Wirehead Studios

... for some 2 or 3 days, when i start my PC it gets some message in the memory check screen, like 'CMOS Checksum error' and so. Fiddled with this apparently only changes the date and time, wich i usually go and correct. Today, the date was correct but not the hour (*sigh*). Corrected. I?ve been told it might be the MotherBoard battery that is failing. Not sure about this. I'm a PC iliterate when it comes to technical crap, assumedly using it just for games and internet.

I pop this problem here to see if someone can give me some clue about ths subject, and, should it be the battery thing, if its troublesome in replacing it. I've come to think this *might* have a direct implication in online play, as just recently i've had huge ping value on online plays - to the point i can't even join a Wolf:ET server - like in UT Jailbreak mod, or, obviously, in online Quake 3 Generations. Just yesterday night i tried joining the Saturday game and ping made my connection interrup, making me (Slippy) outrun my own rockets (as in a was almost where they'd hit! - with huge discrepancy in action and net server result). My ping (on EURO server) is usually around 50-80, going sometimes to 100 or so. Saturday and so on marked 700! - today as well with empty server. I don't know if Tabun was recording (most likely ;) ), but it *is* a pain in the ass.

... any help/suggestions?...

I recorded a few games, yes. Have you checked your hops with a traceroute? It seems unlikely to me that your motherboard battery has a direct effect on your connection (in this manner, anyway). Maybe packets get fragmented for some reason?

... how on Earth do i check what you just said?????? And this happened with 3 different games, that's why i'm convinced its something about the PC and not... ehrm... other thing?...

your connection is also a constant factor.

Open up a dosbox by typing 'cmd' as a 'run' command. Then, type 'tracert ' and see at what hop the ping spikes. Might not mean much to you, but post it here, it might help. It may turn out your ping to a local router is absurdly high, or that your ISP is giving you trouble.

... i know i'm a real n00b at this... but what exactly am i doing wrong here? I typed cmd in run thing at Start menu, wrote tracert and options appear (im Portuguese)...

... ok... maybe this? I think that's the correct address, but... for sure?...

Well, that goes to show that the actual first hop to that IP address is giving you that immense ping. I assume telepac is your ISP. This does not tell me anything about whether or not it has to do with you locally, or with your ISP itself, alas.

When I do a tracert to that address, for instance, I get hops to my local router (less than a millisecond), then to my ISP, and some hops internally there (less than 10 milliseconds) and finally across Europe to Portugal, adding up to about a total of 80 milliseconds.

If you ping locally, to 127.0.0.1 (which is the loopback IP, so pinging to that pings to yourself, so to speak), what results do you get? If the response takes longer than a few milliseconds, something is seriously wrong, locally (with your PC). If not, it may still be something to do with your ISP itself, or your (physical) connection thereto.

... humm... ?...

... also (and sorry for double-post because of attachment), when i try pinging to sapo (presumably my ISP - not sure because it and Telepac are/whore thogheter) (http://www.sapo.pt), this happens...

Okay, that rules out that (if TCP/IP theory is correct here, I too am shady on that), it is a problem with your local connection. Either the modem you're using to connect is messing things up, or there is some flaw in the actual connection to the ISP's network (either on their side, or somewhere in between).. I suggest you give them a ring, to see if they can figure it out?

... i see (attachment just for clearing - i'm on ADSL send 128/receive 512). This cannot (presumably) then have a thing to do with that time/date weirdness, right?...

I don't know about 'cannot', but I find it unlikely. Connection problems are in any case not directly related to your system's date/time :]

... i'll monitor this situation (obviously) for the time being. IF net problems persist, don't count me for any GEN night game soon (OMFG how to survive without Generations :p ). I thank you Tabun for being this helpful and incredibly patient - problably like no costumer support service ever was - ;) , thanks!...

Hehe, no problem - but seriously, contact your ISP, I'm sure they can help to at least locate where the problem lies.

Hey it's a ping prob

have you tried resetting the gateway settings on your connection

also as for the date / time thing definately a battery prob, mine went a year ago

it's no prob to replace just a case of flick and click (actually at little more than but still way easy)

as for the connection, if your particulary Noobish when it comes to networking, do what tab says

however if your feeling slightly bolder you can fix that yourself, just look up the factory settings for your Router and work from that

as that should give you a good base to work from

then you can tweak and supe up to your hearts content

... ;) thanks!...