HORRENDOUS lag and low connection speed

Ok pps, I LOVE this world but over the past couple of nights it is virtually (excuse the pun) unplayable due to packet loss of between 18% - 27% and a connection speed wavering between 41Kbps and 120Kbps!!!!!!! And before you ask, my PC way exceeds the recommended spec and I have an internet line of 8Meg. Is this anything to do with the fact the when I started to play at the begining of December 06 there was an average of 18k ppl on line, wherease now the average seems to be around 24k. I am not running anything else on PC at the same time, JUST SL (have been playing onliners for 4+ years so I know what the score is when it comes to baaaaaaad connections etc). I have spoken to other ppl online from different areas in the world and they, too, are having similar problems. I have looked for an "official" place to have a moan about this, but can't find suitable place. Would have liked a "Linden Answer" but I guess that is out of the question. IMHO I think SL would do better to restrict the time allowed on free accounts and give a month free trial then either PAY for your sub or end of trial (nowhere to put this suggestion either it seems). If there are typos here, well, I am just so darned angry and I can't be bothered to correct them

Couldn't have said it better myself

I agree. And i think it reflects in the residents statistics. The growing is stopping and if this situatiuon continues, Im sure that me and a lot of other people will take our money and go somewhere else.

I always supported LL on this, but tonight I already started the same project three times and te same yesterday. This is very very anoying...

I havent been experiencing bad lag, but then again I dont really leave my SIM so it could be that, however today when trying to log on it takes awhile and then I log in with no clothing/body, no L, etc etc the usual when that happens.

I have made several posts on these forums regarding 'How to live with lagg in SL', however good your PC is, or the connections that LL have to run this game, you will always have the 'Internet' between you and them.

Testing bandwidth is very subjective, one area you will find very little documentation of is Contention Ratios. Your ISP may state you have 8mb bandwidth, but its not all yours, you share it with others. The contention rations for ISP's in the UK are around 1:50 for 'domestic' connections, and 1:20 for business lines. What that means is that upto 50 users are sharing that 8mb connection to the internet. Having said that, you will find very little evidence of what your contention ratios are or prove, and even ISP's are reluctant to tell you as they adjust them to suit server loads.

Packet loss can for the most part, be due to the various nodes the connection passes through to get to its destination and back. A packet (small section of data) has a life span of a few seconds, to prevent it simply staying in caches through the various nodes and bringing the whole internet system crashing down. Each packet that is lost, or corupted, is checked at each stage of its travels. Should it become corupted or timed out, then a request is sent asking for it again.

If you run a programme called Traceroute, it will give you a frozen moment in time of your ping rates to and from the destination, although this again is very subjective given the dynamic nature of the internet. If you run it often enough over a period of time, you can build up a database of information. If that proves that your connection is bad due to your ISP's links to the backbone network, you may consider changing your ISP.

Another note: Not all ISP's are suitable for online game playing, which is preferred to be at 200ms or lower. 300ms+ isn't abnormal for the 'average' ISP as it is suitable for 'general' use, browsing websites, sending emails etc. You can search various websites and forums that do report findings on ISP's across the world so you can make a judgement. Don't expect too much help from your ISP with regard to packet loss or ping rates, for no other reason than, they only make your connection to the backbone, beyond which they have no control over.

My ASDL line is 20mb/1mb with a very low number of users (yes, I pay nicely for that).

I play Everquest as wel, I suffer almost never lag there (only where there is extreme lot of actions happening at the same time, as in raids... but even then, it is bearable).

Also in SL I was happy concerning the amount of lag. I never suffered packet loss... until lately. I see lately SL often reporting packet loss.
If I switch to Everquest, the packet loss is gone. If I test my connection-speed, it shows it is good...

Adding the complains of others to that, I think is must be going bad somewhere in the last part to the SL servers.

Sorry, if this is not an technical explanation.... it is just what see and notice.

Morwen.