FFXI - Problems Staying ConnectedFollow

Processor&SpeeD: AMD Duron processor / 2059 MHZ
Motherboard: MSI K7N2-Delta (MS-6570)
Hard Drive Capacity: Total 74.53 GB, Free Space: 61.93 GB
RAM: Total 512 MB
Video Card: ATI Radeon 9500 (@ 9700 softmod.ocfaq.com)
OS: Windows XP Pro
Frequency of Problem: Quite often ;_; Every single time I run the program..

So, here goes. I used to have 56K dial-up, and my game ran fine, with a bit of lag just because my ISP was pretty sucky and liked to lag/disconnect a lot. We just upgraded to SBC Yahoo! DSL quite recently (about two weeks ago?) and I noticed my game would lag a lot when I played, so I didn't play for a little bit (plus, was busy, so didn't have time). We're also on a wireless network.. the DSL modem (Speedstream 5100) is hooked up to the router [Linksys Wireless-B Broadband Router (model#: BEFW11S4)] which is in the room next to mine (main computer of the house). We have two computers on wireless, one being mine (and being the only one with FFXI). This computer is using a Linksys Wireless-B PCI Adapter (model#: WMP11).

The network is running fine. The bubble in the bottom right corner of the start bar tray, if I hover over the connection icon, states that I have a speed of 11.0 Mbps and the signal strength is Excellent. I can view webpages, check e-mail, and leave downloads on all night without losing signal from the router or DSL modem.

I had a lot of problems downloading the upgrade, but so did many people, and I was finally able to download it successfully. I noticed still, a great deal amount of lag (probably more so, being in Valkurm). In the upper right hand corner of the game, my Receiving sometimes drops to 0 and hangs for a moment or two, then goes back up. Sometimes it hangs longer, and my percentage drops from 100% to about 80-88%, then goes back up. Other times it will drop down all the way to 0% and log me out, or sometimes log out while in the process of losing signal, giving me the following error:

POL-2059: Connection terminated or not available. Please try connecting again later or check cables, networking devices, and network settings.

Sometimes I can play the game fine, for at least an hour or two with only a bit of lag, but never getting disconnected. But other times, I'll lag out completely, which is frustrating because I can't have a smooth time playing, and I am also the party's WHM and lives kind of depend on my healing, so... I've pissed off some people in the process of these lags. >< (And sorry, if you're one of them.) A few other times, but very rarely, did my game just shut down completely bringing me to the desktop as if I had never run the program.

I run Lavasoft AdAware often, and it never finds anything but cookies. I've also run the virus scan at http://housecall.trendmicro.com and it found my system clean. I have the latest security patches from Windows XP as well. No popups or any background programs running.

Now a few times, when the percentage is dropping slowly from 100% to 0%, I've gotten impatient with waiting and alt+tabbed on purpose just to get back so I could reconnect. While doing so, I've noticed that when I hover over the connection icon in my start bar tray, that it says "One or more Wireless Networks are available." and on occasion, it has said "Wireless Connection Unavailable." It seems that I'm losing signal from my router... but it only happens when I'm in the game, never when I'm just on the PlayOnline screen or doing other internet type things.

On the main computer, I configured the router to allow port forwarding on TCP/UDP 50000-65535 using the IP number of this computer, and all that I have noticed from doing so is that I am able to play a little longer without getting disconnected, but I am still being dropped.

Just today, I disabled the wireless card on this computer and hooked it up with a direct ethernet cable to the router instead to see if it would solve the problem. I figured it would, seeing as how I'm losing wireless signal.. so if I am directly connected, I should have no problem.

I was wrong. I still lagged out, with a different error (I forgot to write down the POL-error number, I think it started with a 1? It said something about a connection being lost or unavailable.. something within those lines.). I switched back and enabled my wireless card, seeing as how that's not the problem and it's probably something to do with my setup in the router or with the game or something elsewhere.. but I'm not sure how to fix this. I've e-mailed POL (since their phone lines aren't open until Monday) and no response yet.

Currently, while browsing these forums and typing this entry, I have not yet once lost connection/signal from the wireless network. Seems I am only being dropped from the network while playing FFXI, and wish I could solve this dilemma soon. To anyone who offers comments or suggestions/help, thank you in advance. :) And sorry for such a lengthy description for my problem, but I figured the more details, the more you could understand what was going wrong.

It's definitly wireless signal interference. A couple things you can do. first, find the phone and see what channel it is on. Make a call near your modem and cycle through the channels and see if that has any effect.

next, you might want to think about getting a better antenna. those little tiny floppy black ones are fine for the most part, but if you want real stability, try a cantenna

You can also make your own directional signal coalater for around $2.00. Yes this really does work. It is usually used by WiFi pirates to find unprotected nodes, but it works just as well as a signal booster. There are two different models:
Using a soup can (works best)
http://www.turnpoint.net/wireless/cantennahowto.html
using a pringles can (works so so, and harder to build than the above)
http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448

make 2, one for the base station and one for your computer.

You can also find them premade and available on ebay.


Failing that, depending on what router you have, you can purchase a wireless signal boster. linksys makes a good one for wireless b networks.Model wsb24 is the one I have.

Phones or garage openers are usually the most likely culprits. sometimes wireless mice too. Occasionally speaker interference, but only if it is right in between the hub and the computer.