Quote Originally Posted by Eriya View Post
See if I can explain this terms understandable...

When you connect to the NA servers from wherever you are your data is sent from your location to there through first your ISP and then probably multiple other internet operators and backbone providers before getting there and setting up a pathing for your data.
If (for whatever reason) something like a big backbone provider is having serious issues it will affect anyone routed that path and that can be a serious chunk of the total data to a server. It means you have to try take another path but with the major high-way down that can be troublesome and you time out before your data reach the desired destination.

The closer the troubled provider is to the actual servers the more likely data try path through them and fewer optional routes will be available so a "traffic jam" of sorts will happen where priorities will be iffy and inconsistent to say the least.

The path your home ISP set out on to connect to the servers is not under SE control.

Any compare like "but I can log in there" or "this other game/service work just fine" is utterly irrelevant since data to them obviously don't take the same path.
Probably the best explanation of how things work. Thank you for clarifying and not looking down at people who are upset and confused. As for the DDOS attack anyone claimed responseablity like the nerf-herders in poodlecorps?