FIOS + GAMING = THE LAG IS REAL!!
Technopoptart
Enthusiast - Level 2

Its happened in the past and it seems to be happening agian. I find it very strange and wierd that I can play multiple different MMO's but  I seem to have the most issues with FFXIV: AAR (Final Fantasy XIV : A Realm Reborn) . Naturally, like anyone that has issues with one specific game you assume it the game and contact them and thier support and explain to them the usual. 

LAG, TIMING OUT, FREEZING, and CONNECTION LOST or WEAK.

Which they then tell you the basics of try resetting your router, try this, try that.The usual tech support responces. They have you run test and speed connections and the next thing you know pointers indicate that is the ISP connection. The ISP is not allowing or is throttling the connections, or rather this was how was it phrased. "You ISP is limiting the connection between you and your game clients server. meaning that you are not  sending or recieving the full impact of your connection"

So I am curious. Is anyone else having these issues? Or is this a legit thing? Throttling a connection?

If so why is this happening?  And why when contacting Verison do i get the same pointed fingers. "Oh it must be your game" with teh same , try this try that song and dance.

Can we please find the disconnect?! 

Its really bad when a friend visiting out of state can use "COX hotel internet" and have a better connection then me!!

Re: FIOS + GAMING = THE LAG IS REAL!!
Hubrisnxs
Legend

Your game people's tech support are probably blowing smoke.


Congestion Management

Verizon Online does not affirmatively manage congestion on the network through mechanisms such as real-time throttling, blocking, or dropping of specific end user traffic. There are no usage caps applicable to Verizon Online's Internet access services.

Bandwidth is provided on a per-line (not a per-device) basis. The speed of the service may vary based on network or Internet congestion, your computer configuration, your use of FiOS TV video on demand service (VOD), the condition of your telephone line and the wiring inside your location, among other factors. Your FiOS Internet service and FiOS TV VOD service share capacity on the fiber-optic connection to your home. The capacity available for your FiOS Internet access service may be reduced if you are watching multiple FiOS TV VOD titles simultaneously.

Application-Specific Behavior

Except as noted below with respect to blocking outbound traffic on port 25, Verizon Online does not block or rate-control specific protocols or protocol ports other than for security reasons as set forth below, modify protocol fields in ways not prescribed by the protocol standard, or otherwise inhibit or favor certain applications or classes of applications of traffic on our Internet access service.


Verizon Online Network Management Guide for Broadband Internet Access Services

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Re: FIOS + GAMING = THE LAG IS REAL!!
Hubrisnxs
Legend

get the ip of the game server you're on,

log in to the game and open a command prompt. Type "netstat -b" and look for the line that says [ffxiv.exe]. On the line above that, the second ip address is the server

Do a traceroute to that server, and if you can copy and paste the results here, that would be helpful.  .

also are you playing your game over a wireless or wired connection?

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Re: FIOS + GAMING = THE LAG IS REAL!!
Technopoptart
Enthusiast - Level 2

Sure! I can do that. I think this is what you want.

This is the trace route at 12:37pm with no traffic and lag.  I will post it agian later as well. 

I play on a wired connection.

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\******>tracert 199.91.189.30

Tracing route to 199.91.189.30 over a maximum of 30 hops

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms Wireless_Broadband_Router.home [192.168.1.1]
2 6 ms 6 ms 7 ms L100.NRFLVA-VFTTP-26.verizon-gni.net [96.249.254
.1]
3 23 ms 16 ms 17 ms G0-3-5-6.NRFLVA-LCR-21.verizon-gni.net [130.81.2
15.58]
4 59 ms 24 ms 24 ms ae17-0.RES-BB-RTR1.verizon-gni.net [130.81.199.2
18]
5 * * * Request timed out.
6 * * * Request timed out.
7 54 ms 64 ms 23 ms 0.ae4.XT1.DCA5.ALTER.NET [140.222.225.203]
8 23 ms 24 ms 32 ms 0.xe-8-1-0.XL1.IAD8.ALTER.NET [152.63.40.86]
9 24 ms 24 ms 24 ms 0.xe-8-3-0.GW9.IAD8.ALTER.NET [152.63.36.14]
10 28 ms 24 ms 24 ms tinet-gw.customer.alter.net [152.179.50.30]
11 45 ms 47 ms 45 ms xe-4-0-0.mtl10.ip4.gtt.net [141.136.108.190]
12 46 ms 44 ms 44 ms ormuco-gw.ip4.gtt.net [216.221.156.110]
13 44 ms 44 ms 44 ms 192.34.76.2
14 46 ms 47 ms 45 ms 199.91.189.234
15 44 ms 44 ms 44 ms 199.91.189.30

Trace complete.

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Re: FIOS + GAMING = THE LAG IS REAL!!
Hubrisnxs
Legend

So far so good,  if you get a bad day and a bad trace feel free to post it, we can take a quick look.

here's a general walk through on how to interpret the results

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Re: FIOS + GAMING = THE LAG IS REAL!!
Technopoptart
Enthusiast - Level 2

Thanks Hubrisnxs.

As I said I would post on a day when there is stuttering and lagging.(havent been actually on it in a few) here is what comes up. at close to 9 PM.  I have a roommate that plays WOW. He usually never gets lag even if we are both playing on a wired connection. Tonight its crazy because he has lag as well. 

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

C:\Users\******>tracert 199.91.189.30

Tracing route to 199.91.189.30 over a maximum of 30 hops

1 <1 ms <1 ms 1 ms Wireless_Broadband_Router.home [192.168.1.1]
2 7 ms 6 ms 7 ms L100.NRFLVA-VFTTP-26.verizon-gni.net [96.249.254
.1]
3 11 ms 15 ms 11 ms G0-3-5-6.NRFLVA-LCR-21.verizon-gni.net [130.81.2
15.58]
4 50 ms 62 ms 32 ms ae17-0.RES-BB-RTR1.verizon-gni.net [130.81.199.2
18]
5 * * * Request timed out.
6 * * * Request timed out.
7 24 ms 46 ms 77 ms 0.ae4.XT1.DCA5.ALTER.NET [140.222.225.203]
8 26 ms 26 ms 24 ms 0.xe-8-2-1.XL1.IAD8.ALTER.NET [152.63.40.90]
9 25 ms 24 ms 24 ms 0.xe-8-3-0.GW9.IAD8.ALTER.NET [152.63.36.14]
10 25 ms 23 ms 25 ms tinet-gw.customer.alter.net [152.179.50.30]
11 123 ms 122 ms 122 ms xe-1-2-0.mtl10.ip4.gtt.net [89.149.186.217]
12 121 ms 124 ms 124 ms ormuco-gw.ip4.gtt.net [216.221.156.110]
13 123 ms 124 ms 121 ms 192.34.76.2
14 120 ms 121 ms 122 ms 199.91.189.234
15 123 ms 124 ms 124 ms 199.91.189.30

Trace complete.

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Re: FIOS + GAMING = THE LAG IS REAL!!
Hubrisnxs
Legend

well, unfortunately, when things are going good, you will notice your last mile hops stay under 50. 

When things get bad your last mile hops jump and then are sustained above 120.ms.

Those the Last hops to your Game Servers Internet Provider.  To me that looks like they are just getting REAL REAL busy.  You probably notice a lot of users.  normally you can see who's online, and I bet if you checked something like that, you would find EVERYONE is online.  

I would check out their forums and see if others in your area are having similar problems, and see if there is a way to escalate to their admin's.  The only way around that type of trouble normally is if the game server does a patch update, takes advantage of load balancing their connections and users, and or simply buys more bandwidth and servers.

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Re: FIOS + GAMING = THE LAG IS REAL!!
dslr595148
Community Leader
Community Leader

For some tips, I point you to http://www.wikihow.com/Minimize-Lag-While-Gaming-Online

Note there are other sites, that deal with reducing the lag/jitter.

Such as...

http://newtecharticles.com/5-steps-to-reduce-lag-in-online-games/

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Re: FIOS + GAMING = THE LAG IS REAL!!
FrankGrimey
Enthusiast - Level 2

I have the same problem. I'm inclined to believe it's an issue on Verizon's end because I switch from my wired connection through Verizon to a wireless connection through my T-Mobile phone which has a weak 4G signal in my home and the issues I was experiencing just moments earlier are COMPLETELY gone! (I've done this on multiple occasions, particularly when I want to play as a tank) No 10 second lag spikes. The best thing about using my mobile broadband is aside from it actually working properly, most MMO's actually use very little data so my wireless service is essentially adequate backup when Verizon can't keep it together.

If you have the option, try another service either through your phone or perhaps a friendly neighbor with a different provider around the time you're having the latency issues.

I'm going to call Verizon about it next week.

Re: FIOS + GAMING = THE LAG IS REAL!!
alewares
Enthusiast - Level 2

The peering link between tinet and Verizon is overloaded, and routing through it is giving bad ping.

Verizon has had a history of bad routing, especially through alter. However, this may not be the case for you.

Most cases as of right now concerning routing issues with FFXIV are like this:

http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/threads/193310-routing-issues-with-gtt.net-and-Verizon-in-New-Yor...

With the focus being the alter.net router. This router is Verizon's, and it is completely up to them to fix the routing issue.

For a temporary workaround, try using a VPN like Battleping. It should route differently and give you workable pings.

In the meantime, can you please use WinMTR and post a log of that during your affected hours? It will give us a better look into what is the source of the problem. For all we know, alter.net could be your problem as well, as traceroute does not show packet loss percentage as effectively.