Cannot log into SL, log in freezing at *connecting to region*

heya guys, i had been having some problems with logging into SL

Today, when I logged into SL, my SL client froze at *connecting to
region*. I recieved the message of the day but my SL client simply
wouldn't proceed. I restarted and tried again, still couldn't log in.
Uninstalled, still couldn't log in. Cleared my cache for SL manually,
same results.

I got WinMTR and found that my packets were successfully sent to the
SL server successfully with 0% packet loss in between. However, i
still can't log into SL. What can I do?

also one extra note that might be linked to this issue: when im connected to my MSN messenger, other people see me as offline. the same thing happend on SL where my account appears as *online* but im not on the grid (well at least my SL client isn't advancing there)

I haven't gotten a reply from the lindens on the hotline forum, hope you guys can help

Try turning off any and all firewalls and see if you can connect. If you can then something is misconfigured or SL needs to be unblocked. Then again SL can be cantankerious sometimes. Might also try reseting your logon location in preferences to the opposite selection as there may be a problem with that sim.

i don't think my firewall is on as earlier today i was able to patch thru into the SL world. I logged off and went out for dinner and by the time i got back, i was facing the same problems again. i really don't think its my settings, cause it would not have worked before if it was just settings.

and..... i can't work on SL tonight........ for the 2nd night.

As fair warning: being able to ping SL's servers does NOT mean your firewall is configured properly. A "ping" is a totally different network protocol (ICMP vs. TCP and UDP), and firewalls can easily allow pings, but block SL traffic to the same server... especially if it's a software firewall (which can block SL specfically).

My suggestions for "connecting to region":
1) Change your login location in Preferences from "My Last Location" to "My Home" and log in.
2) Close SL, click on this link: secondlife://ahern/120/0/ and log in normally. (Do NOT change your login location on this one.)
3) If you have another account, try logging on with it instead. If that works...
4) Try uninstalling/reinstalling Second Life to remove any bad temporary files that might be affecting things.

i changed the settings but it still doesn't work even when i used the link. as for firewalls i don't think i am behind any, least not that i know of. this just started 2 days earlier, and i didn't install or uninstall anything. what might have brought on this mess?

If you have XP System Restore turned on you might try restoring windows to the last save point before the trouble started. If there is a save point labeled something like "Software Distribution Restore Point" or "Installed (name of program)" near the time you started having problems then something was loaded, perhaps a Windows update in the background or some spyware program. Try restoring to a point where you weren't having problems.

My partner is having the same problems, she can't connect with Last, or Home location, going to try the link when she comes back, but it was working for her 3 hours ago, after trying to reconnect, this happened. Restarts do nothing, so on, so fourth.

Still no updates to this it semes, she can connect to everything fine, except for Linden's webpage, forums, and SL. When she tries to log into SL, it hangs, yet shows her as coming online to me.

Okay, for her atleast... when SL crashed it apparently triggered something on her firewalls, it totally blocked out all that was related to Linden, after some tweaking, she manaed to get through with it all. Goodluck with the rest of you.

D'oh! I knew I forgot something!

The last possibility is that your firewall is sitting in the background waiting for a response. ;^)

i turned off my win xp firewall, but what other things do i need to check to make sure all the links from LL can pass thru?

i checked with the wiki guide, and i am sure all my firewalls are disabled. i tried messing with the last teleport location and it doesn't work. and, on top of that sl still won't run.

im tempted to do a reformat before i decide to quit SL. wish me luck.

ok ya'll, i reformatted, and...... it didn't work. so much for 2 hours of hard work and waiting for nothing.

im out of ideas. this probably means its not a problem on my side, as i followed every step and trick there is to mess up my firewalls and such

Can you list you computer's processor, memory, video card, motherboard. Any and all info you can give.

Have you called support? There may be a problem with your ISP being banned due to someone else being a griefer, remote but a possibility. You may also have been suspended for some reason. Log into you account info and verify your account is active and paid up. Make sure you try connecting straight from the computer to the modem and try it, you may have a bad router or the router's hardware firewall may be interfering.

Other people have been experiencing a problem where their avatar is showing up ingame but they cannot log in, either an error or a hyjacked account. Are any of your friends able to see you online perhaps?

when i ATTEMPT to log in, i had my friends monitor my user name and they did confirm that i do show up as *online* even if i cannot get into the grid.

i had a close friend to log into my account on her computer, and she was able to get in world perfectly fine. my account is still active and i dunno whats wrong

i am on a:

P4 2.4 ghz, C stepping
Asus P4PE motherboard
Kingston 512 mb ram
ATI Radeon 9700 128mb video card
(forgot the brand) 80 gb hard drive
On board LAN
Comtrend DSL Modem model CS-500s

No security software installed
All built in firewalls from IE disabled

I tried to contact support but the lindens has yet to provide a solution for the problem. most of the things they suggested i already did but it still doesn't work. so if you guys can help i would really appricate it

As for my ISP getting banned.... who is responsible for that? Linden Lab?

anyways i am based in Macau, China and my ISP is CTM. If a linden is reading this can they check whether theres a ban on my ISP?

Hi Kavai,

Since you're getting to the motd window, it feels like a firewall issue to me. I'm guessing a protocol that the game uses is being blocked or the ip address that you're redirected to after the login is being blocked.

I don't know if Macau was granted any exemptions, but I know China has tight control over traffic flowing over it's borders. The govt may be requiring the ISP to block that address or protocol with a firewall since online worlds could be a way for subversive information to enter their country. I would ask your ISP if such a policy exists.

If this were me, I would run a packet capture like ethereal to see if packets are returning. This is a free app, but it is not the simplest to install since you need to install special nic card drivers. If this is something you want to pursue, let me know --I think you know my email address.

Good luck and hope you resolve this soon.

I can say that if my ISP does block sites I can take them to court. We are on a totally different governing system here and its totally seperate from the mainland.

As for ethereal..... i got packets on my TCP, UDP, and others.... i have no idea what they mean.

Ethereal's not really a good indicator at all with regards to Second Life. There's only a handful of people who could watch Ethereal and say for sure whether ALL of the necessary traffic is taking place (and most of them work here).

On top of that, Ethereal grabs network traffic BEFORE any active firewall software blocks it. (Kinda creepy, since any malware can do the same thing.) Thus, you may see an authentication attempt just before a firewall shuts it down, making the whole thing look like an unresponsive server.

I see no blocks on your account or login location(s). If your account logged in fine somewhere else, I'd still suspect the connection or something installed on the computer (especially if you have anything Norton).

Hmmm, Macau is depentant upon Chinese internet infrustructure and it may be blocked upstream of your ISP.

Does anyone else near you have broadband you could try your account from? Can you go to your ISP and try to connect to your account there. (I have done this but it was at a small ISP, can't hurt to ask) Also, you may have exceeded some bandwidth limit that you know nothing about. Although they advertise "unlimited" the reality is there is usually a limit somewhere. (highly unlikely but a call or visit to your ISP can clear that possibility quickly)

I kinda agree with Lee there, Norton's protects your computer by essentually disconnecting you from the net.. then making the computer not work right.

hmmmm odd, i don't have any firewall activated. all i got is AdAware and Microsoft AntiSpyzone. as for my ISP i have no way to check whats happening in the mainland. I can try SL on a friend's comp as soon as later this week

Might try to disable MS Antispy thingie as it is essentually a firewall. Something to try anyway.

ok, i disabled EVERY piece of security i got, it is as stupid as i can get, but i still can't log in/

Okay.
Assuming that your firewall is NOT the problem (however, it IS Norton, and Norton is, as we say in the tech support industry, "teh suck".)

You pinged the LL servers and managed to get MOTD on login. It's entirely possible that something between you and LL is interupting the UDP stream. Like, say, China's Interweb Proxy, your ISP, etc, etc.

If one of the Lindens can link you to that testing app they recommend, use it and to launch a minor DDoS worth of packets at LL's servers and see what comes back.

haha sometimes the best tech support is yourself.

Colin Linden msged me that after a scan on my account, he realized that everything was fine and it probably was something on my side with the networking. So, thinking of networking, I went back to the fundamentals, and updated all my networking hardware's drivers.

Voila, all the damage from the virus attacks were fixed, and SL runs perfectly.

Thx ya'll