Lag, Choke and Loss, An Explanation

pulsegaming.com is privileged to be running on one of the best top tier connectivity providers in the UK - WFCS.  Like all internet companies, from time to time, we do suffer network problems.  This document will help you check your server configuration and your ISPs connection before pm'ing an OP in #pulsegaming for further support.

Loss is how many packets are lost during transfer from the server to you. This could be due to a bad connection, not just meaning it could be slow, but more that it is unstable. However, the most obvious reason is that your connection is to slow to receive the data that the sever wants to send you.

Choke is how many packets your computer is unable to upload because your connection is too slow and/or the server is requesting too much data.

"Lag spikes", choke and loss can often be caused by

1.  Setting the sv_minrate to high.
There are many differing opinions on this.  In theoretical terms a DSL/Broadband connection should be able to handle a minrate of 15,000.  This setting though does not leave a great deal of "overhead" for your ISPs traffic load or even your voice comms.  By using minrate you are telling the server to only send you this amount of traffic (or higher if you use a greater client minrate) or nothing at all.  We would suggest leaving it at zero, or try experimenting with values less than 10,000.  This will create a more balanced experience for all types of connection users.  Once you have made the change, don't forget to "exec server.cfg" or reboot the server for the changes to take effect.

2.  Routing issues connecting from you ISP.
Follow the information in this document to create a trace route. This will help to identify if the problem is being caused by your ISP. Use the information in this document to help you create a Trace Route and email the results to sales@pulsegaming.com This information will help our staff support you better.