My ping is terribly high at 600 ms +

Model Name: iMac
Model Identifier: iMac5,1
Processor Name: Intel Core 2 Duo
Processor Speed: 2.16 GHz
Number Of Processors: 1
Total Number Of Cores: 2
L2 Cache (per processor): 4 MB
Memory: 2 GB
Bus Speed: 667 MHz
MAC OSX 10.4.11

I am having trouble with my ping speed and cannot figure out what to do in order to improve it. My ISP is with Comcast and my speeds are well in excess of 3mb in downloads and about 1.5 mb in uploads from all states.

I have XP installed on my IMAC using bootcamp.

My web browsing is perfect and only notice issues with my connection when playing online games.
I use both airport and a cat5 connected to a 5 user router downstairs. The problem is persistant even when I am the only computer using internet.

The problem becomes apparent when playing online games.


Regardless... this post is in reference to another game , when attempting to play SECOND LIFE, I freeze due to my excess in PING speeds, according to the game, in excess of 600 ms according to the game.

What can I do... I feel that if I resolve this issue with my mac game, it will also help to resolve th ping connectivity issue with my XP OS gaming issue.

Please note I have no computer terminology literacy, as you may tell from the details listed above, but I am proficient with computers in general.

Please help me to fix my PING speeds... I am more proficient with PC's and a am a fairly new MAC user, where do I start?

THANKS

BEST REGARDS.
IMARK

XP/OSX ping to www.google.com

I had to type out the command since i couldn't figure out how to copy thee results into txt. SO here it is XP, in summary.

XP
Pinging http://www.l.google.com [64.223.169.147] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from [64.223.169.147]: bytes= 32 time= 37 TTL= 243
"" time =14
"" time =15
"" time =24 ms
Ping stats for [64.223.169.147]:
Packets sent 4, recvd 4, lost 0%
min=14ms, Max=37ms, AVG=22ms

OSX

OSX
mark-pennimans-computer:~ PENNIMAN$ ping http://www.googel.com
PING http://www.google.com (64.233.161.147): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 64.233.161.147: icmp_seq=0 ttl=242 time=39.435 ms
64 bytes from 64.233.161.147: icmp_seq=1 ttl=242 time=14.344 ms
64 bytes from 64.233.161.147: icmp_seq=2 ttl=242 time=14.874 ms
64 bytes from 64.233.161.147: icmp_seq=3 ttl=242 time=15.713 ms
64 bytes from 64.233.161.147: icmp_seq=4 ttl=242 time=18.698 ms
64 bytes from 64.233.161.147: icmp_seq=5 ttl=242 time=15.218 ms
64 bytes from 64.233.161.147: icmp_seq=6 ttl=242 time=15.712 ms
64 bytes from 64.233.161.147: icmp_seq=7 ttl=242 time=16.159 ms
64 bytes from 64.233.161.147: icmp_seq=8 ttl=242 time=16.548 ms
64 bytes from 64.233.161.147: icmp_seq=9 ttl=242 time=14.992 ms
64 bytes from 64.233.161.147: icmp_seq=10 ttl=242 time=15.825 ms
^C
--- http://www.google.com ping statistics ---
11 packets transmitted, 11 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 14.344/17.956/39.435/6.879 ms
mark-pennimans-computer:~ PENNIMAN$

Its not my OS. LONG POST FOLLOWING>>>

I called the ISP and they found no lost packets.
I checked my XP firwall log and found lost packets concerning port # 1900-1901 UDP, this is only, I think, while I'm connected to a server on battlefield 2 game, as multiplayer, but I'm not sure.

My internet speeds are 1319 download and 1219kbps upload.

I open ports for the game, enabled my computer on to DMZ, and applied a static ping, but then had to change it because the ping number would not change when applying the DMZ, so its back to DHCP.

Cleanned computer of Spyware, malware, etc...

All this and for some reason, I surf the net without any problems but as soon as I play an online game I get sucked out of bandwidth and my Ping, even if its below 100 for testing, goes up the roof!!! and I get kicked from server.

I did get further than I ever have on this project when I noticed that, (in XP, while playing Battlefield on a server) a small number of other players such as 1 or 3 on a 32 player server, I can actually move around but the LAG is so intense that it makes it impossible to play. This is oppose to the complete freeze with "There is a problem to your connection" written across the screen. According to my research this only happens when there is a Spike in PING, the server overflows and either kicks everybody off, or freezes and resumes play. In association to this, the latest Patch 4.1 (i think as of 12/14/07) was specifically designed to fix these server crashes possibly do to a PING overload of such. WhatI also noticed is that I don't have any problems playing battlefield until I install the latest Patch. Its as though, in order to fix the last patche's proble, conditions where set that may be requiring a higher setting with the network, but not necessarily a better internet speed. How do I open this bottleneck, and let the UDP/TCP FLOW BETTER!???

My solution is to connect directly to the internet CAT5 instead of going through the 5 port router provided by COMCAST... I 'll try this and hopefully come up with a conclusion.

Considering my frustration, is there anybody out there that can asses the problem, and come up with a reasonable answer for me to investigate follow or even consider as plausible?

Thank you

No disrespect to anybody, but I have lost 3 days of sleep, and have tried many different options with windows XP, Battlefield 2, Punk buster , tweaking my TCP, turned off firwalls, disabled features for performance, followed many dead end posts that result in nothing but "jump to conclusion" attitudes. I don't have a point, I know nobdoy is paid to break their heads over this make sure you know that I know that... I just like venting

ports on modem are open, firwalls on both OSX and XP open.

Actually, I just opened the firewalls on OSX, but it doesn't seem to want to allow me to play

When I finally long onto to the server that I choose to play on, and once the map loads and I'm requested to select my "spawn point", I see there is nothing statiky or laggy about my surroundings. Still "there is a problem with your connection " across the screen.

If I try to play Second World on My OSX, there is an in game status of my network connection. I believe both issues have something in common. I notice though that I am literally drained of my bandwidth until, eventually, get kicked, "your PING has reached excess rate of above +600 " Then a network displays a connection problem.... I bet this is something to do with the router Comcast gave me... I'll try connecting directly to the internet instead of going through the router. Then get back to posting results.... please post with any ideas, I've tried so many things, that although I know of a plausible idea that might solve the problem, I pretty much dought it will work anyway... and this my friends is called giving up!

So help me out since its such a common problem.

cheers.