Routing changes every day and kills my game for 20+ minutes (Everquest 2)

[ziplock9000]

For the past few days from about 11:45pm to 12:15am I get kicked from the game I'm playing (Everquest 2) and I can't re-connect until 20m or more. By then the group or raid has went on without me.

Resetting the game, computer or router does not help.

Access to other websites works fine during this time.

After seeing this issue with another game a few months ago (Eve Online) I checked the routing to the servers (daybreakgames.com) and found that the routing actually changes at least on a daily basis and looks different when the game is broken compared to when it's working.

I'll keep updating this post with tracerts that work and don't work below

Hop 7 seems to be the key difference from when it is and isn't working since I've been monitoring the routing

tracert daybreakgames.com

Tracing route to daybreakgames.com [64.37.171.63]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.0.1
2 8 ms 9 ms 8 ms 10.53.34.245
3 8 ms 10 ms 8 ms gate-core-2b-xe-700-0.network.virginmedia.net [80.1.82.117]
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 17 ms 18 ms 16 ms tcma-ic-2-ae9-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253.174.178]
6 * * * Request timed out.
7 * 19 ms 19 ms ae2.3210.ear4.London2.level3.net [4.69.201.110]
8 * * * Request timed out.

[Alex_RM]

Hi ziplock9000,

Thanks for posting, and sorry to hear you're having some issues whilst gaming.

I've had a look at things from our side and everything looks to be within the specifications we would expect.

Can you confirm if the problem is only when playing the game?

Alex_Rm

[ziplock9000]

It's only when playing the game yes. All other websites and services I use are fine. Also other people accessing the game are having no issues from other ISPs both from the UK and outside.

Here's another tracert from when I was having issues:

It seems to go from the UK to France, back to UK before going to the US.

Tracing route to daybreakgames.com [64.37.171.63]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.0.1
2 7 ms 8 ms 6 ms 10.53.34.245
3 9 ms 9 ms 11 ms gate-core-2a-xe-700-0.network.virginmedia.net [80.1.82.113]
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 * * * Request timed out.
6 21 ms 22 ms 26 ms 86.85-254-62.static.virginmediabusiness.co.uk [62.254.85.86]
7 * * * Request timed out.
8 32 ms 31 ms 30 ms fr-par02b-rd1-ae-11-0.aorta.net [84.116.134.134]
9 31 ms 31 ms 36 ms fr-par02c-ri1-ae-0-0.aorta.net [84.116.134.198]
10 * 32 ms 30 ms ae-24.edge7.Paris1.Level3.net [4.68.71.249]
11 * * 36 ms ae1.3102.ear2.Paris1.level3.net [4.69.140.30]
12 * 29 ms 30 ms ae2.3210.ear4.London2.level3.net [4.69.201.110]
13 * * * Request timed out.
14 * * * Request timed out.
15 * * * Request timed out.
16 * * * Request timed out.
17 * * * Request timed out.

[Akua_A]

Thank you for your response @ziplock9000

Do you get this with other games or is it only with Everquest 2? Also, have you been in contact with the game developers regarding this? If so, what was discussed?

Thanks,