Crazy Lag

VarnithisXIII · Post by **VarnithisXIII** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:10 pm

I just logged out because the lag became unplayable. Is this server wide or do I need to go kick my router again?

The patch made the server a whole lot more stable, but I crash on transitioning almost twice as much now, and there seems to be much more lag than usual. Mabey the server needs to have a restart schedual? I don't know much about servers but I know that I have to reboot my computer every now and then or it slows down a bit.

It is nice being able to take quest and not have to fear the server crashing and having to do everything all over again though, and the new quickbar functions like shield and weapon stacking make me happy. So does the chatbox upgrade.

Kazak · Post by **Kazak** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:15 pm

Sounds like you might have spyware problems on your computer. I havent played today yet, but in irc no one has complained about the server lag yet. And only 1-2 client crashes complaints.

I'd recommend running this on your computer:

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/securit ... fault.mspx

VarnithisXIII · Post by **VarnithisXIII** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:22 pm

Shouldn't be spyware, unless Nortin Internet Security is totally bogus. Also, that program is "incompatable" with nortin and it won't let me run it (I had it when we got the new Nortin and it made me delete it to run Nortin).

I run a scan every other day and It always says I'm clean. I also use Firefox as a browser and I have the full Nortin package, which says it protects agains spyware, viruses, spam, and pop-ups.

Besides, even if it Nortin isn't catching anything... well I'm SOL because my dad doesn't want me using anything else on his network. I've had this arguement with him before, and I lose by default.

Kazak · Post by **Kazak** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:25 pm

In my experience I dread Norton full package now, it causes more headache than it's worth.

You said you have to reboot your computer every few days, that is usually caused by memory leaks or spyware programs taking up memory and not cleaning themselves right.

It's very easy for a spyware to disable Norton, simply change the local computer hosts file so it never gets updates. Most spyware/viruses do that first now before infecting the system.

But since it's not your computer, but your dads, then it's his call how to fix it. Sorry I can't help you more.

VarnithisXIII · Post by **VarnithisXIII** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:31 pm

It is my computer, I just have to connect to the family router since we are lazy and use that rather than rewire the house to get the internet to each room.

What would you recommend for anti-virus and spyware protection? I hate Nortin, I just use it because it is paid for and it seems to work so far, but it hogs so many resources and makes everything such a complete pain. I know that half my lag is simply Nortin running while I play NWN2 (You can't even turn it off now).

Don't worry about my dad, he won't even know the differnce really if I don't tell him. He never touches my computer and I can bypass the router if he really gets angry about it. (He is a gamer too, he might even appricate knowing a better setup than Nortin, it ruins alot of his games too.)

LethalBlade · Post by **LethalBlade** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:35 pm

Believe me when I tell you, Norton products are crap. They will cause more harm than good. You are MUCH better off with freeware products like AVG antivirus, and Adaware antispyware.

Stormknife · Post by **Stormknife** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:36 pm

VarnithisXIII wrote:What would you recommend for anti-virus and spyware protection? I hate Nortin, I just use it because it is paid for and it seems to work so far, but it hogs so many resources and makes everything such a complete pain. I know that half my lag is simply Nortin running while I play NWN2 (You can't even turn it off now).

I'm using AVAST! right now. Effective, free, and it's a pirate word.

Kazak · Post by **Kazak** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:39 pm

First of, don't lie to your dad

It's better to get him on your side than go behind his back.

Norton full package has way too many applications in it. I'd turn everything off but A/V. Just use a windows firewall and don't surf in inappropriate places (that's where you get all the spyware/virus anyways).

I'd turn off A/V during gaming session as well.

As Storm said AVAST is a great product to use as an alternative for Norton. Norton used to be great, but they sold out...

http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

VarnithisXIII · Post by **VarnithisXIII** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:43 pm

Yah, you're right Kazak. I'm not gonna mess with it untill I can talk with him about it.

Also, I went to try and update Nortin and I can't connect to the server so... yah. I really beleive it when it says I have a clean computer for the 20th time in a row now. Argh.

It would explain alot of my problems too. That is always what gets me in any game or every time my computr crashes: Memory shortage. And I have 1 gig of RAM and 3 gigs of harddrive set for virtual memory.

Please excuse me while I fire up Smash Brothers and vent my frustration on helpless Nintendo charcters.

Post by **Jay Four** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:45 pm

Norton is really bad. You might as well not install anything. You won't get any less vulnerable, and you'll get better performance too.

AVG is 10x better and it's free for home use. It comes with Ewido, which is absolutely incredible, 1st in class anti-malware.

Personally I go commando, but I know exactly what I am doing. For people who can benefit from these things, I can't think of anything I recommend more than AVG.

Oh, there is one. ClamAV is really, really outstanding. But it's not automatic or foolproof like AVG. It's more for network admins, auto-scanning email, and fairly advanced use than for home use. But it has no resident components and drains no resources. So it's got a place if you're going commando like I do.

Dusty · Post by **Dusty** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:47 pm

I don't get the part where it's spyware?

Post by **Vahene** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:48 pm

I'm using Trend Micro PC-cillin Internet Security, and I forget sometimes its installed. It updates itself, closes the windows itself, essentially everything Norton's doesn't do.

We have a firewall on our network at home too, so this is perfect for me.

-K

Post by **Vahene** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:50 pm

Dusty wrote:I don't get the part where it's spyware?

If you're referring to Norton's... it isn't spyware, but its massive and huge and takes up a lot of space on your system. My old system had Norton IS, and I couldn't even get it to bypass preventing me from getting into Dasaria--I had to turn it off because the firewall 'broke' on it, and in order to contact Norton's (Symantec), you need to pay them for tech support. Which I think is completely crap.

-K

Dusty · Post by **Dusty** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 10:52 pm

It's not that, it's that Kazak said "Sounds like you might have spyware problems on your computer." out of nowhere...

Kazak · Post by **Kazak** » Tue Dec 05, 2006 11:10 pm

Dusty wrote:It's not that, it's that Kazak said "Sounds like you might have spyware problems on your computer." out of nowhere...

Not out of nowhere, I have been in the industry since late 80s. So it comes with experience

The reason I said that is because WindowsXP for the most part is a fairly stable system. It doesn't have very many memory leaks by itself as a core system. The memory leaks happen by programs we install on it, such as NWN client. When you are zonning, I assume the computer is loading new textures, wireframe and whatever else it needs to load for that map. I assume again, that the NWN client is not cleaning the old zones and your resources go wacko and crash the client.

The spyware is written by people who don't care about your resources, time is money for them. And they want to produce the spyware in the fastest period of time. Once you get infected with spyware, the memory usage goes up because the spyware first disabled the A/V updates with known A/V programs (Mcfee, Norton, etc), then download more spyware, and only then start collecting data. All these little programs don't clean themselves really well and stay running in memory.

Once you reboot your computer, the RAM (operating memory) cleans itself, but then the Windows loads default applications (including spyware) and the memory leaks starts all over again (slowly). The spyware contacts the host (owner computer of the spyware) to get updates or send information and cause more havoc.

Does that explain it, Dusty?