Strange "lag" problem (FFXI)

[Raen Ryong]

Been playing for the last few weeks on a Wired connection. Beautiful, no problems whatsoever of any kind.

Come home from university and need to set up a wireless network due to positioning. Okay, should be no problem since this computer has happily connected and played before using wireless. However, my old adapter can no longer hold a stable connection for some reason so I bought a new one (D-link DWA140 Rev-b if that means anything). Its wireless setup manager won't work for me no matter what I do, so I download a program called WeFi which promptly connects to it and - bang, stable connection. Wonderful.

I thought my problems with wireless were over - I was wrong.

Sometimes - not always, but frequently there will be a delay of 2-3 seconds between me performing an action and it beginning on my screen. Often it will just show me that the spell has been cast rather than seeing the casting animation etc. Monsters and people seem to "teleport" across my screen sometimes though this tends to only happen in combat situations. Sometimes this delay is so severe that I question whether what I'm seeing on my screen is what is actually happening. I am able to start casting on something, run off, and finish my spell WHILE running from way beyond maximum spell range (36' Bind is my record). I think I might be disconnecting and reconnecting every second or something without being able to tell? I have no idea...

I've tried downgrading graphics - no change. I've tried disabling windower - no change. I've tried removing my .dat mods - no change. Nothing seems to be able to stop this.

As a final note, any other online application I've tried has worked very well and I have a PS3 almost right next to my PC, also connecting by wireless, which maintains a steady stable connection with only a tiny bit of (expected) latency.

Please help me I am completely lost as to what to do and this is incredibly frustrating.

http://www.pingtest.net/result/19083284.png
copy of pingtest if it helps.

[Kaisha]

I've been having the same problem with FFXI lately. Feels like I'm playing it on a dial-up connection again.

First noticed it when I was on my friend's connection when I was visiting for a week (he's running 15mbit cable), and when I get home on my shitty 3mbit wireless it was the same issue. Everything else runs fine, just not FFXI, so I'm assuming it's a problem on SE's end, or perhaps the cables that go across the ocean that connect us with Japan.

[Raen Ryong]

Hmm, that is interesting. I know someone who lives very nearby who plays FFXI and my sister does downstairs (both Wired) and they don't experience this problem at all, which is why I thought it must be my wireless or something. Interesting to hear other people have been suffering too though, cause this is practically unplayable...

[xopher]

Wireless is not good for gaming.

/thread.

Seriously. Try it wired. See if the problem replicates itself. I'd put money on no.

[Raen Ryong]

Oh, I know that. I already knew to expect some kind of latency since I've used the wireless before and it's been fine. This is a hideous amount of delay which is very challenging and irritating to play with ;x is there no solution other than "switch to wired"? That isn't really an option...

[xopher]

Oh, I know that. I already knew to expect some kind of latency since I've used the wireless before and it's been fine. This is a hideous amount of delay which is very challenging and irritating to play with ;x is there no solution other than "switch to wired"? That isn't really an option...

You can't get water from a stone.

[Cheerios]

Wireless is fine for gaming as long as it's not a USB dongle. If you're using a dongle, try to get a PCIEx1 wireless adapter with an antenna, or just PCI.

If you're not using a dongle, then ruh roh

[xopher]

Wireless is fine for gaming as long as it's not a USB dongle. If you're using a dongle, try to get a PCIEx1 wireless adapter with an antenna, or just PCI.

If you're not using a dongle, then ruh roh

No, wireless is ass for gaming. It's a half-duplex connection that is extremely lossy. Even if you're right on top of the WAP you can get lost packets.

Also, how far are you using your laptop from your WAP and is the WAP B/G/N?

[Raen Ryong]

It's a Desktop I'm using it on, and it's a floor above and one room to the left of the WAP. The WAP is B/G and the USB Wireless Adapter I'm using is G/N (currently have Router set to only transmit with G, idk if that'll actually help anything).

[Cheerios]

Look around for a wireless card instead of a USB dongle. If you don't have a friend that'll let you test his, you can always buy one at the store since they allow hardware returns.

[Drac]

I'm not using wireless and I get the same problem sometimes and it's usually a 2-3 second delay on JAs and spells don't do the animation, they just cast instantly after the delay. Never had these problems before and it's quite annoying but after turning the router off and back on it's usually better for a long time. Still doesn't make sense to me since it never used to happen before and it's not like we've switched anything. Everything else works fine but FF lags for some reason.

[Raen Ryong]

Well as an update to hopefully combat this problem (and improve quality as a whole) today I ordered a network switch as well as a 15m long Ethernet cable and such and am going to get a wired connection if it kills me. However, the length of cable could also contribute some latency? Or is this likely to fix the problem?

I've been told that it's nothing to worry about but I just want this fixed

[Norellicus]

100base ethernet has a single-segment length of 100m before any signal loss is observed, 15m of cabling is effortless.

[Raen Ryong]

Cheers, puts my mind at rest you've all been helpful, if only because you turned me so much from wireless! This is a bit of an ugly solution but hey, the performance I am sure will speak for itself.

[Kaisha]

I have to say that since the maintenance for FFXI my latency problem has disappeared.

Can't say if it was a coincidence or not though.