Does anyone with a bit more of a technical background have any comments about this change and whether it will actually increase your performance? Please no "I tried it and my ping is lower" responses...
The KB article states that, by default, ACKs are being delayed according to the listed criteria. It doesn't say anywhere that data packets are being delayed in any way. This looks like merely a cosmetic change.
For example, without the change: I Counterspell. Server recieves this, counters the spell. I Blink. Server recieves this, moves me forward 15 or 20 yards. I don't do anything. We pass the idle threshold, it sends an ACK back. Since there was no ACK for a while, the apparent latency is higher - it looks like the server didn't get anything until after the CS->Blink->idle. But in reality it did recieve the commands and performed them.
Compare this to with the change: I Counterspell. Server recieves this, counters the spell, ACKs. I Blink. Server receives this, moves me forward 15 or 20 yards, ACKs. I don't do anything. We pass the idle threshold, it sends an ACK back. So, my listed response time is lower because I am getting responses from the server far more often. Yet, I gained no actual performance increase.
Note: I know this is a client-side change and it wouldn't change the rate at which the server ACKs in any way, and that the example occurs over a time period far too large - this is just to put it in WoW-related terms.
It seems to me like this wont increase your performance in WoW, and might actually generate extra traffic by forcing ACKs that aren't required. Hopefully I'm wrong because an decrease of 2-300ms for no real work would be amazing. Any thoughts?
All I can say is wow! Latency standing at the mailbox in IF just dropped from 259 to 96. Pretty impressive, especially considering I'm on an interleaved AT&T Uverse connection.
And I've been playing since release. Never have I seen this before I read this thread. I did it on my new 7 install and my ping on Mal'Ganis went from 250-350 to 100-175.
My question is this an actual decrease in latency or does it just "fool" the latency check/display? I see the number go down, but for those with yellow or red latency did it actually improve game play?
My question is this an actual decrease in latency or does it just "fool" the latency check/display? I see the number go down, but for those with yellow or red latency did it actually improve game play?
Windows is designed as a one size fits all type OS. Yes it can "customize" itself to the Hardware a bit,or install drivers. Your network connection is a one size fits all type of thing. This type of tweak can be used for many different types of Applications that use the Internet. Funny enough this tweak is older then WOW.Furthest article back I can find is about 2003.
As stated in »What your average MS response time in WoW? I have seen significant improvements mostly in the way that Ventrillo or "Vent" no longer studders or is choppy sounding. Although I still have delay. With 1200 +++ ms Lag its harder to see a over all improvement in game play but I do see less spikes in lag. This tweak has been around for a while and not just for WOW. Even Microsoft says that it works. For the link look below and I will also post all the other research I have found on this subject.
The easiest way I can explain this is thus. Information on the network is sent in bursts of packets.These packets can be different sizes as long as the protocol/instructions allows it. Windows by default only allows packets of one size to be transmitted.If the packet is not big enough,Windows waits for the packet to grow enough to send it.This tweak basically tells Windows to send the information without waiting,so if its ready to send,instead of standing around twiddling its thumbs, it goes ahead a is transmitted.Basically making for a steady stream of Info rather then,stop and start and stop and start.
I am going to try this out tonight. If it knock my latency to a fraction of 300ms im all for it.
I wonder if you tech minded ppl could solve another issue with my gaming computer, i think its vista related and might have something to do with different users and such.
I don't understand how vista sets up users accounts. I've only ever setup the default user (or admin) acount and don't have the computer set up for multiple users.
Still i have some issues i think with this - something is screwed up. For example, when i turn on the computer and it goes to the windows screen it shows the correct 'saved' max resolution for a moment. Vista then does something, the screen blinks out and the resolution comes back as some lesser resolution. I have to go in every time and reset it to max. Updating drivers doesnt help and for what i have tried its not a video card or video driver issue - it seems to be a vista user issue. It never saves the setting.
How the heck do i force vista to recognize the default user and all its settings or is that the problem? The video settings is one annoying issue but there are others.
