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Game Freezing At Gates


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This started happening about a few hours or so after I started playing, I noticed the game would freeze up and would not continue, would have to force-close the game and reload it, and I'd be on the other side of the gate.  I've completely reinstalled the game, verified that all the checkboxes on the left side of the launcher are checked, and reinstalled updates as well.

Screenshot below shows my launcher:

93QBWIs.png

 

I've also attached my DxDiag report.

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  • 1 month later...
I contacted net7 support, and they determined the problem was my computer but did not offer any possible fixes. I've given up at this point since I haven't gotten any help here either. Edited by Swordplay
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Myself and several others are having this same issue.  Any clue on resolving this yet?

Yup. I've had the same problem since around the 14th July as well.

 

Happens most times I gate or dock... Happens on any account I try... And happens on all 3 computers that I variously play the Game on.

 

Fairly sure it isn't a Windows Update thng, as I have uninstalled a batch of updates that were installed on one PC on Thursday evening - 24 hours after the problem started.

 

It is also happening on a machine I haven't switched on for 4 weeks (and which was working fine then), and which definitely hasn't had any Windows Updates applied recently.

 

Have previously had four months of trouble-free gating and docking, even when multi-boxing. Since about mid-week this week, 3 gates/docks out of every 4 results in a hang.

 

Not sure if this is relevant/helpful, but when I've previously had the (very) occasional hang whilst gating or docking, when I've relogged, my ship has always been (somewhere) in the sector I was gating or docking *FROM*. But with these hands, when I log back on, my craft is always either in the station I was trying to dock into; or sitting immediately outside the station of the sector I was gating into.

 

Umm... Very conscious that this coincides with a post made by ArthurDent in the "Net-7 News" forum:

 

 

Posted 15 July 2015 - 11:11 PM

Hi everyone.

 

The last week or so, we have had some server issues which ultimately caused a couple of long outages for Net-7.

(yes, that's why the websites were down yesterday, as well as TS)

 

The issue was traced to a faulty NIC and has hopefully been resolved. Yay !!!

 

***

 

Don't know if that's coincidental or not...

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I guess I can try it again and see if it's any better but if not I'm probably going to just give this up because the game is almost unplayable because every time I jump I have to restart the game, and net7 support hasn't been much help.
I guess I can try it again and see if it's any better but if not I'm probably going to just give this up because the game is almost unplayable because every time I jump I have to restart the game, and net7 support hasn't been much help.
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Swordplay: I shouldn't be thinking about giving up. Remember that these guys work for free... Bit of patience might see you back up and running.

 

I am fairly confident that it's an issue on the server-side... Maybe the wrong NIC speed or some-such on that new Net' card.

 

I've gone from six months of absolutely rock solid, lag-free, utterly infrequent gate/dock hangs... To only being able to manage 1 or 2 gates/docks before having to restart.

 

That's on 3 different computers, 2 of which haven't been touched for a few weeks, and (the main one) with rolled-back WSUS updates.

 

And the issue started precisely at the time that it was reported that the network card was replaced.

 

So if the Team aren't rushing to try and help you straighten out your PC, consider that it may not be an issue with your machine; and it is something at the back end that may have to be changed, as and when.

 

With all that said...

 

I am wondering why the issue isn't more widespread, if my diagnosis is correct. Would have thought it would be affecting more users than just a handful.

 

Wonder if it's to do with the network cards *WE* are using, that suddenly don't like the new one on the server side. I'm using a Broadcom NetLink Gigabit Ethernet... 

 

Or maybe the speed of our broadband connection (I'm 170mbps down and 10mbps up) is overwhelming the new NIC..?

 

Or (finally...) we're both using 64-bit Windows 7... Could be a link there..?

 

Imma gonna keep tinkering around with my set-up. Will let you know if I make any progress.

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Swordplay: I shouldn't be thinking about giving up. Remember that these guys work for free...

 

 

true, i guess i hadn't considered that yet.   i have an intel 82579lm nic gigabit.  my internet speed is 151 mbps down/170.82 mbps up

 

i guess I'll wait and see what happens

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Just started today on my laptop. No issues on my PC.
Both machines have windows 7 64 bit with the lates updates.
So today I just kept my Guys in one sector trying to get my red faction in the green so I can go to BBW.

In live I could only go there with my JD and JE...so Died a lot.
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IIRC Gate freezes are commonly caused by packet loss.  One thing I have noticed over the past couple of weeks is that I am getting a lot of background downloads from Microsoft (Possibly related to Windows 10?)  These could be eating bandwith and causing packet loss.  This MAY be part if your problem if you are using a windows machine and have registered for the free upgrade?

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IIRC Gate freezes are commonly caused by packet loss.  One thing I have noticed over the past couple of weeks is that I am getting a lot of background downloads from Microsoft (Possibly related to Windows 10?)  These could be eating bandwith and causing packet loss.  This MAY be part if your problem if you are using a windows machine and have registered for the free upgrade?

Definitely no Windows 10 upgrade request..!! And definitely no background downloads going on...

 

Also looks like the new network card in the Portal server was a red herring: keeping the browser closed does away with the occasional http refresh to the portal server.

 

Situation has now reached Game-Unplayable Proportions - which I'm gutted about, after a solid six months of completely trouble-free EnB'ing.

 

Wireshark (Open Source Packet Analyser - https://www.wireshark.org/) is showing a packet reset almost every time I gate.

 

I.e. every time I gate, when it comes to the "Stage 1" authentication for the new sector, my client sends a SYN to try and open a connection, and gets an RST back.

 

Previously, when I would get the very occasional Gate-Hang (less than 1% of gating attempts), it was nearly always because of the sheer number of gates I had traversed since launching the client. I would know the hang was coming, because there would be no (red) animation on the gating screen, showing which sectors I was gating between. And when I relogged, I would be in some random location in the sector I had been trying to gate *FROM*...

 

But with these hangs that have been happening since last week (more than 95% of gating attempts), they will happen at the very first gate attempt after client re-launch. The animation screen will show the sector-to-sector animation; and when I restart the client, my toon is always in the sector I was gating *INTO* when the game hung; usually either at the gate or right outside the station, if the sector has a station.

 

Really, really have been through everything I can think of... And I've been trouble-shooting PC, Server and Network issues for a living for 25 years - so I can think of a lot..! But no changes I can make on my side alter the symptom or remedy the issue at all.

 

Every ounce of my intuition and experience is telling me that something has changed on the server-side... Clearly not something obvious or catastrophic enough to knock out all (or even most) clients - or we'd have all heard about that by now...

 

However... Conscious that "Wishful Thinking" has often led me to obsess about a non-existent problem that is outside of my ability to remedy... So will keep plugging away.

 

I notice Swordplay that your issues began at the beginning of June, and I know there were a bunch of security-related Windows Updates pushed out by Microsoft then. The ones from last week were mostly in response to the hacking of The Hacking Team in Italy...

 

Wondering if this is something that is just affecting 64-bit Windows 7 OS's... Reading through MS's KB articles on the recent updates, there was at least one that deals with updates to strengthen DES encryption... So focusing my attention around that at the mo.

 

Would be a personal tragedy if I have to stop playing this Game, just as I've completed Stage I of Agrippa with one set of toons, and am part way through the Dragon's Claw with another set..!

 

:unsure:

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One this to remember, yes to can play more them one client at a time, but you may have issues with dropped packets and gate crashes. This part is on you and from reading in the past there is nothing that the team can do to correct that. (IIRC)  if you are wireless you will have more issues then hard wire.   And don't stop playing this game the game

 

Just a thought.

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Since this problem cropped up last week, I have only been playing a single client at a time.

 

And I'm on a (very) wired connection..!

 

Also: I am doing my utmost to not stop playing this Game: I love it to bits..!!

 

Right..! More news from my Diagnostic Research:

 

If I start the client, and logon with my Progen Privateer - Holybusiness - first, I can exit the station (currently in Endriago), and I can gate into Primus and back, and into Lagarto and back... Without any problems..!!

 

So:

 

Step 1: logon my PP

Step 2: exit Arx Spartoi

Step 3: warp to gate to Primus

Steps 4 - 24: gate backwards and forwards between Primus and Endriago

Step 25: warp to gate to Lagarto

Steps 26-36: gate backwards and forwards between Lagarto and Endriago

Step 37: warp back to Arx Spartoi

Step 38: dock.

 

Then...

 

If I log off my PP without restarting the client, and log back on with another toon (have tonight been trying with my PW - Holywar - and my PS - Holymann), I can repeat the above steps without any problems at all.

 

However...

 

If I start the client, and logon first with either my PW or PS... It hangs leaving the station.

 

If I then restart the client, and logon with either my PW or PS (now floating in Endriago space)... And warp to either the gate to Primus or Lagarto... And then try and gate... It hangs.

 

Now I ran through the above cycle 3 times, over the course of about 90 minutes (22:15 - 23:45 GMT + 1)... And it replicated the findings every time.

 

I'll be having another crack at it tomorrow evening.

 

But basically, what I found this evening is:

 

If I logon to the client with my PP first, then fly around a bit, gate a few times, then dock, then logon another toon...

 

I don't get any Gating or Docking hangs.

 

But if the first toon I logon to the client with is *NOT* my PP... Then I can't even get out of a station, much less pass through any gates...

 

Really, really can't see how the above symptoms can be related to my set-up, when I haven't made any changes at all to it (it's been in EnB-Only lockdown) for six months.

 

Like I said, will be re-running the above tests tomorrow evening... But can't see how what toon I first logon with making the difference, is due to a fault on my rig...

 

Though I'm still not saying it definitely isn't, mind!!

 

:unsure:

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I have been doing jobs, 2 hull upgrades, and combat on a PW, and haven't seen any change in game play from lag, or lock ups.

 I will suggest that you let ALL ship animations stop before clicking the Dock/Gate tab, this could save you a lot of frustration, it is something I noticed I was doing, and was the cause of these issues. 

The above play time I mentioned is all after the NIC swap btw, and yes, i'm running 2 clients when playing, and twice grouped with another player.

 

Windows 7 home premium 64 bit

Realtek PCIe GBE family controller

All windows updates, including Windows 10 upgrade which I will install soon.

 

Someone will figure this out, it's only a matter of time.

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Yup, I'm fairly determined to get to the bottom of this!

 

Was a bit surprised at my findings last night, with regards which toon I logged on first. But that's given me a nice thread to follow for On-going Investigations...

 

Fairly sure by now that the NIC swap-out was a red herring. Swordplay's issues started before the NIC swap after all; it was only that mine, JimmStarz "and several others" started on the 14th July that made me think of that.

 

Frustrating as this issue is, I'm not likely to move into Whining Brat Mode! I've been providing IT Support as a professional for 25 years now, and I know full well how frustrations with unresolved issues can make you latch onto causes that you think are outside of your control, just because you can't identify the issue on your own set-up...

 

It's just a question of finding the unique characteristics of the problem that can be consistently replicated, then work back from there.

 

Of course, aside from what may have changed on my rigs, and aside from what may or may not have changed in EnB-HQ, there is always the possibility of some unknown/unannounced change that has been made by my ISP... I'm on Cable rather than DSL, so I'm not usually troubled by down- or upstream changes... But there are obviously a lot of hops between where I am and where the EnB Infrastructure is... So who knows what's going on in between us!!

 

Will keep persevering; and will keep updating! 

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Definitely no Windows 10 upgrade request..!! And definitely no background downloads going on...

 

Also looks like the new network card in the Portal server was a red herring: keeping the browser closed does away with the occasional http refresh to the portal server.

 

Situation has now reached Game-Unplayable Proportions - which I'm gutted about, after a solid six months of completely trouble-free EnB'ing.

 

Wireshark (Open Source Packet Analyser - https://www.wireshark.org/) is showing a packet reset almost every time I gate.

 

I.e. every time I gate, when it comes to the "Stage 1" authentication for the new sector, my client sends a SYN to try and open a connection, and gets an RST back.

 

When I get home I will check out wireshark and see if it shows the same thing for me

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OK. Good luck!

 

You'll get the Phone Book when you first start logging; so you may want to try a filter like this one:

 

(ip.src == 74.208.132.71) || (ip.dst == 74.208.132.71) ||(ip.src == 74.208.192.215) || (ip.dst == 74.208.192.215)

 

You can probably copy and paste that in, to get you started.

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Day 8: Things aren't going quite as well as we'd hoped.

 

Seems like there is a certain Sector-Specifity at play...

 

The whole business with my PP - uh, "Holybusiness" - being able to gate flawlessly, seems to relate to the sector I was gating in and out of: Primus.

 

If I log any toon on that is docked at Arx Spartoi, Endriago... It always hangs on leaving the station.

 

Re-log, and I'll be just outside Arx Spartoi. Scoot over to the gate to Primus, gate through... And it hangs.

 

Re-log, and I'll be a couple of NP's away from the gate to Tarsis. Warp over to the gate to Endriago, and hit the gate button.

 

No hang. 

 

Gate back to Primus: no hang.

 

Can gate backwards and forwards until I get bored: no hangs.

 

Gate to Lagarto: hangs.

 

Re-log. Gate to Odin's Belt. Hangs.

 

Re-log. Gate to Muspelheim. Hangs.

 

Re-log. Gate to BBW: no hang.

 

Gate back to Musp: no hang.

 

Gate to BBW: no hang. (&c., &c.)

 

Dock at QAR: no hang. Leave QAR: no hang.

 

Hang (sorry...) around in BBW, farming, no problems: no lag, nothing... Dock at QAR: no problem.

 

...

 

Looking at the Wireshark logs, I always get four RST packets after clicking on the T's&C's pop-up... Don't get any further RST packets until I have to terminate the client (which is to be expected).

 

...

 

Ping rate to the server is fairly consistent at 180ms... Which seems somewhat high... And 150ms of that is the transatlantic hop.

 

Unfortunately, I haven't got any pre-Issue stats to compare with. Wondering if my ISP (Virgin Media) has recently switched to a different (cheaper...) transatlantic carrier...

 

...

 

I'm going outside now, and I may be some time.

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Aye, always a good check.

 

Have completely disabled all AV, anti-Malware and the various firewalls, at various points during my diagnostic process... All to no avail.

 

I'm currently snooping on my downstream neighbours on my ISP line. Also going to get my ISP to check the power levels up and down stream...

 

And if I discover that one of my neighbour's kids is on a Torrent-Binge... There's going to be hell to pay..!!

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Swordplay, JimmyStarz (and anyone else):

 

Another British player - TolkenMoon - who also uses Virgin Media identified the issue as the Firewall on the Virgin hub being set to "Medium" - possibly following a recent firmware upgrade.

 

Both he and I have set our Firewalls on the hub to "Low", and are both now working fine.

 

If you are using Virgin Media in the U.K., and you're having problems gating and docking: looks like that is what you'll need to do.

 

I shall be composing a song of gratitude to TolkenMoon at some point in the near future.

 

:blush:

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Swordplay, JimmyStarz (and anyone else):

 

Another British player - TolkenMoon - who also uses Virgin Media identified the issue as the Firewall on the Virgin hub being set to "Medium" - possibly following a recent firmware upgrade.

 

Both he and I have set our Firewalls on the hub to "Low", and are both now working fine.

 

If you are using Virgin Media in the U.K., and you're having problems gating and docking: looks like that is what you'll need to do.

 

I shall be composing a song of gratitude to TolkenMoon at some point in the near future.

 

:blush:

 

Sorry to butt into this conversation with nothing constructive to add ...but regarding the statement I underlined in your quote ....

 

You should write the song in Haiku and include speak of BBQ ribs and sing it whilst wearing a BBQ filthy baby bib .... Tolk will LOVE that, trust me ;)

Edited by Alurra
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Sorry to butt into this conversation with nothing constructive to add ...but regarding the statement I underlined in your quote ....

You should write the song in Haiku and include speak of BBQ ribs and sing it whilst wearing a BBQ filthy baby bib .... Tolk will LOVE that, trust me ;).

 

 

if this happens we should have video and simulcast on teamspeak

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