Error 3101 is keeping me out of the game. I just came back after a year.

[VoiceMemo]

Have you tried using a free vpn? ie windscribe is free 10gb per month. If it works with that then it most definitely a routing issue.

[Bananarama]

Have you tried using a free vpn? ie windscribe is free 10gb per month. If it works with that then it most definitely a routing issue.

I have a lifetime subscription to a VPN. I connected from an IP in the US and I got the same issue. I can try from other IPs in the country and come back and see what I get.

[Dragoy]

Yeah, testing with a VPN is a good idea certainly, when possible.

Those traces timing out indeed could mean that the problem is "on the way". Sadly not much can be done about that usually, but wait, aside from maybe providing your ISP with that info, though I'm not sure if they'll be keen on doing anything with it. I can't think of anything local that would cause such a specific issue.

Was that the 124.150.154.122 address? If yes, what happens with 202.67.54.126, 202.67.62.70, and 202.67.54.164? I'd guess at least 202.67.54.126 would seem to work better, since you are getting to PlayOnline (again assuming we get the same IPs from different locations, which I'd guess we do; the ranges I mentioned were just those owned by SqEX according to WHOIS which I used to check these IPs out, but I would not expect them to change, usually).

Yes actually. the SE guy recommended it, and I had the ISP open...
TCP - 25,80,110,443,50000-65535
UDP - 53,50000-65535
I should clarify that they opened these ports after getting my PC's Mac address. Perhaps I could ask them to try and open it up at my Router/Modem, because I have gotten new internet equipment between last year and now. Maybe that's got something to do with it?

I /think/ they should be quite OK, since you are getting on PlayOnline without trouble.

SE did recommend I come to this here forum for help from the devs, but I don't think any of them are around right now.

Yeah, the developers themselves do not reply to posts here, but members of the support team (showing up as moderators here) sometimes will, though mostly all they can do is share the same information and ask the same questions that the support person did.

[Bananarama]

Was that the 124.150.154.122 address? If yes, what happens with 202.67.54.126, 202.67.62.70, and 202.67.54.164? I'd guess at least 202.67.54.126 would seem to work better, since you are getting to PlayOnline (again assuming we get the same IPs from different locations, which I'd guess we do; the ranges I mentioned were just those owned by SqEX according to WHOIS which I used to check these IPs out, but I would not expect them to change, usually).

Good afternoon, sorry for the delay.

124.150.154.122 timed out at Hop 2 and Hop 8, then finished at 21
202.67.54.126 timed out at Hops 2 and 8, finished at 21
202.67.62.70 timed out at Hops 2 and 8, finished at 21
202.67.54.164 timed out at Hops 2 and 8, finished at 21

I'm not sure what it is that happens at 2 and 8, but that might be what's doing it.

[Dragoy]

There may be timeouts on the way, sometimes, but the important thing is that it eventually gets to the destination IP. If it never got there, then there'd very much be a problem.

So if they finish with the target IP, that is good on that part, nothing completely broken on the way.

With that in mind, it seems very odd to me that it breaks at that point like this, while letting you get to that point just fine, and seemingly the route should be good too (again assuming a little that they use the same IPs for everyone).

Oh, something that I don't think has been mentioned yet: does it say anything else with the error code? Something like "check your connection settings" or so? They tend to be pretty generic, but the error codes I've seen have some "flavour text" with them.

Also, does it make you re-log in to PlayOnline, or just kick you back to the PlayOnline Viewer while staying online?

Apologies that I don't have any better ideas at this time to offer.

[Bananarama]

There may be timeouts on the way, sometimes, but the important thing is that it eventually gets to the destination IP. If it never got there, then there'd very much be a problem.

So if they finish with the target IP, that is good on that part, nothing completely broken on the way.

With that in mind, it seems very odd to me that it breaks at that point like this, while letting you get to that point just fine, and seemingly the route should be good too (again assuming a little that they use the same IPs for everyone).

Oh, something that I don't think has been mentioned yet: does it say anything else with the error code? Something like "check your connection settings" or so? They tend to be pretty generic, but the error codes I've seen have some "flavour text" with them.

Also, does it make you re-log in to PlayOnline, or just kick you back to the PlayOnline Viewer while staying online?

Apologies that I don't have any better ideas at this time to offer.

I will try and find what exactly it says. just a moment.
Edit:
>A Word to Our Players
*Play*
>FFXI is a massively multi-player...
*Accept*
>Loading bar flashes and immediately says
>Error code: FFXI-3101
>Transmission error with lobby server.
*OK*

after that it kicks me to the Playonline Viewer, where it loads some info then immediately returns me to the Final Fantasy XI menu, with the Play button selected.

It doesn't look like it kicks me out

[VoiceMemo]

Just to check in ffxi config, the play opening movie on startup is NOT checked and in screen settings is it in windowed mode or full screen mode? And perhaps post your other settings in ffxi config, ie screen resolution.

I've seen antivirus, firewall programs that would block SE. The easiest test is to turn EVERYTHING else off and try to connect. If successful, then turn each on 1 at a time until you find out what program is stopping it. Since it is erroring right after you hit play, I'm still thinking it is some program locally that is blocking it right when you try to make final connection.

[Dragoy]

>Transmission error with lobby server.

Hrm, I don't think I've seen that either before...

Seems a bit more specific than the ones I /have/ seen, but indeed, somewhat too general. I'd almost contact the support again with all this info here again, with that error message completely, and showing them that you can 'tracert' the route fully.

Yes, it still may be something local in the end, but I just can't imagine why that would be.

Just to check in ffxi config, the play opening movie on startup is NOT checked and in screen settings is it in windowed mode or full screen mode? And perhaps post your other settings in ffxi config, ie screen resolution.

I've seen antivirus, firewall programs that would block SE. The easiest test is to turn EVERYTHING else off and try to connect. If successful, then turn each on 1 at a time until you find out what program is stopping it. Since it is erroring right after you hit play, I'm still thinking it is some program locally that is blocking it right when you try to make final connection.

It's after the actual FFXI application loads though, after the opening movie part, so we should be beyond that.

A mystery for the ages past this is becoming to be!

[Bananarama]

Just to check in ffxi config, the play opening movie on startup is NOT checked and in screen settings is it in windowed mode or full screen mode? And perhaps post your other settings in ffxi config, ie screen resolution.

I've seen antivirus, firewall programs that would block SE. The easiest test is to turn EVERYTHING else off and try to connect. If successful, then turn each on 1 at a time until you find out what program is stopping it. Since it is erroring right after you hit play, I'm still thinking it is some program locally that is blocking it right when you try to make final connection.

I've already tried running it with the antivirus(I only have Windows Defender/Firewall) turned off and it fixed nothing
I made new exceptions for pol/polboot.exe both incoming and outgoing with Firewall, and nothing changed. Still Error 3101.

As far as the settings in FFXI config, I've got it set to Borderless Window at 1080p with opening movie turned off.

[VoiceMemo]

How about the legacy component in windows 10? Control panel / All control panel items / programs and features / turn windows features on and off / legacy components

is directplay checked? If not check it.