Latency Issues, Star Wars The Old Republic

Aaron · Jan 22, 2012, 16:51:39

I've had latency issues with this MMORPG since Friday, I took a pingplotter graph to the server I play on:

Looks obvious it's a problem with CW.net's routes to Bioware's server. I emailed CW.net peering and this is the response I got back from them:

QuoteHi Aaron

I think the issue is between cogent and your ISP .. please log a fault
with your ISP and ask them to investigate this

xcr1.lnd (0.0.0.0)(tos=0x0 psize=64 bitpattern=0x00)
Sun Jan 22 16:04:27 2012
Keys: Help Display mode Restart statistics Order of fields quit

Packets Pings
Host
Loss% Snt Last Avg Best Wrst StDev
1. cogent-gw.lnd.cw.net
0.0% 156 0.8 12.6 0.8 208.1 29.3
2. te4-2.ccr01.lon02.atlas.cogentco.com
0.0% 156 1.0 14.2 0.8 192.7 34.1
3. te2-3.mpd01.lon02.atlas.cogentco.com
0.0% 156 9.9 10.1 0.8 200.1 32.3
4. 149.6.148.206
4.5% 155 11.6 75.9 0.8 2050. 317.9
5. telehouse-gw2-lo1.idnet.net
4.5% 155 2.5 71.2 1.7 1876. 272.3

I have looked at my network and its all fine .. the only issue I could
see was on this path

Bioware haven't admitted there being a problem yet, but there is already a 17 page thread on it http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?t=195307 and as far as I can tell it's affecting UK/Russian/Polish ISPs. Can't believe CW.net asked me to check with my ISP though

Steve · Jan 22, 2012, 17:03:49

Would seem logical look at the final common pathway since many from different ISPs are suffering.

CBailey · Jan 22, 2012, 18:30:30

Also playing this game and having the same issue since Friday. Very frustrating.

pctech · Jan 22, 2012, 19:22:55

I have run a tracert and pathping to aid comparison

Code Select



Tracing route to 159.153.76.141 over a maximum of 30 hops

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  xx-xx-xx-xx.dsl.in-addr.zen.co.uk [xx.xx.xx.xx
]
  2    15 ms    15 ms    15 ms  no-dns-yet-62-3-84-19.zen.co.uk [62.3.84.19]
  3    15 ms    14 ms    15 ms  xe-0-3-0-118.cr1.th-lon.zen.net.uk [62.3.84.201]

  4    15 ms    14 ms    14 ms  xe-8-2-2.lon10.ip4.tinet.net [77.67.66.225]
  5    14 ms    15 ms    15 ms  as1273.ip4.tinet.net [77.67.72.138]
  6    64 ms    29 ms    29 ms  xe-0-0-0-xcr1.duc.cw.net [195.2.21.242]
  7    27 ms    27 ms    27 ms  bioware-gw2.duc.cw.net [195.2.27.90]
  8    28 ms    27 ms    32 ms  159.153.72.46
  9    26 ms    27 ms    28 ms  159.153.76.141

Trace complete.



C:\Documents and Settings\Admin>pathping 159.153.76.141

Tracing route to 159.153.76.141 over a maximum of 30 hops

  0  ad53f8b70fbe4cd [82.68.132.161]
  1  82-68-132-166.dsl.in-addr.zen.co.uk [82.68.132.166]
  2  no-dns-yet-62-3-84-19.zen.co.uk [62.3.84.19]
  3  xe-0-3-0-118.cr1.th-lon.zen.net.uk [62.3.84.201]
  4  xe-8-2-2.lon10.ip4.tinet.net [77.67.66.225]
  5  as1273.ip4.tinet.net [77.67.72.138]
  6  xe-0-0-0-xcr1.duc.cw.net [195.2.21.242]
  7  bioware-gw2.duc.cw.net [195.2.27.90]
  8  159.153.72.46
  9  159.153.76.141

Computing statistics for 225 seconds...
            Source to Here   This Node/Link
Hop  RTT    Lost/Sent = Pct  Lost/Sent = Pct  Address
  0                                           ad53f8b70fbe4cd [xx.xx.xx.xx]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  1    0ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  xx-xx-xx-xx.dsl.in-addr.zen.co.u
k [xx.xx.xx.xx]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  2   14ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  no-dns-yet-62-3-84-19.zen.co.uk [6
2.3.84.19]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  3   16ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  xe-0-3-0-118.cr1.th-lon.zen.net.uk
 [62.3.84.201]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  4   15ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  xe-8-2-2.lon10.ip4.tinet.net [77.6
7.66.225]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  5   19ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  as1273.ip4.tinet.net [77.67.72.138
]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  6   30ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  xe-0-0-0-xcr1.duc.cw.net [195.2.21
.242]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  7   27ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  bioware-gw2.duc.cw.net [195.2.27.9
0]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  8   28ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  159.153.72.46
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  9   27ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  159.153.76.141

Trace complete.

My line is ADSL Max which runs about 2.9 Meg and am on fastpath.

zappaDPJ · Jan 22, 2012, 21:13:44

No problems here either taking what looks to be the same route.

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

C:\Users\zappaDPJ>tracert 159.153.76.141

Tracing route to 159.153.76.141 over a maximum of 30 hops

1 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.1.1
2 9 ms 7 ms 7 ms telehouse-gw4-lo2.idnet.net [212.69.63.99]
3 7 ms 8 ms 7 ms telehouse-gw5-e4-400.idnet.net [212.69.63.245]
4 7 ms 7 ms 7 ms telehouse-gw3-g0-1-400.idnet.net [212.69.63.243]

5 9 ms 7 ms 15 ms v225.core1.lon1.he.net [216.66.86.45]
6 8 ms 8 ms 7 ms ge-3-2-0-zcr1.lnt.cw.net [195.66.224.182]
7 8 ms 8 ms 8 ms xe-4-2-0-xcr1.lnd.cw.net [195.2.25.58]
8 22 ms 23 ms 23 ms xe-0-0-0-xcr1.duc.cw.net [195.2.21.242]
9 23 ms 23 ms 23 ms bioware-gw1.duc.cw.net [195.2.27.86]
10 23 ms 23 ms 23 ms 159.153.72.42
11 23 ms 23 ms 23 ms 159.153.76.141

Trace complete.

C:\Users\zappaDPJ>ping 159.153.76.141

Pinging 159.153.76.141 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 159.153.76.141: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=54
Reply from 159.153.76.141: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=54
Reply from 159.153.76.141: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=54
Reply from 159.153.76.141: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=54

Ping statistics for 159.153.76.141:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 23ms, Maximum = 24ms, Average = 23ms

C:\Users\zappaDPJ>

Ted · Jan 22, 2012, 21:43:45

From a Sky 14mb connection, if it helps?

[root@localhost ted]# ping -c 10 159.153.76.141
PING 159.153.76.141 (159.153.76.141) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from 159.153.76.141: icmp_req=1 ttl=55 time=46.1 ms
64 bytes from 159.153.76.141: icmp_req=2 ttl=55 time=42.9 ms
64 bytes from 159.153.76.141: icmp_req=3 ttl=55 time=42.9 ms
64 bytes from 159.153.76.141: icmp_req=4 ttl=55 time=42.7 ms
64 bytes from 159.153.76.141: icmp_req=5 ttl=55 time=42.6 ms
64 bytes from 159.153.76.141: icmp_req=6 ttl=55 time=43.0 ms
64 bytes from 159.153.76.141: icmp_req=7 ttl=55 time=44.1 ms
64 bytes from 159.153.76.141: icmp_req=8 ttl=55 time=43.5 ms
64 bytes from 159.153.76.141: icmp_req=9 ttl=55 time=42.7 ms
64 bytes from 159.153.76.141: icmp_req=10 ttl=55 time=46.1 ms

--- 159.153.76.141 ping statistics ---
10 packets transmitted, 10 received, 0% packet loss, time 9011ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 42.624/43.700/46.157/1.299 ms
[root@localhost ted]# tracepath 159.153.76.141
1: 192.168.1.111 0.474ms pmtu 1500
1: 192.168.1.254 3.449ms
1: 192.168.1.254 3.769ms
2: 192.168.1.254 2.582ms asymm 1
3: dr2.hobir.isp.sky.com 44.207ms asymm 2
4: vl192.ar8.hobir.isp.sky.com 46.703ms asymm 3
5: ldn-b5-link.telia.net 61.890ms
6: ldn-bb1-link.telia.net 46.706ms asymm 8
7: dln-b3-link.telia.net 58.521ms asymm 8
8: bioware-ic-147166-dln-b3.c.telia.net 58.524ms
9: no reply
10: no reply
11: no reply
12: no reply
13: no reply
14: no reply
15: no reply
16: no reply
17: no reply
18: no reply
19: no reply
20: no reply
21: no reply
22: no reply
23: no reply
24: no reply
25: no reply
26: no reply
27: no reply
28: no reply
29: no reply
30: no reply
31: no reply
Too many hops: pmtu 1500
Resume: pmtu 1500
[root@localhost ted]# traceroute 159.153.76.141
traceroute to 159.153.76.141 (159.153.76.141), 30 hops max, 60 byte packets
1 192.168.1.254 (192.168.1.254) 1.053 ms 44.960 ms 45.008 ms
2 192.168.1.254 (192.168.1.254) 44.980 ms 44.959 ms 44.945 ms
3 dr2.hobir.isp.sky.com (89.200.128.30) 47.649 ms 51.454 ms 55.278 ms
4 vl192.ar8.hobir.isp.sky.com (89.200.133.104) 59.159 ms 59.206 ms 62.969 ms
5 ldn-b5-link.telia.net (80.239.193.109) 70.850 ms 70.913 ms 74.948 ms
6 ldn-bb1-link.telia.net (80.91.248.217) 74.985 ms ldn-bb1-link.telia.net (80.91.247.91) 42.426 ms ldn-bb1-link.telia.net (80.91.248.217) 55.214 ms
7 dln-b3-link.telia.net (80.91.249.134) 55.203 ms 55.173 ms 57.685 ms
8 bioware-ic-147167-dln-b3.c.telia.net (80.239.192.82) 62.327 ms bioware-ic-147166-dln-b3.c.telia.net (80.239.192.78) 65.608 ms bioware-ic-147167-dln-b3.c.telia.net (80.239.192.82) 65.593 ms
9 * * *
10 * * *
11 * * *
12 * * *
13 * * *
14 * * *
15 * * *
16 * * *
17 * * *
18 * * *
19 * * *
20 * * *
21 * * *
22 * * *
23 * * *
24 * * *
25 * * *
26 * * *
27 * * *
28 * * *
29 * * *
30 * * *
[root@localhost ted]#

Aaron · Jan 22, 2012, 23:06:27

Running a single traceroute will not show the problem, as the big spikes are occurring for around 2 seconds every 30seconds on average. Plus it usually stops when it's approaching midnight then comes back at peak time in the morning.

pctech · Jan 23, 2012, 12:02:36

Could it be that the CW network is giving slightly worse performance during the working day?

pctech · Jan 23, 2012, 12:04:23

Some people playing this in the office have said something about an issue with a patch?

Simon · Jan 23, 2012, 12:11:46

Funny, I thought offices were places to work!

Lance · Jan 23, 2012, 12:14:14

You've not been to my office, have you?

Simon · Jan 23, 2012, 12:24:02

pctech · Jan 23, 2012, 13:03:59

We can't play anything via the LAN at work but they play it at home and were discussing it at work as I raised this query to try and help Aaron out.

Aaron · Jan 23, 2012, 21:12:11

Thanks pctech, although today has been lag-free after 3 days of high latency, maybe they have sorted it

pctech · Jan 24, 2012, 14:24:06

might want to run your tests again, maybe it was caused by heavy downloads of the patch but I'd have thought they would have offloaded this to Akamai or Limelight to reduce load on the main game servers.

Unless they've replaced a failing router/routing engine card.