Rim Semiconductor Company (fka RSMI)

[GrooveMaster]

Spoke this is what really caught my eye.... I have been meaning to ask you about this. It seems like there is an application for Embarq here would you agree?

Just a little background.... This is from the frequently asked questions on Xbox Live. Since I play chess online I understand it a bit better maybe. While playing games online you or your opponent can get lag. Lag comes from poor upload speed. So if you are playing a 1 minute bullet chess game....the game could actually end up being longer...

In Xbox Live they have many multiplayer games and lag is a problem. This question below is talking about that.



http://forums.xbox.com/ShowPost.aspx?PostID=7104724

Why can't I host large games like other people can?

This section is going to get a little technical, but I will try to keep it as understandable as possible.

You may have tested your internet connection on websites such as DSL reports and received speeds that you feel would be adequate to host a game on Xbox Live. Well these tests use something called TCP (Transmission and Control Protocol), which is one of the many methods that computers use to communicate. Now you're thinking, why didn't they use TCP for Xbox Live?

Well this is because every time a TCP packet (Which is just another word for a message sent between clients/servers) is sent the sending machine expects to receive an acknowledgement packet in return. If this packet is not received guess what happens?

It sends yet another packet, and will continue until it received the acknowledgement packet. Then it will send a packet saying “I acknowledge your acknowledgement”. Now normal internet applications such as internet browsing, and internet relay chat will not be affected by the retransmission of packets, but online video games will be greatly affected by this.

Now Xbox Live and many other internet games use something called UDP (User Datagram Protocol). Now this packet will send a packet and then forget it. So there is no acknowledgement packet sent back to the client computer, which in turn decreases stress on the server/client Xboxes. So back to the issue of hosting, why can't I host large games because Xbox Live uses UDP communications?

There are three factors in this issue. The first is your modem's ability to transmit UDP packets. If your modem can't handle the increased upload traffic then you won't be able to host.

The second factor is your ISP's ability and restrictions to upload UDP packets, just like your modem, if it can't handle the traffic then you won't be able to host.

The final factors are your ping time and download speed. Now your ping time (otherwise known as latency) which is at what speed communications from your Xbox can get to another's Xbox. Your download is at what speed you can get information from other Xboxes. If your ping time is too high then you will not only be unable to host, but you will not be able to play without getting something called lag (lag is a performance decrease while playing Xbox Live; Try loading a few pages simultaneously on a computer while playing on Xbox Live and you will know what I mean exactly). If your download is too low then you will not be able to get information fast enough and you will get the same effect.