Client disconnecting from the server and hanging

Hi all,

I first found a description of my problem in the Mac forum

(/164/ef/188852/1.html)

but since 1.17 I get it more and more under Windows too:

The SL client doesn't crash, but it loses connection with the server side. When this happens I can't move my avatar anymore, just rotate it. I can't TP. I can't talk to others and they can't talk to me. OTOH in the eyes of the others I'm still present ingame - this can get rather embarrassing when someone tries to talk to me. The only way to end this state is doing a relog.

Does anyone have an idea about what triggers that behaviour of the client and if there is a way or setting to avoid it?

I've had this. Flying up high sets it off, as does being near sim borders. And sometimes it does it just for fun.

Sometimes I'm pretty unable to log in again either, I have to restart my machine before it will log in and hold a connection for more than a couple of seconds.

this happens to me all the time, mostly when my dsl line drops out, very high packet loss can also cause it. both of these problems are your ISP's fault and there's not much LL can do about it other then make the client handle it more gracefully.

Leliel is dead on here, but I think thats what we are asking for. The protocol between the client and server should be redesigned to be
a) more robust in the first place, able to accept occasional breaks in packet streams, for a few seconds at least
b) better able to recover after such a break
For the latter I mean that the client should be able to detect such a comms breakdown, and enter a state where it tries to re-establish the link rather than just sitting there. If it can't do that, it should warn the user and provide an automatic relog to get you back in the same place as fast as possible. This process must be in the client, as the server has no idea whether you are just broken or have unplugged your PC from the wall

Count me in. I have noticed it is triggered by keywords such as "bye", "take care", "see ya" and such. Well basically everytime I'm going to leave, to say bye bye politely but in haste because I'm late, my viewer hangs for 5 minutes before redmapping. Then I must log back on again to say bye properly because it's so rude to leave like that, and it hangs again.

Logging back on. Well trying to, as sometimes SL refuses to let me in. Upon success, saying bye and "sorry crashed again again". Logging off properly. Average time to just say "bye", 20 to 30 minutes.

And the next day I'm exhausted at work. "It's not my fault !". lol

the client can already do this, some times i'll get stretches of 100% packet loss (ISP side, not sim side) up to a minute long in some cases, but once the packets start flowing again sl will continue on just fine

But there's something very odd going on. I can play other games fine - EVE Online for example. Surf fine, ventrilo or Skype fine.. but flying straight up in SL is a GUARANTEED disconnect. It doesn't happen instantly, but it will happen and soon I have the same symptoms as everyone else.

Failing to teleport also causes the same problems.

Does this have anything to with the being logged out when you try and tp somewhere?

The issue of being disconnected from the servers can be attributed to any node server on the internet, sudden loss of packets will cause your system to keep resending more packets... it requires the packets of data in the right order in an interactive game to maintain the flow with only a minor loss tolerated. That is why you 'hang', your client stalls waiting for the missing packets.
Who's fault, well thats anyones guess. Traceroute will give you a frozen moment in time, but the internet is dynamic.

oh this is so true
i damn lindens every day about this
one day i will damn them hard enough and go play simcity 1.2

I had this same exact issue for a LONG time. Then I realized it was that my router was actually dropping the session, and it had no way to reinitiate it without logging back on again. After opening up the DMZ on the router, to my computer, it works flawlessly. Less work for the router. I've stayed connected for 36 hours or more.

What router? I think mine is dropping out too

Openning a DMZ in a router is a risky business, you would be better to asign the SL IP and allocate ports that would be available, at least you maintain your NAT and firewall protection. You can also limit functionality of programmes within your system acting with the outside world to help prevent keyloggers, trojans etc.

I have more problems with this on the beta client than on the main client. No idea what's different between them. Very strange.