small spikes every so often in the Host Queue Time. Hope this is just a result of a lot of people using the internet in my area for the Christmas.
I will try later. :rock
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Are you running an anti-virus or anti-anything program on your computer? They could be interfering with the game network connection.
Check for resource issues by going into the games "Video Settings" and changing the "Maximum Texture Size" to 512, or less and tr it online. Never mind what it looks like. Just trying to eliminate all the variables which could contribute to this.
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That packet loss is odd, are you on wifi?
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Okay, I will try changing the texture. I will look into my Anti Virus as well.
No I am not using WiFi for my connection.
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Well this is horse poop. I have turned off my Anti Virus, I lowered the texture as low as it will go, I am hard lined.
Takes about 4 minutes and it changes to TCP, then 3 more minutes and it disconnects me from the server. I just came back after about 5 months off and have never had this problem before.
I think I am at the point were I will just resign from the game permanently.
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I just came back after about 5 months off and have never had this problem before.
That's what I hear almost daily. Something used to work and after a pause it doesn't work any more. Unfortunately there isn't any cure-all available.
As has been said, it can be your modem. I don't know about your ISP, the ones here lend them for testing purposes.
There's a bunch of other variables which you haven't told about yet:
- Which version of Windows you are using?
- Have you taken action about certain updates (http://bbs.hitechcreations.com/smf/index.php/topic,71591.msg4998528.html#msg4998528) sending information to Microsoft?
- Which anti-virus you're using?
- How exactly did you turn your anti-virus off?
- How long is your DHCP lease time?
I'm asking all this because a) both Windows 8 and Norton (at least) have the feature of limiting your Internet usage if they think it's paid per use, b) many anti-virus programs keep some basic restrictions even when stopped, c) both your modem and your ISP have a DHCP server which determines how long you can use a certain IP address. Years ago I had a major issue with my ISP having set the lease time too short to even download my e-mail. 24 hours is somewhat of a standard.
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There are anti-virus programs which WILL cause these problems, even when disabled. Norton, McAfee, Kaspersky, and another one I cannot recall at the moment are notorious for these types of problems.
Like Bizman said, if you are running Windows 8.1, or earlier, Microsoft has updates which could also cause this by virtue of the factt they use enormous amounts of CPU and network time getting your computer prepared for Windows 10.
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Based on Skuzzy's comment about CPU and network time being used to prepare for Windows 10 would it be worth it to upgrade now.
I have Windows 7 Professional
I use Avast Anti Virus. I go into Settings, Active Protection then turn them all off.
I checked my Lease time and it is for one day December 24th, to December 25th. I think I am looking in the right area.
I am not Tech so I am not sure what I am looking at to begin with.
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Upgrading may not be the best option. If you take that route, at least do a clean install. Most of the 7 to 10 upgrades I've seen so far have got some issues, worst of them having been mouse and keyboard not working at login.
Remember, you don't have to upgrade to 10. Microsoft will support 7 until 2020, over four years from now. At that date you might want to get a new computer anyway with the current Windows anyway. As for the updates preparing your computer for Windows 10, each of them is tagged as optional instead of critical, which means they aren't necessary at all for Windows 7 to work as it should. Actually if you were a Tech you might take even the critical updates under surveillance and decide one by one whether to install them or not. That's what large company Techs do to prevent conflicts with their installed programs.
I use Avast too. What I've done due to some issues in the past is that I've set both the C:\HitechCreations\* folder and aceshigh.exe on every exclusions list I could find in the settings.
As for the lease time, I suppose you used ipconfig /all to see it. What was the IP address there? Based on the images you sent I suppose it was 192.#.#.# which means it's the lease time of the LAN of your modem. The 10.#.#.# which is the second hop on the images is also "private" address, probably the ISP's first server to shake hands with your modem, verifying you're their customer or something like that. You'd have to ask your ISP techies to check the lease time for the actual IP address they provide. You might also be able to set your modem to "Bridged" mode with all of the required reboots and such. You should then be able to see the real IP address by using ipconfig /all, probably the one starting 216.#.#.# (eastlink.ca).
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Thanks Bizman. There is a lot there to think about.
I am hoping that it is just a result of server overuse during the holidays, which will hopefully subside in a couple days.
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Routers do go bad over time.
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Routers do go bad over time.
Indeed, and very seldom it can be verified as easily as happened at a customer's new house: It had worked in the previous apartment, so they believed there could be nothing wrong with it. I opened the case and noticed a brown spot the size of a fingerprint on the inner surface of the upper part of the case. On the relevant location on the circuit board I found another, darker brown spot the size of the head of a pin. One tiny surface mount capacitor had fried. - I seem to like stories more than just technical data, hope it doesn't tire you out...
Yet another thing to take into consideration: On today's news on the radio they told about storms and tornadoes in the USA, and that they haven't been able to do all repairing before new damage has occurred.
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Network Interface Adapter, NIC.
go into device manager, look for the network card. it should have some advanced properties.
make sure that its set for full duplex, rss is enabled. disable flow control, any power saving option, disable any ipv6 options.
this stuff prolly set fine but........
your ISP might be doing some kind of optimization crap...............
luck
is the cable modem hot, is the cable attach point hot????????
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Good points, MADe. :salute
Usually the default settings work well enough for most situations. The easiest way to reset all NIC related settings is to delete it in the Device Manager, reboot and let Windows reinstall it. Just in case something goes wrong and Windows loses the drivers, it would be safe to download the latest drivers to a safe place before the operation. The only modification for the NIC settings I've ever used is to uncheck the "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" option. For what I've read tweaking the networking settings may improve one feature while restraining others. Thus a download accelerator may cause issues with online gaming etc.
After all these warnings about tweaking I find it tempting to disable some of the advanced features of the NIC. Features like Wake On LAN are never used, so they seem safe to disable. Leaving duplex and speed settings to automatic probably use some resources, but in my layman way of thinking it may improve stability in case of issues in the Internet.
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I appreciate all of the advise I have gotten. I am no tech person, and therefore am not comfortable going into the Network Card and enabling and disabling anything.
I guess I am just confused as to why this is occurring now when I have never had this issue before, at any time while I've playing this game in the last 5 years. Yes I was away for a few months and just got back on, but what would have changed to cause this.
i was on tonight and within a matter of 5 minutes I was kicked out 3X. The few days before I was able to stay on for at least an hour before I gut the boot.
I do have an older modem and WiFi so maybe this need to be changed. At this point I am not sure, and I would love to be able to go into my computer and figure this out; however without somebody standing over my shoulder to walk me through it I wouldn't be able to do it.
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A pc has so many things you can adjust that it can be daunting.
Did you state in last post that you were using a wifi connection from pc to modem? Can you use a wired connection? If wifi, its possible that there are too many devices on that same wifi channel. ie: smartphones, home wireless phones, neighbors, new neighbors???????? this is something that can be adjusted if made aware.
the game uses UDP packets primarily. They are not monitored, and if lost, they just disappear. Your pc however sends them at a specific rate, all the time. I guess the game has a time out method on each pc incoming packet streams. times out udp, goes tcp, timesout tcp drops connection.
make sure modem is plugged with a quality electrical connection. Use an Ethernet cat 5 wired connection.
Make sure modem connection to service provider is tight, not hot.
Reminds me, your internet provider might have updated the FW in your modem??????? You might want to go into modem options for a look see??????????
Many modems have a DMZ option, you can set up a specific port/machine so that its outside the modems firewall. You loose protection but its a method to see if its the modems security that's at issue.
you said nothing was changed in machine. ie: is it set to auto update? if so its possible a driver got updated, or a security update is not working with something in your pc. If things are left on auto functions, if you you leave machine on 24/7................
its possible that you just need a different dns provider. this is something you can change in pc and/or modem but it does require a scan run by namebench. Quite simple if you care to look into it. Prolly the internet, out of your control but I learned to drive my pc at its optional level, not be driven, highly recommend it.
luck
ps: I'm no tech person either, but its easy at the level you need, read and google a lot.....
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Very few people are tech persons and truth to be said even they might not be the best in solving problems.
As MADe said, there's a gazillion things you can adjust in a PC. However, speaking about hardware, default settings work best for most people. A simple reset has saved my bacon in hundreds of cases during these eleven years I've been working as a self employed home techie. - Getting rid of unnecessary software is another thing, it can really boost your system. But that's another story.
Usually your ISP takes care of name servers, but sometimes the modem can't find the addresses automatically. That can be due to your ISP having changed something at their end, causing incompatibility with certain modems. Changing DNS servers might work and it's easy to do. You can set them manually, but you are not restricted to your ISP's servers. E.G Google's public DNS servers are free to use. The addresses are 8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4. Tutorial: http://www.plus.net/support/software/dns/changing_dns_windows7.shtml (http://www.plus.net/support/software/dns/changing_dns_windows7.shtml)
As for WiFi, the extra load has already been mentioned. There's other things, too, that can interfere with it. A microwave oven, lawn mower, your house cabling including extensions, cell phone base stations, power lines, Northern Lights, solar flares...
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Maybe another thought, are you having issues while surfing the web? When you are going from page to page are there sometimes long delays for pages to load, or do they just pop right up?
If so, you can rule out a game issue, like memory problems or corrupt files (id do a reinstall anyway just to be sure, install a fresh download right over the game). If the issue is still there while browsing you can be sure it is more likely a network issue.
You have rebooted the modem and router. Try unplugging the network cable from your modem to the router. Take the network cable from your computer off the router and plug it directly into the modem by passing the router. Check your connection again. In your case, load up the game and play. Seeing as you seem to drop out quick it shouldn't take long to see if it still does it.
If it still drops you out,you may have a bad modem, if it doesn't, you may have a bad router. Routers are easy to swap out. If you need to replace it just google the specs on your old one, and when looking for a new one match the specs.
If it looks like its the modem, you'll have to call your ISP (Internet Service Provider). They will most likely run a few test from their end to see what kind of response the modem will give. I know when mine was failing the cable company could see the drop outs, how often and how many. They may also have you do the by-pass test I mentioned above. Once they decide that there is an issue they will send out a repairman to replace the modem.
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Well just as an update. I guess I had not tried everything. I did unplug my wifi and hard line my cable in. That seemed to work better. I was able to stay on for an hour or so before losing the connection. I will try to get on later today and see how well it works.
Thanks for all the advise. Everybody was great :rock
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remember your wifi radio and the ethernet wired connect funnel to same place. Turn off the wifi and see how that affects things.
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Well no real change other than time of day. I can be in the game in the evening at I drop connections often, then during the day not as much, but it still happens.
I have literally tried everything that has been suggested. I think my next step is to get a tech out to look at my computer, although I'm getting the feeling it's my service provider.
This has to be one of the most frustrating things, especially since about 6 months ago I didn't have this problem at all.
Oh well.
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Here is the most recent Ping Plotter pic. It is a lot different than the one before.
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That Ping Plot looks normal. Although I noted the ALTER.net router in your path which has been a problematic router.
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That Ping Plot looks normal. Although I noted the ALTER.net router in your path which has been a problematic router.
who uses the ALTER.net router?
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Edit: Did a full read, only saw OP at first. I have win 8.1 and I make sure to use the Task Manager to turn off BITS from services, as well as a few others. There is a "safe" list provided by BlackViper that so far has explained services to shut down. Also, there are some processes that I shut down, but not necessary to do so. Everytime I start up the computer some of these services are turned back on ... no matter how I remove or shut them down. I basically, just set my cpu to sleep to save the settings.
Sometimes, a "harmless" download will have hidden add-ons that build up without your realization. It's best to check the Task Manager frequently and notice what processes are running while you are idle. The manager has a nifty right click feature that will give you feedback for what these services and/ or processes are needed for.
http://www.blackviper.com/service-configurations/black-vipers-windows-8-1-service-configurations/ (http://www.blackviper.com/service-configurations/black-vipers-windows-8-1-service-configurations/)
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Ya, I am so frustrated. Can't keep in the game more than 10 minutes an it crashes.
I guess I will wait until somebody can take a look at my computer to see if it is at my end. If not I'm not sure what I will do.
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Ya, I am so frustrated. Can't keep in the game more than 10 minutes an it crashes.
I guess I will wait until somebody can take a look at my computer to see if it is at my end. If not I'm not sure what I will do.
Sorry, I was a little behind on the post. Check what I posted before. Take a few moments to just compare your Task manager to the Black Viper list and notice the "safe" column. Also, they break it up into 8.1 pro or 8.1 enterprise OS. You won't see everything that is on the list, but I just about guarantee BITS is there wasting your resources. It even tells you the only reason you would keep it running.
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Thanks Chilli, for your response. I am running WIN 7.
I've included my lastest PingPlotter image with an IP you suggested.
I will look at the safe list.
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Now that one looks like crap. The first hop is your router, the second I think is your modem. If the modem is dropping packets everything else will be look bad as well. Call your internet provider and tell them you cant stay connected. Most likely they will have to send someone out to replace your modem.
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Be sure when you power cycle your cable modem if it has a battery to remove that first, unplug it, wait, plug the modem back in and replace the battery last. If you left the battery in you didn't really cycle it as it never shut off due to the battery keeping it powered.
Sent from my XT1585 using Tapatalk
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http://www.blackviper.com/service-configurations/black-vipers-windows-7-service-configurations/ (http://www.blackviper.com/service-configurations/black-vipers-windows-7-service-configurations/)
Jackie,
Above link is the Win 7 list... my bad, I had your OS mixed up with another discussion on upgrade to 10 from 8.1 :headscratch:
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Thanks Chilli, for your response. I am running WIN 7.
I've included my lastest PingPlotter image with an IP you suggested.
I will look at the safe list.
Now that is nasty. It is right at your Internet connection. You need to get your ISP involved.
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I have spoken to my internet provider and they see nothing wrong with my modem. I do have a router attached which may be the issue.
I have an IT guy coming out to look at my computer for other issues and will get him to help me with this.
Thanks for being patient with me. I am good at certain things; however computers are not one of them. :rolleyes:
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I have spoken to my internet provider and they see nothing wrong with my modem. I do have a router attached which may be the issue.
I have an IT guy coming out to look at my computer for other issues and will get him to help me with this.
Thanks for being patient with me. I am good at certain things; however computers are not one of them. :rolleyes:
Himmm, your cable modem should be in "bridge mode" if you are using a router after it. The cable modem could have its own router as well.
I would suggest plugging your pc Ethernet wire directly to the modem, unplugging all else but your pc.
Did you add the router yourself?
If you need the router because you have more devices than available ports, your cable modem will not do bridge mode, I know that some routers can be used as just a set of ports. I was able to go from modem port to a routers device port, not the modems Ethernet port that would connect to modem. The router had 8 device ports, I plugged modem Ethernet port to 1 of the 8, the other 7 became usable ports. This just added more physical ports, I just had to turn off certain router admin functions, assign a port range. FYI is all.