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FFXI packet loss: What is it and how to minimize it?
4 min. read
Updated onOctober 4, 2023
updated onOctober 4, 2023
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Key notes
FFXI, short forFinal FantasyXI, is an MMORPG developed by Square Enix and released in 2002. Despite its almost ancient release date, FFXI still has an active player base in 2020. And, on top of that, a quite successful subscription service.
Although many encourage new players to find stable fan-run servers, the official servers are pretty much alive and kicking. So it’s no use trying to find fan servers as long as the official one still exists.
World-class 24/7 support with 83% for a 3 years plan and 3 months free.
Amazing connection speed with 35% off and 3 months free for the 1-year plan.
Best security protocols with 83% off and 2 months free for a 2-year plan.
Is FFXI still playable?
Maybe the most burning question nowadays is if FFXI is still playable, and the answer’s yes.
However, you need to understand that since it’s not only an online game but a massively multiplayer online one, it faces some pretty tough challenges.
For instance, high ping (due to the number of players), andjitterare regulars in thisgame. More so if you have poor Internet connectivity.
However, in this article, we’ll try and focus on more serious matters. Among the more troublesome issues that FFXI is facing is no other than packet loss.
What is packet loss in FFXI?
Packet losstends to be the same, no matter where you may encounter it. It happens whenever data packets that you send or receive within your connection never make it to their destination.
Leaking packets isn’t exactly easy to spot, as many players usually think that they’re experiencing high latency. While the two might appear highly similar, they’re completely different.
For once, packet loss can cause high ping, but not the other way around.
If you’re leaking packets, you’ll start experiencing some more noticeable issues such as slow in-game movement, being unable to interact with your inventory, rubberbanding, and even disconnection.
More often than not, packet loss is caused bynetwork congestion. And this can be either on your half of the connection (home network/ISP network) or the game server’s side (improper server sizing).
Minimizing packet loss in FFXI
1. Try using a VPN service
Private Internet Access is a trustworthy all-round VPN service from Kape Technologies. It can help you improve various game-related issues such as high ping or packet loss, but that’s not all.
Private Internet Access
It can also improve your online privacy by a great deal, secure your connection and keep it away from prying eyes, andlifting geo-restrictionsso you can enjoy a borderless, censor-freeInternet, the way it’s supposed to be.
Note: PIA might not be able to fix packet loss if it’s not caused by your ISP through bandwidth throttling or improper network routing (which leads to network congestion).
2. Troubleshoot the connection manually
Truth be told, packet loss can be caused by a lot of things, including old Ethernet cables. Evenupgrading your CAT 5 cables to CAT 6ones could make a huge difference.
Therefore, even if some of the suggested fixes above don’t work, be patient and at least try them all. If no improvement can be seen, it’s likely that improving packet loss is unfortunately not an option at the time.
FFXI packet loss can sometimes be improved
All things considered, if you’re experiencing packet loss in FFXI, our suggestion would be to wait it out. More often than not, it’s caused by network congestion, which clears quite fast outside of peak hours.
However, if you suspect that it’s more than just that, stepping in would be the best decision. You can either try using aVPNand check if the problem still persists, or troubleshoot your connection manually, each component at a time.
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More about the topics:Fix network issues,gaming,packet loss,VPN
Vlad Constantinescu
Vlad might have a degree in Animal Husbandry and Livestock Management, but he’s currently rocking anything software related, ranging from testing programs to writing in-depth reviews about them.
He spent 3-4 years as a software editor at Softpedia and another year as a VPN specialist before he landed his current job as an author at Windows Report.
In his free time, Vlad enjoys playing guitar, doing jigsaw puzzles, researching cybersecurity, and even having a good read on rainy days.
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Vlad Constantinescu