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Problem - Bandwidth Issue with EverQuest (Really trying with "Stupid Question") (1 Viewer)

Numkin

New member
Joined
Dec 22, 2021
RedCents
20¢
I'm back at EQ after a long hiatus. And out of everything that could go wrong, EQ is killing my bandwidth. I figured I'd post here as this seems like a site of people that have been around the block.
Here's the rub. I have 900+ Mbps cable connection and get that using SpeedTest. When I'm actively playing a character my SpeedTest tanks to 60-120Mbps. If I leave it in the character select screen, I still get 900+, its only when I enter the game itself does it drop.

Things I have attempted:
Restart EverQuest
Restart Computer
Restart Modem/Router
Reinstall Everquest
Reinstall Everquest onto C:\EQ
Re-reinstall Everquest
Kill all Cloud Services
Kill all Anti-virus Services
Kill Router Firewall
Kill DDoS security
Kill All services other than required and EverQuest (Required as in, windows services, Display Drivers, etc...)
Use VPN
Use Split Tunneling on VPN for just EQ
Connect VPN/EQ to wired network and send all other over wireless network
Connect VPN/EQ to wireless network and send all other over wired network

And every time, the moment I start running around EQ, my network bandwidth tanks, and everyone else in the house starts yelling, because their internet is dead....

Other data of note:
Monitoring Network connections while playing EQ, my bandwidth usage never goes above 8kbps. So, EQ is not using the bandwidth, but it(or something when it starts) is killing it somehow.
Using continous speed test software, I easily maintain 300Mbps, but once I'm in EQ and in the loading screens the test drops down to 120ish.
Runing EQ on another computer on the network does not cause this issue, so it is on my computer.

CPU/Memory/Disk all under 8%.

To my knowledge nothing else I do on the computer or any other game I play has this effect.

Edit: 12/28/21
Might be worth noting, bandwidth degradation is not cumulative with multiple EQ instances running. The first instance kills the bandwidth, I can run at least 2 other instances and see no further degradation on bandwidth.
 
Last edited:
Solution
Got to say this is an interesting one for sure.

I'm going to take a few potshots at this myself as I have this nagging feeling this is an issue that crept in a few years ago was solved and you just banged into it again by accident.

Peep this link: https://www.alphr.com/slow-internet-windows-10/

Some of what's in there has been sorta covered already but the two I'd point out is changing your dns routing to something other than what your ISP is currently using. If you don't trust Alphr here's pretty much the same info from google.


The other is Disable LSO covered in the first link a bit down the page.

From what I've read to date:

You've reinstalled Windows...
Aye it tanks.

Required as in: Service Host Processes, COM Surrogate, Video Drivers, etc... I go in and kill everything other than bare minimum needed to run Windows and EQ :)
 
According to my continuous speed test, from launcher to server select it stays the same. Bandwidth drops in middle of first load screen, bounces back at end/character select. When I select a character and go into the game, it tanks and never recovers. Infact if I play for more than an hour, I start getting latency issues.
 
Are you running your bandwidth test on the same computer you’re running EQ on? If so you’re not actually testing bandwidth, you’re testing your hard drive or CPU (depending on the test).

Outside of that, what firewall do you use?
 
Thanks @Zebadiah for attempting :)

@Knightly both. I run it on my computer and 3 other computers on the network and they all show similar bandwidth degradation. As far as firewalls go, for testing I have all my firewalls off. Microsoft and Hardware.

@secret_wombat no other game is effected by this. Play multiple online/multiplayer games and have never seen this issue before. I was thinking it might be a QoS issue, but would normally see that on every game I play.
 
Hmm...EQ shouldn't be taxing your internet speed if hardly at all....I used to 6+ box on dial-up...so anything above DSL speed shouldn't really have a huge impact. Is your provider slowing you down by chance?

90s dial up GIF
art illustration GIF by Li-Anne Dias
 
@an_image Best I can tell no. I've run EQ on a VPN so theoretically my ISP wouldn't know what was running or on what port, and my Bandwidth still tanks when I log into the game. Also, I can run EQ on other computers in the Network and do not have this issue.
 
Microsoft Firewall isn’t the issue, the only thing firewall related that would cause bandwidth degradation would be something like IDP/IDS that has gone wrong. That’s why I was asking what hardware you run.

So to be clear:
1.) On the computer you are not running EQ with, you run multiple speed tests and it is normal.
2.) On a separate computer, you log into EQ without MQ or anything other than the base EQ client.
3.) On the original computer where you are not running EQ, you run multiple speed tests and your speed tanks.

Is that correct?
 
Example 1:
No EQ running on any network computer: 900+ Mbps Speedtests on all computers
Example 2:
Run EQ on my computer. < 150Mbps Speedtests on all computers
Example 3:
Run EQ on a different computer. 900+ Mbps Speedtests on all computers

No MQ2 or any other application running for these tests.

My Modem/Router TG4482A ARRIS Group. I have gone in a manually disabled the IPV4 and 6 firewall
I have also changed my computer name and IP.
 
You keep saying “all computers” and I take that to mean you are not running speed tests on all computers at the same time, but on each computer individually. Is this true?

If it’s only on the one computer load up WireShark and see what’s going on.
 
Well I hate to be the one to say it but, if you have narrowed it down to just the one computer, I would format and reinstall of the OS right from the start. its the only thing that you have not tried from what I have read here.
 
You keep saying “all computers” and I take that to mean you are not running speed tests on all computers at the same time, but on each computer individually. Is this true?

If it’s only on the one computer load up WireShark and see what’s going on.
Correct, not at once. I didn't think about Wireshark I'll give that a shot. I have a traffic meter I was using but it didn't show anything unusual.
 
@an_image that might be the case. Full wipe and reinstall, really wasn't wanting to do that. I've been running on this Windows install less than 6 months :(
So, one thing not mentioned: what exact windows is each machine running? Idk anything about 11 or what it does, nor the default settings. It def sounds like a Windows defender or something setting that's doing it, or something changed on the other machines you forgot while the new 6mo install is causing the issue.

10vs 11; home v pro; windows infoshare b.s. vs not, etc
 
If you're getting 150mbps on the other machines that still should be good enough for them to be streaming 4k video? Is it their ping?

I would second what knightly says about trying wireshark, take a look at the traffic see if you can work out what's happening, seems like degradation or congestion on your end of the network
 
Got to say this is an interesting one for sure.

I'm going to take a few potshots at this myself as I have this nagging feeling this is an issue that crept in a few years ago was solved and you just banged into it again by accident.

Peep this link: https://www.alphr.com/slow-internet-windows-10/

Some of what's in there has been sorta covered already but the two I'd point out is changing your dns routing to something other than what your ISP is currently using. If you don't trust Alphr here's pretty much the same info from google.


The other is Disable LSO covered in the first link a bit down the page.

From what I've read to date:

You've reinstalled Windows (Presuming 10) and still have the issue.

You've power cycled your modem/router and still have the issue.

It only affects EQ. Other games and web services are singing along just fine.

For my last Potshot, I want to suggest you call your ISP and head over to Tech Support. There is almost no chance your Tier one guy can do this but what you are going to ask them to do is resend the config file to your modem. Just throw enough big words at the 12 dollars an hour guy and get him to transfer you to tier two and explain what's going on. (Power cycling your modem should have done this but I've seen times where we had to do it on the tech support end to get it to work *Shrugs*) Different ISP's use different terminology Reformating, repartitioning the modem, etc. I know it's mostly gabbly gook and I'm not even super confident this will help you but it's one of the first things that popped into my head.

 
Solution
@Yannafuntime thanks for the info!
I had come up with a work around, using mobile hot spot and adding routes to force all traffic going to daybreaks public network to go through mobile hot spot. Found out when I added that route, without hotspot enabled, I only lost 400 Mbps instead of 900 Mbps (not sure how that helped)

Anyways, I tried your list of suggestion, I had already done most of them, and by the time I got through the list, my normal 900 Mbps went down to 80 Mbps. On the upside, when I run EQ, it doesn't crash that bandwidth it stays at 80 Mbps and it doesn't crash my networks bandwidth. So now I have horrible download speed but my family is happy :P
 
Just for fun I'd install another gateway between the main one and the PC with the problem. Dial the NIC down to 100Mbps. It won't explain the problem but it would limit the impact on the other devices on the main network.
I had already tried this. Even dialed NIC down to 10mbps, but it still crashed the bandwidth for the whole network. (Boggles the Mind)
So, one thing not mentioned: what exact windows is each machine running? Idk anything about 11 or what it does, nor the default settings. It def sounds like a Windows defender or something setting that's doing it, or something changed on the other machines you forgot while the new 6mo install is causing the issue.

10vs 11; home v pro; windows infoshare b.s. vs not, etc
I have 10 Pro, everyone else in the home has 10 home all latest updates.
If you're getting 150mbps on the other machines that still should be good enough for them to be streaming 4k video? Is it their ping?

I would second what knightly says about trying wireshark, take a look at the traffic see if you can work out what's happening, seems like degradation or congestion on your end of the network
9+ HD Security Cameras, multiple IoT devices throughout the house. 3 computers being used, 2 hand helds and 1 streaming t.v. 150 gives out fairly quickly.

I've wire sharked it, and haven't seen anything suspicious, though I'm no expert at wireshark. Will probably view it again just to see, though @Yannafuntime idea broke my computer but keeps everyone happy.
 
this is probably useless and does not apply - but does your router have anything like "media mode". I had an issue with a router a few years ago that defaulted to some media mode setting and when i logged on eq it made tv streaming go to absolute pop (funny that it pooped out the media and not the other way around)
 
At least not visible. I went the easy route with my last router, and using xfinity's standard router (stupid idea, spend the money and get a real router) anyways, it doesn't have anything like that on it. Or any other QoS feature that I have access to at least.
 
I have 10 Pro, everyone else in the home has 10 home all latest updates.
I still think it's a Windows setting. Check these possibilities(from cnet)

"

File-sharing updates​

A feature Windows 10 added is an optimized update delivery system, which lets you download updates from other Windows 10 computers over the Internet (not just from Microsoft's servers). The catch, of course, is that your computer is also used as an update-sharing hub for other Windows 10 users.

This feature is turned on by default, but you can turn it off by going to Settings > Update & security > Advanced options > Delivery optimization, and toggle Allow downloads from other PCs off. "

"

Apps running in the background​

In Windows 10, many apps run in the background -- that means, even if you don't have them open -- by default. These apps can receive information, send notifications, download and install updates and otherwise eat up your bandwidth and your battery life. If you're using a mobile device and/or a metered connection, you may want to turn this feature off.

To do this, go to Settings > Privacy > Background apps and either toggle off Let apps run in the background, or toggle off each app individually."

This one if it's on may be hanging up trying to figure out how to sync the minibrowser in eq:

"All the syncing​

Windows 10 is all about syncing. Everything -- system settings, themes, passwords, search history -- syncs across all your signed-in devices by default. But not all of us want our search history to sync from our phones to our computers, so here's how to turn syncing off.

To turn off settings syncing (including themes and passwords), go to Settings > Accounts > Sync your settings. You can turn off all settings syncing, or you can selectively turn off specific settings."

I would say try resetting everything to default then checking this stuff, but since you tried a reinstall already everything is already default unless you've changed it during install or since. My best guess would be an admin setting not even available to Home users.
 
@ToeJamSamy I've disabled File-sharing updates, kill all apps running in background and sync is disabled.
Since this is a clean install of windows 10 pro, it would have to be something pro does that home doesn't do. Though I don't know what that would be.
 
Major thanks to @Yannafuntime for your list. After breaking my bandwidth, I worked backwards and figured out what actually fixed the problem. It was the Auto-Tuning config. One of the side effects of disabling that is it breaks my Speedtest software, but it doesn't break my continuous speed test. I now have 350 Mbps, where the rest of the family has 900+. I'll probably play around and get that tweaked some more (might make a service that turns it off when it detects eqgame.exe running and turns it back on otherwise), but all in all I call that fixed :)

Weird that it has that effect on EQ. I wonder if its bandwidth usage is so low that it doesn't recognize that, and it "thinks" it needs more bandwidth.

Thanks to everyone that has helped, saved me a lot of frustration!
 
Major thanks to @Yannafuntime for your list. After breaking my bandwidth, I worked backwards and figured out what actually fixed the problem. It was the Auto-Tuning config. One of the side effects of disabling that is it breaks my Speedtest software, but it doesn't break my continuous speed test. I now have 350 Mbps, where the rest of the family has 900+. I'll probably play around and get that tweaked some more (might make a service that turns it off when it detects eqgame.exe running and turns it back on otherwise), but all in all I call that fixed :)

Weird that it has that effect on EQ. I wonder if its bandwidth usage is so low that it doesn't recognize that, and it "thinks" it needs more bandwidth.

Thanks to everyone that has helped, saved me a lot of frustration!
My pleasure man. Glad we got ya back in the game :)
 
I'll bet you have a "ring" doorbell or other security cameras on your router.
These security systems mask their bandwidth with anything running through the router.

It may just appear to be EQ eating bandwidth.

I apologize in advance for not reading every.post in this thread.
 
Problem - Bandwidth Issue with EverQuest (Really trying with "Stupid Question")

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