Connection Problems: Widespread, across all servers and not just me

[dougherty2]

Hey all,

I noticed that starting a few days ago there is a large number of individuals unable to log into ANY server. We all experience the same or similar result, server select comes up perfectly, but upon trying to "play" on any server it loads for a second, switches windowing a bit, and kicks back to login screen.

I initially figured it was a recent driver install issue or a Vista 64 bit issue, so I went and tried a different system and it worked fine. (Same router, same setup etc)

Tried disabling ALL firewalls, direct connect to the modem, multiple sets of video drivers, different graphics card, Windows XP (fresh install of OS and the game), Vista 32 bit, Vista 64 bit and all resulting in the same issue on my main system.

Again, 2 other systems in the house and on the same setup in terms of client files, work just fine.

Any idea what could have changed SERVER side that is not allowing some people in? I've seen a few posts here and a few threads on server specific sites showing similar situations.

Thanks in advance!

[trevius]

If the problem was server side, it would mean that you wouldn't have the same problem on all servers. If it is client side, then you will have the same issue on all servers.

Try reading the FAQ in my sig for some help. Check out the dual core CPU/Vista section and also the parts about screen resolutions.

Also, if you don't have a legal copy of Titanium, you will probably have the exact issue you are describing.

[dougherty2]

Well, it doesn't make sense that it was working fine until a few days ago and then multiple people in multiple locations randomly started having issues with only one out of their many machines.

I'm using the EXACT same files, literally just copy and pasted at the exact same resolutions on the exact same monitor and 2 systems are able to log in just fine but my main rig wont.

There has to be something that changed or something, since many people began having the issue at the same time.

My Titanium is a normal one from Wal-Mart so that's not the issue, and it obviously works fine since I've installed it on 6 different OS's across 4 systems and they all worked fine previously.

I also tried reverting to default ini (obviously, since I freshly re-installed XP and EQ) and no luck.

[trevius]

If 2 PCs in your house work just fine and the 3rd doesn't, then that definitely points to an issue on your end. Have you tried multiple servers on the problem PC and all of them have the same issue? If not, then it is something to do with the server you are trying to connect to. If it has IP limiting on it, which a fair amount of servers do, then if you are logged on with other accounts on your other PCs and exceed the IP limit when trying to connect on your problem PC, then you will never be able to connect unless you log off an account from one of the other PCs.

If this does happen on all servers, then the problem is definitely on your PC for whatever reason. Can you link some posts of the multiple people that are having your same issue recently? I don't recall any that couldn't be resolved by the normal means.

Maybe your NIC card is going bad or something.

[dougherty2]

I've tried every server with the same results. I'm just extremely confused since I've also done the complete re-install of OS + game, which should clear any issues.

I'm tired of swapping hardware and have to get some sleep but tomorrow hopefully I can swap motherboards, luckily I have 3 DFI Blood Iron's so I don't have to reinstall OS/drivers to get a perfect swap.

http://www.eqemulator.net/forums/showthread.php?t=26358
http://www.eqemulator.net/forums/showthread.php?t=26353 (resolved through reinstall?)

http://www.scarsofamerous.com/index....pper&Itemid=82

Those are a few showing the same issue.

NIC is onboard but everything else has been functioning just fine (in terms of internet.) It just seems very strange that it connects to server select just fine. I've tried multiple router ports, using the same ethernet cable that works fine on the other PC, I'm at a loss.

Accounts aren't logged on anywhere else, I shut the other PCs down to make sure I wasn't getting an IP filter issue (shouldn't, myself and cousins have run up to 14 accounts simultaneously through the router.)

The only thing I can point to is video drivers, but that doesn't really make sense since it runs other games just fine (Crysis, Oblivion, CoD4, GRID, etc) and it shouldn't load to server select if it isn't going to run completely. I've rolled back the drivers, uninstalled + driver cleaner + reinstalled old ones.

Just very, very strange. I don't think I have any PCI NICs sitting around, never really used any, onboard has always been sufficient.

I have a 9800GX2 coming tomorrow or the next day so I'll be reinstalling Vista 64 for a quad SLI vs. Quadfire review I'm doing, I'll install EQ on that partition, but I'm only borrowing the 790i board so it won't be a long term usable fix, and see if that does any good, but it doesn't look pretty.

Thanks for the help and if any experiencing similar issues would chime in with a fix or ideas, bring it on

[trevius]

Ahh, you are quite the PC tech I see! Quad SLI and writing hardware reviews? Wow lol. Very nice.

So, if you suspect video, I highly suggest messing with your resolution settings. For some reason, certain systems will have the exact problem if their resolution settings are set a certain way. I already mentioned that and you basically wrote off the suggestion, so I am guessing you haven't tried it yet. Though, I mention it a bit in my sig.

The best thing I can think is to try messing with different desktop resolutions, EQ resolutions (set in your options before you login and remember to exit EQ and restart it for the changes to take effect), and also maybe try starting in windowed mode instead of full screen or visa versa. If you get it working by messing with resolutions, you might be able to adjust the settings afterwords to be acceptable game resolutions and settings.

Worth a shot anyway, if you haven't tried it at all yet.

[dougherty2]

I'll toil with it a bit when I get home (in 14 hours :( damn school and work) but I just don't see how it randomly stopped working.

I play at 1680 x 1050 in full screen (edited in eqclient file) but even the fresh install I set my monitor to 1024 x 768 and set EQ (in the options panel) to 1024 x 768. I can't remember if I tried it in "start in windowed mode" or "start in normal" but I'll try it.

I'm big into overclocking and cooling so I know my way around the PC, just not extremely adept at things regarding software or networking so I wasn't sure if something could have changed on the login server side of things.

I'll get back to it tonight and report back.

[BormolPathfinder]

Initially I was having issues w/ login server.... locked out for significant periods. That seems to have eased up [good], only to be replaced with persistent "this zone is not ready to receive visitors yet" when attempting to zone into normal areas (eg. great divide, Kael) [very bad]. Basically, you can't port/zone into an area that doesn't already have a PC already in it.

Worse still, toons logged off in 'locked' areas [eg. Velks] have trouble logging back on [eventually I was able to log my mage in Velks, but he cant zone into GD]. PoK seems ok (at least my toon can gate back there, but there are number of afk PCs there already so who knows....). Portal stones in PoK likewise seem locked out.

This started a couple days ago. At first, you would be denied access, then zone when you tried a second time. It's progressively required more and more attempts to zone, until today -now it seems completely locked. I've spoken to other PC on my server [Irreverent] and they are trapped as well.

Any clues? The game/server has otherwise been stable since I`ve started playing a few weeks ago (the only issue being the login server itself).

[dougherty2]

Well, no luck. I've reinstalled on a new hard drive, tried everything possible and then some. Something is just happening with this particular rig and it makes no sense. Nothing changed, it just stopped working.

I have no idea what else to do, rebuilding the system as if it were brand new didn't do anything, on XP or Vista.

[trevius]

Did you ever try different video cards?

And, did you ever try any of the dual core CPU fixes linked from the FAQ in my sig? If that PC runs a dual core, then you definitely have things to set to make it work properly with EQ.

[dougherty2]

Yep, tried HD3870, 8800GS, 8800GTS 320, and 9800GX2.

Tried the run-first program and everything as well, it doesn't make sense that I've run EQ/Emu on dual core for 4 years and had no problems until randomly one day on one rig :(

Literally rebuilt the rig and installed a new OS on a new drive and a new install of EQ and it STILL does it, makes no sense whatsoever.

I'll try a Pentium 4 631 (single core) and see if that helps, but last I used that CPU was going for 7Ghz under dry ice so it probably had 1.9-2.05vcore through it...we'll see if its alive :lol:

[dougherty2]

Well...bumped up my overclock on the E8600 and stress tested all night...randomly before class I say "oh what the hell" and give it a shot. Emulator opens up and runs just fine

Randomly stopped working, randomly started working... I don't have a clue.

But I'm back

[dougherty2]

Just kidding...worked fine yesterday, today it does the same thing again, no changes to the system whatsoever.