Connecting to zone server

[Eskio]

Hey guys,I need your help with something.  I have been having a problem that started a few days ago, I want to say it started on Wednesday 9/10.  What's happening is that whenever I am zoning, or loading into a zone when i start the game, it can't connect to the zone server and is bouncing me back to the character select screen after 15 seconds or so.  I have done a full file scan on my desktop and it's still doing it after the scan.  I have characters on multiple servers and it's doing it on all my characters.  I also have a laptop and it's doing the same thing on the laptop.  I'm fairly certain that it's not a problem with the everquest 2 files.  I have disabled the firewall and closed the AV software to make sure they weren't possibly causing the problem.  I'm beginning to lean towards an ISP issue, but I wanted to get your thoughts on it.  Thanks for any help you can give.Esk

[djcinder]

<p>I'm having the same problem with all my toons on 2 different accounts on 2 different computers.  My ISP is Cox in the midwest usa (KS).  Alot of people seem to be having this problem though.</p>

[Eskio]

Well that makes me feel a little bit better, because I also live in KS and use CoX as my ISP.  I've never had problems with them, so I'm not sure what's going on.  I haven't been able to find anyone with the same problem as myself though.  So that's good, and you confirmed my assumption.Here's my tracert to Permafrost.  Could you post yours for me as well please?tracert permafrost.everquest2.com<p>Tracing route to ableq2-02-01.everquest2.com [199.108.202.65]over a maximum of 30 hops:</p><p> 1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.0.114 2 14 ms 10 ms * ip24-255-160-1.ks.ks.cox.net [24.255.160.1] 3 9 ms 10 ms * 70.183.64.1 4 16 ms 15 ms * 70.183.66.69 5 27 ms 23 ms * kscydsrj02-ae2.rd.ks.cox.net [70.183.71.105] 6 * * * Request timed out. 7 * * * Request timed out. 8 * * * Request timed out. 9 35 ms 35 ms 42 ms dalsbbrj02-ae2.0.r2.dl.cox.net [68.1.1.243] 10 33 ms 33 ms 33 ms dalsbbrj01-ae0.r2.dl.cox.net [68.1.0.142] 11 70 ms 68 ms 68 ms ashbbbrj01-so100.r2.as.cox.net [68.1.1.221] 12 68 ms 68 ms 66 ms gi3-6.asheqnx-2.sonyonline.net [64.37.191.33] 13 67 ms 66 ms 65 ms vl47.ashaens-2.sonyonline.net [64.37.144.181] 14 * 68 ms * ableq2-02-01.everquest2.com [199.108.202.65] 15 68 ms 67 ms 67 ms ableq2-02-01.everquest2.com [199.108.202.65]</p><p>Trace complete.</p>

[Snappe]

Happening here also, 2 accounts 2 computers... so far I've only noticed it happening when we're both online.  When I zone, sometimes - not always, it gets stuck at "Connecting to zone server..." then kicks me to character select... I can't log back in then, I have to restart EQ2 and then it's ok. 

[djcinder]

<p>Here's my traceroute</p><p>tracert oasis.everquest2.com</p><p>Tracing route to ableq2-06-01.everquest2.com [199.108.202.193]</p><p>over a maximum of 30 hops:</p><p>  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  unknown [192.168.1.1] </p><p>  2    12 ms     8 ms     *     ip70-179-160-1.fv.ks.cox.net [70.179.160.1] </p><p>  3    12 ms     9 ms     *     ip70-183-64-153.ks.ks.cox.net [70.183.64.153] </p><p>  4    25 ms    19 ms     *     70.183.66.81 </p><p>  5    27 ms    30 ms    26 ms  kscydsrj02-ae2.rd.ks.cox.net [70.183.71.105] </p><p>  6     *        *        *     Request timed out.</p><p>  7     *        *        *     Request timed out.</p><p>  8     *        *        *     Request timed out.</p><p>  9    37 ms    39 ms    35 ms  dalsbbrj02-ae2.0.r2.dl.cox.net [68.1.1.243] </p><p> 10    46 ms    42 ms    35 ms  dalsbbrj01-ae0.r2.dl.cox.net [68.1.0.142] </p><p> 11    73 ms    71 ms    71 ms  ashbbbrj01-so100.r2.as.cox.net [68.1.1.221] </p><p> 12     *        *        *     Request timed out.</p><p> 13   106 ms   198 ms   104 ms  vl47.ashaens-2.sonyonline.net [64.37.144.181] </p><p> 14    68 ms    66 ms     *     ableq2-06-01.everquest2.com [199.108.202.193] </p><p> 15    69 ms    71 ms     *     ableq2-06-01.everquest2.com [199.108.202.193] </p><p> 16    71 ms    78 ms    68 ms  ableq2-06-01.everquest2.com [199.108.202.193] </p><p>Trace complete.</p><p>I know of others having this problem not all in Kansas so I'm not 100% thats it's an ISP issue.</p>

[Wingrider01]

<p>It appears to be a cox issue</p><p>Eskio Tracert errors</p><p>2 14 ms 10 ms * ip24-255-160-1.ks.ks.<b>cox</b>.net [24.255.160.1]3 9 ms 10 ms * 70.183.64.14 16 ms 15 ms * 70.183.66.695 27 ms 23 ms * kscydsrj02-ae2.rd.ks.<b>cox</b>.net [70.183.71.105]6 * * * Request timed out.7 * * * Request timed out.8 * * * Request timed out.9 35 ms 35 ms 42 ms dalsbbrj02-ae2.0.r2.dl.<b>cox</b>.net [68.1.1.243]</p><p>djcinder tracert errors</p><p>  2    12 ms     8 ms     *     ip70-179-160-1.fv.ks.<b>cox</b>.net [70.179.160.1] </p><p>  3    12 ms     9 ms     *     ip70-183-64-153.ks.ks.<b>cox</b>.net [70.183.64.153] </p><p>  4    25 ms    19 ms     *     70.183.66.81 </p><p>  5    27 ms    30 ms    26 ms  kscydsrj02-ae2.rd.ks.<b>cox</b>.net [70.183.71.105] </p><p>  6     *        *        *     Request timed out.</p><p>  7     *        *        *     Request timed out.</p><p>  8     *        *        *     Request timed out.</p><p>  9    37 ms    39 ms    35 ms  dalsbbrj02-ae2.0.r2.dl.<b>cox</b>.net [68.1.1.243] </p><p> 10    46 ms    42 ms    35 ms  dalsbbrj01-ae0.r2.dl.<b>cox</b>.net [68.1.0.142] </p><p> 11    73 ms    71 ms    71 ms  ashbbbrj01-so100.r2.as.<b>cox</b>.net [68.1.1.221] </p><p>Both tracert;s indicate the Cox is having backbone problems, any other ISP that purchases backbone bandwidth from Cox will expierence the same problems, it does nt matter if they are in Kansas, Missouri, DC, Florida or any other state, if the end users ISP utilizies a company that purchases bandwidth or the ISP itself purchases bandwidth, the issue will happen</p>

[Snappe]

We are with cox too... any forseeable fix?

[Eskio]

I will be speaking with them after I get off work this evening.  I recommend everyone do the same so we may get this problem resolved.

[djcinder]

<p>I just called Cox, they took a report on the error and said they would look into it.  The more people who have this issue and call to report it, the faster it will get resolved.  If like me you weren't sure what to tell them, run a traceroute from the command line and save it.  Then when you call Cox you can tell them the site name and IP address and that you are having problems connecting to that site.  Also let them know you ran the traceroute and others are reporting the same problem with ISP backbone.</p><p>To run a traceroute with windows XP... Go to the start menu and select run.  Type "cmd" in the box (without the quotes of course).  At the command prompt type "tracert oasis.everquest2.com >c:eq2test.txt"  (without the quotes and replace oasis with your server's name).  This will take about a minute to run.  You will then find a text file on your c: drive called eq2test which will have the results.  The IP address for your server will be on it. </p>

[Snappe]

Anyone have updated info?  I called Cox today and the tech guy said "No changes have been made on our end..."  I'm guessing it's not them or Sony, but a middle man router or something.

[djcinder]

I actually got ahold of someone who might have understood me at Cox yesterday.  They filed out a report and up-channeled it for further action.  Hopefully thats good news but who knows.  I also have a report in with SOE CS and they're trying to help me out through the in game support.  But no break throughs yet and the connection problem is progressively getting worse.  As soon as I get some good info I'll post it here.

[djcinder]

Did some more tracert's and ping's with SOE CS yesterday.  They say this issue appears to be with the way the ISP (Cox Communications) is routing the traffic. So I called Cox again today.  Given the way their CS works I doubt it's a problem they will give much attention to if it affects only 1 person.  So I highly recommend that everyone having this issue call Cox CS and start beating the drums.  The more customers who report this the faster it will be fixed.

[Snappe]

Seemed to be alright last night, for the first time in nearly a week... was nervous everytime I zoned though.

[GvilleAnn]

I just tried to log on today and have the same problem.  I don't have cox like most of you seem to.  My ISP is AT&T.  Has anyone found a solution to the problem yet?