MTU: Helping to quicken your gameplay!

[Science]

THE MAIN PART OF THE GUIDE WORKS FOR BOTH VISTA AND WINDOWS 7

MTU, or Maximum Transmission Unit, is the max amount of bytes you can accumulate before a packet of data is sent(?). Often, it helps your ping in an MMO decrease a lot due to you being able to send packets much quicker. This combined with disabling the Nagle Algorithm makes for an amazing lag killer.

Honestly, this lag fix is often overlooked by many people. To me, it is VERY easy to do, and can be easily set back to factory default.

Step 1) Run cmd.exe as an administrator.

Step 2) type the command: netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface "Local Area Connection" mtu=xxxx store=persistent

Note: If you use a wireless connection, you would type "Wireless Network Connection" rather than "Local ---"
Note2: The value of the MTU can be anywhere from 48 to 1500(default value). Lower values decrease load time of content heavy pages and games, so a mid-range value is probably best. Also, the value of the MTU has to be a multiple of 4(?). (I set my MTU usually to 168, but 368 is a popular choice also. Content heavy games such as Aion would probably need an MTU of around 568 or so, etc. Whatever floats your boat, haha.)

Step 3) Hit enter...(lol)

If all goes well your MTU should have been changed. This method is only confirmed for Vista OS though, but it wouldn't hurt to try it with a different Windows OS.

Kind criticism is appreciated, but don't flame meeeee D:

Extra IMPORTANT-ish note! Please have a static IP address before trying to change your MTU to anything besides 1500. [GUIDE TO STATIC IP]

Pictures for reference:



If nothing works, I can try a TeamViewer session with you. This is a COMPLETE last resort though.


Windows XP users:

Step 1) Run Regedit

Step 2) Browse to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameter s\Interfaces\

Step 3) Similar to how you would disable Nagle, locate the folder which has info about your IP address

Step 4) Within that folder, there might be a value named MTU. If there isn't, create a d-word value named MTU. Modify that value and change the number to what please you. You can use Hex:MTU ratio examples that I found such as 96:150, 146:326, and 500:1280

Step 5) Reboot your computer and if a noticeable change is present, you probably changed your MTU! Congrats!

REP ME PLAWKS

Edit: Videos taken to show the difference lowering the MTU makes(in Mabinogi).

[Zack]

You should add that changing your MTU to low can result in server sided lag.

An ideal MTU set would be 385 or so. Thats what Mabinogi Wiki has it at and any lower gives me no other change (very much).

Also, when setting your MTU to low it can make you unable to connect to your internet (Wireless [I confirmed since It happened to me and a friend] but not sure about local).

When that happens simply keep trying higher and higher MTU's until you successfully connect (You have to manually disconnect your internet then re connect to test if it connects). Your probably wondering why I said manually disconnect, well for me it only disconnected "Internet". If you put your mouse over the internet icon on the bottom right it says "Local and Internet". Local means your on but you can't really do anything..

Those are just some things I noticed when changing my MTU. I have not tried on a wired internet computer but I'm sure it will do the same.

[Science]

Oh the problem with your connection showing as Local only is probably due to you not having a static IP address on your computer. Most people have dynamic IP addresses at default, so whenever their computer decides to change their IP, the internet just ceases to work and you basically have to reset your connection.

-I make no sense when I'm procrastinating like this-

[Steven]

Could you reword step 2? I'm not getting what I'm supposed to be entering...

[Science]

Could you reword step 2? I'm not getting what I'm supposed to be entering...

If you could tell me what you would like your MTU to be, and your type of connection to the internet, I can tell you exactly what you would need to type.

[Chihaya]

For me, it says that the command is not available. What did i do wrong? o.o

[Steven]

I figure I'd go with Zackeh and use 385, and I.. have wireless internet? Router and stuffs.
And I figured out what was messin' with me, the apostrophe before netsh.
What's it mean when it says "The requested operation requires elevation"?

Edit: Actually, lemme try your first note, since I use wireless.

Hm.. yeah, I used "Wireless Network Connection" and mtu=396, but it still says I require elevation.

[Science]

I figure I'd go with Zackeh and use 385, and I.. have wireless internet? Router and stuffs.
And I figured out what was messin' with me, the apostrophe before netsh.
What's it mean when it says "The requested operation requires elevation"?
Edit: Actually, lemme try your first note, since I use wireless.

netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface "Wireless Network Connection" mtu=385 store=persistent

also, make sure you ran cmd.exe as an administrator (right click->run as admin)

For me, it says that the command is not available. What did i do wrong? o.o

You may have entered in the command line wrong. If you could tell me what you typed, your type of connection, and your desired MTU, I could maybe help.

[Chihaya]

You may have entered in the command line wrong. If you could tell me what you typed, your type of connection, and your desired MTU, I could maybe help.

This is what i wrote, exactly.

netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface "Local Area Connection" mtu=0385 store=persistent

[Science]

This is what i wrote, exactly.

netsh interface ipv4 set subinterface "Local Area Connection" mtu=0385 store=persistent

You use a wired connection? If you don't I have no idea what the problem is. Maybe try removing the 0 in 0385. I think that may be it xD...