Massive packet loss,lag,disconnects

The game runs fine most of the time with any graphics setting and only a ,not unexpected, amount of lag due to my oh so awesome dial up. The problem arises only in certain situations.

During a mission I can play just fine with 6-8 mobs in a fight and powers flying all over the place,but when you get a new spawn such as when you kidnap/rescue someone I get massive packet loss. In game netgraph turns red for various lengths of time depending on how big the spawn is and naturally causes lag and eventually map disconnects if its long enough. Bank missions are impossible,even solo. Once I hit one of the resisting arrest spawn nodes the packet loss hits badly.It also occurs when I create a new villain and hit the first contact in the prison yard ( I noticed that there's a group of arachnos guards that spawns in the background and beats up the longbow and prisoners when the packet loss hits). Zombie and Rikti invasions are of course a complete wipeout for me.So it seems to be a problem only with triggered spawns.

I know and expect some problems due to being on dial up but I never had this problem the last time I was stuck on dial up. I can play other MMO's without problems. I have tried turning off firewall,no anti viral running, turned off pg2 and exited messenger. I've seen other posts with people facing random lag and disconnect issues so I am wondering if it's just me or are other people facing these issues under the same circumstances? Anyone have any ideas ?

Hijack this :
Platform: Windows XP SP2 (WinNT 5.01.2600)
MSIE: Internet Explorer v6.00 SP2 (6.00.2900.2180)

Running processes:
C:\WINDOWS\System32\smss.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\winlogon.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\services.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\lsass.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\System32\svchost.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\spoolsv.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTsvcCDA.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe
C:\WINDOWS\Explorer.EXE
C:\WINDOWS\system32\RUNDLL32.EXE
C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\Core\smax4pnp.exe
C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\Smax4.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\SBAudigy\Surround Mixer\CTSysVol.exe
C:\WINDOWS\system32\Rundll32.exe
C:\Program Files\Microsoft IntelliPoint\ipoint.exe
C:\Program Files\Microsoft IntelliType Pro\type32.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\MediaSource\Detector\CTDetect.exe
C:\Program Files\Creative\MediaSource\Go\CTCMSGo.exe
C:\Program Files\PeerGuardian2\pg2.exe
C:\Program Files\MSN Messenger\usnsvc.exe
C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe
F:\Program Files\HijackThis.exe

O2 - BHO: (no name) - {7E853D72-626A-48EC-A868-BA8D5E23E045} - (no file)
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [amd_dc_opt] C:\Program Files\AMD\Dual-Core Optimizer\amd_dc_opt.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvCplDaemon] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvCpl.dll,NvStartup
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [nwiz] nwiz.exe /install
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [NvMediaCenter] RUNDLL32.EXE C:\WINDOWS\system32\NvMcTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SoundMAXPnP] C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\Core\smax4pnp.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SoundMAX] "C:\Program Files\Analog Devices\SoundMAX\Smax4.exe" /tray
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [CTSysVol] C:\Program Files\Creative\SBAudigy\Surround Mixer\CTSysVol.exe /r
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [P17Helper] Rundll32 P17.dll,P17Helper
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [UpdReg] C:\WINDOWS\UpdReg.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [IntelliPoint] "C:\Program Files\Microsoft IntelliPoint\ipoint.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [type32] "C:\Program Files\Microsoft IntelliType Pro\type32.exe"
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Creative Detector] C:\Program Files\Creative\MediaSource\Detector\CTDetect.exe /R
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [Creative MediaSource Go] "C:\Program Files\Creative\MediaSource\Go\CTCMSGo.exe" /SCB
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [PeerGuardian] C:\Program Files\PeerGuardian2\pg2.exe
O9 - Extra button: Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Windows Messenger - {FB5F1910-F110-11d2-BB9E-00C04F795683} - C:\Program Files\Messenger\msmsgs.exe
O17 - HKLM\System\CCS\Services\Tcpip\..\{4F2BB0A8-D2F8-485A-ABE9-9CA7BCCA92DF}: NameServer = 202.4.231.239 58.108.160.137
O18 - Protocol: livecall - {828030A1-22C1-4009-854F-8E305202313F} - C:\PROGRA~1\MSNMES~1\MSGRAP~1.DLL
O18 - Protocol: msnim - {828030A1-22C1-4009-854F-8E305202313F} - C:\PROGRA~1\MSNMES~1\MSGRAP~1.DLL
O23 - Service: Creative Service for CDROM Access - Creative Technology Ltd - C:\WINDOWS\system32\CTsvcCDA.EXE
O23 - Service: NVIDIA Display Driver Service (NVSvc) - NVIDIA Corporation - C:\WINDOWS\system32\nvsvc32.exe

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Once things get even a little bit busy, the game uses more bandwidth than a 56K modem can deliver, off the top of my head I have seen the game use 5X as much plus some than a dial up connection can offer.

All that being said, use this tool here to maximize your dial up throughput, set it for dialup/56K on the slider and Optimal button below then Apply the settings and reboot.

http://www.speedguide.net/files/TCPOptimizer.exe

Also be sure to have your COM port rate at 115,200.

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He should still be able to do solo missions, though!

Grumbler, have you changed your options to help with dial-up? (No sending buff stats and stuff like that?)

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I've run the optimizer and turned off any settings I can think of that might help. Once again though the game runs fine right up until there's a triggered spawn. Just tried making a noob villain to run through the tutorial zone and it was awful. Netgraph showed more red packet loss than successful (green) packets sent/received. I could understand it if I was running a task force but this is a simple solo piece.

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Make sure you've turned off player names, ratings/stars display, are not monitoring any real numbers, and have the sending of stats info off. Turning your various view distances way down may or may not help, but can't hurt.

If you're seeing that much red in the netgraph, it's probably not really your computer's problem. I'm guessing that when a spawn triggers, the game tries to force all the info down your connection at once, and your connection can't handle it all causing a net failure.

You may want to open a trouble ticket with support; I'm not sure whether dial-up is officially supported anymore, but if it is, this may need to be passed up the chain.

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Miuramir, Windchime, Sariel the Golden, Scarlet Antinomist...
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