Best broadband provider for online gaming???

Spud_Gun

I am looking to acquire broadband in the Dublin 8 area with a view to playing online games, and in particular Xbox Live games. I was originally going to go with Irish Broadband as they provided 512/512 synchronous DSL, but as this is wireless broadband it meant that packet latency makes it unsuitable for my needs. Is anyone out there using Irish Broadband for online games, and in particular, Xbox Live games?

My only alternative is the Eircom option, as its land based ADSL which is ideal but pricey. Are there any online gamers out there using Eircom broadband? How do you find the 4GB cap?

Thanks!

DeVore

Technically wireless broadband is BETTER for packet latency then anything over copper.

I can tell you that I get a rock solid 50 ping to the UK through Leap and I've seen similar ping times (and lower!) from IBB.

Theres no reason that wireless shouldnt be as fast or faster then ADSL.

DeV.

Spud_Gun

Have a look at what MS have to say
here. I have heard a few horror stories about people in the US using wireless BB with Xbox Live. I have been advised by gamers to go with a land based ADSL as its very reliable. Whats more, MS wont support Xbox Live that operates on a wireless BB connection.

Sloth

I think Boston said before that by wireless they mean satellite services such as DigiWeb where the latency is massive, you should be grand with IBB.

Spud_Gun

This is what a techie in IBB said:

"The key issue with on-line gaming is not bandwidth capacity but packet latency, end-to-end delay, on the network. The latency on our network is well within the thresholds for on-line gaming however the nature of the technology used to deliver the service can cause sporadic high latency from time to time. For this reason we cannot give guaranteed minimum latency on our network."

As you can imagine I am not too comfortable spending the 320 Euro installation fee on a BB connection that may or may not work better than ADSL.

Sloth, do you use ADSL for XBL? What is the Xbox gaming experience like? Are there lags?

Sloth

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=96857

Spud_Gun

Cool thread Sloth, lots of information there. I see RTCW is laggy on i-stream with a large number of players. Out of i-stream, IOL and Clicksilver, which would you or anyone recommend for online gaming?

Sloth

They're all the same, Xbox Live will be laggy for some games sometimes no matter which ADSL service you go for but if you can get it try and get Esat Business as it gives the lowest latency of them all. Your still going to lag though at times.

Lemming

Originally posted by Spud_Gun
As you can imagine I am not too comfortable spending the 320 Euro installation fee on a BB connection that may or may not work better than ADSL.

Whilst not an XBox person my experience with online gaming via IBB is something roughly like this.

Low latency, with an occasional spike every so often for a second or two before returning to the previously low level. Now, by spike I mean having a latency of say, 50ms and then jumping to 90ms (Oh quelle horreur!! 90ms! ) before dropping again.

Whilst playing Planetside, I can notice some lag but this is more to do with known server-side latency issues and the fact tha the game eats RAM rather heavily and so some swapping can occur. For the likes of CS/DoD/et al. I have the experience of feeling like I'm on a LAN (well .. almost )

Sloth

I hate you IBB/Esat Business people with an incredibly jealous rage.

Spud_Gun

I know what you are saying Lemming, but if IBB cant facilitate Xbox Live play then I don't want it, even if it is 512/512 synchronous DSL. Ideally what I am looking for is someone who plays Xbox Live via IBB, but unfortunately I haven't found anyone in this or in any other country who fits the bill (that is anyone who plays Xbox Live via wireless BB). On the other hand I have been chatting to other people in the US who have said that you will encounter problems using wireless BB with Xbox Live.

Sangre

C:\Documents and Settings\Darren> ping www.boards.ie

Pinging www.boards.ie [217.114.166.147] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 217.114.166.147: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=58
Reply from 217.114.166.147: bytes=32 time=19ms TTL=58
Reply from 217.114.166.147: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=58
Reply from 217.114.166.147: bytes=32 time=14ms TTL=58

Ping statistics for 217.114.166.147:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 14ms, Maximum = 30ms, Average = 19ms


Thats with Ibb, on the Sandyford transmitter. I have very steady low ping, but for others I hear they spike a lot.

Sloth

Netsource Business:

Microsoft(R) Windows DOS
(C)Copyright Microsoft Corp 1990-2001.

C:\DOCUME~1\KEVINO~1>ping www.boards.ie

Pinging www.boards.ie [217.114.166.147] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 217.114.166.147: bytes=32 time=63ms TTL=57
Reply from 217.114.166.147: bytes=32 time=68ms TTL=57
Reply from 217.114.166.147: bytes=32 time=65ms TTL=57
Reply from 217.114.166.147: bytes=32 time=66ms TTL=57

Ping statistics for 217.114.166.147:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 63ms, Maximum = 68ms, Average = 65ms


Equally stable and very very playable online but I don't know how much the extra 40ms bothers you.

STaN

Netsource RADSL:

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\***********>ping boards.ie

Pinging boards.ie [217.114.166.147] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 217.114.166.147: bytes=32 time=162ms TTL=57
Request timed out.
Reply from 217.114.166.147: bytes=32 time=219ms TTL=57
Reply from 217.114.166.147: bytes=32 time=218ms TTL=57

Ping statistics for 217.114.166.147:
Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 3, Lost = 1 (25% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 162ms, Maximum = 219ms, Average = 199ms

Sloth

The moral of the thread is don't get Netsource RADSL for gaming.

BigEejit

Was netsource EVER any good at online gaming?, or was it just the warez monkeys that brought the network to its knees?
And as was mentioned in this (or maybe another thread) will the expected upgrade to a 12mb/s connection on the netsource end have any effect whatsoever .....

STaN

Originally posted by BigEejit
Was netsource EVER any good at online gaming?, or was it just the warez monkeys that brought the network to its knees?
And as was mentioned in this (or maybe another thread) will the expected upgrade to a 12mb/s connection on the netsource end have any effect whatsoever .....

When they upgraded from a 2mb to a 6mb, we were all back at great pings for a week or so. Then they were bad during the day and after 6 was fine. Eventually, at ALL times the pings got bad again.

I was in from the pub last night and i checked my mail and IRC as i do. It was 3.30am and my ping was 220!

So lets hope the 12mb will get us all back down to 40 again. Like it was when i got it and after the first upgrade.