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Poor connection over mobile broadband - how to improve?

SystemSystem Member, NoReporting Posts: 178,019 Arc User
Okay this may not be possible to improve but I thought I'd ask around.

I'm in the UK and have recently moved and now only have internet access via a 3 mobile broadband dongle and an unable to get anything better in the next six months.

The problem is that both CO and STO (but particularly STO) regularly disconnect and throw me back to the login screen with a server timeout message. Other games, particularly DDO which is very tolerant of network issues, do not 'give up' so easily.

Is it possible to configure the game client to not disconnect so soon? Possibly by altering the timeout setting?

Does anyone have any other suggestions? Note that I cannot change or improve my internet connection.

Thanks
Post edited by Unknown User on

Comments

  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited August 2011
    I have no idea if it's possible to configure such a thing with ANY game at all... Those kind of things are as far as I know hardcoded in game executable and/or the servers.

    All I can say is that I also have mobile internet. I live way the hell out in the sticks in Finland and this is how I fixed my mobile from crappy Edge connection (Max 360k data transfer) to 3G ( 4Mb data transfer ).

    I bought a dongle that support external antenna. Bought a pointing antenna. Drove around in the car until I had located nearest GSM mobile base station (usually recognised as very tall antennas of about 20-40 meters height).
    Mark location of antenna on map. Go home. Mount your pointing antenna outside your new residence (they are smaller then old style TV antennas so no big ugly dishes). Point it toward that base station and hook it up in the dongle. It takes a minute or two for the signal strength to be updated after antenna is connected so be patient and turn antenna a few degrees at a time to find optimal signal.

    My signal strength is around 45-60 % with said antenna but I still have more then enough speed now ( 2 - 4 Mb ) to play games very well. Without the antenna, my dongle and its software "mobile partner" from Huwei didn't find GSM/WCDA at all! As in signal strength 0% - So they do work quite nicely. :)

    PS. Most pointing antennas have an average range of 5 km. But even out here in the deep forest of Finland countryside I found one close enough so you should to I think. :)

    Good luck.
  • Archived PostArchived Post Member Posts: 2,264,498 Arc User
    edited August 2011
    I have actually played STO in a car driving through the Lincolnshire countryside so the problem is not maybe with your dongle but the fact you have a dongle itself. The dongle pretty much restricts where you have to stick your computer so is invariably nowhere near where the best signal strength is in the room.

    Personally I would swap your dongle out for a wireless model which you can then stick up by the window where it can get a good signal and connect to it wirelessly. Worked for me a treat. Cost wise I know they do cost a bit more at £29. It may also be worth checking the 3 website to make sure you are supposed to get a good coverage in your area.

    In summary though STO works fine on the 3 network even when traveling.
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