POL News: All Worlds Maintenance

[Artem]

I think the big problem in this thread is people think that their ISP directly goes to SE, lol. Like they just have their own line running to Japan. I think people just don't know what backbone is. I don't see any sense in arguing over it. Some people are not capable for performing tracing. Hell most people don't know how to do. I think you are being a bit ridiculous for expecting them to trace their route and actually be able to understand what they did. That aside, it's not SE's fault some backbone somewhere crashed.

If you actually look around the packets, SE is sending you improperly formatted headers. Your client receives them and discards them thinking they are trash. Chances are the packets are just being messed up in transmission somewhere because of a faulty backbone. The point that everyone is not getting this, just tells us it's not the backbone that SE connects to, it's something else along the way. And there are multiple way of getting there. It would be more appropriate to trace the problem is if people who DC posted what ISP they connect through and in which region of the country. As far as I can see people on the east coast and in europe as well as japan are not having this problem. So... I would say the problem lies somewhere west. That's just a guess, I'm not bothering checking.

 

[Arctyrael]

Which IP or address did you ping?

And since you connected just fine while you were DC'ing, that means the problem isn't on your end. Although it doesn't really tell you a whole lot since its pinging a certain address and not the server you're currently connecting to.

Could someone try this after the update, provided the problem is still there? Additionally, if you're a more advanced user you could try using a packet sniffer to see if SE sends any "kill" packets, or if there's any expected packages being lost.

It is very very very unlikely SE has servers set up to allow random pinging and tracert to even touch an internal server. Any IP you ping is going to be a gateway server that only operates to direct traffic and add an extra level of security between the internet, and their proprietary system processes.

 

[Marajade]

Which IP or address did you ping?

And since you connected just fine while you were DC'ing, that means the problem isn't on your end. Although it doesn't really tell you a whole lot since its pinging a certain address and not the server you're currently connecting to.

I literaly pinged the Quetzalcoatl server. Got the address from the FFXI customer service report, and from scanning my IP access information.

 

[Everlasting]

Could someone try this after the update, provided the problem is still there? Additionally, if you're a more advanced user you could try using a packet sniffer to see if SE sends any "kill" packets, or if there's any expected packages being lost.

We'll have to see. Hopefuly the update fixes it and if they do people are gonna be PISSED.

Can't watch for a kill packet, they're encrypted, would need some uber hacker like the Windower guy who knows how to decrypt them and then read what's inside. That and I think a kill packet would be an automatic, quick, clean disconnect like what you see if someone logs into your account from a 2nd computer.

 

[Arctyrael]

If you actually look around the packets, SE is sending you improperly formatted headers. Your client receives them and discards them thinking they are trash. Chances are the packets are just being messed up in transmission somewhere because of a faulty backbone. The point that everyone is not getting this, just tells us it's not the backbone that SE connects to, it's something else along the way. And there are multiple way of getting there. It would be more appropriate to trace the problem is if people who DC posted what ISP they connect through and in which region of the country. As far as I can see people on the east coast and in europe as well as japan are not having this problem. So... I would say the problem lies somewhere west. That's just a guess, I'm not bothering checking.

This would explain the problem somewhat. Clients recieving invalid UDP packets. (Notice UDP and not TCP)

 

[Uzor]

Wow, Uzor. You should probably learn something about routing before trying to advise everyone on what to do.

I do know about networking. Enough to know that just because you have problems connecting to FFXI doesn't mean the problem lies with SE, which is obviously more then a lot of people that automatically assume the problem lies with SE.

I do believe I didn't once claim to be an expert on networking. I'm sure there's plenty of people (one or two that even posted in this thread) is a lot more knowledgable then I am on networking. Ironically, those two people also aren't blaming SE for the problem.

 

[Khajit]

I literaly pinged the Quetzalcoatl server. Got the address from the FFXI customer service report, and from scanning my IP access information.

Hack into it and make bubbly bernie drop Ridill!

 

[Marajade]

Hack into it and make bubbly bernie drop Ridill!

lol. I can knock on the door, but they wont let me in ; ;

 

[Artem]

We'll have to see. Hopefuly the update fixes it and if they do people are gonna be PISSED.

Can't watch for a kill packet, they're encrypted, would need some uber hacker like the Windower guy who knows how to decrypt them and then read what's inside. That and I think a kill packet would be an automatic, quick, clean disconnect like what you see if someone logs into your account from a 2nd computer.

FFXI packet encryption has been hacked and made public a long time ago lol, it's out there if you know where to look

 

[Arctyrael]

Actually on second thought. If it is a backbone causing the issues, there is a real problem with the theory that it is a tracing error. It should be corrupting more than just certain zones, for everyone - and at different times. The only thing you can rely on when dealing with 'the internet' is change. It is a highly scaled fully dynamic network. The chance of hitting ONE point of failure is incredibly unlikely over this period of time, as unchanging as 1 particular zone being unavailable to one person unerringly. I still say there is a problem with the client until SE can release an official statement proving otherwise.

 

[Uzor]

I think the big problem in this thread is people think that their ISP directly goes to SE, lol. Like they just have their own line running to Japan. I think people just don't know what backbone is. I don't see any sense in arguing over it. Some people are not capable for performing tracing. Hell most people don't know how to do. I think you are being a bit ridiculous for expecting them to trace their route and actually be able to understand what they did. That aside, it's not SE's fault some backbone somewhere crashed.

If you actually look around the packets, SE is sending you improperly formatted headers. Your client receives them and discards them thinking they are trash. Chances are the packets are just being messed up in transmission somewhere because of a faulty backbone. The point that everyone is not getting this, just tells us it's not the backbone that SE connects to, it's something else along the way. And there are multiple way of getting there. It would be more appropriate to trace the problem is if people who DC posted what ISP they connect through and in which region of the country. As far as I can see people on the east coast and in europe as well as japan are not having this problem. So... I would say the problem lies somewhere west. That's just a guess, I'm not bothering checking.

Artem too understands the point I'm trying to get across. And I doubt he got his oppinion from me. He, too, probably understand enough networking to know that just because you can't connect to FFXI it doesn't mean the problem lies with SE.

 

[Pasquale]

I do believe I didn't once claim to be an expert on networking. I'm sure there's plenty of people (one or two that even posted in this thread) is a lot more knowledgable then I am on networking. Ironically, those two people also aren't blaming SE for the problem.

I'm just curious how it is not SE's fault, if no had these problems before the update. I could zone and click my buffs last week, but I can't this week. The only thing that is different is the last update.

 

[Everlasting]

If you actually look around the packets, SE is sending you improperly formatted headers. Your client receives them and discards them thinking they are trash. Chances are the packets are just being messed up in transmission somewhere because of a faulty backbone. The point that everyone is not getting this, just tells us it's not the backbone that SE connects to, it's something else along the way. And there are multiple way of getting there. It would be more appropriate to trace the problem is if people who DC posted what ISP they connect through and in which region of the country. As far as I can see people on the east coast and in europe as well as japan are not having this problem. So... I would say the problem lies somewhere west. That's just a guess, I'm not bothering checking.

Tell us more about the corrupted headers, where did you see that, what did you see?

 

[Zyndara]

I think the big problem in this thread is people think that their ISP directly goes to SE, lol. Like they just have their own line running to Japan. I think people just don't know what backbone is. I don't see any sense in arguing over it. Some people are not capable for performing tracing. Hell most people don't know how to do. I think you are being a bit ridiculous for expecting them to trace their route and actually be able to understand what they did. That aside, it's not SE's fault some backbone somewhere crashed.

If you actually look around the packets, SE is sending you improperly formatted headers. Your client receives them and discards them thinking they are trash. Chances are the packets are just being messed up in transmission somewhere because of a faulty backbone. The point that everyone is not getting this, just tells us it's not the backbone that SE connects to, it's something else along the way. And there are multiple way of getting there. It would be more appropriate to trace the problem is if people who DC posted what ISP they connect through and in which region of the country. As far as I can see people on the east coast and in europe as well as japan are not having this problem. So... I would say the problem lies somewhere west. That's just a guess, I'm not bothering checking.

As I mentioned, per SE's own support people, there are EU players experiencing this, and I'm in NY and having this problem so... yeah. Don't know what the problem is, don't really give a good goddamn at this point about the technical crap, I just want the game I'm paying to play to function the way it should; the way it did pre-update.

EDIT: And since nothing is different from my end, I'm going to assume that regardless of what the problem is, SE's got a much better shot at figuring it out and fixing it than I do, they just choose not to.

 

[Uzor]

I literaly pinged the Quetzalcoatl server. Got the address from the FFXI customer service report, and from scanning my IP access information.

I don't know how SE set their servers up, but I do believe they don't have a single computer handling every zone etc. on the entire server. I'm guessing they have a network of computers for every zone. One computer for each region, or something.

While yes, the problem could be in the "La theine Plateau" computer, its highly unlikely as everyone would get the same problem in that case. Either all the time, or some of the time. But everyone would be affected.

 

[Everlasting]

It's up gogoggo

Is it fixed?

 

[Sabia]

Update finished, problem not fixed.

 

[Uzor]

As I mentioned, per SE's own support people, there are EU players experiencing this, and I'm in NY and having this problem so... yeah. Don't know what the problem is, don't really give a good goddamn at this point about the technical crap, I just want the game I'm paying to play to function the way it should; the way it did pre-update.

Yes, some people in my Dynamis LS have the same problems. But its far from a majority.

 

[Arctyrael]

I'm just curious how it is not SE's fault, if no had these problems before the update. I could zone and click my buffs last week, but I can't this week. The only thing that is different is the last update.

The buffs are a DAT mod - that is not SE's problem and people need to expect degraded support when they start hacking programs. The argument being made is that the update and some problem with a backbone is mere coincidence. They happened at the same time independent of each other. While it is possible - I do not see a problem with an internet backbone, being capable of determining how one zone is different from another zone in XI. If 1 zone was broken for everyone, perhaps a keyword in a packet is causing the packet to be dropped - but this is not the case. Particular zones are innaccessable to some people. The game itself is broken for others. The only thing unchanging is which zones are being broken.

I feel something SE has done to prevent DDoS attacks as well as hacking attempts has begun to wreak havoc on the service inadvertently. You can agree or disagree, expand or dismiss my belief - but I just do not understand how an error in 'the internet' can discriminate the functionality of a program **with** such unerring static nature unless it was programmed to do so.

 

[Pasquale]

The buffs are a DAT mod - that is not SE's problem and people need to expect degraded support when they start hacking programs. The argument being made is that the update and some problem with a backbone is mere coincidence. They happened at the same time independent of each other. While it is possible - I do not see a problem with an internet backbone, being capable of determining how one zone is different from another zone in XI. If 1 zone was broken for everyone, perhaps a keyword in a packet is causing the packet to be dropped - but this is not the case. Particular zones are innaccessable to some people. The game itself is broken for others. The only thing unchanging is which zones are being broken.

I have all of my original DATs in the original places, and I still can't do anything. I was running clean last night (no fancy text UI, no windower, no sweet hair DAT) and I still R0'd in random zones and crashed when i hit "+" twice and tried to highlight signet/food/etc...

There was one point where I could acctually click and make the signet and food icons disappear, but then the game crashed and they were back upon login.