Sorting out the lag-issue

[Andre Schackt]

Hi list,

So far I've just been monitoring the list, but I'll make my first crack at sorting out (I wont get it fixed I'm sure, but I'd like to know at least the differences between environments) the problems people are experiencing with lag on servers.

Firstly: I work with Panic/Frode and Kybber/Einar at Battlefield.no. As you might have seen in another thread, we just got two dual opteron-machines with plenty of juice. They are both in the heart of the ISP's network, on 100mbit lines. They are also both running a total of 128 players, and neither are sweating cpu- or memory-wise.

We also have a 40-player server on a P4 3.2ghz, this has the same problems. (On a sidenote: we got a dual Xeon 2.4ghz running 32+32 servers, they actually hit 100%...  ;-))

This I know: the lag is experienced not as the "usual" lag that people had in 1942 and similar, but more like a "bungy-jumping" lag where people disappear and re-appear 10 yards away. I've seen the term "rubberband-lag" used here: its a good description! I also happen to know that this is not always happening. Just today I talked to a friend of mine, who has a kick-ass computer (so both on our side and his side: the gear should be more than adequate), and he said he played 3 maps (thats 2x25 minutes on each map) without problems, and then the next round it was lagging as hell the entire round. He then quit, and I'm not blaming him. But he mentioned something that is a bit awkward (and I have noticed that myself): the game was running smooth and fine for him, it was everybody ELSE that was rubberbanding...

So what do I want?  this: if all the people on this list who's hosting servers could be as kind as to post the following information:

- Experiencing this lag?  (or users complaining about lag?)  = Yes / No
- Specs on hardware/server running the BF2-server(s)
- Which OS (and 32/64-bit if applicable)
- Ranked? = Yes / No
- What kind of connection to the internet

And any information you might find useful.

I'm hoping we at least will be able to see any pattern as to which OS seems to be the worst, difference between 32/64-bit, or anything else that might be interesting. And hopefully: this could be useful for Andreas and Dice as well.


I hope I didn't forget anything, if so I'll just blame it on the "difficult first post" and everything...    ;-)


brgds
Sussidal @ Battlefield.no