Unplayable Lagspikes: Deutsche Telekom explained

Well, since most of our German players are customers at Deutsche Telekom*, we all (including me) experience a hard time playing POE the recent time, due to massive lagspikes during main times in the evening / weekend. The reason for that is a high ammount of package loss on routing between you as a client and GGG's server.


After some research i found the main issue regarding all those lagg and disconnects, which after all lies not directly on GGG's side, but can be fixed by them.
Here is an article explaining what is currently going on:
http://netzneutral.init7.net/de/situation-init7.php
(Please read it, german)


The issue of packageloss explained:
GGG rents his game servers at a company that uses Telia / Level3 as a routing-provier.
These routing providers are not allowed by EU contracts to route data-traffic directly towards Deutsche Telekom (Germany), and therefore have to take a longer route through webknots that are already full. When the internet fills up with traffic, this small route fills up more and more, resulting in an increased package loss and latency spikes:




The main issue here is that Deutsche Telekom (DT) refuses to accept direct routings from Telia, and redirects requests to already overcrowded nodes, since Telia/L3 refuses to pay them a fee of 250.000 Euro / year for a higher node priority on DT sides.

Solutions
Therefore i see 2 solutions for playing Path of Exile from Germany:
1. Every affected German player has to cancel their contract at Deutsche Telekom and replace it by Kabel Deutschland / Unitymedia (remember, contracts last 1-2 years).
2. GGG needs to change/upgrade their serverprovider to one that has contracts for all EU providers.
Telia for example offers a direct connection to Telekom for a small extra fee per month, which results in no to few packet losses.
Here is a list of the EU's "biggest" players owning end-license connections to households:


In the meantime, you can download one of these 3rd party softwares and use their services:
https://www.wtfast.com/
http://www.battleping.com/
Sadly, those get overcrowded too, and lagspikes increase even with their use now.


Sources
You can also share your experience on Deutsche Telekom's forums, they have lots of issues reported by their customers (and willingly ignore them, blaming Telia / L3):

- https://netzpolitik.org/2014/netzneutralitaet-zwischen-den-grossen-level-3-beschuldigt-andere-isps-der-absichtlichen-drosselung/

- http://www.bongster.de/blog/?r=7

- https://telekomhilft.telekom.de/t5/V-DSL-Glasfaser/Unannehmbare-ping-Zeiten/td-p/983191/highlight/false/page/450

- https://telekomhilft.telekom.de/t5/V-DSL-Glasfaser/Routingsprobleme-unter-anderem-Telia-net/td-p/1295059/page/3

- https://telekomhilft.telekom.de/t5/V-DSL-Glasfaser/Schlechtes-Routing-zu-den-Twitch-Servern-Kann-die-Telekom-etwas/td-p/1272493

- http://www.golem.de/news/telekom-wir-benoetigen-den-de-cix-eigentlich-nicht-1502-112122-2.html

PoE is currently almost unplayable for me. When I get home from work, my ping hovers somewhere between 70 and 150, the game stutters like crazy. And I highly doubt I'm the only one in this situation.

The saddest part is that I highly doubt the problem will be fixed on Telekom's end. And I just made a new contract, so I'm basically fucked for the next year or two. So unless GGG relocates their servers, I'll have to stop playing.

Edit: Bizarrely, I seem to get incredibly good ping via the London gateway

I don't play from Germany and have the same issues. Hope they do something.

"

Zertrax wrote:

I don't play from Germany and have the same issues. Hope they do something.

Out of the linked post other corporations that do it similar to the Deutsche Telekom:

"

Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom, Telecom Italia, Telefonica and UPC; in the USA Comcast, Time Warner Cable, Verizon und AT&T

Have the same Problem... (Deutsche Telekom)

Beginning of the Tempest League all fine, 30-50ms Ping...

Beginning of the actually Race 80-100ms Ping with Lag Spikes up to 800ms.
Lockstep = No Chance, without Lockstep horrible De-Sync`s.

Hope, GGG will fix it. Actually make no fun to play the Race. :(

"

Hatstick wrote:

Have the same Problem... (Deutsche Telekom)

Beginning of the Tempest League all fine, 30-50ms Ping...

Beginning of the actually Race 80-100ms Ping with Lag Spikes up to 800ms.
Lockstep = No Chance, without Lockstep horrible De-Sync`s.

Hope, GGG will fix it. Actually make no fun to play the Race. :(

Good that people read the first post ...
There is nothing GGG can do.

But why was the Tempest League all fine and yet this Problems?
At Midnight all fine, 30ms Ping.

At the Afternoon and Evening this Lag Spikes and High Ping. (Dont had this Problems @ Tempest)

"

Hatstick wrote:

But why was the Tempest League all fine and yet this Problems?
At Midnight all fine, 30ms Ping.

At the Afternoon and Evening this Lag Spikes and High Ping. (Dont had this Problems @ Tempest)

It was there for the last two weeks of tempest, maybe you stopped playing before?
Sunday the game gets unplayable between 11-12am.

"

ZkyFox wrote:

Solutions
Therefor i see 2 solutions for playing Path of Exile from Germany:
1. Every affected German player has to cancel their contract at Deutsche Telekom and replace it by Kabel Deutschland / Unitymedia (remember, contracts last 1-2 years).
2. GGG needs to change their serverlocation to be placed inside Germany, not Amsterdam.

Your first solution wont work! My ISP Kabel BW / Unitymedia routes me via ffm-b1-link.telia.net as well. So please guys, do not hastily cancel your contracts only to find youself in the same shitty situation!

Same here..playing "Lag of Exile" is really hard since merge...