GPL-No green flag on AOL???

When I use AOL to race on VROC I don't get a green "flag" to connect to the host server. It looks like AOL doesn't give me an IP address which is needed to connect to the host server. Can I race using VROC on AOL? How? BTW, it works fine on my Compuserve connection. Thanks, Peter

Although I can't help you on the VROC issue(haven't tried it yet), I can tell you that AOL *does* give you an IP address. If you run WINIPCFG after you login in, you can see your address... Eldred

I remeber AOL having a special dialup-networking software that has to be used. It could be that this software prevents you from connecting to VROC. Do you have ISDN? Mclarenm6 schrieb in Nachricht

Peter, historically AOL has been an extremely poor choice for heavy-duty online *** (Quake, flight sims, car sims...). I can't give you any meaningful tech discussion other than the latency is generally poor or highly variable. Your stated problem is probably due to VROC/GPL simply 'timing out' waiting to get sync'd to the server... which means a latency problem. If you see the server ping time higher than 300-350ms on the VROC page, you shouldn't try to join. Hit the Refresh button a few times while on the VROC page to see if the ping is stable. If you do manage to get into the race, and your connection is poor, you'll probably warp all over the place. This generally causes havoc for everyone. I'd strongly suggest you shop for a new ISP. I've been thru at least half a dozen... it can be frustrating, but that's life <g>. Rgds, Mark R.

No ISDN. My cable company keeps promising cable modems so I am waiting for that. I know that AOL doesn't use MS DUN, but I can't believe none of the GPL players use AOL. Thanks, peter

It ALSO could be related to 'peak-time' usage. When I tried NROS, sometimes I would get a marginal but 'good' connection. Other times I would get 'forget it'. Nothing in my system had changed, not even the access number I was dialing. I never really tried to *purposely* test it at different times of the day, though. Eldred

<snip> but I can't believe none of the GPL players use AOL. Peter, the hard cold truth is that at least on my GPL host, I'd rather not see any AOL players due to the latency situation. So, with all due respect, it's time to wake up and smell the coffee. They are shunned in the online flight sim world too. AOL is training wheels, pure and simple. It's not designed for speed and efficiency, it's designed for hand-holding. Rgds, Mark R.

Yow... How much do they(we) slow down the races/connections...? Eldred

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>(Mark R.) writes: >>Peter, the hard cold truth is that at least on my GPL host, I'd >>rather not see any AOL players due to the latency situation. So, >>with all due respect, it's time to wake up and smell the coffee. >>They are shunned in the online flight sim world too. >>AOL is training wheels, pure and simple. It's not designed for >>speed and efficiency, it's designed for hand-holding. >>Rgds, >>Mark R. >Yow... >How much do they(we) slow down the races/connections...? >Eldred

Eldred, it's not that they(you) slow down the connection, it's that the car of the poor-ISP-player warps all over the place, more often than not causing a crash as other players see the car materialize and/or disappear right in front of them (or right behind them -- or in front of them and then behind them)... at 170MPH, this can be disconcerting to say the least. AOL says they've spent big bucks upgrading their system over the past year or two, so perhaps things have improved a bit, but I wouldn't bet the farm on it. There are so many other ISP's out there... certainly no need to be wedded to a particular one for life. If all the other cars seem warpy or jerky from your point of view, you've probably got a poor connection or a poor ISP. Rgds, Mark R.

So if you SEE the other cars warp(even though your view is stable), that means YOU have the poor connection? Dang... And I *have* had another car pop up right in front of me. It did WONDERS for my heart rate. <g>

Try this. Next time you join a game go for a ride as an observer with the host as he goes around the track. If your view is steady in that situation then chances are that your connect to the host is not the problem. David Erb

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>Try this. Next time you join a game go for a ride as an observer with the >host as he goes around the track. If your view is steady in that situation >then chances are that your connect to the host is not the problem. >David Erb >>So if you SEE the other cars warp(even though your view is stable), that >means >>YOU have the poor connection? Dang... >>And I *have* had another car pop up right in front of me. It did WONDERS >for >>my heart rate. <g>

Hmm..I never thought of that. Thanks, it's worth a try. I'd hate to think that *I* was ruining everyone elses fun... :( Eldred

No, your view is stable no matter what, it is on your computer. Now the other cars warping could be you or the other person, but is most likely both.

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> (Mark R.) writes: > >AOL says they've spent big bucks upgrading their system over the > >past year or two, so perhaps things have improved a bit, but I > >wouldn't bet the farm on it. There are so many other ISP's out > >there... certainly no need to be wedded to a particular one for > >life. If all the other cars seem warpy or jerky from your point > >of view, you've probably got a poor connection or a poor ISP. > So if you SEE the other cars warp(even though your view is stable), that means > YOU have the poor connection? Dang... > And I *have* had another car pop up right in front of me. It did WONDERS for > my heart rate. <g>

-- Thank You Marc Johnson Outside of a dog, a book is a mans best friend. Inside of a dog, it is too dark to read -Groucho Marx

>No, your view is stable no matter what, it is on your computer. Now the >other >cars warping could be you or the other person, but is most likely both. Rats. Well, I was just in a race that OZ hosted. To me, his car was fine, but another one that he was following was warping slightly... Back to the drwaing board... :( Eldred