Guild Wars 2

So I’ve been experiencing absolutely dreadful and unplayable lag for a while now and it’s gotten significantly worse throughout the summer.

I’ve found out the problem to my lag and I’m posting it here because it might help some of you out there who are also at a loss of what to do and are looking for information:

http://www.level3.com/en/

These guys are what causes the problems for me. For whatever reason, I am routed through them as I’m an American and I play on EU servers, so to do so I have to get routed through a certain backbone ISP to hit the servers in Frankfurt, Germany and along the way I’m suffering from anywhere between 70-100% packet loss, resulting in lag like this:

https://youtu.be/40aVLZ0rBwc

It’s unpredictable but at this point expected, and impossible to enjoy myself. Any of you guys get lag like this? Random ping spikes ranging from 200-300 up to 2k or more, lasting anywhere between a second or two to a lot?

Chances are you might have the same problem that I have, even more likely depending on what your ISP is and what location you’re in because it will affect the way that you are routed.

I have a modem that I get my connection from my ISP with, via F-connector and it’s kind of a cheap-end modem that they provided us with. It has only 1 ethernet port, which I use to connect to a Netgear R6250 router which has the ability to provide my home with a wireless signal which this modem is unable to do.

See, here’s the weird part.

If I unplug my router from the modem and plug my laptop directly into the modem itself, I will be routed completely differently to the ncsoft servers. Instead of going through Level3’s terrible node in chicago where I lose 80% of the packets, I am routed through Telia instead and have absolutely no lag at all!

However…

If I re-connect my router to the modem and plug my ethernet cable connected from my laptop right into the router instead of the modem… I’m routed through Level3 again:

http://i.imgur.com/ZVGyjMk.png

It’s strange, but for some reason this makes the difference for me and changes the way that I’m routed. This is out of the control of my ISP, because once it leaves Time Warner’s equipment (my ISP), which ends at hop 6, it is no longer something they control directly.

So what am I going to do about it?

Well, I called my ISP obviously and they are going to do what they can do and submit a ticket to Level3 showing them that there is a problem with their routing and whatnot. Hopefully they will do something about it.

In the meantime I’m going to get my modem swapped for a higher-end one that has multiple ethernet ports, and I’m going to order a better and longer ethernet cable so that I can keep my wireless network with the Netgear R6250 router while having an ethernet connection between the modem and my laptop instead of the router and the laptop.

Hopefully this post is of some help to some of you that are also wondering if there’s anything that you can do to resolve packet loss and horrible lag.

An alternative solution would be to use a VPN but I’ve had awful experiences with them and don’t want to pay a monthly fee for it. They’re generally not reliable and a lot of them are scams anyways.

I’ve been doing some investigating of my own lag and problems at each hop and yes Level 3 is a big problem. Through the three or four hops through L3 servers, I have about 20% packet loss on average, sometimes much higher.

Hello,

I’m playing from Chile and have been having horrible lag for the past months too. When i trace the IP from gw2 when im experiencing the lag, it says the ping spikes from 185 to 300+ at ae10.edge1.LosAngeles9.level3.net and then I get to ncsoft server with horrible latency.

This has made it very hard for me to enjoy the game and I don’t even know what to do:

My ISP says its not their problem because it international stuff.
¿ Is there any way to get to anets server a different way?

Hope someone finds a solution
thanks!

Same here, mine started last June.. I spend more time browsing the forums than the actual game itself. LOL

I also play other online games, and I have no issues at all. I love Guild Wars 2, but this problem is just making me look for other games. I’m sure I am not the only one starting to look for another game to play.

If this issue continues? so be it… anyways, back to browsing the forums! ya’ll have a nice day. Don’t let LAG and DC’s ruin your week/ weekend. :p

I have the issue as well. It’s been a month or more for me. I never had this kind of issue before. My location is in SEA.

Here’s my traceroute right now;

Tracing route to www.guildwars2.com [64.25.40.16]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.x
2 6 ms 19 ms 27 ms 10.x
3 5 ms 5 ms 5 ms 10.x
4 6 ms 6 ms 6 ms 222.x
5 21 ms 23 ms 22 ms 120.x
6 166 ms 163 ms 164 ms 120.x
7 226 ms 226 ms 226 ms xe-10-2-0.edge2.Seattle3.Level3.net [4.59.234.37
]
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 249 ms 249 ms 261 ms 4.59.197.34
11 252 ms * 253 ms 64.25.32-9.ncsoft.com [64.25.32.9]
12 246 ms 245 ms * 64.25.32-26.ncsoft.com [64.25.32.26]
13 * 259 ms 251 ms 64.25.32-82.ncsoft.com [64.25.32.82]
14 249 ms 249 ms 249 ms 64.25.40-16.ncsoft.com [64.25.40.16]

ArenaNet, can you block such route hops through game client? This problem still persist. Only sometime, but it does… Croatian players feel it a lot.

Hey guys, they can’t do anything about this because they don’t control the way you’re routed to their servers. Basically the only thing you can do is try to get in touch with your ISP, have them send in a ticket to level3, and hope something gets done. I’ve had two support tickets sent in for me on my behalf and noticed nothing so I’m guessing it’s one of those companies that nothing will get done unless a mob of complaints swarms them… so try it!

My work-around to the problem was going for an ethernet connection between my laptop and the modem. When I do this as opposed to hard wiring to the netgear router we have, it routes me through telia instead of level3. Hopefully this helps some of ya.

Hey guys. I have same problem as Purple Miku , i to go thru Level 13 in Copenhagen and then Frankfurt, so i am sure the problem is at one of thos 2 hubs.

problem is to get them to fix it .Only way is to have Tracert ready and copy logs , and then have them ready when you contact your ISP , ore they will tell you it is you Firewall Bla Bla Bla.

I will try and get logs when playing , and contact my ISP
But sadly it always take a long time for them to admit the problem is at there end

The only solution is using a VPN whenever there is big lag at Level 3 or Telia or whoever
and use a Server that is using another route.

So I need to use a VPN? Sorry, I’ve never used something like that before. Any tips you could give?

SmellTheJava.1520:

So I need to use a VPN? Sorry, I’ve never used something like that before. Any tips you could give?

If you don’t want to pay you may try one of those :
https://www.bestvpn.com/blog/18736/5-best-free-vpn-2/

Personally i use Private Internet Access
https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/
costs $39.95/year

You normally install a client and then connect to the VPN, i have a list of maybe
20+ server around the world and depending on the server i get a different route
to my destination that has maybe less packet loss.

It also hides your real IP, so it may also have its use for other things ^^

So I am from Austria (which obviously isn’t the states) but I have found something interresting.

http://imgur.com/CVwk8Ct

It seems ICMP has no trouble using the route at all, while GW2s packages are being handled… poorly? Or are there problems within their own server infrastructure?

I don’t really have time to dig into it, because I have my bachelor’s exam on monday, but i would be really curious what’s the explaination for that.

Edit: The Upper ping window is the one for the lower gamewindow.

Ping doesn’t say much. Here 2 traces from me, first about my normal route
with my ISP German Telekom, the other with my VPN selecting a server in
Netherlands.

ISP: Deutsche Telekom AG

The level 3 nodes are the worst and should be on the black list. It’s so horrible that i’ve the constant high ping and heavy lags in Germany to play Guild Wars 2.

I WANT TELIA BACK!

Beldin.5498:

Ping doesn’t say much. Here 2 traces from me, first about my normal route
with my ISP German Telekom, the other with my VPN selecting a server in
Netherlands.

So how is your trace being created then?

SmellTheJava.1520:

So I need to use a VPN? Sorry, I’ve never used something like that before. Any tips you could give?

Basically the best tip that I can give you is that you should try to alter your connection like I did if at all possible and see if you’re routed differently. If you’re already hardwired to your modem then there’s not much else you can do other than a VPN, and in regards to those…

My personal experience is that free ones are just garbage. They’re free for a reason. It might be possible to get actual good free VPNs but all of the ones I’ve tried thus far have been trash.

Use a VPN as a last resort imo, and if you do decide to meddle with them I can tell you right away that the most popular one (WTFast) is a definite scam, stay away from it.

MordekaiZeyo.7318:

ISP: Deutsche Telekom AG

The level 3 nodes are the worst and should be on the black list. It’s so horrible that i’ve the constant high ping and heavy lags in Germany to play Guild Wars 2.

I WANT TELIA BACK!

2-3 weeks ago i was routed via Telia and that was the worst i had in my 3 years
playing GW2. I also remember the horror it was with Telia when i played
Diablo2 ..

Purple Miku.7032:

Use a VPN as a last resort imo, and if you do decide to meddle with them I can tell you right away that the most popular one (WTFast) is a definite scam, stay away from it.

PIA works great most of the time .. however i mostly first make a trace to see
that i not go over the same route than my normal connection. Most of the
time selecting Netherlands Server works good for me in Germany.

jagabs.5086:

I have the issue as well. It’s been a month or more for me. I never had this kind of issue before. My location is in SEA.

Here’s my traceroute right now;

Tracing route to www.guildwars2.com [64.25.40.16]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.x
2 6 ms 19 ms 27 ms 10.x
3 5 ms 5 ms 5 ms 10.x
4 6 ms 6 ms 6 ms 222.x
5 21 ms 23 ms 22 ms 120.x
6 166 ms 163 ms 164 ms 120.x
7 226 ms 226 ms 226 ms xe-10-2-0.edge2.Seattle3.Level3.net [4.59.234.37
]
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 249 ms 249 ms 261 ms 4.59.197.34
11 252 ms * 253 ms 64.25.32-9.ncsoft.com [64.25.32.9]
12 246 ms 245 ms * 64.25.32-26.ncsoft.com [64.25.32.26]
13 * 259 ms 251 ms 64.25.32-82.ncsoft.com [64.25.32.82]
14 249 ms 249 ms 249 ms 64.25.40-16.ncsoft.com [64.25.40.16]

I posted my trace route above when my game is unplayable.

But right at this moment I’m gonna post my trace route since I can play normally. Now, I find this weird since I still can’t connect to level 3 but my gameplay have no lag or whatsoever.

Tracing route to www.guildwars2.com [64.25.40.16]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 2 ms <1 ms 3 ms 192.x
2 8 ms 6 ms 7 ms 10.x
3 7 ms 6 ms 7 ms 10.x
4 6 ms 8 ms 16 ms 120.x
5 20 ms 20 ms 26 ms 120.x
6 171 ms 163 ms 165 ms 120.x
7 180 ms 196 ms 180 ms xe-10-2-0.edge2.Seattle3.Level3.net [4.5
]
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 207 ms 209 ms 206 ms 4.59.197.34
11 213 ms 213 ms 213 ms 64.25.32-9.ncsoft.com [64.25.32.9]
12 204 ms 205 ms 204 ms 64.25.32-26.ncsoft.com [64.25.32.26]
13 215 ms 217 ms 215 ms 64.25.32-82.ncsoft.com [64.25.32.82]
14 212 ms 219 ms 216 ms 64.25.40-16.ncsoft.com [64.25.40.16]

Trace complete.

I’m always getting this kind of result around this time 2:00 AM (GMT+8). But this only last for a few hours then goes back 250+ ping. This is confusing.