TCP Optimizer ruined my connection

[damokt]

Hi

I downloaded your TCPOptimizer.exe 2 days ago because that day I had serious lag problems while playing a game. I ran the programm and well.. didn't understand very much, so i only checked the "optimal settings" box and applied the changes. I made a backup, of course.
Since then, my connection is totally ****ed up. The first 5 Minutes it goes smooth. But then it totally confuses me. The connection is running, but my explorer won't load any site anymore. As if I were offline. No site is loading. I must restart my connection in order for it to work again. And again, it only lasts for about 5 minutes. As soon as I end any application that worked with my connection, all other applications that require the connection just won't work, just as if I am no longer online. I must restart the connection everytime I use it once.
I already restored the backup I made and restartet, but nothing changed. My internet is ****ed up thanks to TCPOptimizer. I hope you help me out of this hellhole.

[trogers]

Download and run the WinSockFix to revert to Windows default:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/N...nSockFix.shtml

Then post your TCP Optimizer report.

What operating system are you using? Win98?

[damokt]

I have used WinSockFix now and rebooted. Testing if everything is fine.
Where do I find these reports? I don't find anything in the TCP Optimizier program menues, regarding reports.
I am using Windows XP Professional.
My connection is DSL 6000.
Thanks for your help

Edit:
I found your TCP Test on the page. Here the results.

« SpeedGuide.net TCP Analyzer Results »
Tested on: 03.15.2007 03:57
IP address: 84.58.xxx.xx

TCP options string: 020405a001010402
MSS: 1440
MTU: 1480
TCP Window: 64800 (multiple of MSS)
RWIN Scaling: 0
Unscaled RWIN : 64800
Reccomended RWINs: 63360, 126720, 253440, 506880
BDP limit (200ms): 2592kbps (324KBytes/s)
BDP limit (500ms): 1037kbps (130KBytes/s)
MTU Discovery: ON
TTL: 114
Timestamps: OFF
SACKs: ON
IP ToS: 00000000 (0)

[trogers]

What speed did you pay your ISP to give you?

"Reports"? Here are some threads about TCP Optimizer and Tweaking:

http://www.speedguide.net/tcpoptimizer.php

http://www.speedguide.net/faq_in.php?category=100

http://www.speedguide.net/faq_in.php?category=89

[damokt]

I pay for DSL 6000.
With DSL 6000 I should get a speed of 768 Kbyte/sec down and 80 kbyte/sec up. I use it for a year now and it always worked fine. But I often got lags while gaming. Sometimes I had hours of lags and poor connection. Sometimes..

I thought "ok maybe there is something to tweak my connection a bit to prevent these 'sometimes' lags". So I googled and downloaded TCP Optimizer. Since I used it once, my connection got totally screwd up. As I have described above. I used WinSockFix.exe. Well... that actually did not work. I restartet my PC in safty mode and uninstalled my Network Card. Then rebooted and reinstallt my Network.
But it STILL does NOT work right!
I have some SERIOUS problem right now. It is SERIOUS because I have NO IDEA what could be wrong!

My problem right now is extremly strange but I try to describe my observations on it.

I can log on. Internet works fine. I can browse. I never get disconnected from the internet. However.....
When I use ICQ, for example, it logs me into ICQ. But after about 10 Minutes of online time... he disconnects me from ICQ and i am not able to lag back in. When I start a download, he begins downloading. As normal. But after about 5 Minutes... the download stands still. He tries and tries... but its just like I have cut the connection. No data is flowing. Windows then, of course, gives me an error message after a while and cancels the download.
When I log into ANY online game and start playing it... after about a few minutes of playing... I get a large lag and.. it disconnects me.
AND ALL THIS TIME my Internet connection is RUNNING. I can dial in, disconnect, dial in, disconnect... as much as i want. The connection to my provider is totally fine. But whatever program I use to communicate the net... it ALWAYS works only for a couple of minutes and then, the data between this program and the net is totally cut of, it seems...


Strange, isn't it???? I have really no idea whats wrong...


I use Comodo Firewall.
I use Active Virus Shield. My PC is free from Viruses or anything. I scanned it this morning.
Windows Firewall is deactivated.
I don't use any router.
I restartet my DSL modem a few times but that doesn't seem to change anything.



Well..

hope you can help me out of this mess.

[trogers]

Your RWIN after using WinSockFix should be 65535 but the TCP Analyzer shows it to be 64800. Have you been running some other DSL speed software?

Try the following custom setting with TCP Optimizer:

General Settings tab:
Custom settings - check
Modify All Network Adapters - check
network adapter selection - your NIC
MTU - 1492
TTL - 64
TCP Receive Window - leave blank
MTU Discovery - Yes
Black Hole Detect - No
Selective Acks - Yes
Max Duplicate ACKs - 2
TCP 1323 Options:
Windows Scaling - checked
Timestamps - uncheck

Advanced Settings tab:
Max Connections per Server - 10
Max Connections per 1.0 Server - 20
LocalPriority - 1
Host Priority - 1
DNSPriority - 1
NetbtPriority - 1
Lan Browsing speedup - optimized
QoS: NonBestEffortLimit - 0
ToS: DisableUserTOSSetting - 0
ToS: DefaultTOSValue - 80
MaxNegativeCacheTtl - 0
NetFailureCacheTime - 0
NegativeSOACache Time - 0
LAN Request Buffer Size - 32768
Then select "Apply Changes" and reboot to take effect

After reboot, do another TCP Analyzer to see if your RWIN value changes.

[damokt]

Ok I have done what you told me.

Oh and I edited my post above. I was wrong about my connection. My downstream is not 1024 kbyte/sec, its 768 kbyte/sec. And my upstream is not 96 kbyte/sec, it's 80 kbyte/sec.
Sorry for that. I edited it, now it's right.


Ok so i used TCP Optimizer again and did the settings you described me.
This happened after I restarted:

I logged into windows and WUSCH... PC rebooted... windows critical error and reboot.
I did it again and.. again... windows critical error.
I then booted in safty mode with network support. Again, critical error as soon as I started any network application (I tried to open Mozilla FIrefox without any connection running and windows gave me the critical error and automatically rebooted).
Then i rebooted in safety mode without network support and used TCP Optimizer again. I used the option "restore windows defaults" and rebooted again.
Well here I am again

.... I don't know if everything works now but at least my Windows boots normally.

Here is an actual TCP Analyser Report:

« SpeedGuide.net TCP Analyzer Results »
Tested on: 03.15.2007 12:07
IP address: 84.58.xxx.xx

TCP options string: 020405a0
MSS: 1440
MTU: 1480
TCP Window: 64800 (multiple of MSS)
RWIN Scaling: 0
Unscaled RWIN : 64800
Reccomended RWINs: 63360, 126720, 253440, 506880
BDP limit (200ms): 2592kbps (324KBytes/s)
BDP limit (500ms): 1037kbps (130KBytes/s)
MTU Discovery: ON
TTL: 114
Timestamps: OFF
SACKs: OFF
IP ToS: 00000000 (0)

[trogers]

Is your operating system XP SP2?

[damokt]

No it's Windows XP Professional.
Without ANY Service Pack or Update.

[trogers]

No it's Windows XP Professional.
Without ANY Service Pack or Update.

Then your operating system would be unpatched and problems not corrected. You should ensure all patches and updates are installed.

Follow the tips of this thread:

http://forums.speedguide.net/showthread.php?t=73799

[damokt]

Ok, the big problem is going on.


I have formated the whole pc and reinstalled everything to get rid of my problem.
I installed Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2, Active Virus Shield and Comodo Firewall.
Nothing else so far.

My problem is still not fixed!
I can connect. Everything goes fine. But after about 1 hour, my connection is "limb". Nothing works. No download, no browsing. He does not disconnect me. When I disconnect manually and try to reconnect, he always stops at the point where it is checking my username and passwort. I don't know what the problem is.
It must be some hardware problem. Restarting my DSL Modem doesn't fix the problem.

Need help.


TCP Analyser:

« SpeedGuide.net TCP Analyzer Results »
Tested on: 03.19.2007 18:33
IP address: 84.58.xxx.xx

TCP options string: 020405a001010402
MSS: 1440
MTU: 1480
TCP Window: 65535 (NOT multiple of MSS)
RWIN Scaling: 0
Unscaled RWIN : 65535
Reccomended RWINs: 63360, 126720, 253440, 506880
BDP limit (200ms): 2621kbps (328KBytes/s)
BDP limit (500ms): 1049kbps (131KBytes/s)
MTU Discovery: ON
TTL: 114
Timestamps: OFF
SACKs: ON
IP ToS: 00000000 (0)

[EvilAjax]

Do you use XP PPPoE to connect? If so, download RasPPPoE from http://www.raspppoe.com/

Just browse to the left side of the page, and click Download and Install. Then Accept the terms, and download the x32 bit version.

Download it to your My Documents (or wherever you want) and extract the files to a folder and name it RASPPPoE. What RASPPPoE is Point to Point Protocol that uses the same method you're using with Windows XP to connect to the internet. The advantage is that you get to set your MTU to the fully optimized 1492 instead of 1480 (Windows XP PPPoE software limits your MTU, for whatever reason), which gives you better throughput. Just follow the instructions in the Readme for Windows XP included in the download, and you're one step closer. Once installed, you'll just have to enter your username and password and you can click to connect to the internet.

If you still notice the freezing after five minutes, you have to do this. It's a must in a PPPoE connection.

Open Control Panel


Open Network


For Windows 2000/XP, instead, do -> START -> SETTINGS -> NETWORK and DIAL-UP CONNECTIONS, and then go into the Properties for your Local Area Connection


Look for the first entry in the scroll box marked TCP/IP, that is associated with a hardware ethernet card (ignore dialup, AOL and VPN type bindings).


Select it and press PROPERTIES


Select IP ADDRESS from the tab


Is OBTAIN AN IP ADDRESS AUTOMATICALLY checked? if so, change that to DEFINE IP ADDRESS and enter 192.168.1.10, and 255.255.255.0, into IP address and subnet mask fields respectively.
This assignment of a harmless local IP address to the TCP/IP settings bound (connected) to your network adapter, will stop the built-in DHCP services from waking up every 10 minutes to look for a DHCP server so that it can "fill in the blanks".
Select the GATEWAY tab. Enter 10.0.0.138 into New Gateway field and click on Add. Click OK.
Close all windows and restart the PC.

I bet the problem wont happen again. This is a usual issue with DSL PPPoE users.

Now, for some tweaking..
Using the TCP Optimizer, leave all settings default. Uncheck Windows Scaling, and set your RWIN (TCP Recieve Window) to 55176. You can also try the following to mess around: 52272, 60984, and 63888

If your connection still seems slow, you can try a few larger ones. But this means you'll have to check Windows Scaling. Try : 69696, 75504, 87120

A larger RWIN doesn't mean your connection will be faster. I had that same connection limit, and I used to use RWIN's like 31944, 34848, 43560 and I used to get speeds like 700kbps.. which was more than 80% of the advertised speeds. Right now my connection cap is 3mbps, and I use an RWIN of 75504. Here is a speedtest result from http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/
Last Result:
Download Speed: 3024 kbps (378 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 653 kbps (81.6 KB/sec transfer rate)

And remember, my cap is 3000 kbps. Shh, don't tell my ISP

Choose a server you live closest to for optimal results.

Please be patient, tweaking takes time and dedication. You wont always find the perfect settings on your first attempts. So keep trying.

Please reply and let us know how your connection is working!

I guarantee you wont have that freezing problem again.

[damokt]

Ok I will try this now. I will respond as soon as I have done the downloading ect.

BUT I have an update to make. I have some observations on my problem.
It is NOT a problem with my DSL Modem or Internet settings. It is a LAN Problem, I think. Everytime my connection breaks, I realize that I am still online. BUT if I try to change ANY setting on my LAN connection, the LAN window instantly freezes. Internet and modem work fine but my LAN Connection is broken up and I need to restart my PC in order for it to work again. The signal light at my NIC is always on, so I guess it is not a hardware problem. I hope so.

But maybe it will work if I install Raspppoe.
Thanks for help.
I try this now.

[EvilAjax]

Ok I will try this now. I will respond as soon as I have done the downloading ect.

BUT I have an update to make. I have some observations on my problem.
It is NOT a problem with my DSL Modem or Internet settings. It is a LAN Problem, I think. Everytime my connection breaks, I realize that I am still online. BUT if I try to change ANY setting on my LAN connection, the LAN window instantly freezes. Internet and modem work fine but my LAN Connection is broken up and I need to restart my PC in order for it to work again. The signal light at my NIC is always on, so I guess it is not a hardware problem. I hope so.

But maybe it will work if I install Raspppoe.
Thanks for help.
I try this now.

You have the freezing problem which I stated above in the quote box. Follow the instructions in the quote box of my earlier post, and you wont have that freezing problem. You need to set a "fixed" IP address so your Local Area Network connection will stop freezing, and looking for another IP address every 5 to 10 minutes. It's a common issue with DSL.

Do this after installing RASPPPoE. Let us know your results!

[damokt]

I installed RASPPPOE and I am online with the "new" connection.
I've done what you've quoted in the box with my "old" connection already, but giving myself a fix IP Adress didn't help. I will give myself a fix IP Adress now with the new RASPPPOE and will test the results.

Thanks for help. I will let you know if it works in a few minutes

[EvilAjax]

Make sure you restarted your computer after doing so. Apply every setting given carefully as well. If that doesn't work, then it might just be your ISP. The method above fixes every DSL freezing issue. Make sure you click Apply, then OK, reboot, and check to see if the settings are intact.

If you're still noticing freezes, you might have spyware. Download Spybot or and Ad-Aware SE Personal if this is the case. Go to www.google.com and type those programs separately in the search field. Good luck.

I hope this works, I know what it is to have a slow connection. Trial and error is the only way you're going to fix it though. So be patient.

[EvilAjax]

Also post a new TCP Analyzer test result.

With the fixed IP, you should notice that your PC boots up faster after powering it up.

In some cases, you might lose your connection when applying these settings. If this occurs, just remove the values, and apply. Your problem might be some where else if thats the case.

So let us know how it goes!

[damokt]

Ok I did everything you said.

It still does not work. The problem is still the same. But it gets a little clearer now.

I can use the PPPoE connection to dial in. Works fine.
I can use the RAS PPPoE connection to dial in. Works fine.
IP Settings are all done and set like you said. Works fine.

But thats not the problem.
DSL Modem works fine.


My LAN connection seems to be the problem.
I have no Router. I just have a NIC and a DSL Modem. With this, I connect to the internet. I have Windows XP SP2 installed this morning after formating the whole PC. This didn't fix the problem.
I use this PC System for over 5 years now and it always worked fine. The problem started a few days ago, shortly after I used TCP Optimizer once.
I always had the following Virus Protection and Firewall installed: AntiVir Personal and Zone Alarm Pro. Always worked fine. But shortly after using the TCP Optimizer I read somewhere on this forum, that ZoneLabs is crap and that Comodo Firewall is much better and Active Virus shield. I deinstalled my Firewall and Virus Scanner and installed the Comodo Firewall and Active Virus Shield.
MAYBE these 2 Programs are the problem. Should I test it and uninstall them? And reinstall my old Firewall?

My connection problem is strange. I don't have any problems about a slow connection or anything. I don't want any tips on how to fasten up my connection. It's fine. I just want to know how to fix this one particular problem. So please don't give me any tweaking tips right now, because it's useless atm. Thanks.

Internetconnection is fine. But SOMETHING starts blocking the data transfer between DSL Modem and PC or even between PC and NIC after I use it for about 5 Minutes or so.

For those of you that play Warcraft 3 on the net, here the problem gets even more strange.


In the past, where my connection was fine, I played it a lot. And when I got a lag during the game, the game freezes (pauses) and a window pops up saying (waiting for host...). This indicates, that I have a lag. Usually, this lag stops after about 10 seconds and the game resumes. During the time I have a lag, everything stands still. I can write in the ingame-chat, but the chat messages won't arrive at the other players until my lag is over. And vise versa. Everything the other people in the game write won't be displayed on my screen until the lag is over. The reason is obvious..... I have a lag--->no connection to the game---> no connection to the ingame-chat---> no chat messages will go through.

BUT NOW with my problem it gets verrrryyyy strange. I get a lag during the game ALWAYS ONE MINUTE after joining a game. Then the window "waiting for host..." DOES NOT pop up, but the game still freezes, as if I am having a lag. And to make things even more strange... I can read everything that people in chat are writing LIVE. That means I HAVE NO LAG but SOMEHOW the data transfer between the game and my PC has been blocked BUT ONLY THIS ONE SPECIFIC DATA TRANSFER. I can still chat, browse, download...

strange... very strange.

Could it really be the firewall????
Need help -.-

[trogers]

You may have a corrupted winsock.dll.

Download and run this WinSockFix:

http://www.softpedia.com/get/Tweak/N...nSockFix.shtml

[damokt]

Ok I try it.
But I doubt it'll work. Because I have used this program a few days ago and it didn't fix the problem back then. I doubt it will fix it now, but it's worth a try.