SL Constantly disconnects

[Zareru Zerundi]

So, to break down what I've done:

Relogged, multiple times.

Tried different accounts.

Rebooted modem, multiple times.

Clean install of the viewer.

Different regions.

Triple Checked driver updates.

Re-installed OS (unrelated to this particular issue, though still relevant)

Re-checked drivers.

Rebooted modem, again.

I continue to be disconnected within 2-3 minutes after logging in; I can spin in a circle, type in local chat and still use buttons/menus, though soon after my mini-map turns red and I'm disconnected, without fail.

 

My system specs are:

Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 (build 15063), 64-bit

Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700 CPU @ 3.40GHz

RAM 8.0 GB

Video Card NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960

Chipset GeForce GTX 960

Dedicated Memory 2.0 GB

Total Memory 4.0 GB

Driver Version 21.21.13.7654

 

If more info is needed, let me know, I'm just tired of treading water, considering it was working fine last night without so much as a hiccup. Help please!

[ChinRey]

1 hour ago, Zareru Zerundi said:

If more info is needed, let me know

• Packet loss?
• Ping sim time?

You can find ping sim and a rough estimate of the packet loss in the Performance stats window (Ctrl+Shift+Alt+1). More precise info about packet loss is at the bottom of the "About [viewer of your choice]" window from the Help menu.

Unless your computer has some serous hardware issue (fingers crossed) this is almost certainly a connection problem and since you have rebooted your router and tried different sims, it's probably neither on your side nor on LL's but somewhere in the dark paths of the internet inbetween.

You may want to do a connection speed test, like the one at http://tucson.speedtest.net/ If you do, go for the Tuscon server since that's the one on the Ookla network closest to LL's server park. It probably won't tell you much though.

[Rolig Loon]

3 hours ago, Zareru Zerundi said:

I continue to be disconnected within 2-3 minutes after logging in

Have you looked at temperatures inside your computer, specifically at your CPU and GPU? When a system regularly disconnects within a couple of minutes, it can mean that it's overheating and trying to save itself by dumping out of tasks that are putting a lot of stress on it.  If you persist, you can damage some expensive components.  If it's been a while since you opened up the tower and blown out accumulated dust and cat hair, that would be a good idea.  Check to be sure that all fans are spinning properly and that you don't have anything blocking air flow through vents.

As another totally unrelated possibility, have you checked to be sure that the drivers on your graphics card are current?

[Nalates Urriah]

Your problem is almost always a connection issue. A good general Internet connection is not the same as a good connection to the SL servers. Test to the SL Servers. See: http://blog.nalates.net/2011/10/26/troubleshoot-your-sl-connection/ 

Rolig mentions the other frequent cause, overheating. You can use the free apps GPU-Z and CPU-Z or may be CPUID HDMonitor. Any of the 3 will give you temperature data.

Another app Memory History (free) will tell you how your computer's memory is being used. Use up all your memory and you crash.

That you can spin your avatar is a big clue in suggesting yours is a network issue.

Without clear information about your computer, viewer, and connection all we can do is guess. Use the viewer's HELP->ABOUT... to get ALL the computer and viewer info we need. You'll have to tell us about your connection. Satellite, DSL, Cable, Wireless (U-verse type), age, and make of router/gateway.

Some old routers have a problem with SL. The viewer can have hundreds of open connections to the SL and CDN servers. The max open occurs shortly after login and when you arrive in a new region. Old routers (5+ yrs) often can't handle the load. They then prevent the various viewer and server tasks from communicating and the SL servers decide you can't connect well enough to run SL.

Satellite connections have way too high a latency to be used for SL. Open the Viewer Stats to see how your viewer-server is performing. The article at the link above explains how to see if it is you, your ISP, or the Lab that is the problem.

 

[Zareru Zerundi]

6 hours ago, Nalates Urriah said:

Without clear information about your computer, viewer, and connection all we can do is guess. Use the viewer's HELP->ABOUT... to get ALL the computer and viewer info we need. You'll have to tell us about your connection. Satellite, DSL, Cable, Wireless (U-verse type), age, and make of router/gateway.

So, pulling that info, I get this:

Firestorm 5.0.1 (52150) Dec 10 2016 14:44:37 (Firestorm-Releasex64) with OpenSimulator support
Release Notes

You are at 157.5, 139.7, 61.7 in Thumbelina located at sim10629.agni.lindenlab.com (216.82.52.191:13019)
SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Thumbelina/158/140/62
(global coordinates 263,070.0, 209,292.0, 61.7)
Second Life Server 17.05.05.326149
Release Notes

CPU: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6700 CPU @ 3.40GHz (3407.99 MHz)
Memory: 8131 MB
OS Version: Microsoft Windows 10 64-bit (Build 15063)
Graphics Card Vendor: NVIDIA Corporation
Graphics Card: GeForce GTX 960/PCIe/SSE2

Windows Graphics Driver Version: 21.21.0013.7654
OpenGL Version: 4.5.0 NVIDIA 376.54

RestrainedLove API: (disabled)
libcurl Version: libcurl/7.47.0 OpenSSL/1.0.1i zlib/1.2.8
J2C Decoder Version: KDU v7.8
Audio Driver Version: FMOD Ex 4.44.61
LLCEFLib/CEF Version: 1.5.3-(CEF-WIN-3.2526.1347-32)
LibVLC Version: 2.2.4
Voice Server Version: Vivox 4.6.0017.22050

Settings mode: Phoenix
Viewer Skin: StarLight (Silver Blue)
Font Used: Ubuntu Font Family (96 dpi)
Font Size Adjustment: 2 pt
UI Scaling: 1.5
Draw distance: 128 m
Bandwidth: 500 kbit/s
LOD factor: 2
Render quality: High-Ultra (6/7)
Advanced Lighting Model: Yes
Texture memory: 1024 MB (1)
VFS (cache) creation time (UTC): 2017-5-24T8:59:39
Built with MSVC version 1800
Packets Lost: 141/1,132 (12.5%)
May 24 2017 14:48:28 SLT

As for modem, I know it's a U-Verse modem that's, at most, 2 years old, through AT&T. It's crummy, at best, but I've never had issues with it before and I haven't made any changes to network connection or anything lately.

8 hours ago, Rolig Loon said:

Have you looked at temperatures inside your computer, specifically at your CPU and GPU? When a system regularly disconnects within a couple of minutes, it can mean that it's overheating and trying to save itself by dumping out of tasks that are putting a lot of stress on it. 

As for overheating, the viewer doesn't even run long enough for my fans to bother kicking in. Not to say it isn't a possibility, however for the entirety of the time of owning this tower, I've never once experienced it overheating. I can/will check to see how it looks when I get a chance, though.

Edited May 24, 2017 by Zareru Zerundi

[Zareru Zerundi]

9 hours ago, ChinRey said:

You may want to do a connection speed test, like the one at http://tucson.speedtest.net/ If you do, go for the Tuscon server since that's the one on the Ookla network closest to LL's server park. It probably won't tell you much though.

Doing this, the worst numbers I got back for each category (There were multiple servers, ran it for each of them):

78ms ping

32mbps Download

5mbps Upload

Mind you, these were the worst numbers I got back, everything else was normally much better.

[Madelaine McMasters]

Look at your packet loss, 12.5%!

That's your problem. SL doesn't tolerate packet loss well. It's time to go troubleshooting your internet connection. Check out Nalates' post, in which she points you to her compendium of solutions to interconnection problems.

Good luck!

[Rolig Loon]

19 minutes ago, Madelaine McMasters said:

Look at your packet loss, 12.5%!

That's your problem.

Yup.  That's massive.  A normal packet loss is 0.2% or less.  Mine is rarely > 0.1.

[Nalates Urriah]

@Zareru Zerundi The obvious problem as pointed out is the packet loss. Now, what does one do?

You will need to find out if the problem is you, meaning your equipment and software, the ISP's, or the Lab's. The steps are in my Troubleshooting article: http://blog.nalates.net/2011/10/26/troubleshoot-your-sl-connection/

If it is the ISP, you can complain to AT&T. If yours track down the problem device. A U-verse router/gateway should be new enough to not have design problems, meaning it should handle the needed connections. There are wired and wireless U-verse routers depending on where you are. Either way, if packets are dropping after leaving the router it is AT&T's problem.

If you are running SL via a wireless connection to the router, try using a wired connection. If adding a wire from the computer to the router solves the problem, you have signal interference in your house. Fluorescent lights, which most are these days, are a huge source of interference. Change to LED if possible. Also, 5GHz channels are way more subject to interference. Try changing over to a 2.4GHz channel. If you have both channels (5 & 2.4), they will show in the Windows connections panel.

Assuming you have a smartphone you can get an app from the Play Store called WiFi Analyzer. You can use it to check signal strength in your house. Reading lower than -40db in the area where you want to use the computer can be a problem. You can use the phone and app to find where the signal is blocked. Remember. The signal wants to go in a straight line. So, both sides of a room may have good strength while a middle section sucks because it is in the radio shadow of a metal cabinet or something.

Since you are using AT&T it most likely is the signal from them to your house. When there is a choice, avoid AT&T networking.

[Zareru Zerundi]

For the moment, it seems to be working. I changed from my 5Ghz to a 2.4 and all seems to be well, no packet loss and a ping averaging about 65 or so. I appreciate all the help and suggestions and will keep them in mind for future reference! I'm guessing I connected to the 5Ghz by habit after reinstalling Windows.

 

Thanks again!

[Nalates Urriah]

20 hours ago, Zareru Zerundi said:

For the moment, it seems to be working. I changed from my 5Ghz to a 2.4 and all seems to be well, no packet loss and a ping averaging about 65 or so. I appreciate all the help and suggestions and will keep them in mind for future reference! I'm guessing I connected to the 5Ghz by habit after reinstalling Windows.

 

Thanks again!

Ideally, the 5GHz is the better 'performance' choice. But, walls degrade the 5GHz signal while 2.4GHz mostly passes through. Get the WiFi App and see if you can find where the signal drops off. Adding a repeater/signal booster may get you back on the 5GHz.

Glad you have a working connection.

[LightsOut521]

I have the same problem as Zareru, only I am not using WiFI but a powerline.

Tried everything. Happens with SL viewer and Firestorm. Happens with main avatar and a new one.

Followed Nalates' guide and did a tracert.

If the guide is correct on interpreting tracert it seems the problem is on SL's end.

Here is a screenshot:

[Lindal Kidd]

@LightsOut:  Time to file a support ticket with Linden Lab.  Include your screenshot with the support ticket.

By the way, have you tried logging in to a different location?

[LightsOut521]

I did file a ticket but haven't heard from them yet. I'm not very hopeful though, as this seems like an issue affecting not a small number of people but a lot of them seem to find no fix.

Yes I have tried logging to various locations as well as to the beta grid. The problem persists no matter what.

Also I noticed that ctrl+shift+1 shows a constant ping sim of 1000ms though it is weird its stuck at that level and won't even fluctuate. Also it seems too high considering that tracert shows a noticeable yet a lot smaller response delay.

Edited June 6, 2017 by LightsOut521

[LightsOut521]

In case anybody is having trouble, I finally solved my problem regardless that SL has not responded to my ticket yet.
Like I said I had tried everything, including restarting my router. I had not tried resetting it though. Which I just did and it is finally working fine !