A latency fixing script by Leatrix (All Credits for this script to him/Her!)
I Just re-posted his thread here because i thought it might be useful for a lot of online gamers.
English Version
What does it do?
System Requirements
Installation Instructions
How It Works
Deutsche Version:
Was macht es?
Systemanforderungen
Installationsanleitung
Wie es funktioniert
Frequently Asked Questions
Malware Scan: [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
Einfach mal ausprobieren, falls es jemanden nicht gefällt einfach "Remover" verwenden :)
I Just re-posted his thread here because i thought it might be useful for a lot of online gamers.
English Version
What does it do?
Leatrix Latency Fix will reduce your online gaming latency significantly by increasing the frequency of TCP acknowledgements sent to the game server. For the technically minded, this is a script which will modify TCPAckFrequency.
You will see reduced latency in many online games including World of Warcraft, Aion, Warhammer, Lord of the Rings, and more.
You will see reduced latency in many online games including World of Warcraft, Aion, Warhammer, Lord of the Rings, and more.
System Requirements
Leatrix Latency Fix is supported on these operating systems only.
Windows XP (SP2 or higher)
Windows Vista (SP1 or higher)
Windows 7
Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows are supported.
Macintosh users should read the relevant section in the FAQ below.
Windows XP (SP2 or higher)
Windows Vista (SP1 or higher)
Windows 7
Both 32-bit and 64-bit versions of Windows are supported.
Macintosh users should read the relevant section in the FAQ below.
Installation Instructions
In the download, you'll find 3 script files - Install, Remove and Checker. Simply run the Install script and follow the prompts ([Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]). If the script opens in a text editor (or any other application) instead of running, read the first question in the FAQ.
If you're logged into your computer with an account which doesn't have Administator privileges (or you're using Windows Vista or Windows 7 with User Account Control enabled), you'll be prompted to enter the credentials of a user account which has Administrator privileges ([Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]).
After the installation, you should see a confirmation window ([Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]). Simply do what it says and restart your computer. If you don't see a confirmation window, or have any other problems with any of the scripts, read the FAQ below.
Once you've restarted your computer, you can login to your online game with reduced latency!
To uninstall Leatrix Latency Fix, run the Remove script.
There's a Checker script included in the download which will show you a list of network interfaces which Leatrix Latency Fix has modified successfully ([Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]).
I recommend that you read this page in its entirety to better understand the process and hopefully any questions you may have will be answered in the FAQ.
If you're logged into your computer with an account which doesn't have Administator privileges (or you're using Windows Vista or Windows 7 with User Account Control enabled), you'll be prompted to enter the credentials of a user account which has Administrator privileges ([Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]).
After the installation, you should see a confirmation window ([Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]). Simply do what it says and restart your computer. If you don't see a confirmation window, or have any other problems with any of the scripts, read the FAQ below.
Once you've restarted your computer, you can login to your online game with reduced latency!
To uninstall Leatrix Latency Fix, run the Remove script.
There's a Checker script included in the download which will show you a list of network interfaces which Leatrix Latency Fix has modified successfully ([Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]).
I recommend that you read this page in its entirety to better understand the process and hopefully any questions you may have will be answered in the FAQ.
How It Works
Online games generally use the TCP protocol which requires that network segments sent to your computer be acknowledged in order to provide a reliable connection.
Windows bundles these acknowledgements together and sends them in pairs. While this is an efficient way of dealing with them generally, the inevitable delays caused by the bundling process increase latency considerably.
This is because when Windows queues up an acknowledgement in order to bundle it with the following one, the game server has to wait for the acknowledgement timer to expire before sending new data.
Leatrix Latency Fix removes the acknowledgement bundling process so that an acknowledgement is sent immediately for every segment that's received. This produces a significant reduction in latency as there is no longer a delay before new data is sent to your computer.
In a normal networking environment, you would prioritise network efficiency over latency and use the Windows defaults, but in online games the opposite is true and you want the lowest latency you can possibly get.
Windows bundles these acknowledgements together and sends them in pairs. While this is an efficient way of dealing with them generally, the inevitable delays caused by the bundling process increase latency considerably.
This is because when Windows queues up an acknowledgement in order to bundle it with the following one, the game server has to wait for the acknowledgement timer to expire before sending new data.
Leatrix Latency Fix removes the acknowledgement bundling process so that an acknowledgement is sent immediately for every segment that's received. This produces a significant reduction in latency as there is no longer a delay before new data is sent to your computer.
In a normal networking environment, you would prioritise network efficiency over latency and use the Windows defaults, but in online games the opposite is true and you want the lowest latency you can possibly get.
Deutsche Version:
Was macht es?
Leatrix Latency Fix wird deine Online-Spiel-Verzögerungszeit verringern durch die Erhöhung der Häufigkeit von TCP acknowledgements welche an den Spiele-Server gesendet werden. Für die technisch Interessierten, das ist ein Skript, welches TcpAckFrequency ändern wird.
Ihr werdet sehen, geringere Verzögerungszeit in vielen Online-Spielen wie World of Warcraft, Aion, Warhammer, Herr der Ringe und viele mehr.
Ihr werdet sehen, geringere Verzögerungszeit in vielen Online-Spielen wie World of Warcraft, Aion, Warhammer, Herr der Ringe und viele mehr.
Systemanforderungen
Leatrix Latency Fix ist auf diesen Betriebssystemen unterstützt:
* Windows XP (SP2 oder höher)
* Windows Vista (SP1 oder höher)
* Windows 7
Beide 32-Bit und 64-Bit-Versionen von Windows werden unterstützt.
Mac-Benutzer sollten den entsprechenden Abschnitt in der FAQ unten dazu lesen.
* Windows XP (SP2 oder höher)
* Windows Vista (SP1 oder höher)
* Windows 7
Beide 32-Bit und 64-Bit-Versionen von Windows werden unterstützt.
Mac-Benutzer sollten den entsprechenden Abschnitt in der FAQ unten dazu lesen.
Installationsanleitung
Im Download finden Sie 3 Skript-Dateien - Installieren, Entfernen und Checker. Führen Sie einfach das Install-Skript und folgen Sie den Anweisungen (wie gezeigt hier ). Falls das Skript einen Text-Editor öffnet (oder eine andere Anwendung) statt zu starten, dann schauen Sie die erste Frage in der FAQ an.
Wenn Sie mit einem Computer eingeloggt sind der keine Admin-Rechte hat (oder Sie verwenden Windows Vista oder Windows 7 mit User Account Control) werden Sie aufgefordert werden die Anmeldeinformationen eines Benutzerkontos ein zu geben welches Admin-Rechte besitzt ([Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...])
Nach der Installation sollten Sie ein Bestätigungs-Fenster sehen (siehe Abbildung hier ). Einfach tun, was es sagt und re-starten Sie Ihren Computer. Falls Sie kein Bestätigungs Fenster sehen sollten oder ein anderes Problem auftriet lesen Sie die FAQ durch.
Sobald Sie ihren Computer neu gestartet haben können Sie sich in ihr MMO einloggen mit reduzierter Verzögerungszeit!
Einfach das "Remove" ausführen um Leatrix Latency Fix zu deinstallieren.
Es gibt ein "Checker" Skript welches im Download enthalten ist, welches eine Liste der Netzwerk-Schnittstellen, die Leatrix Latency Fix erfolgreich geändert hat zeigt [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] ).
Wenn Sie mit einem Computer eingeloggt sind der keine Admin-Rechte hat (oder Sie verwenden Windows Vista oder Windows 7 mit User Account Control) werden Sie aufgefordert werden die Anmeldeinformationen eines Benutzerkontos ein zu geben welches Admin-Rechte besitzt ([Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...])
Nach der Installation sollten Sie ein Bestätigungs-Fenster sehen (siehe Abbildung hier ). Einfach tun, was es sagt und re-starten Sie Ihren Computer. Falls Sie kein Bestätigungs Fenster sehen sollten oder ein anderes Problem auftriet lesen Sie die FAQ durch.
Sobald Sie ihren Computer neu gestartet haben können Sie sich in ihr MMO einloggen mit reduzierter Verzögerungszeit!
Einfach das "Remove" ausführen um Leatrix Latency Fix zu deinstallieren.
Es gibt ein "Checker" Skript welches im Download enthalten ist, welches eine Liste der Netzwerk-Schnittstellen, die Leatrix Latency Fix erfolgreich geändert hat zeigt [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...] ).
Wie es funktioniert
Im Allgemeinen verwenden alle Online-Spiele das TCP Protokoll, welches die Netzwerk-Segmente die an ihren Computer gesendet werden anerkannt, um eine zuverlässige Verbindung zu gewährleisten.
Windows bündelt diese Bestätigungen zusammen und schickt sie in Paaren.
Zwar ist dies eine effiziente Möglichkeit, aber durch dem Bündelungs Prozess ensteht eine höhere Verzögerungszeit/Latenzzeit.
Leatrix Latency fix behebt dieses Problem sodas für jedes Segement welches erhalten wird sofort eine Bestätigung zurück gesendet wird. Dies führt zu einer signifikanten Reduktion der VerzögerungsZeit/Latenz, da es nicht mehr eine Verzögerung gibt bevor neue Daten an Ihren Computer gesendet werden.
Windows bündelt diese Bestätigungen zusammen und schickt sie in Paaren.
Zwar ist dies eine effiziente Möglichkeit, aber durch dem Bündelungs Prozess ensteht eine höhere Verzögerungszeit/Latenzzeit.
Leatrix Latency fix behebt dieses Problem sodas für jedes Segement welches erhalten wird sofort eine Bestätigung zurück gesendet wird. Dies führt zu einer signifikanten Reduktion der VerzögerungsZeit/Latenz, da es nicht mehr eine Verzögerung gibt bevor neue Daten an Ihren Computer gesendet werden.
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? You may find it's already been answered below.
Errors and Unexpected Behaviour
When I double-click the script file, it opens in another application (such as Notepad) instead of running, or a command window flashes on and off but nothing happens. Why is that?
For some reason, VBScript files are associated with another application on your computer. This is probably the result of some software you installed in the past or some registry change that you made.
VBScript files should instead be associated with the VBScript engine so that they can run. This is the default behaviour in Windows.
To rectify this, do the following.
Right-click the script file and choose "Open With...". A window will appear listing a selection of programs that you can open VBScript files with. If "Microsoft Windows Based Script Host" (or similar) is shown in the list, choose that, then check the "Always use the selected program" button and click Ok.
If "Microsoft Windows Based Script Host" (or similar) isn't shown in the list, click Browse. Navigate to your System32 folder (normally "C:\Windows\System32") and choose Wscript. Again, check the "Always use the selected program" button and click Ok.
VBScript files will now open with the VBScript engine and they'll run fine.
I get an error "Can't find script engine VBScript" and some more text. What's that?
For some reason, the VBScript engine has been removed from your system. Click Start, click Run and enter "regsvr32 VBScript" (without quotes). You should receive a message that it succeeded. If so, try Leatrix Latency Fix again.
If you're using a 64-bit version of Windows, you may need to register vbscript.dll in the SysWOW64 folder. To do that, bring up a command prompt, type in "CD C:\Windows\SysWOW64" and then type in "regsvr32 VBScript.dll".
I get an error with code 80041002 (or similar). What's that?
Leatrix Latency Fix requires a functional WMI to work and this error (or similar) suggests that the WMI repository on your computer is corrupt. You may find this site useful to help you fix that. It describes the steps necessary to rebuild a corrupt WMI repository. I advise you to have a backup in place first. Note that this is a problem with your computer, not with Leatrix Latency Fix.
I get an error, it just says error 1. What's that?
Error 1 is a generic runtime error which is probably related to the security configuration of your computer. This could be to do with antivirus software, group policy (if it's a domain controlled computer) or something along those lines. Basically, your computer isn't letting Leatrix Latency Fix do its job due to security restrictions you have in place.
I get an error to do with NTVDM. What's that?
NTVDM is the Microsoft Virtual DOS Machine and an error associated with this usually means that Windows is trying to run the script with an invalid shell. This could be because system files have been replaced on your machine (possibly the result of a virus attack). You should consider running a Windows repair or reinstalling Windows completely.
I ran Leatrix Latency Fix and it didn't show a confirmation window. Did it work?
No. If Leatrix Latency Fix installs successfully, it will always show a confirmation window and ask you to restart your computer (as shown here). If you don't see a confirmation window, then it hasn't installed successfully.
The most likely reason for a confirmation window not showing is that you've encountered the User Account Control window (as shown here) but you haven't provided the credentials of an account which has Admnistrator rights.
You should check the radio button for "The following user" and enter the username in the format of "computername\username". For example, if the computer name is AND and the username is Administrator, you should enter AND\Administrator (as shown here). The username which you enter must have Administrator rights on the computer.
The TcpAckFrequency Change
Isn't this the infamous TCP ACK fix?
Yes, but it's packaged in a neat little script which will make the required changes for you, so you don't need to go messing about with the registry.
Blizzard already disabled nagling in World of Warcraft. Isn't this the same thing?
This is a common misconception but the answer is no. Blizzard disabled nagling at the application level (effectively integrating the TCPNoDelay function into the game client) way back in patch 2.3.2.
Leatrix Latency Fix disables delayed acknowledgements at the Windows level (by modifying TcpAckFrequency). They're two different things.
Is Leatrix Latency Fix still needed with the latency tolerance setting in Cataclysm?
The latency tolerance setting is basically a spell queueing system which will accept spellcast requests from your computer and store them in a cache, firing them off automatically when the server allows them to be fired. While spell queueing has been designed for people with high latency, it's much better to have a low latency and not use spell queueing at all. Leatrix Latency Fix will lower your actual game latency, allowing you to reduce the threshold for latency tolerance or, even better, disable it completely.
Will Leatrix Latency Fix use more upload bandwidth?
Yes, but only by a small amount. Leatrix Latency Fix sends one acknowledgement for every one packet received instead of two acknowledgements for every two packets received. The number of acknowledgements sent in either case is the same, it's only the frequency which is different. The only additional upload bandwidth used is for packet headers.
The displayed latency is lower in game but actual latency is the same isn't it?
As previously stated, when the game server sends data to your computer, the faster that your computer acknowledges that data, the faster the next lot of data is sent.
Leatrix Latency Fix makes your computer acknowledge packets immediately, so subsequent data is sent to your computer in the shortest possible time. Anyone who thinks that this doesn't produce a genuine reduction in latency has failed to understand this simple process.
The in-game latency stat is accurate enough, however, the amount of latency reduced and how much you notice the benefits depends on your internet connection.
Doesn't World of Warcraft use UDP for game data?
No, World of Warcraft uses TCP port 1119 (Battle.net) and port 3724 (Wow).
Is Leatrix Latency Fix against the terms of service for any online games?
No, it's a local change to your computer's network configuration, nothing more. It's completely safe to use.
Does Leatrix Latency Fix work with tunneling services?
Using Leatrix Latency Fix with a tunneling service probably won't give you any benefit, so you should decide to go with one or the other. There really is no way to find out which works best for you other than trying both for yourself. The results really depend on a number of factors which are unique to your connection.
But be aware. Tunneling services are essentially proxy servers which are rerouting game traffic and some game publishers may ban your account if you use these services because they may interpret your network routing to be suspicious.
The World of Warcraft Terms of Service state that "You agree that you shall not, under any circumstances..redirect the communication protocols used by Blizzard Entertainment in any way.., including.. tunneling.. or any other techniques.. including.. network play utilizing commercial or non-commercial gaming networks. All connections to the Game and/or the Service, whether created by the Game Client or by other tools and utilities, may only be made through methods and means expressly approved by Blizzard Entertainment."
So use tunneling services at your own risk.
Leatrix Latency Fix, on the other hand, is a local change to your computer's network configuration and is not against any online game terms of service.
Your Computer
Will Leatrix Latency Fix damage my computer? Can I remove it?
There's a removal script included in the download which will completely erase all traces that Leatrix Latency Fix was ever installed. This isn't one of those scripts that changes all of your network settings and you have to reinstall Windows to get things back to normal. The installation script makes a simple change. The removal script reverses that change. You have nothing to lose.
Are there any down sides to running Leatrix Latency Fix?
Your PC will process acknowledgements faster so it will have to work a bit harder. This may produce a small drop in framerates. Running too many network intensive applications simultaneously may result in lag spikes (for example P2P, Vent, Skype, etc). There really is no way to tell other than trying Leatrix Latency Fix for yourself.
Remember that Windows networks aren't designed for online games. They're designed for general desktop computing in large networks where traffic efficiency has the highest priority. In these environments, network latency isn't important at all and bundling acknowledgements together makes sense.
However, online game players are rather unique in that they'll often use a single TCP based application (the game client) for hours at a time and they'll want to give that application priority over any other function of their PC. It's for these players that Leatrix Latency Fix is designed for.
Leatrix Latency Fix should not be installed on computers where you want to put more emphasis on network efficiency. Fortunately, this doesn't apply to most game players and having reduced latency is of considerably more importance.
Does Leatrix Latency Fix work with wireless networks?
Yes, but for the best latency you should be using a wired connection to your router. Wireless connections have additional overheads and are subject to interference and signal quality. They also can't carry as much data as wired networks which can be a hindrance to the way that Leatrix Latency Fix works. If in doubt, install Leatrix Latency Fix and see for yourself. It won't break anything and there's a removal script included if you need it.
Does Leatrix Latency Fix work with routers?
Yes. The router only forwards packets between your computer and the game server. It doesn't control what packets are forwarded. If your computer acknowledges every single TCP segment or every other TCP segment, it makes no difference, the router will just do what it's told.
Does Leatrix Latency Fix work with any other games?
Leatrix Latency Fix modifies the way in which Windows handles acknowledgements to TCP segments. As such, it will affect any application that you have installed which uses the TCP protocol to transfer data.
Is there a Macintosh version?
Leatrix Latency Fix isn't supported on Macs. However, you can achieve lower latency in OSX by entering the following command in a terminal window. This will disable delayed acknowledgements until you restart your computer.
sudo sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.delayed_ack=0
To disable them permanently, create a text file under "/etc/" called "sysctl.conf" and copy/paste the following line then restart your computer.
net.inet.tcp.delayed_ack=0
To set things back to default, just delete the "sysctl.conf" file and restart your computer.
If you're not familiar with /etc, it's actually a symbolic link which goes to /private/etc. This is a hidden root folder which isn't normally visible in the Finder.
To be able to see hidden folders in the Finder, open up a terminal window and type the following:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
Then restart the Finder. To do that, hold down the option key then click and hold on the Finder icon in the dock. When the context menu appears, click Relaunch and the Finder will restart. You should now see all the hidden folders in the Finder, including /etc (either find the Symbolic Link or the actual folder which is inside /private).
When you're done and you want to hide the hidden folders again, bring up a terminal window and enter the following:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE
Then restart the Finder in the same way as before. The hidden folders should now be hidden again.
Hidden folders contain critical system configuration files so be careful that you don't delete or move anything by mistake while they are visible in the Finder.
The Leatrix Latency Fix Script File
I use Windows Vista or Windows 7 and User Account Control prevents me from running scripts. Can I get around it?
Leatrix Latency Fix includes bypass support for UAC. If you are stuck behind UAC, it will ask you for the credentials of an account which has Administrator rights so that it can run (as shown here).
Alternatively, you can run Leatrix Latency Fix from an elevated command prompt, which you can access by right-clicking Command Prompt from the start menu while holding down shift and choosing Run As Administrator.
Can I install Leatrix Latency Fix without restarting my computer?
Yes, but you'll need to disable and re-enable your network card manually after the installation.
Can I install Leatrix Latency Fix silently from a batch file?
Yes, just use 'cscript <script name>' in your batch file (as shown here). Leatrix Latency Fix will detect that you're running it from cscript and output to the command window which launched it instead of a graphical window. Batch mode requires Administrator privileges.
Can I check if Leatrix Latency Fix is installed without running it?
Yes. Simply run the script called "Checker" which is included in the download (as shown here). The Checker script will tell you which interfaces Leatrix Latency Fix is installed on, so that you can be sure it's working.
I can't find Leatrix Latency Fix in the Start Menu or Task Manager. Is it installed?
Leatrix Latency Fix makes a simple change to your network configuration during installation. Nothing is added to the Start Menu and no files are stored on your hard drive. You will see a process in Task Manager called Wscript.exe while any of the scripts are running (installation, removal, checker). Once the script has finished, that process will end. Use the Checker script to find out if Leatrix Latency Fix is installed.
Is this spyware, a trojan or any other nasty thing?
No. Three different Wowinterface administrators have confirmed that Leatrix Latency Fix is not malicious (Shirik, Dolby and Cairenn) and you can read their reports in the comments. The script code can be inspected by anyone to see how it works and exactly what it does.
My virus scanner reports that Leatrix Latency Fix is malicious. Is it a false positive?
Yes, it's a false positive. Leatrix Latency Fix is not malicious. However, certain virus scanners (usually the so-called security suites that try to do everything) may use their heuristics engine to determine that Leatrix Latency Fix is malicious. To understand why this happens, you need to understand how heuristics works.
As modern viruses get more and more complex, the traditional virus scan approach of looking for known virus signatures embedded in files is becoming less effective. Modern mutating viruses are able to evade such detection mechanisms, and no virus scanner can detect a brand new virus which hasn't had it's signature added to the virus threat database.
To help combat these problems, virus scanners make use of something called heuristics. Heuristics scanning involves making an educated guess as to whether a file is malicious or not, based on a number of known legitimate factors. These factors by themselves may not necessarily be malicious, but when combined together the heuristics scanner may err on the side of caution and show a threat warning.
Leatrix Latency Fix may include factors which are deemed by your antivirus program to be suspicious. For example, it's a Visual Basic script, it modifies your system, it modifies your network configuration, it does this using WMI, it includes a UAC bypass, it runs itself from within itself, etc, etc. None of these factors are malicious, yet when combined together, your virus scanner may show a malicious file warning just to be on the safe side.
To my knowledge, Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 is the only virus scanner which reports that Leatrix Latency Fix is malicious. As I said, this is a false positive. It is their heuristics engine which is inaccurate in this case. It's adding 2+2 together and getting 5.
There may be other virus scanners which make use of complicated heuristics to come to the conclusion that Leatrix Latency Fix is malicious (nobody has reported any but since heuristics is not a guaranteed science then it's quite possible). If you are concerned about the safety of using Leatrix Latency Fix, then I suggest that you submit the files to your antivirus developer for analysis. They will confirm that Leatrix Latency Fix is clean, and it may prompt them to do some fine-tuning on their heuristics engine.
Keep in mind that Wowinterface manually vets every single upload before making it available to the public, part of this vetting includes a virus scan. Three different Wowinterface administrators have confirmed that Leatrlx Latency Fix is safe (Shirik, Dolby and Cairenn) and you can read their reports in the comments. Never trust any file downloads from P2P networks or file hosting sites such as Rapidshare. Wowinterface.com is the only official host for Leatrix Latency Fix.
Why make a script, why not just make a registry file?
Because the keys which are modified are unique to the computer you're using, so it's not possible to make a static registry file and expect it to work for everyone.
Do I need Administrator rights to run Leatrix Latency Fix?
Yes, since it modifies keys in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. If you run the script from an account without Administrator rights, you will be prompted for the credentials of a user account which has them (as shown here).
Miscellaneous Questions
I installed it and can't see any change in latency. Does it not work on every machine?
As long as your operating system meets the minimum requirements shown at the top of this page, Leatrix Latency Fix should always work. However, you may have applied a similar fix in the past, either through manual registry changes or from using alternative software. You may not be aware that you have done this. The chances are that if you applied Leatrix Latency Fix on a fresh install of Windows on your computer, it will work, and the reason why it's not working is probably because you've already run some sort of optimisation fix or registry change in the past.
I am seeing lower latency values after installing Leatrix Latency Fix, however, I'm now experiencing lag spikes, especially during periods of frantic activity in dungeons. Why is that?
The increased frequency of acknowledgements may have caused your routers buffer to fill up (essentially creating a traffic jam). Very few people have reported this problem, but it's more likely to occur when you have more than one computer on your network, you are running software which produces lots of network activity or you're connected to a wireless network. If possible, try using a different router with only your computer connected directly to it and don't run network intensive background applications while playing (such as P2P or voice comms).
The Checker script says that Leatrix Latency Fix is installed but the interface names aren't shown.
The job of the Checker script is to show a list of network interfaces which Leatrix Latency Fix has modified successfully. It lists the network interfaces by name and it relies on Windows to advertise the name.
An interface will not be listed if Windows doesn't advertise the interface name. This normally applies to virtual and unimportant interfaces but in some cases it can apply to physical network interfaces too.
After installing Leatrix Latency Fix, it works and the checker script reports that it's installed, but after a while it reports it's no longer installed.
Something on your computer is reversing the network configuration change which Leatrix Latency Fix makes. You need to find out what that is. Use the checker script to help you find out at which point the network configuration is being reset.
If you're using a USB modem, it could be the dialer software which is causing it, so try to use the Windows dialer instead of the dialer that comes with the modem. This problem can also be caused by conflicts with other TCP optimisation software especially if configured to apply network configuration changes on startup.
Even after installing Leatrix Latency Fix, my latency in World of Warcraft is still terrible, how can I find out where the problem lies?
You need to understand that Leatrix Latency Fix will make a good connection faster and more responsive. It won't magically fix a bad connection. You can get an indication whether your connection is good or bad using the PATHPING command which is included in Windows.
First, uninstall Leatrix Latency Fix just to ensure that it doesn't interfere with the results.
Now, you need to find out the IP address of the game server you're connected to. To do that, launch Wow, and ensure your realm is chosen and your character list is shown (you don't need to login to the game world with your character). Now bring up a command prompt (press CTRL and ESCAPE together if you can't see your desktop to do that).
In the command prompt window, type in NETSTAT. You will see a list of active connections. One of the entries will have :1119 after it. This means port 1119 which is the port that Wow uses. This is the entry that you want. If you have more than one entry with :1119 after it, choose the one which says ESTABLISHED. If you see a connection with :3724 after it which says ESTABLISHED, repeat all of the below for this connection too.
To the left of :1119, you will see the address of the game server that your computer is connected to. For example, on my computer, one of the entries reads "213-248-123-43.customer.teliacarrier.com:1119 ESTABLISHED", so the address of the game server is "213-248-123-43.customer.teliacarrier.com".
Now, type in "PATHPING <address>" where <address> is the address of the game server as explained above. In my example, I would type in "PATHPING 213-248-123-43.customer.teliacarrier.com".
If you've done it right, you will see a route being traced from your computer to the game server. Packets travelling along this route hop from one router to another on their way to the game server destination and each line in the results represents one hop.
Some of these hops will return * as the result, which means that the hop being polled didn't respond. That's fine as long as all the lines with * are grouped together at the bottom of the list, because the hops at the bottom of the list belong to Blizzard. Blizzard's network is protected so Pathping won't be able to detect that there's anything there.
Now, you'll see a message saying "Computing statistics for...". Just leave it running there for a few minutes, after which it will output the final results.
The first line or two in the results will show the address of your computer and gateway or router. The next few lines will be your ISP and you'll probably see references to it (or the carrier they are using) in the address field for each line. Then you'll see lines with "telia.net" in the address field. These hops are at Blizzards end.
Each line of the results will contain something like this:
7 56ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% hbg-bb1-link.telia.net [80.239.147.182]
In the example above, 7 is the hop number and 56ms is the ping for that hop. If you see a high ping for a particular hop which is not consistent with other hop pings, there could be a problem with that hop.
The "0/ 100 = 0%" field shows how many packets were lost on that hop. It should show 0/ 100 to indicate 0 packets lost, but if there's a problem with that hop, you will see a higher number. For example, if there were 23 packets lost out of 100, you would see "23/100 = 23%".
The address for that hop is shown at the end of the line (in the example above, the address is hbg-bb1-link.telia.net) along with the IP address.
By looking which hop has a high ping time or shows a number of packets lost, and seeing which address that hop is for, you can get an indication whether the problem is with your ISPs routing or Blizzards routing.
Your ISP will be able to conduct line tests and possibly suggest optimising your line for low latency (more on this further down in the FAQ). Sometimes, however, there's simply nothing that can be done due to the quality of your line or the distance from your local exchange, or perhaps the ISP (or carrier) is simply overloaded.
Blizzard tend to look at latency issues only when they are widespread and affecting a lot of users (which doesn't happen very often). If you do submit a ticket to them for help with your latency, it will help your case greatly to include a PATHPING report. Note, however, that Blizzard won't do anything if they notice that your report shows higher latency or dropped packets on hops prior to reaching their network (telia.net). They will simply advise you to contact your ISP.
To help you submit a Pathping report, you can output the results to a text file using the pipe switch. Using my original example, this is what I would type to pipe the results to a text file called results.txt.
PATHPING 213-248-123-43.customer.teliacarrier.com > results.txt
Entering this will not output anything to the screen, but when the command prompt has returned to you, there will be a file called results.txt which will contain the output of the PATHPING command, allowing you to copy/paste the text into a web form or email.
I think the problem is with my internet provider. Can they change anything from their end?
You can contact your ISP and ask them to optimise your broadband line for low latency. The terminolgy used to describe a low latency optimisation differs depending on your location and broadband type. In the UK, it can be known as Fastpath or Max Delay Reduction. If in doubt what to ask for, speak to your ISP and tell them you have high latency in online games.
Optimising your line will lower your overall bandwidth slightly. In rare cases, it can make your line unstable if the quality of your line isn't very good to begin with. However, most people report a much improved experience with faster ping times and quicker in-game responses.
Is my latency affected by my choice of internet provider?
Your choice of internet provider can have a big effect on your in-game latency. Most internet providers use traffic shaping to manage bandwidth efficiently, but this usually has a side effect of increasing your latency.
Some providers use traffic shaping to prioritise gaming packets, resulting in lower latency when playing online games. On the other hand, some providers don't use traffic shaping at all, which is great as long as they maintain enough capacity to sustain that.
Traffic shaping is like traffic congestion control on the roads. It slows everyone down a bit, but if the roads are busy then it helps things run smoothly. However, if the roads aren't so busy, congestion control will simply slow down your speed needlessly.
You should do your research before choosing a provider to find out what they do for gamers. Traffic shaping is fine as long as the shaper detects and prioritises gaming packets. Unshaped traffic will produce the best results if the network has enough capacity, otherwise it will be worse than shaping. Finally, avoid internet providers that use traffic shaping but don't prioritise gaming packets.
I have an issue with Leatrix Latency Fix that is not mentioned above. Can you fix it?
Reports of Leatrix Latency Fix producing an error or not working are very rare. However, if you experience an issue, I'll do my best to fix it. Due to several malicious posts appearing in the comments, I've decided to have the comments page locked, but you can send me a message by clicking here. Describe your issue with as much detail as possible. Don't just tell me that it doesn't work. The information that you give me is part of the solution.
Include your operating system, service pack and exact error wording. Also explain what you have tried to do (i.e. install using Administrator account, install using batch mode, etc). Screenshots will help if you can provide links to them.
Of the few problems that have been reported with LLF, it usually turns out to be a fault with the users own computer and a fresh install of Windows on the same computer does not reproduce the problem. Please keep this in mind.
And finally...!
Stop wondering whether Leatrix Latency Fix is right for you. It makes a simple change to your computer, there's a removal script in the download which removes that change.
Install it, try it for yourself over a period of a few days. If you aren't happy, remove it. Make up your own mind. It won't break anything. Most people report a noticeable improvement in button response times, as well as smoother mob movement patterns. You'll probably be one of them. So relax and stop worrying, try it and see for yourself.
Errors and Unexpected Behaviour
When I double-click the script file, it opens in another application (such as Notepad) instead of running, or a command window flashes on and off but nothing happens. Why is that?
For some reason, VBScript files are associated with another application on your computer. This is probably the result of some software you installed in the past or some registry change that you made.
VBScript files should instead be associated with the VBScript engine so that they can run. This is the default behaviour in Windows.
To rectify this, do the following.
Right-click the script file and choose "Open With...". A window will appear listing a selection of programs that you can open VBScript files with. If "Microsoft Windows Based Script Host" (or similar) is shown in the list, choose that, then check the "Always use the selected program" button and click Ok.
If "Microsoft Windows Based Script Host" (or similar) isn't shown in the list, click Browse. Navigate to your System32 folder (normally "C:\Windows\System32") and choose Wscript. Again, check the "Always use the selected program" button and click Ok.
VBScript files will now open with the VBScript engine and they'll run fine.
I get an error "Can't find script engine VBScript" and some more text. What's that?
For some reason, the VBScript engine has been removed from your system. Click Start, click Run and enter "regsvr32 VBScript" (without quotes). You should receive a message that it succeeded. If so, try Leatrix Latency Fix again.
If you're using a 64-bit version of Windows, you may need to register vbscript.dll in the SysWOW64 folder. To do that, bring up a command prompt, type in "CD C:\Windows\SysWOW64" and then type in "regsvr32 VBScript.dll".
I get an error with code 80041002 (or similar). What's that?
Leatrix Latency Fix requires a functional WMI to work and this error (or similar) suggests that the WMI repository on your computer is corrupt. You may find this site useful to help you fix that. It describes the steps necessary to rebuild a corrupt WMI repository. I advise you to have a backup in place first. Note that this is a problem with your computer, not with Leatrix Latency Fix.
I get an error, it just says error 1. What's that?
Error 1 is a generic runtime error which is probably related to the security configuration of your computer. This could be to do with antivirus software, group policy (if it's a domain controlled computer) or something along those lines. Basically, your computer isn't letting Leatrix Latency Fix do its job due to security restrictions you have in place.
I get an error to do with NTVDM. What's that?
NTVDM is the Microsoft Virtual DOS Machine and an error associated with this usually means that Windows is trying to run the script with an invalid shell. This could be because system files have been replaced on your machine (possibly the result of a virus attack). You should consider running a Windows repair or reinstalling Windows completely.
I ran Leatrix Latency Fix and it didn't show a confirmation window. Did it work?
No. If Leatrix Latency Fix installs successfully, it will always show a confirmation window and ask you to restart your computer (as shown here). If you don't see a confirmation window, then it hasn't installed successfully.
The most likely reason for a confirmation window not showing is that you've encountered the User Account Control window (as shown here) but you haven't provided the credentials of an account which has Admnistrator rights.
You should check the radio button for "The following user" and enter the username in the format of "computername\username". For example, if the computer name is AND and the username is Administrator, you should enter AND\Administrator (as shown here). The username which you enter must have Administrator rights on the computer.
The TcpAckFrequency Change
Isn't this the infamous TCP ACK fix?
Yes, but it's packaged in a neat little script which will make the required changes for you, so you don't need to go messing about with the registry.
Blizzard already disabled nagling in World of Warcraft. Isn't this the same thing?
This is a common misconception but the answer is no. Blizzard disabled nagling at the application level (effectively integrating the TCPNoDelay function into the game client) way back in patch 2.3.2.
Leatrix Latency Fix disables delayed acknowledgements at the Windows level (by modifying TcpAckFrequency). They're two different things.
Is Leatrix Latency Fix still needed with the latency tolerance setting in Cataclysm?
The latency tolerance setting is basically a spell queueing system which will accept spellcast requests from your computer and store them in a cache, firing them off automatically when the server allows them to be fired. While spell queueing has been designed for people with high latency, it's much better to have a low latency and not use spell queueing at all. Leatrix Latency Fix will lower your actual game latency, allowing you to reduce the threshold for latency tolerance or, even better, disable it completely.
Will Leatrix Latency Fix use more upload bandwidth?
Yes, but only by a small amount. Leatrix Latency Fix sends one acknowledgement for every one packet received instead of two acknowledgements for every two packets received. The number of acknowledgements sent in either case is the same, it's only the frequency which is different. The only additional upload bandwidth used is for packet headers.
The displayed latency is lower in game but actual latency is the same isn't it?
As previously stated, when the game server sends data to your computer, the faster that your computer acknowledges that data, the faster the next lot of data is sent.
Leatrix Latency Fix makes your computer acknowledge packets immediately, so subsequent data is sent to your computer in the shortest possible time. Anyone who thinks that this doesn't produce a genuine reduction in latency has failed to understand this simple process.
The in-game latency stat is accurate enough, however, the amount of latency reduced and how much you notice the benefits depends on your internet connection.
Doesn't World of Warcraft use UDP for game data?
No, World of Warcraft uses TCP port 1119 (Battle.net) and port 3724 (Wow).
Is Leatrix Latency Fix against the terms of service for any online games?
No, it's a local change to your computer's network configuration, nothing more. It's completely safe to use.
Does Leatrix Latency Fix work with tunneling services?
Using Leatrix Latency Fix with a tunneling service probably won't give you any benefit, so you should decide to go with one or the other. There really is no way to find out which works best for you other than trying both for yourself. The results really depend on a number of factors which are unique to your connection.
But be aware. Tunneling services are essentially proxy servers which are rerouting game traffic and some game publishers may ban your account if you use these services because they may interpret your network routing to be suspicious.
The World of Warcraft Terms of Service state that "You agree that you shall not, under any circumstances..redirect the communication protocols used by Blizzard Entertainment in any way.., including.. tunneling.. or any other techniques.. including.. network play utilizing commercial or non-commercial gaming networks. All connections to the Game and/or the Service, whether created by the Game Client or by other tools and utilities, may only be made through methods and means expressly approved by Blizzard Entertainment."
So use tunneling services at your own risk.
Leatrix Latency Fix, on the other hand, is a local change to your computer's network configuration and is not against any online game terms of service.
Your Computer
Will Leatrix Latency Fix damage my computer? Can I remove it?
There's a removal script included in the download which will completely erase all traces that Leatrix Latency Fix was ever installed. This isn't one of those scripts that changes all of your network settings and you have to reinstall Windows to get things back to normal. The installation script makes a simple change. The removal script reverses that change. You have nothing to lose.
Are there any down sides to running Leatrix Latency Fix?
Your PC will process acknowledgements faster so it will have to work a bit harder. This may produce a small drop in framerates. Running too many network intensive applications simultaneously may result in lag spikes (for example P2P, Vent, Skype, etc). There really is no way to tell other than trying Leatrix Latency Fix for yourself.
Remember that Windows networks aren't designed for online games. They're designed for general desktop computing in large networks where traffic efficiency has the highest priority. In these environments, network latency isn't important at all and bundling acknowledgements together makes sense.
However, online game players are rather unique in that they'll often use a single TCP based application (the game client) for hours at a time and they'll want to give that application priority over any other function of their PC. It's for these players that Leatrix Latency Fix is designed for.
Leatrix Latency Fix should not be installed on computers where you want to put more emphasis on network efficiency. Fortunately, this doesn't apply to most game players and having reduced latency is of considerably more importance.
Does Leatrix Latency Fix work with wireless networks?
Yes, but for the best latency you should be using a wired connection to your router. Wireless connections have additional overheads and are subject to interference and signal quality. They also can't carry as much data as wired networks which can be a hindrance to the way that Leatrix Latency Fix works. If in doubt, install Leatrix Latency Fix and see for yourself. It won't break anything and there's a removal script included if you need it.
Does Leatrix Latency Fix work with routers?
Yes. The router only forwards packets between your computer and the game server. It doesn't control what packets are forwarded. If your computer acknowledges every single TCP segment or every other TCP segment, it makes no difference, the router will just do what it's told.
Does Leatrix Latency Fix work with any other games?
Leatrix Latency Fix modifies the way in which Windows handles acknowledgements to TCP segments. As such, it will affect any application that you have installed which uses the TCP protocol to transfer data.
Is there a Macintosh version?
Leatrix Latency Fix isn't supported on Macs. However, you can achieve lower latency in OSX by entering the following command in a terminal window. This will disable delayed acknowledgements until you restart your computer.
sudo sysctl -w net.inet.tcp.delayed_ack=0
To disable them permanently, create a text file under "/etc/" called "sysctl.conf" and copy/paste the following line then restart your computer.
net.inet.tcp.delayed_ack=0
To set things back to default, just delete the "sysctl.conf" file and restart your computer.
If you're not familiar with /etc, it's actually a symbolic link which goes to /private/etc. This is a hidden root folder which isn't normally visible in the Finder.
To be able to see hidden folders in the Finder, open up a terminal window and type the following:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
Then restart the Finder. To do that, hold down the option key then click and hold on the Finder icon in the dock. When the context menu appears, click Relaunch and the Finder will restart. You should now see all the hidden folders in the Finder, including /etc (either find the Symbolic Link or the actual folder which is inside /private).
When you're done and you want to hide the hidden folders again, bring up a terminal window and enter the following:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE
Then restart the Finder in the same way as before. The hidden folders should now be hidden again.
Hidden folders contain critical system configuration files so be careful that you don't delete or move anything by mistake while they are visible in the Finder.
The Leatrix Latency Fix Script File
I use Windows Vista or Windows 7 and User Account Control prevents me from running scripts. Can I get around it?
Leatrix Latency Fix includes bypass support for UAC. If you are stuck behind UAC, it will ask you for the credentials of an account which has Administrator rights so that it can run (as shown here).
Alternatively, you can run Leatrix Latency Fix from an elevated command prompt, which you can access by right-clicking Command Prompt from the start menu while holding down shift and choosing Run As Administrator.
Can I install Leatrix Latency Fix without restarting my computer?
Yes, but you'll need to disable and re-enable your network card manually after the installation.
Can I install Leatrix Latency Fix silently from a batch file?
Yes, just use 'cscript <script name>' in your batch file (as shown here). Leatrix Latency Fix will detect that you're running it from cscript and output to the command window which launched it instead of a graphical window. Batch mode requires Administrator privileges.
Can I check if Leatrix Latency Fix is installed without running it?
Yes. Simply run the script called "Checker" which is included in the download (as shown here). The Checker script will tell you which interfaces Leatrix Latency Fix is installed on, so that you can be sure it's working.
I can't find Leatrix Latency Fix in the Start Menu or Task Manager. Is it installed?
Leatrix Latency Fix makes a simple change to your network configuration during installation. Nothing is added to the Start Menu and no files are stored on your hard drive. You will see a process in Task Manager called Wscript.exe while any of the scripts are running (installation, removal, checker). Once the script has finished, that process will end. Use the Checker script to find out if Leatrix Latency Fix is installed.
Is this spyware, a trojan or any other nasty thing?
No. Three different Wowinterface administrators have confirmed that Leatrix Latency Fix is not malicious (Shirik, Dolby and Cairenn) and you can read their reports in the comments. The script code can be inspected by anyone to see how it works and exactly what it does.
My virus scanner reports that Leatrix Latency Fix is malicious. Is it a false positive?
Yes, it's a false positive. Leatrix Latency Fix is not malicious. However, certain virus scanners (usually the so-called security suites that try to do everything) may use their heuristics engine to determine that Leatrix Latency Fix is malicious. To understand why this happens, you need to understand how heuristics works.
As modern viruses get more and more complex, the traditional virus scan approach of looking for known virus signatures embedded in files is becoming less effective. Modern mutating viruses are able to evade such detection mechanisms, and no virus scanner can detect a brand new virus which hasn't had it's signature added to the virus threat database.
To help combat these problems, virus scanners make use of something called heuristics. Heuristics scanning involves making an educated guess as to whether a file is malicious or not, based on a number of known legitimate factors. These factors by themselves may not necessarily be malicious, but when combined together the heuristics scanner may err on the side of caution and show a threat warning.
Leatrix Latency Fix may include factors which are deemed by your antivirus program to be suspicious. For example, it's a Visual Basic script, it modifies your system, it modifies your network configuration, it does this using WMI, it includes a UAC bypass, it runs itself from within itself, etc, etc. None of these factors are malicious, yet when combined together, your virus scanner may show a malicious file warning just to be on the safe side.
To my knowledge, Kaspersky Internet Security 2010 is the only virus scanner which reports that Leatrix Latency Fix is malicious. As I said, this is a false positive. It is their heuristics engine which is inaccurate in this case. It's adding 2+2 together and getting 5.
There may be other virus scanners which make use of complicated heuristics to come to the conclusion that Leatrix Latency Fix is malicious (nobody has reported any but since heuristics is not a guaranteed science then it's quite possible). If you are concerned about the safety of using Leatrix Latency Fix, then I suggest that you submit the files to your antivirus developer for analysis. They will confirm that Leatrix Latency Fix is clean, and it may prompt them to do some fine-tuning on their heuristics engine.
Keep in mind that Wowinterface manually vets every single upload before making it available to the public, part of this vetting includes a virus scan. Three different Wowinterface administrators have confirmed that Leatrlx Latency Fix is safe (Shirik, Dolby and Cairenn) and you can read their reports in the comments. Never trust any file downloads from P2P networks or file hosting sites such as Rapidshare. Wowinterface.com is the only official host for Leatrix Latency Fix.
Why make a script, why not just make a registry file?
Because the keys which are modified are unique to the computer you're using, so it's not possible to make a static registry file and expect it to work for everyone.
Do I need Administrator rights to run Leatrix Latency Fix?
Yes, since it modifies keys in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. If you run the script from an account without Administrator rights, you will be prompted for the credentials of a user account which has them (as shown here).
Miscellaneous Questions
I installed it and can't see any change in latency. Does it not work on every machine?
As long as your operating system meets the minimum requirements shown at the top of this page, Leatrix Latency Fix should always work. However, you may have applied a similar fix in the past, either through manual registry changes or from using alternative software. You may not be aware that you have done this. The chances are that if you applied Leatrix Latency Fix on a fresh install of Windows on your computer, it will work, and the reason why it's not working is probably because you've already run some sort of optimisation fix or registry change in the past.
I am seeing lower latency values after installing Leatrix Latency Fix, however, I'm now experiencing lag spikes, especially during periods of frantic activity in dungeons. Why is that?
The increased frequency of acknowledgements may have caused your routers buffer to fill up (essentially creating a traffic jam). Very few people have reported this problem, but it's more likely to occur when you have more than one computer on your network, you are running software which produces lots of network activity or you're connected to a wireless network. If possible, try using a different router with only your computer connected directly to it and don't run network intensive background applications while playing (such as P2P or voice comms).
The Checker script says that Leatrix Latency Fix is installed but the interface names aren't shown.
The job of the Checker script is to show a list of network interfaces which Leatrix Latency Fix has modified successfully. It lists the network interfaces by name and it relies on Windows to advertise the name.
An interface will not be listed if Windows doesn't advertise the interface name. This normally applies to virtual and unimportant interfaces but in some cases it can apply to physical network interfaces too.
After installing Leatrix Latency Fix, it works and the checker script reports that it's installed, but after a while it reports it's no longer installed.
Something on your computer is reversing the network configuration change which Leatrix Latency Fix makes. You need to find out what that is. Use the checker script to help you find out at which point the network configuration is being reset.
If you're using a USB modem, it could be the dialer software which is causing it, so try to use the Windows dialer instead of the dialer that comes with the modem. This problem can also be caused by conflicts with other TCP optimisation software especially if configured to apply network configuration changes on startup.
Even after installing Leatrix Latency Fix, my latency in World of Warcraft is still terrible, how can I find out where the problem lies?
You need to understand that Leatrix Latency Fix will make a good connection faster and more responsive. It won't magically fix a bad connection. You can get an indication whether your connection is good or bad using the PATHPING command which is included in Windows.
First, uninstall Leatrix Latency Fix just to ensure that it doesn't interfere with the results.
Now, you need to find out the IP address of the game server you're connected to. To do that, launch Wow, and ensure your realm is chosen and your character list is shown (you don't need to login to the game world with your character). Now bring up a command prompt (press CTRL and ESCAPE together if you can't see your desktop to do that).
In the command prompt window, type in NETSTAT. You will see a list of active connections. One of the entries will have :1119 after it. This means port 1119 which is the port that Wow uses. This is the entry that you want. If you have more than one entry with :1119 after it, choose the one which says ESTABLISHED. If you see a connection with :3724 after it which says ESTABLISHED, repeat all of the below for this connection too.
To the left of :1119, you will see the address of the game server that your computer is connected to. For example, on my computer, one of the entries reads "213-248-123-43.customer.teliacarrier.com:1119 ESTABLISHED", so the address of the game server is "213-248-123-43.customer.teliacarrier.com".
Now, type in "PATHPING <address>" where <address> is the address of the game server as explained above. In my example, I would type in "PATHPING 213-248-123-43.customer.teliacarrier.com".
If you've done it right, you will see a route being traced from your computer to the game server. Packets travelling along this route hop from one router to another on their way to the game server destination and each line in the results represents one hop.
Some of these hops will return * as the result, which means that the hop being polled didn't respond. That's fine as long as all the lines with * are grouped together at the bottom of the list, because the hops at the bottom of the list belong to Blizzard. Blizzard's network is protected so Pathping won't be able to detect that there's anything there.
Now, you'll see a message saying "Computing statistics for...". Just leave it running there for a few minutes, after which it will output the final results.
The first line or two in the results will show the address of your computer and gateway or router. The next few lines will be your ISP and you'll probably see references to it (or the carrier they are using) in the address field for each line. Then you'll see lines with "telia.net" in the address field. These hops are at Blizzards end.
Each line of the results will contain something like this:
7 56ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% hbg-bb1-link.telia.net [80.239.147.182]
In the example above, 7 is the hop number and 56ms is the ping for that hop. If you see a high ping for a particular hop which is not consistent with other hop pings, there could be a problem with that hop.
The "0/ 100 = 0%" field shows how many packets were lost on that hop. It should show 0/ 100 to indicate 0 packets lost, but if there's a problem with that hop, you will see a higher number. For example, if there were 23 packets lost out of 100, you would see "23/100 = 23%".
The address for that hop is shown at the end of the line (in the example above, the address is hbg-bb1-link.telia.net) along with the IP address.
By looking which hop has a high ping time or shows a number of packets lost, and seeing which address that hop is for, you can get an indication whether the problem is with your ISPs routing or Blizzards routing.
Your ISP will be able to conduct line tests and possibly suggest optimising your line for low latency (more on this further down in the FAQ). Sometimes, however, there's simply nothing that can be done due to the quality of your line or the distance from your local exchange, or perhaps the ISP (or carrier) is simply overloaded.
Blizzard tend to look at latency issues only when they are widespread and affecting a lot of users (which doesn't happen very often). If you do submit a ticket to them for help with your latency, it will help your case greatly to include a PATHPING report. Note, however, that Blizzard won't do anything if they notice that your report shows higher latency or dropped packets on hops prior to reaching their network (telia.net). They will simply advise you to contact your ISP.
To help you submit a Pathping report, you can output the results to a text file using the pipe switch. Using my original example, this is what I would type to pipe the results to a text file called results.txt.
PATHPING 213-248-123-43.customer.teliacarrier.com > results.txt
Entering this will not output anything to the screen, but when the command prompt has returned to you, there will be a file called results.txt which will contain the output of the PATHPING command, allowing you to copy/paste the text into a web form or email.
I think the problem is with my internet provider. Can they change anything from their end?
You can contact your ISP and ask them to optimise your broadband line for low latency. The terminolgy used to describe a low latency optimisation differs depending on your location and broadband type. In the UK, it can be known as Fastpath or Max Delay Reduction. If in doubt what to ask for, speak to your ISP and tell them you have high latency in online games.
Optimising your line will lower your overall bandwidth slightly. In rare cases, it can make your line unstable if the quality of your line isn't very good to begin with. However, most people report a much improved experience with faster ping times and quicker in-game responses.
Is my latency affected by my choice of internet provider?
Your choice of internet provider can have a big effect on your in-game latency. Most internet providers use traffic shaping to manage bandwidth efficiently, but this usually has a side effect of increasing your latency.
Some providers use traffic shaping to prioritise gaming packets, resulting in lower latency when playing online games. On the other hand, some providers don't use traffic shaping at all, which is great as long as they maintain enough capacity to sustain that.
Traffic shaping is like traffic congestion control on the roads. It slows everyone down a bit, but if the roads are busy then it helps things run smoothly. However, if the roads aren't so busy, congestion control will simply slow down your speed needlessly.
You should do your research before choosing a provider to find out what they do for gamers. Traffic shaping is fine as long as the shaper detects and prioritises gaming packets. Unshaped traffic will produce the best results if the network has enough capacity, otherwise it will be worse than shaping. Finally, avoid internet providers that use traffic shaping but don't prioritise gaming packets.
I have an issue with Leatrix Latency Fix that is not mentioned above. Can you fix it?
Reports of Leatrix Latency Fix producing an error or not working are very rare. However, if you experience an issue, I'll do my best to fix it. Due to several malicious posts appearing in the comments, I've decided to have the comments page locked, but you can send me a message by clicking here. Describe your issue with as much detail as possible. Don't just tell me that it doesn't work. The information that you give me is part of the solution.
Include your operating system, service pack and exact error wording. Also explain what you have tried to do (i.e. install using Administrator account, install using batch mode, etc). Screenshots will help if you can provide links to them.
Of the few problems that have been reported with LLF, it usually turns out to be a fault with the users own computer and a fresh install of Windows on the same computer does not reproduce the problem. Please keep this in mind.
And finally...!
Stop wondering whether Leatrix Latency Fix is right for you. It makes a simple change to your computer, there's a removal script in the download which removes that change.
Install it, try it for yourself over a period of a few days. If you aren't happy, remove it. Make up your own mind. It won't break anything. Most people report a noticeable improvement in button response times, as well as smoother mob movement patterns. You'll probably be one of them. So relax and stop worrying, try it and see for yourself.
Malware Scan: [Only registered and activated users can see links. Click Here To Register...]
Einfach mal ausprobieren, falls es jemanden nicht gefällt einfach "Remover" verwenden :)