.::[ Connection Problems ]::.

[izopyn]

Hello, and thank you in advance for considering my problem, with my much deeper thanks for any input you can provide. I've been frustrated over this for a week now, and I feel like I've tried -everything-.

I can't connect to Warcraft III or Final Fantasy XI or Unreal Tournament 2003 or 2004, but I have no connection problems with Starcraft, Diablo or Neverwinter Nights.

I've tried other tech support forums before finding this one (I'll post links if the mods will let me). I've also tried Square-Enix and Blizzard tech supports, but they just keep regurgitating the same six steps that are on their respective web pages. "Blah blah patch blah blah dial-up blah blah I took a computer class in high school blah blah."

Basically, I've tried everything. There are no viruses, trojans, adwares or spywares on my computer, my connection is fine, and my specs are well above the suggested. I've recently defragged. I have tried connecting with no processes or programs running that are not necessary to Windows. I've tried proxy configuration and removal, patching and updating, uninstalling and reinstalling, praying to all the gods I've ever heard of plus Stephen Hawking. Tomorrow I plan to sacrifice a virgin on an alter of dark magics.

My gut tells me the problem is in the registry, or ports, but I am not very good with either of those. It still could be something with proxies that has slipped through my mind's grasp.

Please, if you can, help me!

Thanks again in advance.

 

[Scorpion]

Hi izopyn, welcome to TSG!

So, are you on dialup, cable, dsl, etc, and are you behind a router? Give us all your connection details (not your ip...lol) as above, so we have somewhere to start.

Do you use a proxy for some reason?

Seems like it 'could' be a port problem, but until we know how you connect, we can say more.

Scorp.

 

[izopyn]

Hey, sorry about that, I had originally included URLs for that stuff but had to take em out.
I'm on a 4600 Dell Dimension computer with a 720 DSL connection and Windows XP, no router. I don't use proxies, and my connection is configured as Broadband, always on. I use a 9800 Radeon PRO video card. Recently I've had problems with worms/trojans, but I cleaned them off. It's possible that they changed the registry though.

If you need anything else, just ask. And thanks for your reply!

 

[Super-D-38]

Windows firewall enabled?
Who is your ISP? Do they have a firewall?...

 

[izopyn]

Windows firewall disabled, ISP is Sasktel Highspeed Internet Plus, and I already called them about a firewall~ none.

Before I was infected by 32worm.alcan.a I had no problems accessing internet through FFXI, and I assume that I wouldn't have had problems with WC3 or UT2k3/4, so I think it must have been something that it changed... I just can't figure out what.

 

[Super-D-38]

Found some things you might try.. found here: http://www.geekstogo.com/forum/WORMALCANA_CLOSED-t27618.html

Details:
http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/w32.alcra.a.html

Oh and BTW you should have a firewall of some kind..

 

[izopyn]

thanks for the link super, but which part of this thread should I be looking at? I've run AdAware, Spybot, Hijackthis, RegistryFix, TheCleaner, SpywareDoctor, TrojanHunter, AVG and Norton Antivirus in Safe Mode with System Restore off and Hidden Files shown, and my computer is clean as a whistle.

I use Norton IS and Zonealarm Pro for firewalls, but I've tried connecting with them turned off.

 

[Super-D-38]

Alright apparently WORM.ALCAN.A is still in my computer. Ad-Aware in the last scan found some files that were easily removed, but didn't find this WORM. Though of course I'm not sure if thats exactly what it was designed for anyway. However my System Suite AV is still finding that c:\windows\system32\p2pnetwork.exe is still infected with the worm. The System Suite is still not able to remove it and I am directed to a website telling me to run 'regedit' howeve regedit does not seem to do anything. The black window (DOS session?) pops up and immediately disappears.

* Download Pocket Killbox from. Here
* Paste the full file path c:\windows\system32\p2pnetwork.exe in the box and click on Delete on Reboot.
* Next click on the button with the red circle and an X in the middle. You will get a message saying "File with be deleted on next reboot, Process and Reboot now?"
* Click "Yes"
* Let the system reboot
Let us know how you make out

...Darn looks like the site is down, so I can't get the rest right now.. But look at the last of the first page, and the second page..

Also, that symantec link.. It shows that that worm installs files, and opens a "back door"... the post gave a program and tips for removing them..
Unless those files are cleaned it could be hurting your connection..

 

[izopyn]

Hmmm... alright, I tried Killbox, but c:\windows\system32\p2pnetwork.exe doesn't exist in my computer.

I also checked my registry for the files listed on the symantec page, but it seems my cleaner programs had already cleaned them all up.

I've also talked to tech support representitives from the 2 programs I couldn't access the net through, and have attached the conversations.

When I called my ISP to see about Hop 17, they said it was running fine.

Still nothing on the connections though

 

[Super-D-38]

I'd edit those txt files.. remove your e-mail and your acct. info.. not good to have that floating arround.. And remove your IP..

 

[Super-D-38]

I'll offer this as a test... Program called DR. TCP it's a setting tweaker..
I hope it might help.. Use at your discretion.
This is what my computer is set at, and I've not noticed any problems.. Though I don't play online games.

Write down your current settings before you change them... The .doc file should have the settings you can try.. Reboot for them to take..

If you cant read a .doc file then I can change it..

 

[izopyn]

Thanks for the advice on the attachements, they've been changed. How should I reconfigure my settings?

I downloaded a registry fixing program from the company that makes one of the games in question, but to no avail...

Is there some difference in the way that smaller games, like Starcraft and Diablo, and browsers, connect from larger games like Warcraft 3 and Unreal Tournament? Since I now know that registry is not the issue, this seems possible... I'm no wiz at this, but I'm perplexed at how, since being infected with the worms and virii I recently cleansed my computer of, I can connect to those smaller internet-using programs, but not the larger ones.

Here are some links to tech support forums I had been dealing with before finding this one, concerning the problem in question...
http://www.techspot.com/vb/showthread.php?p=164616#post164616
http://www.battle.net/forums/thread.aspx?ForumName=opensupport&ThreadID=351091
And this concerns the infections.
http://www.techspot.com/vb/showthread.php?p=163952#post163952

 

[Super-D-38]

Well the Dr. TCP program is quite simple.. just read the .doc file and adjust the settings listed.

I'm thinking it is something to do with that hop 17.... Maybe the bigger game needs more connections, and or takes longer to connect to much busier servers.

Also, something ran through my head last night... Could be your modem.
My first cable modem would randomly drop connection, every time I'd call and ask, it would show that everything was fine.. Finally after the 4th call, I told them to get me a new modem.. So far I haven't lost connection yet.

This is taken from the TCP tweak file..

TTL Time To Live is the amount of hops (servers) that a transmission packet will take before all packets are lost. If you were receiving packets from 20 hops away, and youre TTL was set to 19 or less, then all packets would be lost before they reach you. I leave this setting blank

That right there could be it... Just something to try is all.

 

[izopyn]

Oh snap... I thought I'd posted it in that reply... I can't read the .doc file.

 

[Super-D-38]

Ok, I'll make a .txt then..