sorry, this is a little offtopic...

[jessman1988]

hey, i finally got a DSL modem. i was wondering if someone could help me out, as I wish to use it with N64 netplay. The thing is, I only have a 256k connection. I know that it's kinda slow and outdated, but hey, it's still a big improvement over a 56k, plus I got it for a really good deal. Mainly, I just wanted to ask what my ping time average would be for this modem. For 56k mine ranged between 200 and 460. Also, what would my average downloading time be? And last, is there any way to optimize performance? Thank you.

 

[Qun Mang]

Dunno, but this would have been on-topic in the Techtalk forum just so you know. You're right that it is off-topic here.

 

[jessman1988]

okay..........well, thanks, i guess. anyways, could someone either move this or answer my questions? i've been waiting quite awhile and most people in these threads know a lot about this kinda stuff. hm.....

 

[rcgamer]

there is no way anyone can tell you what your ping time or downloading averages would be. there are far to many variables that are unknown. downloading doesnt just depend on your connection , it also depends on the connection of the person your downloading from , where they are located , how much traffic they have on their connection etc.

 

[Malcolm]

exactly.

It's more then possible to get a 40ms ping with a 56k connection (as I did when I played Quake1). It depends on:

The game - games have different net play backbones, some are good others are shit

Your ISPs load - Just because you can download at 500kb/sec every saturday at 3am doesn't mean your ISP can keep up the speed

Your computers load; both CPU/Memory and net - When your computer is processing stuff, depending on your networks priority level, it may get dumped into the background; also if you're using your connection then your ping time can get fractioned.

Server's location - Different countries have different communication backbones, not to mention that your signal has to be send and repeated alot over long distances.

Server's load - A server hosting 5 clients should give you a better ping then a server hosting 16 clients


Theres quite a bit more about ping then these factors above, but they are certainly factors in your ping.