In game VoIP not working with Plusnet - I'm going to have to leave

[#1]

Hi

I play a multiplayer VR game called Echo Arena. Everyone can talk to each other but i cannot understand what people are saying as the VoIP breaks down into stutter. Just to note, this is the only game it happens with. It's a really important part of the game.

Some other people have the same problem. the common theme is that everyone i know of with the problem and whose ISP i know are with plusnet.

We have been running a forum thread trying to get to the bottom of it. One of the first people with the issue fixed it today by switching to vodafone. He videoed the before and after moving from plusnet.

I have tried loads of things including upgrading to fibre broadband. It's all in the forum thread posted under flashflood. It's not a bandwidth problem but something else.

I tried running line quality tests between my IP and the game server IP. I have attached them. I don't really know what they show. One seems to show dropped packets, another not.

Basically i am going to move away from plusnet due to this issue despite being a really happy customer for years and years. Help me fix it and i will stay!!! (hint - i want to stay)

Thanks

[#2]

Moderator's note by Mike (Mav): This thread is now in the appropriate board.

[#3]

Hi @tflood

Sorry you're having problems with this, in this kind of game I know how important coms can be, and not having them puts you at a real disadvantage. 

Normally the information you'd given us (as well as the helpful link to the Oculus Boards) would be enough for us to investigate but alas we don't have a Rift here in the office.

Could you PM me your account details so I can run some tests? 

---

[#4]

Thanks. I have sent you a PM. By the way, get a rift - Echo Arena is great!!

[#5]

@tflood Hey, I had a quick look at those pingplot images and they don't look that bad at all.   Can you get the same images from your friend on their Voda connection?

[#6]

Hi

I have asked someone to run a ping plot or their connection that works fine. I'll post it here when i have it.

Someone suggested to me today that it may be due to plusnet blocking or throttle certin ports. I thought i'd add this info posted on the developer's discord channel:

Port Information for Echo Arena If you find that you're having connection issues to Echo Arena, or your VOIP audio is jittery, you can try opening the following ports through your router configuration. This is a more advanced troubleshooting step, so we recommend power-cycling your network devices & PC first to see if that resolves your issue. If it doesn't and you feel up to the task/confident in your technical abilities, you can check out the steps on how to open ports here: https://portforward.com/router.htm (just click "close" on the ad that appears). Login (TCP):

34712

Matchmaking (TCP):

42148

General (UDP):

2000
2100 
2200
6792

I have opened all these up on my router and added the highest QoS to them. It didn't help....

Thanks

[#7]

Have you tried turning off the Plusnet broadband firewall. See https://www.plus.net/help/broadband/about-plusnets-broadband-firewall/

NB You must disconnect and reconnect for changes to take effect.

[#8]

Yeah i have thanks. I use another router normally but have tried both with the firewall turned off.

[#9]

Just to check - that is with the firewall controlled from https://www.plus.net/my.html?action=myconnection and NOT the router firewalls?

[#10]

Thanks - i did mean my router firewall. I didn't know about that one...i checked and it is off. Bummer, i had a moment of excitement then!

[#11]

Hi - the person who switched from plusnet has run a ping plot for me shown below.

Does the routing look any different?

[#12]

Can you give us another winmtr from your machine to compare?  Your one shows a packet dropped at 173.231.129.42, which isn't there on your friends.  Might be a red herring though.

We've attempting to replicate at the minute

[#13]

Hi

I have just run it:

Thanks

[#14]

Hi Guys,

So I'm testing this at home on my own system but the VOIP function is crystal clear for me.

My results 

 

What router are you guys using?

[#15]

Hi

Thanks Peter for testing at home for me. It is interesting that EA voice worked for you. I use a netgear D7000. I also have a plusnet router and the VoIP doesn't work with either. What router are you using? Our IP routing was a bit different....is this significant at all?

Cheers

Tim