Quake || Connection || Irc || Net Speak
Postscript: I now have ISDN but here are some things I learnt when I was on a modem.
Summary of my Personal Modem Setup I connect using Nildram, one of the best ISPs and I use a MTU of 576, which is recommended for Quaking. My modem setup for Quake 3 was as follows: /rate 4000 /cl_maxpackets 25 /snaps 20 and for Quake 2 it was: rate 4000 cl_maxfps 60
General Modem Connection Tips Here are a few tips for improving your ping. Generally, the better your ping the better you will play. Some of these tips may not be effective, it varies for each individual. As long as you write down how things were set up before changing anything, you won't cause any lasting damage. One thing though, very occasionally you can fiddle about so much that your connection is wrecked. This has happened to me on more than one occasion and the only remedy was a complete format and reinstall of Windows. Bear this in mind very strongly - if it ain't broke don't fix it!!!!!!!!!!! Modem Type Many computers are sold with a very basic modem known as a Winmodem. These modems are very slow indeed and are NOT suitable for playing Quake (they aren't even all that good for browsing). You will need to buy a branded 56K v90 modem for good results. I use the Pace 56K Internal but there are others like the US Robotics Sportster or the Diamond SupraExpress that are decent. ISP The next most likely problem with your connection is your Internet Service Provider. Some Providers simply don't allow you the bandwidth to have a good connection. Also, in my experience your ISP's quality can vary from week to week and even day to day. For this reason I recommend setting up one or two accounts so you have alternatives. The fact that there are several free ones makes this a very viable option. It's the ISP's responsibility to give you a good connection. If they can't, that's their fault and they don't deserve your money or time :). Personally I recommend Nildram for the best pings. I always used Nildram for playing and BT Free for browsing. Modem Settings Make sure you have the latest software drivers for your modem - check their website to find out. Also, check your modem settings by clicking on Settings-Control Panel-Modems in your Start Menu. Select your modem and then press Properties. Check the following: 1. General Section Maximum Speed: - Make sure it is set to 115200 2. Connection Tab - Port Settings: These two sliders control the buffers. Set them to the right for a faster connection and to the left for a more stable one. Some experimentation may be required but I have mine both set to three-quarters. 3. Connection Tab - Advanced: Make sure that compress data is selected along with hardware flow control. Dial-Up Settings Open Dial-Up Networking (Programs/Accessories/Communication). Select your ISP and click the right mouse button and Properties. Ensure that only TCP/IP is selected at the bottom and that only "Enable Software Compression" is selected at the top. Network Settings Please only tamper with these if you're reasonably confident/desperate. I don't think you can cause any damage either way but it's best to be cautious and take a note of how it was set up before you tampered. Anyway: 1. Configuration Dial-Up Adaptor and TCP/IP are the only protocols you should see. If there are others, remove them. 2. TCP/IP Click on this protocol and then on Properties. Select the WINS Configuration Tab and make sure that it is disabled. 3. Dial-Up Adaptor In the Advanced Tab make sure that "Enable Point to Point IP" is set to "No" and that "Enable IPX Compression" is also set to "No". That's it for the network settings. You'll have to restart your computer if you changed anything and it may give you a warning about your network not being complete but just ignore it and restart. Everything should boot up fine. PPP Boost In my Resources section you'll find a little program that will improve some of Windows internal settings and will certainly improve your connection. Download and install it, then boot it up and select the recommended settings. That's it - hopefully a faster and more stable connection.
Quake Settings In Quake 2 there are two commands that will either improve or ruin your connection. 1. RATE: Bring down the console (using the key below the escape key) and type "rate". By default it's set to 25000 which is for LAN games rather than internet play. Set this high and Quake will try to get more data than your connection can provide and this causes you lag. It should be set to roughly 10% of your connection speed. I usually connect at about 45Kbps so a rate of 4500 is best. Again, some experimentation is needed, but the game will not suffer at all even if you set it to 3000. To change it simply type "rate" at the console. 2. CL_MAXFPS: Again, bring down the console but this time type "cl_maxfps". This is the maximum frames per second that Q2 will attempt to display. Set it too high and it will cause you a lot of lag because Q2 will be trying to get and send more information than your connection is providing. Set too low and your gameplay will be worsened. The recommended setting for people with poor connections is 31 fps. However, the higher you can go, the better. There's no real need to go much higher than 50, though, as this is faster than the eye can detect - but players running at 100fps or greater genuinely have an advantage so go figure! Check my Quake 2 Binds section for a script that modifies your fps during the game. Personally I managed with a maxfps setting of 60 with a good HPB ping.
Quake 3 Aqua is the governor of connection tips for Quake 3. Check out his guide here.
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Contact Information - E-Mail: REViLLA, ICQ: 21345065 Site Created on 1 January 2000. All Content, Design and Graphics by REViLLA.
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