Halo 1 & 2 for PC
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  • Subject: The Causes of Lag - A Guide
Subject: The Causes of Lag - A Guide
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While some people will argue that Toast’s Guide is better – believe me, I’m not trying to one-up Toast, and I frankly don’t care whose you like better.

The main purpose of this guide is not to fix lag, but to give the reader a comprehensive understanding of what it is. That being said, prepare yourself.



The Causes of Lag - Your Guide to Understanding Lag


Overview

1. What is Lag?
2. What Causes Lag?
3. How is Latency Different from Bandwidth?



Section 1 – What is Lag?

My mama said, “Lag is Da DEVIL!!”

No seriously – lag, within the context of most things related to computers is a nasty word. Lag is, in laymen’s terms, the delay between when you pull the trigger and when the hammer drops. Let me use another analogy for those of us who are unfamiliar with firearms… (o_0 and you’re playing Halo?!?)

Lag, basically, is a summation of a couple of things-

· The Time it takes your computer to process a command
· The Time it takes your computer to execute that command

Things tend to get a little hairier when you consider online gaming such as that involved in Halo PC (or xbox). In this case Lag is a little more complicated:

It consists of:

· The Time it takes your computer to process a command
· The Time it takes your computer to send that command to a Central
Server
· The Time it takes the Central Server to process & respond to that
command
· The Time it takes your computer to receive & process that response


Dang! That’s a little hard to follow. Let’s break it down –

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deus Mortui is playing Halo PC on Blood Gulch. He right clicks his mouse to throw a frag grenade. By clicking his mouse, he completes a circuit, which sends an electrical pulse through to his computer – This is, practically instantaneous.

1) The computer then processes that pulse as information according to its priority (more on priorities in a minute…).

2) The computer must now decide what to do with this processed information – in our case, it is sent to the Game Server.

3) The Game Server receives this information and, after processing it, sends it to all the players.

4) All players on the server receive the information and process it, resulting in an explosion in the game.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On a server with a lot of lag, you’ll click your mouse button and a few seconds later, you’ll see your grenade fly off. This is because of lag.

These four numbered parts of our scenario are where lag occurs. Why? Because electricity can only go so fast, folks! Processing can also take time. This brings us to our next topic…



Section 2 - What Causes Lag?

Purple Monkeys with Green Wings – Duh!

No seriously, lag has a laundry list of perpetrators, but let’s start by going through those that are domestic (domestic as in local – not foreign – I’d hate for you to think that I’ll be talking about Wild Lag later on….).

Lag can be caused by your computer. Eww…. Yes, if you have a slow, antiquated computer, or have just turned the sound or graphics up too high, your computer will slow down. What technically happens is that your processor has so many operations waiting in line to be processed that when you chuck that nade, the CPU says, “Take a number, Pal.” This means that there are other commands that have been prioritized by your computer above your nade. You might try updating your drivers or turning down the video some. You might also try upgrading or buying a new computer. In that order folks – I’m a big time minimalist…(That means the less you have to do, the better). Moving on…

Lag can be caused by your connection. Many many many many people misunderstand this contributor to lag. Your connection has two important characteristics that you MUST be able to distinguish and understand in order to properly understand the causes of lag. They are:

· Bandwidth
· Latency


[Bandwidth]

Bandwidth is what is commonly advertised by your ISP. High Speed = High Bandwidth. Most ISPs advertise their downstream – that is, how fast data flows from the ISP’s server to you. A little known, but equally important number is your upstream – that is, how fast data flows from your computer to the ISP. In general, your upstream is a lot slower than your downstream. That’s not so big of a deal, since most of the activity on the internet is downstream intensive.

Now, how does all this factor into lag? Let’s consider how a bad downstream can cause lag. You chuck the nade, and the server responds instantaneously, but it responds with 100kb of data. Your ISP caps your connection at 56 kb / second. Now it takes your nade almost 2 seconds to get thrown on your machine. Everyone else has already seen it. This will make the game choppy / warp.

With a bad upstream, your situation is slightly different. You chuck the nade and the nade-chuck info your computer sends to the server is 100kb of data, but your ISP caps your upstream at 25 kb / second. It now takes 4 seconds for anybody to see your nade get chucked. This will cause to have to lead your shots.

Get the picture? Good – now onto Latency…


[Latency]

Latency is how long it takes your ISP to turn your computer’s request to send information to the game server and the game server’s request to send you information around. Yes – your ISP does affect this, but, more often than not, location is the largest contributor to lag due to latency.

If I live in Minnesota and try to play on a server in Australia, my signal has to cross the ocean and come back. That can take awhile depending upon how many servers my signal has to get bounced off before it gets there and back.

If I were to play a game in Canada, however, my lag due to latency would be significantly less. Moving Forward….

Lag can also be caused by the Game Server much the same way it is caused on your computer. Running too many apps or not having a fast enough computer will cause lag.

Finally….



Section 3 - How is Latency Different from Bandwidth?

I’m glad you asked. Latency is a more abstract term that is seldom, if ever, measured outside of online gaming. The main reason for this is that if you’re not picking off another MC at 450 yds., it really isn’t noticeable. However, if you search diligently enough on Google, you can find some utilities that test your latency.

Latency, is like how long it takes to start a car once you turn the key – the engine may out of a Porsche 911 Twin Turbo, but if it takes three seconds of cranking to start it– you’ve got latency. Now, mind you, once that Porsche gets started, it’ll fly like a bat out of hell. Your connection is like that – every command has to turn the key.

I want to clarify – Latency, is often referred to as lag. That’s okay because latency is a fairly flexible term – in this guide, however, it refers only to the lag caused by the actual redirection of a command you send to the game server once your ISP gets it. Got it? It’s a difficult concept, so let’s try an example:

Your ISP is A. You chuck a nade. Once that command gets to A, A redirects it to the game Server (Z), which is on the moon. In order to get your signal to the moon, it must first get of the country you’re in, which means that it is picked up by ISP B (Because you’re using a locally operated ISP…), now ISP B must get your signal to ISP C, which has a T9 connection to the moon (don’t ask me what a T9 connection is…). Now, once your signal is there, is must be redirected to ISP D, who rents Server (Z). Whew! And back again!

So you see, the trip from A to B to C to D, then from D to C to B to A is latency.



A Final Note
I hope by now that you’ve realized that lag is more complicated than it is spelled. I also hope that you realize that it is a real physical consequence of the fact that processing takes time and electricity only moves so fast. You will [b]never[b] find a genuinely zero lag server, unless you are the host.

Lag is a physical consequence of networking. It can be minimized, but not avoided.

(It is unavoidable…. It is your destiny!!!)

I hope this can be of some e-duh-cational value. Peace.


[Edited on 6/14/2005]

  • 06.14.2005 1:00 PM PDT
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Heres a diagram to help understand why lag is there. Just think of it this way:

..............client A
..................|||
...............host
............./........\\
......client B....client C

Ignore the dots. So in other words, the host is the middleman. If Client A decides to throw a nade, it goes through the host and onto the computers of client C and B. Therefore, the host has the most accurate information.

Also, notice the double and triple lines. Suppose triple lines symbolize the fastest internet connection, while single is slowest. Its easier to send/receive information through a wider channel, like Client A's connection, than it is for the host to send/receive through Client B's puny 56k connection.

Keep in mind this is a very simplified diagram, and discusses only 1 factor of lag.

=====><=====

I applaud your effort to help, aM Inspire...

[Edited on 6/14/2005]

  • 06.14.2005 1:16 PM PDT
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Thanks a lot. I found that essay very informative and helpful. Mabey this will clear things up a bit for the newbies.

  • 06.14.2005 3:08 PM PDT
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This is great! However, it might not make it the guides section.

Lag, is cause by computer response to the server. For some reason, lag particulary affects gaming alot. if someone has 233 ping, u have to aim really far and off of them. If someone has low ping, aim close to the target. Strange i know.

  • 06.14.2005 3:19 PM PDT
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I think ping is just a measure of latency, or overall lag, nothing about bandwidth (although bandwidth can affect the ping you get). The lower the ping number, the less latency there is, therefore less lag overall. pings in the 60's and lower do not require you to aim ahead too much, maybe not even off the enemies body.

Also, i think that clients with a higher network speed setting will hog more of the server's bandwidth, therefore leaving less of the server's bandwidth for the other clients. this can cause people with crappy dialup to drop out of the game. There should only be one, non-changeable setting for how much bandwidth a client uses, so this dropping out problem wouldn't exist.

The kind of network setting that i would find more effective would be selecting a speed closest to your actual speed to determine how many clients you can have on your server, not determine how much of the poor server's bandwidth you hog up.

  • 06.14.2005 3:45 PM PDT
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Inspire, you should go post this over at halomaps.co.uk. (WE NEED YOU THERE)

  • 06.14.2005 5:32 PM PDT
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remind me and when I have some more time, I'll do it. I just hope I have made a sufficient atonement for being a cranky old batsard - not to say that it won't happen again....

Chewy - I expect you have some reservations about the guide if you're dubious as to whether or not it will make it onto the guides section.... would you mind sharing?

[Edited on 6/14/2005]

  • 06.14.2005 10:36 PM PDT