rec.autos.simulators

> When you are on the race track press CTRL-C and you will see a window
> appear
> that monitors your connections

> L=latency Q=quality (packet loss) S=Syncronization

> good luck

> EL

>> I've just recently moved to an area that I can now get adsl and I've
> started
>> playing around with the multiplayer component of NR2K3. I've had some fun
>> but it is difficult finding servers that'll let me join since I have no
>> online racing history in this sim. That's not the big dilemma though.
>> When
> I
>> do get connected to a server and start turning some laps it seems that I
>> last about 7 to 10 minutes and then I get kicked out of the server with
>> an
>> error message that says "Throughput fell to unacceptable levels... blah,
>> blah, blah". Is there any tips on tweaking I can do to my game to keep
> this
>> from happening? Is there any sites anyone can point me to that explain
> what
>> is going on and how to fix it? I used to race online with GPL once in a
>> while when I was stuck on a painful 28.8 dialup connection and this sort
> of
>> thing never happened then.
>> Any help much appreciated,
>> Robin

>> I've just recently moved to an area that I can now get adsl and
>> I've started playing around with the multiplayer component of
>> NR2K3. I've had some fun but it is difficult finding servers
>> that'll let me join since I have no online racing history in this
>> sim. That's not the big dilemma though. When I do get connected to
>> a server and start turning some laps it seems that I last about 7
>> to 10 minutes and then I get kicked out of the server with an
>> error message that says "Throughput fell to unacceptable levels...
>> blah, blah, blah". Is there any tips on tweaking I can do to my
>> game to keep this from happening? Is there any sites anyone can
>> point me to that explain what is going on and how to fix it? I
>> used to race online with GPL once in a while when I was stuck on a
>> painful 28.8 dialup connection and this sort of thing never
>> happened then. Any help much appreciated,
>> Robin

> I am not an internet expert, but I have always understood that
> particular error message to be the result of your connection speed
> (or some component of it) to be less than the minumum specified by
> the server. If you look at the online races at Sierra, you will see a
> column labelled MLat (from memory, so it may be labelled something
> entirely different <g>). This is set by the host to prevent people
> with bad connections from making life difficult for others due to
> warping, etc.

> There isn't a lot you can do about it -- the bad connection. It is
> generally caused by either heavy bursts of traffic along some segment
> of the 'net between you and the host, or some sort of hardware
> failure somewhere on the 'net between you and the host.

> Of course, there are things you can do to optimize what little of the
> connection you _do_ control. You might start by going to sites such
> as www.dslreports.com and running their speed tests. Do this several
> times at different times of the day and compare the average with the
> rated speed that your ISP claims you should be getting. If it is well
> below the rated speed, check the recommendations on the site to see
> what they have to say about your RWin values. There is another
> parameter that you can change, but I can't for the life of me think
> of what it's called right now.

> If your tested speed is consistently low, you might want to have your
> ISP check into your line conditions and the distance from your
> nearest CO (I don't know if US phone companies call their switching
> offices where the equipment is located a "C.O." or not.) to ensure
> that you are getting the best speed for your situation.

> You might find some worthwhile info at the following sites as well.
>     http://www.racesimcentral.net/
>     http://www.racesimcentral.net/

> Good luck.

>>Thanks for the info... I'll check the throughput tonight later when I
>>normally do the online thing... when the rest of the fam is asleep. I
>>thought of something else that might be in the mix here as well. When I
>>got
>>the adsl I also bought a SMC wireless barricade router to serve the
>>internet
>>connection to the the rest of the house and to use the firewall
>>capabilities
>>to keep the baddies out (hopefully). Anyway, there is a setting under the
>>WAN menu when I login to the router to configure it that has a "More
>>Configuration" button under the PPPoE settings. In that menu it lists
>>"Maximum Idle Time = 10 minutes" with a check box under it labled "Auto
>>Reconnect" that is checked. Could this setting have anything to do with
>>getting kicked off the server approx. every 10 minutes? I've never timed
>>it
>>before... I've always just noticed that it is around 7 to 10 minutes or
>>so.
>>Just to add... I've never noticed any problems dl'ing big files with the
>>connection halting after 10 mins. or so... not sure, just thought it might
>>be relevant.
>>Thanks,
>>Robin

> I've heard of several cases where someone's dial-up timed out because it
> didn't
> think anything was going on.  Or someone having a problem with their
> screen
> saver kicking in at an inopportune monent.  Even in an online game, go
> figure.
> Apperently, it appears to the computer that you aren't doing anything but
> looking at an empty screen.  So, you may have found your own problem.  I
> assume
> that you've never run on the ADSL without the router, but you might try
> changing the timeout and see what happens.  Good luck!

> Eldred
> --
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> <snip>

>> Eldred,
>> I tried playing around with the setting I noted in the router
>> configuration and it still kicked me out randomly... about every 7
>> to 10 minutes. So, I guess that setting had nothing to do with
>> this problem. You are right though, I've never tried the adsl
>> without the router so I might try that just to take it completely
>> out of the mix and try to eliminate that as a source of the
>> problem. I've printed out the settings from Black Viper's page
>> over a year ago and had the services that weren't necessary shut
>> off since I installed windows xp. I also don't have any anti-virus
>> software installed at all on my system because it just isn't used
>> for any internet activity other than dl'ing updates and add-ons to
>> racing sims or online racing. I've seen av software slow a system
>> just by being installed and I need on the framerate I can get on
>> my budget.

>> Current system:
>> Athlon XP 2000+
>> Abit KT7A-Raid mobo
>> 256mb sdram
>> ATI 9500 Radeon
>> 80 Gig Maxtor
>> SBLive!

>> I'm currently looking into upgrading the mobo and ram to an NF2
>> based mobo and trying to get a little more out of the proc.
>> I guess I'll try unhooking the router tonight and try that... if
>> that doesn't prove to be the source of the trouble I'm not sure
>> what to do next. I checked in the game itself last night my ping
>> rate was as low or lower than the average person in the server...
>> about 111 or lower. I think there's something else going on here
>> but I'm not sure what. Thanks for the help so far,
>> Robin

> It sure sounds like it is not your connection that is causing the
> problem. And your system is capable of running the game, although
> perhaps not in 1600 X 1200 resolution. <g>

> I would go looking through the computer to see what is running (both
> programs and services) that might be triggered at such regular
> intervals. Mail programs are an obvious answer, but I believe you've
> eliminated that. Do you have disk indexing turned on in XP? Do you
> have XP's built-in firewall turned on? (Although I would think that
> would either allow you to join or not, and not be interfering once
> you had joined.)

> To see the services that may be running (and interfering with your
> gameplay), Select "Adminsitrative Tools" from Control Panel. Then
> select "Services". Unles you're a computer geek, many of these are
> going to be just confuse you, but some reading of the help files and
> the descriptions may allow you to shut down some of the services that
> you just don't need.

> HTH,
> --
>  Darryl

> What happens if you uncheck this?

> What I see is that the firewall is calling the connection "done" after
> 10 minutes, then more or less*** up.  Thanks to PPOE, DSL does
> this.

> you might have to dig deeper but you want to disable "Max Idle time"
> or set it to many hours, if you can.  Try a better router...   that is
> one thing that bites about DSL, the PPOE works similiar to dialup, as
> the server loans you an IP for a set amount of time, but your router
> is saying, "hey Im done, goodnight" then haivng to go, "hey I need one
> right quick...  Course the isp just gives you the next one, but the
> games are trying to send to that one you had and wont accept that you
> have the new one, until you relogon to the Siera stuff again.

>> What happens if you uncheck this?

>> What I see is that the firewall is calling the connection "done"
>> after 10 minutes, then more or less*** up.  Thanks to PPOE, DSL
>> does this.

>> you might have to dig deeper but you want to disable "Max Idle time"
>> or set it to many hours, if you can.  Try a better router...   that
>> is one thing that bites about DSL, the PPOE works similiar to
>> dialup, as the server loans you an IP for a set amount of time, but
>> your router is saying, "hey Im done, goodnight" then haivng to go,
>> "hey I need one right quick...  Course the isp just gives you the
>> next one, but the games are trying to send to that one you had and
>> wont accept that you have the new one, until you relogon to the
>> Siera stuff again.

> I have unchecked the "Auto-reconnect" checkbox and I've set the Max
> Idle Time to 0 as the SMC support site suggested... neither of these
> solutions has worked. I have an email response pending from their
> tech support outlining my problem and I'm hoping to get a little more
> than a scripted response from the help file built into router... that
> might be asking too much. I'm not in a position to just junk this
> router and buy a new one... money is a little tight and I'd just like
> to sort this problem. Worst case scenario is I plug the modem into
> the ethernet port directly when sim racing... I'll exhaust all
> avenues before I resort to that.
> Keep the suggestions coming... never know when something is gonna'
> work. Robin

> Hey, I know about money being tight, and darn I guess the warranty is up
> on
> that router then, I thought you just got it.

> if it wasnt for the fact that your fine, when router is not involved, I
> cant
> say there is much "hope" unless you get support to help iron this out.

> Id sure like to know the make and model of that thing, so that I can add
> to
> my list of things to be wary of...  I just might get DSL soon it seems...

>>> What happens if you uncheck this?

>>> What I see is that the firewall is calling the connection "done"
>>> after 10 minutes, then more or less*** up.  Thanks to PPOE, DSL
>>> does this.

>>> you might have to dig deeper but you want to disable "Max Idle time"
>>> or set it to many hours, if you can.  Try a better router...   that
>>> is one thing that bites about DSL, the PPOE works similiar to
>>> dialup, as the server loans you an IP for a set amount of time, but
>>> your router is saying, "hey Im done, goodnight" then haivng to go,
>>> "hey I need one right quick...  Course the isp just gives you the
>>> next one, but the games are trying to send to that one you had and
>>> wont accept that you have the new one, until you relogon to the
>>> Siera stuff again.

>> I have unchecked the "Auto-reconnect" checkbox and I've set the Max
>> Idle Time to 0 as the SMC support site suggested... neither of these
>> solutions has worked. I have an email response pending from their
>> tech support outlining my problem and I'm hoping to get a little more
>> than a scripted response from the help file built into router... that
>> might be asking too much. I'm not in a position to just junk this
>> router and buy a new one... money is a little tight and I'd just like
>> to sort this problem. Worst case scenario is I plug the modem into
>> the ethernet port directly when sim racing... I'll exhaust all
>> avenues before I resort to that.
>> Keep the suggestions coming... never know when something is gonna'
>> work. Robin