EXTREME lag (ongoing)

[Elyseon]

The previous thread was closed but this issue is still ongoing. Still waiting for a reply from my ISP regarding the port forwarding.

Previous thread here for reference:
http://forum.square-enix.com/ffxiv/t...REME-lag/page2

[Einmimiria]

Good afternoon and thank you for posting on the Final Fantasy XIV Technical Support Forums.

I understand that this is your second thread, but please provide the following information to avoid any confusion:

- When this started happening
- Platform (PC, PS4, Mac)
- Type of connection (wired or wireless)
- Other programs running while the game is playing (if any)
- Frequency at which error occurs
- Everything you have tried to resolve the issue

We hope we can be of assistance in helping you enjoy the exciting world of Final Fantasy XIV!

[Elyseon]

This started happening around last year, and has been happening across different providers from different countries.
I am playing (or trying) on the PC version.
I have shut down any unrelated programs that might be interfering with the connection.
This happens every time I try to play. I am connected by cable, hooked straight to the router, and there are no other devices using bandwidth. I am not using any VPN or proxies.
I have followed all the troubleshooting instructions provided, from adjusting DNS settings to lowering the graphics to reverting to the default options to a full reinstall. During this time I also had to replace the motherboard and as such, the built-in network adapter.
This issue has been happening in both US and EU servers.
During the attempts at troubleshooting I ran a tracert. Everything seems normal until the connection gets to several network points with the address ending in us.bb.gin.ntt.net, after which the latency spikes up.
I am currently waiting for the request I filed for a public IP and port forwarding to be processed by my ISP, but I think it's very strange that this is the only game I have this issue with.
I already submitted system log files for analysis by the tech support team, but they were unable to find anything.
I get 3-4 digit lag just standing in town doing nothing and 4-5 digit lag every time I try to do instanced content. The only area where lag is lower is the inn rooms.

[Elyseon]

Update (Sorry if double posting is against the rules. I will edit this into the previous post later if that's the case.)
The public IP address and port forwarding request has finally been processed. I will do some testing later today.

EDIT: I can confirm that the port forwarding has done absolutely nothing. I still have the same issue regardless of the data center.

[Einmimiria]

Thank you for the update Elyseon.

Just to make sure we have everything, make sure you've tried all of the following:

Open the Internet Explorer browser, open the "Tools", go to "Internet Options" and adjust the following settings:
- Under the "General" tab, please delete ALL browser history.
- Under the "Security" tab, please move the slider to the lowest possible settings or no higher than "Medium"
- Under the "Privacy" tab, please move the slider to the lowest possible settings or to "Allow All Cookies"
- Under the "Advanced" tab, please make sure that "Allow software to run or install even if signature is invalid" is CHECKED.
- Make sure that all SSL and TLS (EXCEPT SSL 3.0) are CHECKED. [SSL 3.0 should be UNCHECKED]
- Hit "Apply" to save the settings, and then "OK, to close the Internet Options menu.
- Right-Click on the FFXIV launcher icon and select "Properties"
- Go to the "Compatibility" tab, and change the compatibility mode to "Windows 7"
- Hit "Apply", then "OK" to save the changes.
- Please RESTART your PC now. Once your PC has been restarted, Right-Click the FFXIV launcher icon once more and select "Run as Administrator"

Reset your router by turning it off for a few minutes, then back on

Make sure your anti-virus/firewall has the appropriate exceptions for Final Fantasy XIV (you can temporarily disable them while you try to connect as well).

You can also try a clean boot. Simply open the task manager and select the 'Start up' Tab. Disable everything here and restart the PC. This will make sure that no background processes are interfering with the game.

We hope we can be of assistance in helping you enjoy the exciting world of Final Fantasy XIV!

[Elyseon]

That did absolutely nothing and I have no idea what the configuration settings for a browser I never use have to do with your game not letting me stay properly connected to your servers. I work in IT and this makes no sense. Compatibility settings also did nothing at all. I have already tried a list of troubleshooting instructions as long as both my arms, as detailed in tech support ticket t8484236:cbc7 and nothing is making the slightest difference. I seriously doubt this is something that can be fixed just by changing settings on my side. I've done every possible network configuration checks and tweaks, run the game in administrator mode and compatibility mode, contacted my ISP to have port forwarding set up, done a clean reinstall of the game and even tried to log in from a different Windows user account as if that would remotely make sense. Nothing made a difference.

Furthermore I have spoken with other players who are affected by the same issue and they are unanimous: there are some serious routing issues to the game servers. If this was something that could be resolved simply by restarting a router, I would not have spent weeks chasing your tech support staff. I need solutions, not placebos. The tracert results, which I linked in the previous topic, show a clear spike in latency as soon as it goes into us.bb.gin.ntt.net territory. This is a known issue, and blaming people's computers isn't going to make it go away.

No other online game I have played had this issue, or to such an egregious degree. If I cannot get an actual solution rather than generic placebos, then I will have to conclude that your company does not wish me to continue playing your game and paying subscription fees. I have been very patient with this, enduring these issues for well over a year, but my patience is running thin. I have no intention of roleplaying a hermit who lives in the inn rooms, and having to deal with this crap every time I do something that requires being able to dodge area attacks and other mechanics (that still hit me even though my character is clearly outside the impact area) is absolutely infuriating.

[Ariellendera]

Hello Elyseon, Thank you for your response.

We do apologize for any inconveniences you have experienced in regards to the ongoing lag. We have provided all troubleshooting suggestions and unfortunately, this is an issue where the steps that typically would provide a solution are not working. Our teams have previously conducted an investigation on this issue and they did not find the issue to be something we can fix on this side. We do suggest contacting your ISP to make a report. We also suggest submitting a bug report in the bug forums.

Thank you for playing Final Fantasy XIV! Hope to see you online.

[Elyseon]

This issue has followed me across two different countries, almost 3000 km apart, with two different ISPs. If this does not suggest a routing issue, I don't know what does.

[MrSigy]

Can you bypass the specific route which is dubious with a vpn or is this a intercontinental link?

[Elyseon]

I do not have and have never had access to VPN. Any attempt at bypassing dubious routes would involve spending more money on a third party routing service, which I definitely not inclined to pay for. Why? Because I have also received no feedback since submitting all this information at the bug report forum. It's been almost a month, and I get the distinct feeling that I am being ignored. If this is the staff's level of commitment to assisting with issues beyond a player's control, then I am strongly inclined to quit once my game time runs out.