Word from SE: Don't try and register until Saturday

[Khamsin]

Don't forget that once you register and begin your update, it'll check 20,000 files... after which it may or may not be able to connect to actually download the update. So pray that you don't have to re-check those 20,000 files again.

[Haruk]

was having the same problem, but then I hooked my computer right up to my modem instead of my router, and went in first try. Spent 2 hours trying to get in at first

[grover]

It's been 2 days since the expansion came out. It's stupid that it's as congested now as it was the opening day.

It's more congested because more people are finally getting the expansion.

But PS2/Xbox users, and JP all had the content on time, right? It's only the NA/EU PC users that were delayed, so if anything this should have spread the registration process out over 3 days.

[Krazy]

It's been 2 days since the expansion came out. It's stupid that it's as congested now as it was the opening day.

It's more congested because more people are finally getting the expansion.

But PS2/Xbox users, and JP all had the content on time, right? It's only the NA/EU PC users that were delayed, so if anything this should have spread the registration process out over 3 days.

Depends on where you got it from. My Xbox version was delayed. I tried registering for about an hour and said to hell with it.

[Hellsashes]

I just got the red screen...

Is this awesome? Y/N

[Khamsin]

Don't worry about the red screen. You can keep spamming Retry, and the only difference it'll make is that when you finally get the page you want, it'll have a red background instead of the proper background image.

[pudge]

was having the same problem, but then I hooked my computer right up to my modem instead of my router, and went in first try. Spent 2 hours trying to get in at first

Thanks a lot Haruk, I've been trying to register all day, and after directly connecting like you suggested, I was able to register on the first try also. Thanks a bunch!

[Hellsashes]

Just tried the direct to modem thing, still getting 0011

[algrensan]

just got the pc version (and a ps2 version just for the code), installed it on my laptop and my gf's pc, and did the update. i was having trouble getting the registration screen on my laptop/pc to come up like everyone else and just gave up. called my rl best friend, who got me into ffxi, to enter my registration code thru his ps2 and see if that would help. it took him a few minutes of failure but he was finally able to register me and my gf. it's worth a shot. use at your own risk ofcourse with your registration code.

[Stiker]

I tried directly connecting to my modem and I finally got the damned thing registered. I still got a handful of POL-0011's after each page, but it finally went through. When I was plugged into my router, I couldn't even get into the first page -- so I wager that this might be the best idea.

Best of luck to everyone.

[Pun]

Connecting my PC directly to my modem sadly did nothing Thanks for the advice, though. Giving up for the night Been trying since 11am EST and haven't even made it to the first screen.

[Solarus]

Seems pretty random with letting some people through and not others. All I can suggest really is, if you know someone that's got through easily, and you trust them with your login/reg code, let them try it for you.

Funny how they did a 3 hour extended maintenance on the servers earlier, and it's now exactly the same.

[Okuza]

What error code are y'all getting? I tried before the maintenance and again after: POL-2054 every time.

[miokomioko]

How often does this happen and literally how much of a giant inconvenience is it? Should they really spend a bunch of money on servers and shit just so some kids can play around in a few new areas a few days earlier? This isn't a frequent situation to call for drastic measures. Yeah, it's not professional, but come on. SE just wants everyone to relax and have a life or something, it's just unfortunate for them that their release of the expansion landed right on a vacation for most people, thus much much much more congestion than normal (compared to days when people are usually at school/work).

[Alathar]

SE just wants everyone to relax and have a life or something, it's just unfortunate for them that their release of the expansion landed right on a vacation for most people, thus much much much more congestion than normal (compared to days when people are usually at school/work).

How many people do you know that would not have had an opportunity to register over the course of a normal wednesday to friday? I doubt the number is going to have changed very much just because it's a holiday.

[miokomioko]

SE just wants everyone to relax and have a life or something, it's just unfortunate for them that their release of the expansion landed right on a vacation for most people, thus much much much more congestion than normal (compared to days when people are usually at school/work).

How many people do you know that would not have had an opportunity to register over the course of a normal wednesday to friday? I doubt the number is going to have changed very much just because it's a holiday.

You mean the opportunity to sit down throughout the majority of the day and punch retry retry retry retry retry.

I believe a majority of the US community is still in school, which is what people get a vacation from, not as usual with the working world except for thanksgiving day itself. I still think it being a week/end that this whole country has off to play games and fuck around all day is a big factor of congestion on their dinky little registration server that rarely gets any attention in the first place.

[Jahuran]

I had to retry the registration process a few times (few >= 15 times). If you guys are running behind a router or a firewall you can try and place the machine you're registering from in a DMZ or check if your ports are opened. This has probably been posted before but.

From playonline service & support:

PlayOnline (including all related software such as FINAL FANTASY XI) may use any of the following ports. If you are using a router, please configure it to allow packets to pass through these ports.

Port numbers that may be used by the PlayOnline server group.
TCP 25.80.110.443 or 50000 - 65535
UDP 50000 - 65535

*Your router may require that you use a PC to configure your network settings. For more information about how to configure your network settings, please refer to the instruction manual that came with your router or contact the manufacturer directly.

*If your Internet service provider (ISP) specifies a DNS server, you may need to configure your settings to allow packets to pass through UDP Port 53 as well. For more information, please refer to the instruction manual for your router or the information provided by your ISP.

I still wonder why they don't take the registration process for expanded services or content id's and put it into a webform. Same goes for patch time. Just let us use a torrent type system where everyone downloads a piece of patch from everyone else. Sure it would circumvent the playonline viewer. But to be honest that thing is a piece of crap anyway imo.