As many know, getting connected to Battle.net is not always easy or even possible. Once you get connected, staying connected is your next challenge. What I will present here are some ideas and ways you can maximize your connection and hopefully have a better Battle.net experience.

When you first start Diablo and get on Battle.net take a look at how many people are currently using the servers. This information is given to you when you first get on and you can check it anytime you want by typing /users in the chat line. I have seen over sixty thousand people on the servers at any one time. Now, not all of those are playing games, but the more people, the more likely the problems.

Battle.net and other gaming sites have similar connectivity issues. Lag, also known as latency is a normal, unavoidable issue when playing online games. There are some things you can do to help your situation.

OPTIMIZATON - Optimizing your connection through the use of a utility designed for that purpose can help your connection. There are some people that will insist that the optimizers do more harm than good, but from the aspect of the player wanting to get online, they are helpful. It is alleged that optimizers tend to put everyone on the few servers that happen to respond to the "pings" being sent by your optimizer. Not all servers are known and not all servers respond. Just because a server doesnt respond, it doesnt mean it is down. The optimizer available on my downloads page has worked very well for me and it has often made the difference between getting on and not getting on.

YOUR MODEM - Making sure that your modem is working properly or is properly configured is essential to being well connected. Ensure that your modem settings are optimal for what you are trying to do. Your modems manufacturer can assist you with the proper settings. If you have a V.90 capable modem, make sure that your drivers are current or other fixes are implemented. You can find this information at the website of your modems manufacturer.

YOUR PHONE LINES - You may be stuck with bad phone lines (like me). If you live in an apartment or in a rural area, your phone lines may not be state of the art. By calling your phone company and having them check for line noise (often a free test) you can find out if this is part of your problem.

YOUR ISP-  Call your ISP and have a knowledgeable service tech go over your dial up connection configuration. Have the tech ensure that your network protocols, dial up numbers, IP addresses, scripting (if used) etc. are properly configured. Make sure that the dial up number that you connect to is the proper one for your type of modem. For example, my ISP has one dial up number for 33.6 modems and another for 56K and V.90 Modems. Also ask if your ISP is V.90 capable. Many are not. Another question to ask is the user to modem ratio. Smaller ISPs may have a smaller user to modem ratio and you may connect better because of this fact. This is one good argument for the local ISPs as opposed to the big ones.

WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW - Go to "Dial Up Networking" and find your connection icon to your ISP. Right click on it and select "Properties".  Once it opens, select "Server Types" and check which network protocols are checked. You may see several offered such as Net/BEUI, IPX/SPX Compatible and TCP/IP.  By unchecking any unneeded protocols, you will speed up your online communications. Most dial up connections use the TCP/IP protocol and therefore if you have Net/BEUI and/or the others checked, this could be part of your problem. Once you are back to your desktop, perform a CTRL-ALT-DELETE and see what you have running in the background. There are many programs that can affect perfomance during online gaming such as Microsoft Office "Find Fast" and any type of anti virus program. You should ensure that all unneeded programs are turned off.

WHEN YOU ARE ON BATTLE.NET - When you start a game, and you know you might have a bad connection, turn the music off to your game and encourage the others in your game to do so as well. If you are going to be gaming with others that you know, try to have whoever has the best lag as indicated in the channel, start the game. It is unknown if this really has a positive affect on latency, but it seems to work for me. Back up your character often if you are experiencing lag outs from games so that you minimize your losses. Oftentimes only one person at a time will lag out of a game and you wont lose anything if it was laying on the ground (provided the people you are playing with are trustworthy). Playing with those that are using external programs such as trainers and scanners can also add to your troubles. Anytime you play on Battle.net you take the chance that you will lag out of a game and possibly lose items. By trying to play at non-peak times (peak times being weekends and holidays or "primetime") such as early morning or late night, you can often enjoy greatly reduced lag play.

By doing just a few things and taking the time to do a few of the other more involved suggestions, you may be able to improve your connection to Battle.net and your overall enjoyment of the game.

Stalker