Suggestions to fix lag?

[Gund]

Everything on this server seems to be working great for me except for momentary lag storms. I am fairly certain these are being caused on my end due to my wireless setup.

I seem to run fine except for temporary freezes that occur every 1-2 minutes almost with regularity. Sometimes they are worse than others, but typically involve about 2-10 seconds where everything freezes. This little annouyance is holding me back a bit. PvP is out of question when you randomly stop being able to play, and even in PvM it causes random deaths.

Due to the setup of our house, I am forced to get my internet through wireless. I am in the basement with the router directly above me. I use a wireless Linksys Wireless-G PCI adaptor.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to how I might test where the problem actually is, or proposed solutions?

[brandonsantacruz]

Run a wire to your room. Seriously, wireless can be flaky as hell. I have almost always had trouble when trying to do more than web browsing with wireless, especially through walls. My solution has been to just get a long network cable and run it from the router directly to my computer.

[Twiz]

Wireless antennas don't create an umbrella effect with their signal like most ppl think they do. The wireless coverage area actually resembles a donut.
If your antenna is straight up and down the you actually have a lower signal strength straight above you. Same with the router in the fact that (if it has antennas sticking out of it) if its antenna is straight up and down, you actually have lower signal strength directly below the router. 1st, try angling the antennas slightly so they pick up each other at stronger points in their coverage area and are less likely to try to reassociate with each other.
2nd, if your antenna sticks out the back of the computer, you might have a lot of interference. You should be able to get an extension cable for the antenna to move it on top of your desk.
3rd, make sure that your wireless signal does not have the same name as one of your neighbors. Your wireless card is made to jump from one signal to the next depending on reliability of the signal. When it does a check on the other wireless signal, you can have a temporary lag in connection, even if it does not connect to the other signal.
Beyond that, are you sure it's your connection causing the problem? AV/AS software can really fuck with online gaming, especially if it's a suite like Norton Internet Securities, etc. If you're system is lack luster, try turning on frame skipping in UO Options or seeing what it would take to upgrade your RAM (fairly inexpensive and even if you aren't pc savvy, you can do this on your own).

[Gund]

My teacher for electromagnetic fields was a complete quack, but I will try and remember my E+M to get my antennas aligned for a better signal. I didn't even think to do this.

I doubt its the ram/graphics capabilities of my computer. I could play everquest II (UO is WAY better) while watching a movie without it even pausing (on my old, better internet connection that is).

I use avast antivirus software. Not sure how this effects it.

The bottom line is that I am not sure exactly what is causing the problem, hence my solicitation for help on determining this.

[Ptazaract]

Try running a slower band. Likely you don't need the extra speed that running a G band will give you to run UO. Additionally, if you turn your antenna on your router horizontal you'll want to use a wireless card with an antenna on your 'puter as well and line it up horizontally.

-Ptaz

[Gund]

Can I change bands through software? or is each card/router only wired for a certain frequency and I need different hardware?

[getan]

Its doubtful that its your wireless choking on the bandwidth. Try turning off your sound. Did wonders for me.

I keep wondering why I couldnt out run even the slowest shit.

[Verak]

Anyone that I have ever heard of that has played UO on a wireless connection has had latency problems.

[alatar]

very strange but i found that turning off the "footsteps" sound affect had great results for me..

[getan]

Anyone that I have ever heard of that has played UO on a wireless connection has had latency problems.

ATM Im using a G standard connection, and now that I figured out the sound was my problem, I have very little lag.

If you think about it logisticly, even if you are only getting half the wireless bandwidth then you are still way past what most ISPs can provide. So unless the AP is dropping packets I dont see it as much of a problem.

Another way to test is just to plug directly into the router, and see if the problems go away.

[Twiz]

I've always just muted the sound on my computer because I disliked most of the sounds from UO.
Wish some one would've mentioned that turning off the sounds in UO made a difference in performance. Seems pretty ridiculous that the sounds have that much impact on gameplay though.

I think we were working on the assumption that his wireless signal was dropping in and out. But you know what happens when ppl assume, makes an ass out of you.

[Ptazaract]

Anyone that I have ever heard of that has played UO on a wireless connection has had latency problems.

ATM Im using a G standard connection, and now that I figured out the sound was my problem, I have very little lag.

If you think about it logisticly, even if you are only getting half the wireless bandwidth then you are still way past what most ISPs can provide. So unless the AP is dropping packets I dont see it as much of a problem.

Another way to test is just to plug directly into the router, and see if the problems go away.

I wasn't thinking that the packlets were dropping. I was thnking that using the G band that if the signal gets dropped and has to reacquire you'd lose several seconds. I know there's plenty of BW as I suggested dropping to a slower band.

As for the sound issue it's not unusual for a sound card driver to crap up system resources occasionally. If you have access to an on-board sound card as well as a separate card you might try disabling the MB sound and only using the card or vice-versa.

If someone knows what, if any, codec is being used by the sounds in UO you might be able to change the priorities for that codec up and down and see if it works better. Or you may just ahve a corrupt sound file for footsteps.

-Ptaz

[Gund]

I have always muted all sound within the UO options when playing, so I don't think this is the problem.

I may have to try and plug directly into the router and try to confirm or eliminate that as the problem.

[Gund]

I found a solution: An 18" long wood drill bit and a 25' ethernet cord. I just hope my roommate doesnt mind the hole in his floor. There is occasional mild lag, but the 'pauses' have stopped.