[SuddenLink] Connection Issues Since 3/11/2011

[Vanshilar]

I've been having connection issues to DDO and to the forums since 3/11/2011. It spans the gamut of most of the connection issues that I've seen -- from the launcher saying that some of the servers are down (while others are up), to "Searching for logon server" on the loading screen after selecting a server (followed by "Connection failed: Client timed out the connection"), to "The connection to the server has been lost!" after selecting a character while waiting on the loading screen, and so forth. If I do load in, I'm fine as long as I stay in an instance (i.e. staying in Marketplace, staying in Wayward Lobster, staying in a quest, etc.). I also see that the chat channel is unavailable, then re-established, when I log in. However I am able to chat in channels just fine.

I've tried most of the things listed here, such as port forwarding and check if there's a proxy server in IE (there isn't). I don't use fire-sharing apps. I did recently install Skype a week ago, but had been using it and DDO for a week without any problems. I also tried custom-setting the port to 9007 in the preferences ini file (and then port forwarding to that), but that hasn't worked either. I haven't tried a full reinstall of the game yet though but don't know why I'd need to do that.

There's a couple of things that I've noticed about it. One is mentioned above,that I am fine -- can move around, hit stuff, etc. -- as long as I don't switch instances. So something with switching instances can cause connection loss while moving around doing a quest etc. doesn't. Also, it'll say that the chat channel is unavailable/re-established oftentimes when I log in; I don't know if that's a clue (i.e. maybe it uses a different internet protocol such as TCP/IP vs UDP and such and one of them isn't working).

Also, when the problem first started, when I loaded up DDO, Windows would ask me to choose a broadband connection (this also occurs sometimes with other programs such as Windows Media Player before this problem started, so I don't think it's a virus or something), which to me indicates that it's no longer seeing that I'm hooked up directly to the internet. I've since disconnected the broadband options in my network connections setting, as well as disconnected the UPnP thing, to try to force it to use the directly-connected-to-internet option, to no avail.

And of course, the problem isn't limited to just the game, I've also been having problems connecting to the forums as well. It'll take around 5-10 refreshes to get to any one page. I tried running a tracert; if I do so directly to ddo.com, it'll try to connect to ddo.com [74.201.109.9] and will exit my local provider, go to 64.211.195.141, then through gblx.net and then sprintlink.net backbones, before going to pnap.net and then to 74.201.102.xxx until it reaches the destination. If I try to tracert to forums.ddo.com however, it'll try to connect to webvip.ddo.com [74.201.102.43], but then time out after reaching the 64.211.195.141 node successfully (i.e. everything after this will time out). This problem of connecting to websites occurs with no other site that I'm aware of (google.com, yahoo.com, etc.).

Any thoughts?

[Lerincho]

Same issue I have been talking about since yesterday as well.

People that resonded to me the common theme was Suddenlink was the ISP provider. Yet, how can it be the ISP when every other online game and website actually work, and only Turbine related stuff does not work.

I am going to try removing the update from thursday to see if this clears up the issue. Update was for Windows 7 KB2488113

[Lerincho]

removing last couple of updates for Windows 7 did not resolve the issue. DDO is absolutely the only program having issues with connecting online. I deleted and re-opened the ports that Turbine specify. TCP 80, UCP 2900 - 2913; 9000 - 9013. Reset firewall rules for dndclient, DDOLauncher, TurbineLauncher, and TurbineInvoker. Still no connection.

On the rare time I get to the character selection screen, loading a character causes infinite load screen that ends up failing with connection to server lost.

[Mecoth]

Yes it does look like suddenlink is the common factor. Everything the first poster said is accurate for me. I can open the game, but it will randomly say servers are down, eventually I can get my character list. Occasionally I can log in to a character and get the chat server error, but can do anything I want as long as I don't change instances. I have suddenlink internet and so does my friend who is having the exact same issues as me, starting 2 days ago.

Suddenlink
Windows 7

[Lerincho]

Just for the records. Might help to figure out what is going on.

ISP?
Windows version?



Suddenlink
Windows 7

[Vanshilar]

Ahh yes I'm on Suddenlink as well. So it may be a Suddenlink - Turbine issue.

However, it's interesting to note that part of Turbine works, and other parts don't. Doing a tracert to turbine.com (which goes to webvip.turbine.com at 74.201.102.41) works just fine. Doing a tracert to forums.ddo.com (which goes to webvip.ddo.com at 74.201.102.43) however fails. I tried modifying my Windows hosts file to point webvip.ddo.com to 74.201.102.41 but that doesn't solve the problem.

Maybe I should try the school network, and see if it's provided by Suddenlink. I wonder if there's ethical concerns about using school resources for non-school matters.

My ISP is Suddenlink and I'm using Windows XP Service Pack 2, by the way.

[CTBear]

My company is Flow communications but noticed they are suddenlink I think we have found the problem.

[CTBear]

On phone with suddenlink

[HGM-Chi]

Just to let you know it's maybe not terribly suprising that an ISP might have troubles with something like this, a similar issue happened with Shaw here in Canada about a year ago. A fairly major node went bye-bye and western canada couldn't get to the turbine game servers for a few days. At all. Forums etc. no problem, jsut no game servers. It was weird, but eventually acknowledge by Shaw.

Just so's ya know.

[Lerincho]

On phone with suddenlink

I'm on Argo.

What did Suddenlink say?

[CTBear]

Not much they said they did not change anything and there was nothing they could do right now, not knowing more but that seems to be the only common thread because I'm on Khyber not Argo

[Vanshilar]

It looks like the disconnects happen when the client is unable to reach 74.201.106.31. During the loading screen, I see a lot of UDP traffic between the client and this IP address as well as with 74.201.106.72. But on a disconnect, I see a lot of "Destination unreachable (Port unreachable)" ICMP messages for 74.201.106.31. Doing a traceroute of this goes to pnap.net (63.251.128.43) to 74.201.102.105 to 74.201.102.170 before it times out, never quite reaching the final destination but presumably pretty close to it (since it's already in Turbine's network). Doing a tracert of 74.201.106.72 doesn't even get there, leaving Suddenlink, going to 64.211.195.141, and then times out while going for the gblx.net backbone.

On Orien.

[watabt]

I do work with Suddenlink as a tech support agent, and by no means do I respresent the company. I also play on Ghallanda. I've had a few calls about this today, and most of my calls seemed to be here in the Texas area.

From what I've gathered, and sent to our engineers - along with a few other agents, we're having a problem with one of our transit peers, Global Crossing. They seem to be having a routing issue, and we've established contact with their engineers to help work on resolving the problem.

Unfortunately, we don't have any kind of an ETA at the moment. Some news about what's going on, is better than none at all... or at least, I hope so.

[Lerincho]

I do work with Suddenlink as a tech support agent, and by no means do I respresent the company. I also play on Ghallanda. I've had a few calls about this today, and most of my calls seemed to be here in the Texas area.

From what I've gathered, and sent to our engineers - along with a few other agents, we're having a problem with one of our transit peers, Global Crossing. They seem to be having a routing issue, and we've established contact with their engineers to help work on resolving the problem.

Unfortunately, we don't have any kind of an ETA at the moment. Some news about what's going on, is better than none at all... or at least, I hope so.

PLEASE keep us informed with what you can.

[CTBear]

I was on the phone with Suddenlink a bit ago, nicest customer support ever, they did say they were working on it. On a side note my isp is a radio internet company not Suddenlink but my company uses Suddenlink tech and they still stayed on the phone with me helping for 20 min and told me to call them back if the problem was still around in a couple of days.

[watabt]

PLEASE keep us informed with what you can.

I get off work in about an hour, so before I leave i'll pull up the outage ticket for some kind of an update, and post with whatever I am able to share

[watabt]

From our own company outage ticket:

We have gathered evidence of this problem affecting Turbine gaming servers (Dungeons and Dragons Online, Lord of the Rings Online, etc) as well as certain websites loading slowly or not at all. Much of the information we have received was in the form of screen shots. We have had to reproduce that evidence manually by sourcing.



We submitted the ticket with Global Exchange earlier this afternoon. Our last Update was at approximately 4:30pm Central, and we were awaiting a response back from Global Crossing's engineers on a status.

[Runeskald71]

http://tinyurl.com/4t8g6uf
two threads on this same issue though. Reportedly Turbine and Global Crossing are talking. Global Crossing has no update either, I called them. Funny this has happened before in 2006...

[XXdragonwind2000XX]

Hey,

I'm having the exact same issue with connecting, getting the 'client timed out the connection' error. I'm with Telus in Canada. How did Shaw resolve the problem? I'm assuming I'm not the only one having the issue, and since Shaw dealt with it, maybe I can do something to let Telus know what the problem is. You know, rather than being bounced back and forth between the support guys for Telus, Turbine and ActionTec. =(

Thanks!

Just to let you know it's maybe not terribly suprising that an ISP might have troubles with something like this, a similar issue happened with Shaw here in Canada about a year ago. A fairly major node went bye-bye and western canada couldn't get to the turbine game servers for a few days. At all. Forums etc. no problem, jsut no game servers. It was weird, but eventually acknowledge by Shaw.

Just so's ya know.

[Coffee]

I have the same issue. I have Suddenlink, no other problems with sites/games. I am still timing out upon log in/zone in.