For over a week now and also at least 2-3 times a month there is a huge amount of Lag spikes and ability lag happening for a lot of people playing on the West Coast...

Originally I though this was the server, so obviously I was pretty annoyed at Bioware...

Turns out it isn't their servers at all, but the routers coming from their ISP or I should say the routers connected to the Internet backbone... Level3.com is part of the main backbone for the Internet, ISPs connect directly to it... Currently (at least a week now) there is 85-100% packet loss happening at 2 of their routers just before it reaches Bioware -

Ae-3-80.ear2.sanjose1.level3.net

According to a Blog by a level3.com employee called Mark Taylor, these sort of issues are cause by ISPs not upgrading their hardware that connects directly to Level3.com and it causes major bottlenecks (http://blog.level3.com/open-internet/observations-internet-middleman) ... If this is true then the ISP that Bioware is using needs to be contacted and they need to fix either the hardware or reroute the path to the servers through a working router...

I've tried contacting Bioware support... I've given them all relevant technical information and I just get the same generic email response asking me to check my graphics card settings if I am having FPS issues or trouble installing... OMG Bio, do you even have any real customer service people working there??

The game is unplayable in PVP, which is all I do... I love the game, have subbed since launch, but it is now not playable... I know this isn't directly Bios fault... But their inaction to contact their ISP and demand they fix this issue now makes this a Bio issue... The poor customer service response tells me that they probably didn't even read it or pass on the information to the relevant people in Bioware...

If anyone else is having ability lag or lag spikes, try contacting Bioware... If anyone is in the US, I suggest calling them direct with this information I have provided... I would do it myself, but I am in Australia and it is expensive to call...

Edit: I should add that my ping isn't changing much unless it hits 100% packet loss... It's the packet loss causing the issues... If you are having ping issues, then it is probably a different issue

Edit again: my assumption that Bio connect to level3 through an ISP was wrong... It seems EA are connected directly to level3 and not through an ISP... Which begs the question... Whose hardware is having the issue... It looks like level3, but EAs own hardware maybe causing this issue on the level3 equipment... This means it is back in EA/Bios court to find the fault and fix it... My assumption that it wasn't entirely their responsibility was wrong...

Bio please get your people to work directly with the level3 guys to discover where the issue is and fix it...

Please people, post if you have an issue and to others please keep this thread alive... Also go to the vote box at the bottom and give it five stars... That will make it stand out more

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I am in Australia

found your problem right here

Anyway uh more serious note

these sort of issues are cause by ISPs not upgrading their hardware that connects directly to Level3.com and it causes major bottlenecks (http://blog.level3.com/open-internet/observations-internet-middleman) ... If this is true then the ISP that Bioware is using needs to be contacted and they need to fix either the hardware or reroute the path to the servers through a working router...

the way I read it, means that it shouldnt be bioware contacting their ISP but that people need to contact their own ISP about this connection.

Also this

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?p=8421817#edit8421817

I notice it a heck of a lot.. Would be amazing if they actually fixed this issue!!

I believe in the past Bio have contacted their ISP and the ISP has rerouted it... My issue is I can't get through to anyone relevant at Bio so they know they actually have a problem at the ISP... The customer service "gate keepers" don't seem to even be reading the messages to them..

Lots of my guild has stopped playing... We only play PVP and it isn't playable... So I haven't seen most of them in over 2 weeks (I've been logging on to lvl in pve which I hate as I'm up to 22nd character and have done it too many times)... We usually have 10-20 guildies on at a time. At the moment it is 1-2 us... If this continues I don't think they will come back... I can only imagine how many others this is effecting and they are just leaving the game without saying anything... Just about any PVP match I go into people are complaining

The worst thing for Bio is that people think it's the server... So they don't expect a fix... Bio are getting an even worse rep than their servers deserve... So the people leaving may never return... This sort of performance issue is more damaging to the game than any other problem and is likely to cause more and more people to quit and never bother to return

found your problem right here

 

Anyway uh more serious note

 

 

 

the way I read it, means that it shouldnt be bioware contacting their ISP but that people need to contact their own ISP about this connection.

 

Also this

 

http://www.swtor.com/community/showthread.php?p=8421817#edit8421817

I would agree if it was my ISP routing, but it's definitely not my ISP in Australia as the connection on my end is perfect as it passes through a few level3.com routers till it reaches the Bio ISP... I have the technical experience to know to find out this information and I have investigated further than what I have posted... So when it is the 2 "hops" just 2 before entering the Bio servers, it is their ISP with the issue... Let's say Bio were trying to contact a website at my end, they would have this issue at those routers and it would be more likely to draw attention...

Edit : I am in Australia, not Europe (which is what your link is about) and even level3 say our connection is great on their end... They do have lists of problems with 5 ISPs in Amercia and often have problems with the L.A. backbone due to a few of these ISPs

Level3 also acknowledge they have an ongoing issue with Eurpean ISP that causes major problems. This is probably what that link refers to... The link also shows that Bio contacted their ISP and they got it rerouted... This is all I am trying to get them to do

I believe in the past Bio have contacted their ISP and the ISP has rerouted it... My issue is I can't get through to anyone relevant at Bio so they know they actually have a problem at the ISP... The customer service "gate keepers" don't seem to even be reading the messages to them..

Lots of my guild has stopped playing... We only play PVP and it isn't playable... So I haven't seen most of them in over 2 weeks (I've been logging on to lvl in pve which I hate as I'm up to 22nd character and have done it too many times)... We usually have 10-20 guildies on at a time. At the moment it is 1-2 us... If this continues I don't think they will come back... I can only imagine how many others this is effecting and they are just leaving the game without saying anything... Just about any PVP match I go into people are complaining

The worst thing for Bio is that people think it's the server... So they don't expect a fix... Bio are getting an even worse rep than their servers deserve... So the people leaving may never return... This sort of performance issue is more damaging to the game than any other problem and is likely to cause more and more people to quit and never bother to return

I know how you feel, I have had issues since launch, same stuff and then some. I will be here for a while.. But however it pans out. I have other games to play if things don't work out.. I do both PvP and PvE but mostly PvE lately just because it's nearly crunch time to get the characters I want ready for the expansion. But any new characters I make will be back in PvP mode. Hopefully they realize the issues and address them! But I won't hold my breath for too long..

I know how you feel, I have had issues since launch, same stuff and then some. I will be here for a while.. But however it pans out. I have other games to play if things don't work out.. I do both PvP and PvE but mostly PvE lately just because it's nearly crunch time to get the characters I want ready for the expansion. But any new characters I make will be back in PvP mode. Hopefully they realize the issues and address them! But I won't hold my breath for too long..

I've been playing with these sort of issues since they moved our servers to the U.S.... I expect a little lag and packet loss... That isn't game breaking... The issue is when it goes over 10% packet loss ranked PVP is impossible... When it goes over 85% any PVP is basically impossible... Imagine being at 95% or 99/100%... I even had trouble doing pve yesterday because I would have to spam abilities just to make them go off...

I've been playing with these sort of issues since they moved our servers to the U.S.... I expect a little lag and packet loss... That isn't game breaking... The issue is when it goes over 10% packet loss ranked PVP is impossible... When it goes over 85% any PVP is basically impossible... Imagine being at 95% or 99/100%... I even had trouble doing pve yesterday because I would have to spam abilities just to make them go off...

Heh well dunno if this will make you feel better, try using the GTN and can't post for five minutes only to relog twice to be able to post again at 45MS, I don't know what's up but I live just north of California in southern BC Canada.. And get stuck a lot running in my strong hold....

It isn't just the West Coast. I'm on the East Coast and it happens on Shadowlands too...

10k (and higher) ms....right as you go to attack,there's a freeze,then suddenly every attack you've clicked (if you're not aware it's happening as happens in the heat of a battle) goes off at once....sometimes you'll see nothing at all happen and the second it unfreezes,you're dead like the enemies can still attack you while you see nothing happening. Under ANY other circumstances I would have attributed it to my being on a laptop....but I am not the only one with these issues....I know people with FAR better PC's that have these issues as well...

WORST part is there was a thread in the help section where BW ASKED us to list what characters/planets/etc it happened to us on and which servers....Then they just stopped paying ANY attention to it as the replies came in...

And it still happens to me and others...Not a single thing has been done and nothing has even been stated....Honestly thinking they don't give a damn with the 16 tons of feedback they've gotten and yet done nothing with....

It isn't just the West Coast. I'm on the East Coast and it happens on Shadowlands too...

10k (and higher) ms....right as you go to attack,there's a freeze,then suddenly every attack you've clicked (if you're not aware it's happening as happens in the heat of a battle) goes off at once....sometimes you'll see nothing at all happen and the second it unfreezes,you're dead like the enemies can still attack you while you see nothing happening. Under ANY other circumstances I would have attributed it to my being on a laptop....but I am not the only one with these issues....I know people with FAR better PC's that have these issues as well...

I have had this issue as well... Few times on tatooine, aldeaan etc...

I've had this happen on planets with a TOTAL of 16 people on them where I was the only one affected...VOSS after Midnight... I've had it happen with 12 people on my particular instance of Fleet where I and maybe 2 others were affected....Thing is with LESS people around my game plays BETTER...so I KNOW it isn't me...Not only that...I see SO MANY people (since July) bringing it up in Gen Chat in game.... It's not like my laptop is windows xp....I have Win7 and I play custom LOW graphics (slightly less than Medium with trees turned down..cause who cares about trees? and grass removed cause hate seeing it..but bloom left on because engines,sabers,and gunshots look blehh without it)

But yeah...they asked us to make these posts about when,where,etc...and then bailed on the whole thread....

I am fully aware that I WILL have SOME issues being on a laptop that while not a FOSSIL,is still old....but it is MORE than enough to run this on normal...I just choose not to as I must keep this thing alive as long as possible since I cannot afford to buy a new one if/when it dies....Plus if I play on normal and tab out it takes a bit for the graphics to reload textures and I have to sit and stare at ugly textureless blocks and the skybox for wherever I'm at..

I've had this happen on planets with a TOTAL of 16 people on them where I was the only one affected...VOSS after Midnight... I've had it happen with 12 people on my particular instance of Fleet where I and maybe 2 others were affected....Thing is with LESS people around my game plays BETTER...so I KNOW it isn't me...Not only that...I see SO MANY people (since July) bringing it up in Gen Chat in game.... It's not like my laptop is windows xp....I have Win7 and I play custom LOW graphics (slightly less than Medium with trees turned down..cause who cares about trees? and grass removed cause hate seeing it..but bloom left on because engines,sabers,and gunshots look blehh without it)

 

But yeah...they asked us to make these posts about when,where,etc...and then bailed on the whole thread....

For me it's always laggy on just about any planet, and especially on the fleet, even with a very solid system, but I do a looooot of PvP and the skill lag Icy mentioned has been happening only of late.

Heh well dunno if this will make you feel better, try using the GTN and can't post for five minutes only to relog twice to be able to post again at 45MS, I don't know what's up but I live just north of California in southern BC Canada.. And get stuck a lot running in my strong hold....

Same here

You will get those issue the same as me because you are going through the exact same routers... sanjose...

You should try playing with 177-220ms standard ping... Add the current issues and you can understand my distress

Yep, I've noticed it as well, Icy, and I'm in Texas. I myself honestly thought it was solely on Bio's end.

Nope... It's the ISPs routers... Everyone blames the Bio servers first... We know why... Lag on fleet in congested areas... Poor FPS...

But a lot of the time it's not the servers...

Bio need to get on top of this issue or more and more people will blame the servers and just leave the game... The last thing they need is for people to think the servers are worse than they are... They already have a bad rep... This will greatly add to it

It isn't just the West Coast. I'm on the East Coast and it happens on Shadowlands too...

10k (and higher) ms....right as you go to attack,there's a freeze,then suddenly every attack you've clicked (if you're not aware it's happening as happens in the heat of a battle) goes off at once....sometimes you'll see nothing at all happen and the second it unfreezes,you're dead like the enemies can still attack you while you see nothing happening. Under ANY other circumstances I would have attributed it to my being on a laptop....but I am not the only one with these issues....I know people with FAR better PC's that have these issues as well...

 

WORST part is there was a thread in the help section where BW ASKED us to list what characters/planets/etc it happened to us on and which servers....Then they just stopped paying ANY attention to it as the replies came in...

And it still happens to me and others...Not a single thing has been done and nothing has even been stated....Honestly thinking they don't give a damn with the 16 tons of feedback they've gotten and yet done nothing with....

I think it's time for Bio to change to a good performing ISP who cares... I've read that googles fibre is one of the best... But l also read that a college in the U.S. Was able to connect directly to level3 backbone... Normally wouldn't be possible, especially for regular users... But with the size of EA/Bio, you'd hope they would at least explore this option

I NORMALLY run at 19-22ms....On the "delayed" nights it will sit at about 35....shoot to about 100 and if it doesn't drop back down it goes out towards Saturn.... ( I had 350k MS one night....)

I miss my 17ms I had when we had Aussie servers... I never went above 40ms... Long rest the APAC servers... And I wish a hasty destruction to all those few APAC players who complained so loudly on the 2 unviable servers and called for a U.S. merge...

My server, Dalbora, was highly populated... It was the RP and PVP server that had low population... We asked for a super server for APAC as a solution... With the much higher population on Dalbora we thought we had the numbers... But Bio didn't listen and instead merged us with America... What I want to know is where all those people who called for a U.S. Merge went... They constantly said 177ms would be fine... But when reality hit home they all quit and so did a large portion of Aussie players from Dalbora ... 2 people from my 200+ people guilds stayed after testing the 177-300ms ping...

This latest issue will drive more away...

This has been reported massively since around june when it really began. Threads in customer support, under bug forums and here in General.

NOTHING HAPPENS.

I have the same issues, have been running pingplotter etc. The problem is with BWs login system/servers. System can be normal with around 90ms then stops, ms beginning to climb slowly in 1000ms increments and usually tops out at 70k+ before DCing completely.

Seems the system kind of "resets" the linked connections from time to time, esp. under heavy loads of many simul users.

When this happens, the link to EAs servers is normal, their website loads fast without hickups, just the client stops getting data from the game server/login link.

I'm in Spain atm. All new hardware etc. my end, no problems what so ever with other online services.

IT engineer. Tried a lot of software/hardware solutions my end but ofc nothing helps as the problem lies with EAs serverside.

This is have never been so bad since i joined the beta before release and have been here since.

This has been reported massively since around june when it really began. Threads in customer support, under bug forums and here in General.

 

NOTHING HAPPENS.

 

I have the same issues, have been running pingplotter etc. The problem is with BWs login system/servers. System can be normal with around 90ms then stops, ms beginning to climb slowly in 1000ms increments and usually tops out at 70k+ before DCing completely.

 

Seems the system kind of "resets" the linked connections from time to time, esp. under heavy loads of many simul users.

 

When this happens, the link to EAs servers is normal, their website loads fast without hickups, just the client stops getting data from the game server/login link.

 

I'm in Spain atm. All new hardware etc. my end, no problems what so ever with other online services.

IT engineer. Tried a lot of software/hardware solutions my end but ofc nothing helps as the problem lies with EAs serverside.

 

This is have never been so bad since i joined the beta before release and have been here since.

I'm tracking it 2 hops before the server, where their ISP connects to level3... Does your ping plotter show it goes through level3 ??

Edit: I should say that my ping isn't changing much, except if it hits 100% packet loss... It's the packet loss causing the issues... If you are having ping issues, then it is probably a different issue

This has been reported massively since around june when it really began. Threads in customer support, under bug forums and here in General.

 

NOTHING HAPPENS.

 

I have the same issues, have been running pingplotter etc. The problem is with BWs login system/servers. System can be normal with around 90ms then stops, ms beginning to climb slowly in 1000ms increments and usually tops out at 70k+ before DCing completely.

 

Seems the system kind of "resets" the linked connections from time to time, esp. under heavy loads of many simul users.

 

When this happens, the link to EAs servers is normal, their website loads fast without hickups, just the client stops getting data from the game server/login link.

 

I'm in Spain atm. All new hardware etc. my end, no problems what so ever with other online services.

IT engineer. Tried a lot of software/hardware solutions my end but ofc nothing helps as the problem lies with EAs serverside.

 

This is have never been so bad since i joined the beta before release and have been here since.

This issue makes me want to prime up another game that has incredible ping... And wait and see how or if this gets resolved.. Hmm my loremaster still hasn't gotten out of Bree trying to complete all her quests!

This issue makes me want to prime up another game that has incredible ping... And wait and see how or if this gets resolved.. Hmm my loremaster still hasn't gotten out of Bree trying to complete all her quests!

I'm playing my trusty Company of Heroes... I'm tempted to go back and try WoW if this continues

Just decided to check the situation before bothering to login... 96% packet loss at the moment

I'm hoping this will either fix itself, ie level3 or the ISP see there's an issue and reroute... I've seen them do it before when there's been issues like this... They usually do it in 24 hours... But this has been going on nearly a week... Or maybe Bio will get on it... I've PMd Tait as well... So other than making an overseas phone call, I have exhausted all possibly ways I have to communicate this problem with Bioware...

Guess we'll have to see... But now that WoW have Aussie servers I may end up going back there permanently if this isn't resolved soon or at least some proper communication from Bio saying they are aware of it and looking for a solution... The silly generic email response from customer service just doesn't cut it in a situation like this... Especially when the email shows they have no idea what they are talking about

I'm in Australia too. (I'm an ex-pat Yank living here now). 225ms on Shadowlands is a great night for me.

I just wanted to add in that I get the same about 1 week out of every two months. My connection to the game will just be horrible. But it is bad to a number of US websites, too. So, I think it is far more than just what you are discussing but serious issues across whatever trans-Pacific connection we typically get routed on.