Network Error: Connection Lost

[Old Man of UO]

For the last three days, I have been getting Connection Lost errors after 5 minutes or so of playing. The strange thing is that if I die during the lost connection (which I usually do), then my swampy that I am riding automatically gets stabled and I get the message that I have to log out to get my pet.

The question is, how do I tell if this network error is on my end (DSL modem or my service provider) on on EA's end? How do I trouble shoot this?

 

[Bill Gates OSD]

Run a traceroute. There used to be a program specifically for this purpose for UO players called UO Trace, I think. I don't remember if that is the exact name of it though. Maybe someone else who reads this will remember and know where to get it.

 

[Old Man of UO]

Run a traceroute. There used to be a program specifically for this purpose for UO players called UO Trace, I think. I don't remember if that is the exact name of it though. Maybe someone else who reads this will remember and know where to get it.

Tried Trace Route... doesn't work on Win_7x64bit.

 

[Petra Fyde]

it doesn't? works on Win 7 32bit. I typed 'cmd' into the search box on the start menu. Then the command is 'tracert' not trace route.

uotrace is here and for future reference that link is listed on our uo.stratics front page, right hand menu under the 'official uo info' heading

 

[Old Man of UO]

Thanks Petra... it's an older 32bit program that is incompatible with 64bit Windows 7. An error message pops up with a message stating something like that whenever I try running the program.


EDIT:
Ran Traceroute from Linux (I don't know how to copy/pase from Terminal) and got 30 hops to Lake Superior. The last 20 were all after fertxx-eqx-iad.ea.com

 

[Lorax_Pacific]

I have had disconnects as well if that is any comfort although not consistent but random. There is sometimes a note about sync to the servers when attempting to log back in that requires multiple attempts.

My disconnects have sometimes occured to a specific instantiation of a client where on another computer connected to the same shard across the same internet equipment no disconnect.

I presume it is a server problem because of the details and circumstance from my experience.

Was that comforting?

-Lorax

 

[S.P.A]

Thanks Petra... it's an older 32bit program that is incompatible with 64bit Windows 7. An error message pops up with a message stating something like that whenever I try running the program.


EDIT:
Ran Traceroute from Linux (I don't know how to copy/pase from Terminal) and got 30 hops to Lake Superior. The last 20 were all after fertxx-eqx-iad.ea.com

FYI, I run UO Trace on Win x64 all the time...

 

[Old Man of UO]

FYI, I run UO Trace on Win x64 all the time...

Thanks for the info.

Seems I have a version prior to 2009... it just wouldn't run. I just downloaded from the link that Petra provided and it runs fine.

There seems to be 18% packet losses at 12.116.77.34 and an intermittent lag issue at fert-07-eqx-iad.ea.com but don't know if that would cause the network errors/connection lost. (How do you post these in a nice, neat table?)

Host Name IP Address Hop Ping Time Ping Avg % Loss Pkts r/s Ping best/worst
xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx 12.180.163.1 2 51ms 51ms 0% 114 / 114 50ms / 55ms
* Unknown Host * 12.91.4.57 3 70ms 78ms 0% 114 / 114 68ms / 154ms
cr81.mdswi.ip.att.net 12.122.99.66 4 108ms 100% 0 / 114
cr2.cgcil.ip.att.net 12.122.1.129 5 105ms 100% 0 / 114
cr1.cgcil.ip.att.net 12.122.2.53 6 104ms 100% 0 / 113
cr2.wswdc.ip.att.net 12.122.18.22 7 105ms 100% 0 / 113
cr84.wswdc.ip.att.net 12.123.10.250 8 106ms 100% 0 / 113
gar2.ascva.ip.att.net 12.122.134.121 9 106ms 100% 0 / 113
* Unknown Host * 12.116.77.34 10 97ms 107ms 18% 92 / 113 95ms / 254ms
fert07-eqx-iad.ea.com 159.153.224.226 11 215ms 121ms 0% 112 / 113 96ms / 306ms
* Unknown Host * 159.153.233.83 12 96ms 105ms 0% 113 / 113 94ms / 200ms

 

[Old Man of UO]

WHOA! Here's a clue.

I lose connection every 5 minutes, at exactly 5 minute intervals.

I've been watching the trace route and memory use for the last 40 minutes, and notice that each 5 minutes to the second I lose connection. 1:20, 1:25, 1:30... to 2:00.

Now, what would cause that? I don't see anything consistent in the trace route or the memory usage.

 

[Petra Fyde]

use the tags 'code' and '/code' - replacing the ' with [ and ]

You're tracing to the wrong address. Supreme posted that some servers had moved and the owo addresses weren't valid any more.

Lake Superior ip address is 63.117.27.137

http://vboards.stratics.com/uo-developer-feed/232741-anyone-else-severe-lag-spikes.html

 

[Old Man of UO]

Thanks for the information, Petra. Still getting disconnect at exactly 5 minute intervals. Very strange.

The problem seems to be with ALTER.NET hops. Here is the correct trace route then:

Host Name                                  IP Address        Hop    Ping Time   Ping Avg   % Loss    Pkts r/s    Ping best/worst
chesterlb0.alphacomm.net                   12.180.163.1      2      52ms        51ms       0%        225 / 226   50ms / 102ms
* Unknown Host *                           12.91.4.57        3      78ms        77ms       0%        225 / 226   67ms / 162ms
cr81.mdswi.ip.att.net                      12.122.99.66      4      77ms                   100%      0 / 225
cr2.cgcil.ip.att.net                       12.122.1.129      5      84ms                   100%      0 / 225
ggr2.attga.ip.att.net                      12.122.81.97      6      81ms                   100%      0 / 225
0.ae10.BR3.CHI13.ALTER.NET                 204.255.168.165   7      75ms        83ms       0%        224 / 225   72ms / 150ms
0.ae4.XL4.CHI13.ALTER.NET                  152.63.66.77      8      76ms        81ms       0%        224 / 225   71ms / 165ms
0.so-6-0-0.XL2.DCA8.ALTER.NET              152.63.41.130     9      108ms       106ms      0%        224 / 225   98ms / 219ms
* Unknown Host *                           152.63.39.110     10     103ms       109ms      0%        224 / 225   98ms / 224ms
* Unknown Host *                           206.112.176.42    11     108ms       113ms      0%        223 / 225   96ms / 302ms
* Unknown Host *                           206.112.184.37    12     99ms                   100%      0 / 225
host137.ea.com                             63.117.27.137     13     102ms       106ms      0%        223 / 225   95ms / 186ms

After polling just the 1st and 3rd hops ending in ALTER.NET, pings jump to +600ms (743ms and 646ms) and on these at the exact 5 minute intervals, and then I get disconnected. How do I fix this??

 

[Petra Fyde]

I'm no expert on such things, but I suspect the fault is your end - isp rather than you personally. That's a hell of a ping to have on a first hop. Not on dial up are you?

Have you tried rebooting the modem?

 

[RawHeadRex]

yikes... att is pure evil, 100% packet loss ? might want to contact your isp and bark at them.

 

[Petra Fyde]

This problem reminds me so much of one we had. We were cut off regularly every night at midnight. Hours spent on the phone with the isp eventually tracked it down to a dodgy switch in their exchange which was re-setting. I think this could turn out to be something very similar.
The 100% packet loss is only relevant if the packet count sent and received does not remain the same. Those servers just don't respond to ping requests. The Altnet pings are significant. Someone, probably your isp, needs to trace the fault there.

 

[Old Man of UO]

yikes... att is pure evil, 100% packet loss ? might want to contact your isp and bark at them.

ATA just doesn't respond to a polling request, don't think that 100% loss means anything.

I've done both a hard boot and a software reboot on the modem. The modem is about 6 months old, but you never know about those things. I get it both in Linux and Windows 7, so it's not software and I don't see anything wrong with the Ethernet connection. I don't "think" it's my computer, not sure how to trouble shoot the modem any further.

Ya... after polling for 1/2 hours, looks like 100% packet losses and 1,000ms pings at 5 minute intervals.

Saturday, so I can't call the ISP.

 

[Old Man of UO]

This problem reminds me so much of one we had. We were cut off regularly every night at midnight. Hours spent on the phone with the isp eventually tracked it down to a dodgy switch in their exchange which was re-setting. I think this could turn out to be something very similar...

This is what I am betting on... a switching component that went bad... but, exactly 5 minute intervals? Maybe an error in the network setting at the ISP?

 

[Storm]

you might try looking at your power levels (transmit power signal to noise etc)

This link may work for you not sure
http://192.168.100.1/

 

[Sevin0oo0]

could try turning off security, or off w/ pulse shaping. Watch your processes too, especially since it's a very exact timing

ATT has had some issues, found this out when our skype to the UK kept freezing. I'm thinking it was over in the NE U.S. area where the problem is. It's also up & dn, mostly crap tho

 

[Llewen]

ATA just doesn't respond to a polling request, don't think that 100% loss means anything.

You're right, the 100% packet loss doesn't mean anything, but the 18% packet loss certainly does. There is a clearly a problem on that hop. Try right clicking on that address and polling it. Let it run a few hundred times and see if there is a problem there. But Petra is also right, there is no way your first hop should be 50+. There is clearly some issue with your local connection to the internet.

...not sure how to trouble shoot the modem any further.

The easiest way to see if there is a problem with your router is to unplug it and connect your computer directly to your modem. If your modem is also your router then you can also try polling your modem/router and seeing if there is some kind of issue there. Your router will have an IP. If you view your network you can right click on your router icon and choose properties. That should give you the ip.

 

[Old Man of UO]

Thanks for the info, Llewen... I am pulling my hair out on this one... and now so is my ISP Tech guy!

The router is connected directly to my computer via Ethernet. I've done everything you've said, and it doesn't point directly at my Actiontec Wireless DSL router/modem. But one very strange thing is, if I reboot or rest my modem, the start time of the 5-minute interval to disconnect changes. I called Actiontec and they said that doesn't mean anything... but seems strange to me. They said they would replace the modem, but it's 65 miles one-way to the nearest store that carries a DSL modem, on a guess that is the problem.

The router/modem has the latest firmware. I've rebooted, reset, and reconfigured the router settings several times, and no change. I'm 90% sure it isn't the router. But not 100%.

I spent an hour or so this morning on the phone with my ISP Tech, watching pings along the route. At exactly 5 minute intervals, exactly one packet is dropped and I get disconnected. Exactly one packet each time. We were polling each hop, thousands of times, but it is so hard to find where that one packet was dropped from. I ran 6 simultaneous and separate trace routes, polling each hop separately for over an hour. I can time when the packet will be dropped, we just can't see where it originated from.

Sometimes... I just hate technology.

 

[Llewen]

Sometimes... I just hate technology.

I hear you. Have you tried polling your modem yet? In the folder where you installed UO Trace there is a file called "server.cfg". Open that file with a text editor and add the ip for your modem to the list of "Game Servers". Just add it in the format you find there. Then you can use UO Trace to poll it.

 

[Old Man of UO]

I hear you. Have you tried polling your modem yet? In the folder where you installed UO Trace there is a file called "server.cfg". Open that file with a text editor and add the ip for your modem to the list of "Game Servers". Just add it in the format you find there. Then you can use UO Trace to poll it.

Ya... polled it for an hour and didn't find anything - 0-2ms with no drops. I talked the ISP Tech into selling me a new wireless/modem/router for half price and will get a it in 2 days. Then the Tech can help me tweak the settings to make sure it isn't the router, and then further trouble shoot the hops if that doesn't fix it.

Gotta say the ISP Tech guy is pretty decent about it all... the modem tech support, not so much. I'll get a free warranty replacement for my original modem and sell it on Ebay, but that will take weeks.

 

[Harlequin]

If you can, keep the free replacement as a spare for future troubleshooting. Beats having to wait a couple of days for a replacement to be delivered.

 

[Llewen]

Ya... polled it for an hour and didn't find anything - 0-2ms with no drops.

I think that pretty much eliminates the router as the source of the problem. Now you need to do the same thing with your first hop, and so on - although polling for an hour is going a bit overboard, usually a few hundred polls will settle the issue.

And actually, based on the traceroute you posted, I think it's pretty clear that your problem is with the service your isp is providing. I think they they need to send a technician your way and see if there is some kind of problem between your house and the local wan. There is no way that first hop should have a ping of 50 - it should be under 10.

 

[Old Man of UO]

If you can, keep the free replacement as a spare for future troubleshooting. Beats having to wait a couple of days for a replacement to be delivered.

That's not a bad idea. The new modem/router should be here tomorrow. I did get the ISP agree to take back the new modem if that doesn't solve the problem.

I think that pretty much eliminates the router as the source of the problem. Now you need to do the same thing with your first hop, and so on - although polling for an hour is going a bit overboard, usually a few hundred polls will settle the issue.

And actually, based on the traceroute you posted, I think it's pretty clear that your problem is with the service your isp is providing. I think they they need to send a technician your way and see if there is some kind of problem between your house and the local wan. There is no way that first hop should have a ping of 50 - it should be under 10.

A dropped connection once every 5 minutes will take more than a few hundred pings. But I've already polled every hop along the way that I can poll (ATT doesn't respond to poll requests) and can see packet losses at the end of the line, and from ALTER.NET, but that doesn't mean it starts there because I can't poll ATT.

The ISP did agree that 50ms is pretty high at the first hop, and should be about 25ms on DSL. I don't have prior data to compare, so I don't really know.

Well, the new router is a place to start, and eliminates them pointing fingers back at my modem if that isn't the problem. Another week without UO, but with the EC memory leak, I had to restart every 15 minutes or so anyway.

Thanks for your help, everyone.

 

[Llewen]

The ISP did agree that 50ms is pretty high at the first hop, and should be about 25ms on DSL.

Ya, my experience is with cable, not dsl, so maybe 25 on the first hop is normal for dsl. From what I understand that will depend on how close you are to the receiver. However, there should be 0 packet loss, so perhaps a good few minutes of polling will help with that.

Having said that ALTER.net has been a source of problems in the past, so maybe there is a problem there again. And I don't know whether it is a memory leak that is causing my problem with the EC, but I am crashing to desktop a few times a day now when I am in areas with lots of housing.

 

[Old Man of UO]

I want to thank everyone here for your help!

It turns out, there were TWO problems. My router was dropping the connect for whatever reason. A new router is in and I'm not getting disconnected now.

The second part of the problem really is the ISP connections. Because of your input and explanations, I was able to talk to the Tech and show him the trace route to specific servers. He was then able to see that there is a problem with the local connections... I mean, getting random pings up to 1121ms on the second hop just isn't right.

It isn't completely fixed, but they are listening now and sending out a service tech to move my connection. It really helps to be able to talk intelligently about something I really know nothing about.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Llewen]

You are most welcome. I am the veteran of more than one battle with a dying router, and/or a screwy connection to my local wan...

 

[Restroom Cowboy]

Also, gotta love when the internet runs out of IPs under the current protocol.