BF 2142 pings all over the shop!

[#1]

I have come back to 2142 after leaving it about a year ago.  I got a  a nice new pc a few months back which is uber fas  . I'm using the same router and internet browning is fine.
I have played a bit of TF2 which is just fine. But 2142 is unplayable.   
Pings to the servers are ok from DOS or in the game menu, but once the game starts I am kicked immediately due to high ping which is averaging 300+.
Some times up to 700 
I have looked on the Plusnet forums and there a a few problems reported with this game. I changed th MTU to 1472 as recommend by some users.
This has helped, when MTU was 1500 as soon as you log in the map is displayed and the game froze until I was kicked.
Changing the MTU has made the game more responsive. I now get to play for a few seconds before I am kicked for a hight ping. Which is nice.
I have take Wireshark captures of the network traffic with one server in the UK
The Ip address  is 81.19.209.31 (port 17577) this is in the Uk.
Pings and tracert are as follows

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tracert 81.19.209.31
Tracing route to server.killercreation.co.uk [81.19.209.31]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  1    1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.2.1
  2    35 ms    32 ms    31 ms  lo0-plusnet.ptn-ag1.plus.net [195.166.128.123]
  3    31 ms    35 ms    31 ms  gi2-2-303.ptn-gw01.plus.net [84.92.3.9]
  4    38 ms    32 ms    30 ms  te3-1.ptn-gw02.plus.net [212.159.1.110]
  5    30 ms    32 ms    32 ms  te2-2.pte-gw2.plus.net [212.159.1.106]
  6    36 ms    31 ms    31 ms  linx.killercreation.co.uk [195.66.225.123]
  7    30 ms    31 ms    36 ms  rt-2-cent.killercreation.co.uk [217.146.94.2]
  8    32 ms    34 ms    32 ms  server.killercreation.co.uk [81.19.209.31]
Trace complete.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ping 81.19.209.31
Pinging 81.19.209.31 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 81.19.209.31: bytes=32 time=38ms TTL=121
Reply from 81.19.209.31: bytes=32 time=40ms TTL=121
Reply from 81.19.209.31: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=121
Reply from 81.19.209.31: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=121
Ping statistics for 81.19.209.31:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 32ms, Maximum = 40ms, Average = 35ms
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As far as I can see this server  should be fine, but it is not.
I would attached at WireShark capture from this evening when I was kicked. But that file format is blocked by the forums here
I don't know how to analyse these but If anyone can give me a clue it would be a big help.
I called PlusNext. The chap I spoke to was nice enough, but he did not know much and said I should raise a ticket.
Well its been raised so lets see how they go. I've been on Plusnet for about 9 years!!! But if they don't fix this then I'm off to Zen.

[#2]

At first glance from me it appears that the traffic from the server IP you reference (81.19.209.31:17577) is being classified as silver instead of titanium which it should be on your product. This means that your gaming traffic to that specific server isn't getting the correct priority and therefore causing you the issues you've been seeing.
I've passed the ticket on to our networks guys to take a look and confirm what I'm seeing, they'll also be able to see if we can update this game's signature next time we make changes to the traffic management platform.

[#3]

Thanks very much. I can see the ticket has been sent to the appropriate tech team.
Fingers crossed  - my faith in Plusnet is almost restored.

[#4]

Why have I just been through all this and now someone else pops up with the same issue?
Duff make sure your Even balance PB is upto date and try different servers.

[#5]

Thanks, I think everything is up to date.
PN have responded... My interpretation of their response is that poor performance  is because the traffic shaping system that PN use is  based on configurations from this site http://www.gameconfig.co.uk.
If the port number (in this case  17577) is not one of those listed then the traffic is given a lower priority and the game is unplayable  >:(.
Is this usually  how traffic shaping systems work? I'm slightly taken aback to find that a service I'm paying for is restricted to the common configurations listed on a hobbyist's web site.
I don't want to have to check port numbers every time I'm looking for a server to play on or wait for PN to update their list. Also as games mature, and their static data on these sites becomes stale, they will effectively become unplayable  :o.
Maybe I'm missing something, but it all sounds a bit bonkers to me.
Please someone tell me I am wrong.

[#6]

Well I have tried a few other server (ones with low populations with ports that are on the port list) and they are a lot better.
So  it looks like the port is important and non standard ports mean an unplayable server.
Shame it seems all the popular server has ports not on that list.

[#7]

I had my unidentified traffic moved up the priority list, I had assumed they'd done this for all pro customers.
2142 now running sweet as a nut.
Join us on the [RIP] server Thursday night if you fancy a game, I know that used to be a problem server for me but is now very good ping wise.

[#8]

Hey,
Thursday is usually a PUB night me for me, but I'll check it out when I play next.
UPDATE: I have has a chat with someone alot more knowledgeable about gaming that PN or gameconfig. Turns out that PN are applyting traffic shaping to BF2142 with the port numbers for BF2 no wonder it does not work  :'(. Here is what they had to say...
"The defualt ports they have listed are for BF2 and not BF2142. BF2142 default join port is 17567 and not 16567 this is BF2 default join port. Just tells me how much knowlede gameconfig doesn't have about games......... Each BF game has it's own default join port they are never the same."
Seems I was right to be concerned that traffic shaping of traffic that I pay for is based on incorrect information from a unreliable site. The chap I chatted with  is in Denmark and has fast <40 ping to all UK servers which is a lot better that I get and I'm in the UK    .
I get the impression that the PN techi guys are trying to fix it,  (and things have got a bit better) but PN is too messed up for them to save it and a new ISP is required. Anyone got any recommendations for ADSL provider (I don't want to get cable).
D

[#9]

see, saying "some guy in denmark says..." isnt gonna help anyone get anywhere.
However, Saying Look PN, youve got problem with the traffic management on BF2142, then giving them the updated list from EA themselves..

Quote

The ports for Battlefield 2142 are as follows: TCP Ports: •80 •443 •4711 •9960-9969 •1024-1124 •17475 •17567 •18000 •18060 •18120 •18300 •18510 •27900 •28910 •29900 UDP Ports: •9964 •16567 •1024-1124 •1500-4999 •18000 •18300 •18510 •27900 •27901 •28910 •29900 •55123-55125

^^ Like so, and getting a member of staff to read this (which should get it actioned in the correct place)
See, if you used the help assistant, and said you had a traffic management anomoly, it would of asked for you to run a wireshark capture e.g. Wireshark capture information - then submit this to support, who would then flag that there are some ports being used in there that arent defined (e.g. not being given priority)
Thats how we deal with that in the first place - the second way you could deal with it is by going onto the package designed for gaming (e.g. PRO) - this has no shaping whatsoever.
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And seen as how you've trashed plusnet on your thread over at crashburn. I wish you all the best in trying to find yourself a "Decent ISP"