Game freezes in MMORPGs

Hi, I have searched an answer to my problem for a long time, yet I never could find the same problem that I had. So, finally, I decided to try to ask for help from you guys.

About 3 years ago, when I had my old computer, I could play MMORPGs, such as Ragnarok Online fine. While my computer was bad and had to run it on fairly low specs, there was never no lag nor weird freezing.

Then, I got my new computer. And since then, in every MMORPG I have tried, I get this problem. As I play the game normally, suddenly everything freezes. Not in a sense that everything is actually standing still, but in a sense that I see everyone just standing around in one spot, doing their idle animation and whatnot.

The point is, that of course, it does not really happen in the game. These freezes usually last for about 5 seconds and happen in about 15 or 20 second intervals. Since I can't do anything during it (even if I click to attack the monsters or to run away, it only takes effect after the freeze disappears), I tend to get killed often by monsters and that is why I can't do PvP anymore.

The weird thing is that my net has not gotten slower, it has actually gotten better.

The OS' that I have used with my new computer have been 32 bit Windows XP, 32 bit Windows 7 and 64 bit Windows 7. All of them have the same problem. I could not express my gratitude, if someone could cure me from this MMORPG curse that I have received.

It also only happens in MMORPGs, not other types of games. For example, I'm always lag and freeze free in Jedi Academy.

My new PC specs:
CPU: Dual-core E6500, 2,93 ghz
RAM: 1 GB
GFX: Nvidia Geforce 7300LE

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Wintersun

Seems like packet loss to me.

If you have a fan, put it next to your computer case and see if it helps.

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Unfortunately, I do not have an external fan.

But wouldn't this problem occur in other games as well, besides MMORPGs in that case?

Oh, while trying to find answers for fixing packet loss (cause you think that's the cause of it), I read somewhere that I should try doing a "line test." These are my results - http://www.dslreports.com/linequality/nil/2656945.

Edit: While doing a tracert to yahoo, I noticed that I did indeed receive packet loss during the third hop (it actually timed out completely), and I read that the third hop has something to do with the ISP, so I'll try calling them.

It's almost certainly an issue with your internet connection. What firewall do you use? Have you changed ISPs recently? Do you experience lag in other multiplayer games?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Murxidon

It's almost certainly an issue with your internet connection. What firewall do you use? Have you changed ISPs recently? Do you experience lag in other multiplayer games?

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I use ESET Smart Security 4's firewall. It's set to the mode, that it asks every time when something wants to connect to the net or change an application, to which I can allow, deny or permanently do both.

My router (ASUS WL500g) also has some "internet firewall" enabled, but even after disabling both of them, I still received some packet loss when tracerting yahoo.

http://img175.imageshack.us/img175/3130/tracertl.png

The third hop always times out, whatever I tracert, but the fourth one only sometimes gets one asterisk there.

But weirdly enough, I do not experience such freezing in games like Jedi Knight Academy and Bloodline Warriors. I do not even lag in there.

If this is my ISP's fault. What should I ask them to do, when calling them? Check my connection line or something?

I have never changed my ISP, but some time ago, they made everyone's internet faster. Before, I had a 1mb connection, now I have a 3mb one.

Well, if you are using a rooter, are you connecting to it wireless or via cable?
To me there are 2 high chance explanations to your problem:
A) you are using a wireless card which overheats
B) you are using a driver that is not working correctly.
C) you are either infected with maleware or your system has some faults, by a bad installation, some corrupted files, or because you messed with it (you are not regularly just pulling the power without shutting the OS down properly, are you?).

Considering you are fairly certain it's not C:
If you have both options, try to switch around.
You can try to buy a new wireless card, a new network interface card, or to get your drivers in order.

Otherwise:
Do a couple of scans with different virus detection engines.
If there isn't an obvious but easily fixable red alert coming up, it's likely the best choice to set up your system anew.

You could also try switching out the cables, though it sounds somewhat unlikely for your specific prob.

As you did reinstall your sys a couple of times, I would say you have the following options:
- try to make dead sure you have the right drivers, which you should take from the link from your post, in the download tab.

You should be able to find your lan cards chipset in dxdiag (windowskey + R, enter "dxdiag", return).

@afterthought:
Your mainboard is by a minimal cost manufacturer, which seems to have assembled only the momentarily cheapest components into the board.
I would not be surprised if it's the board to blame for your issues, because it either is a faulty piece by poor production or, because it has a bad design; After all they switched out the network interface chip.

You can get a lowest end of the line Network Interface Card for 6$; I would consider that option and maybe think about putting another 8" casefan on the backside of the case, just to be sure.
You can grab those on-line for a ~3$ (or take one out of a burned out/unused PSU, lol).

Since it does not let me install v1 drivers, claiming that I don't have that card, then I guess v7 should be the right one for me.

However, after downloading the right one for Windows 7, I can't seem to find how to install it. There were only 4 files (+4 if you count the 32 bit version) in that folder.

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/6761/lan.png

If I right click the .inf file and try to Install it, it says "The INF file you selected does not support this method of installation"

So, I'm stumped for now.

Edit: I managed to install it, updating the driver from the Device Manager. However, that did not solve my problem, even after a restart.