Gaming network problems

Actually, it is not a routing failure. That last IP address (hop #8 in the first trace output) belongs to the gaming host *Electronic Arts* so your packets are reaching them but your IP address is being blocked internally by them for some reason. You need to contact the host about this.

Very interesting. Thanks for the tip. I'll update the thread if I find a result.

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@facemettled wrote:

Well, I updated my post with EA forums, and they say it's not them blocking the IP address, that it's Xfinity network at hop 6. .

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Nope. Hop #6 looks to be a router that is deliberately configured to drop / de-prioritize ICMP packet based ping probes. That's why you see the timeouts. Your packets are being forwarded to two hops farther upstream (hops 7and 😎 in the first trace (159.x.x.x / hop #8 is easo webspace) before they are dropped again, And they make it all the way to the destination server in the second trace.

And just as a matter of fact, hop # 6 is already beyond Comcast webspace and into level3.net backbone / transit routing webspace. Comcast is out of the picture.

Please do. Good luck with it !

I'm now on my Xfinity mobile hotspot (iPhone) and have similar results when trying to hit the easo.ea.com endpoint:

Right now I'm home with a power outage, and am using my hot spot on my iPhone. Thought I'd run a few more tests to see how it works out. I'm on Xfinity Mobile which uses Verizon's network:

$ sudo tcptraceroute easo.ea.com 443
Selected device en0, address 172.20.10.3, port 63468 for outgoing packets
Tracing the path to easo.ea.com (159.153.64.173) on TCP port 443 (https), 30 hops max
1 172.20.10.1 3.205 ms 1.700 ms 2.549 ms
2 162.sub-69-83-242.myvzw.com (69.83.242.162) 57.459 ms 39.128 ms 31.262 ms
3 * * *
4 70.sub-69-83-158.myvzw.com (69.83.158.70) 53.518 ms 19.354 ms 37.066 ms
5 * * *
6 * * *
7 * * *
8 * * *
9 * * *

$ traceroute easo.ea.com
traceroute to easo.ea.com (159.153.64.173), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
1 172.20.10.1 (172.20.10.1) 2.011 ms 1.772 ms 1.785 ms
2 162.sub-69-83-242.myvzw.com (69.83.242.162) 29.902 ms 43.357 ms 34.291 ms
3 * * *
4 70.sub-69-83-158.myvzw.com (69.83.158.70) 55.489 ms 31.221 ms 30.372 ms
5 * * *
6 88.sub-69-83-158.myvzw.com (69.83.158.88) 59.982 ms 29.624 ms 48.226 ms
7 102.sub-69-83-144.myvzw.com (69.83.144.102) 51.929 ms 28.734 ms 41.011 ms
8 103.sub-69-83-144.myvzw.com (69.83.144.103) 30.867 ms 49.720 ms 60.813 ms
9 0.ae1.br3.sea1.alter.net (140.222.0.239) 39.563 ms 49.923 ms
0.ae2.br3.sea1.alter.net (140.222.0.241) 53.172 ms
10 xe-2-2-0.mpr2.sea1.us.zip.zayo.com (64.125.12.17) 62.334 ms 44.232 ms 80.773 ms
11 ae27.cs2.sea1.us.eth.zayo.com (64.125.29.2) 116.754 ms 118.000 ms 108.737 ms
12 * * *
13 ae3.cs2.lga5.us.eth.zayo.com (64.125.29.212) 118.236 ms 108.625 ms 113.665 ms
14 * * *
15 ae1.er2.iad10.us.zip.zayo.com (64.125.25.165) 98.869 ms 130.334 ms 115.351 ms
16 64.125.199.190.t00673-02.above.net (64.125.199.190) 107.348 ms 107.161 ms 126.077 ms
17 159.153.92.98 (159.153.92.98) 116.294 ms 129.023 ms 102.235 ms
18 * * *
19 * * *
20 * * *
21 * * *

Well, I updated my post with EA forums, and they say it's not them blocking the IP address, that it's Xfinity network at hop 6. If you want to view the history, please view https://answers.ea.com/t5/Other-Madden-Games/Losing-games-due-to-disconnecting-without-even-playing-a-snap/m-p/9861608#M45716 (hope it's okay to post the link - if not, feel free to edit it out).

Either way, Xfinity is the ISP  - not me.  I agree that EA is not Level3's network. I have seen many other Google results with this same issue.

@Xfinity - Please get Xfinity Network Engineers engaged.

I don't know if Xfinity uses static routes, EIGRP, OSPF or what, but one of them seems to have an issue, or as mentioned, there is a firewall blocking my connection. Since a lot of other Googlers have the issue, hard to imagine I am being blocked unless it's an entire network being blocked at the WAN level.

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@facemettled wrote: Either way, Xfinity is the ISP ...

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No, as EG has said the hops that are timing out in your traceroutes are NOT Comcast hops. They belong to Level 3, Verizon, or other networks beyond those.  Comcast has no control how other networks handle packets.

Most likely, as stated, those hops reflect rate limiting of trace packets. See https://www.dslreports.com/faq/14068.

Thanks for the info. I agree this is looking pretty bad for EA, and they're trying hard to press back and ignore the issue just like they do with their buggy games. Maybe I'll just give up on EA 😞

Thanks again for your help!

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@facemettled wrote:

I don't know if Xfinity uses static routes, EIGRP, OSPF or what

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FWIW, BGP routing announcement / advertisement is used.