Troubleshooting network and connectivity error messages

I'm sure you're here because you want to know what those error messages mean that popped up on your screen and how you can "fix" them.

Spoiler! There are messages you can't fix alone, so let's take a look at which ones you can and which ones you will need to contact us for.

First of all, let's talk about the "error obelus.” Each error message includes an obelus, a reference mark that identifies the problem. We've categorized some of them below that may be related to your device's network and internet connection.

Network/Connectivity Errors

Now that we have that out of the way, connection problems can be due to a variety of reasons—problems with your PC, the Wi-Fi router, modem, or your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Network errors may also be caused by our network gear, cloud provider or services too! Try the following steps to help narrow down the source of the problem.

Let's start of with some general troubleshooting tips:

• Make sure that you -- or someone else in your family -- aren't running any other programs or ongoing downloads on your network that would be hogging all the bandwidth. Some example of bandwidth-consuming applications are cloud file-sharing applications; and streaming music, videos, and movies.
• In addition to these applications using your internet bandwidth, Windows can run many additional services in the background that can slow your PC down. To check and monitor these background services and apps, follow the steps below:
  • Right-click the Windows Taskbar and open "Task Manager."
  • Click on the " Performance Tab in the "Task Manager" menu.
  • At the bottom, you'll see "Open Resource Monitor" click that link.
  • Then click on the "network" tab and check for services and apps that show a high number of send and receive requests. 
  • Close all applications that you're not using by right clicking on them and selecting "end process". Note: If you're not sure about an application, do not close it.
• Disconnect from VPN services if you're using them.
• Check with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and see if they are experiencing any issues connecting to us or if they have any temporary outages.

Then let's start with checking if there is a problem with the connection to your Wi-Fi router

• Make sure Wi-Fi is on. Select Start  > Settings  > Network Status > Wi-Fi. Next, select Show available networks
• See if your Wi-Fi network appears in the list of networks. If it does, select the Wi-Fi network, and they try to connect to it. If it says Connected underneath the network name, select Disconnect, wait a moment, and then select Connect again.
• Run the network troubleshooter to help diagnose and fix common connection problems.

To run Windows Network troubleshooter:

• Use the network troubleshooter. Select Start  > Settings  > Network & Internet > Status. Under Change your network settings, select Network troubleshooter.
• Restart your modem and wireless router. This helps create a new connection to your internet service provider (ISP). 

  • Unplug the power cable for the router from the power source.

  • Unplug the power cable for the modem from the power source. Some modems have a backup battery. If you unplug the modem and lights stay on, remove the battery from the modem.

  • Wait 10 seconds or so. If you had to remove the battery from the modem, put it back in.

  • Plug the modem back into the power source. The lights on the modem will blink. Wait for them to stop blinking.

  • Plug your router back into the power source. Wait a minute for the modem and router to finish starting. You can usually tell when they’re ready by looking at the status lights on the devices.

  • Reboot your PC and try to connect again.

  • The above steps are some basic ones, Microsoft Windows Support has some additional things you can try on their site.

To check your Wi-Fi connection we'll do a ping test but first:

• Disconnect from VPN services if you're using them.

• Right click on the taskbar and select Search, type Command prompt. The Command Prompt button will appear. To the right of it, select Run as administrator. It will give you a pop-up window and select Yes.

• At the command prompt, type ipconfig, and then select Enter. Look for the name of your Wi-Fi network within the results, and then find the IP address listed next to Default gateway for that Wi-Fi network.  Write down that address if you need to. For example:  192.168.1.1

  • • At the prompt, type ping <DefaultGateway> (example: ping 192.168.1.1) and then hit Enter.  For example, type ping 192.168.1.1 and select Enter.  The results should be something like this:

      Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64

      Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64

      Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64

      Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=5ms TTL=64

      Ping statistics for 192.168.1.1:

      Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),

      Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds: 

      Minimum = 4ms, Maximum = 5ms, Average = 4ms

  • If you see results like this and are getting a reply, then you have a connection to your Wi-Fi router, so there might be a problem with your modem or ISP. Check with a different device if your ISP has a service outage or contact them.
  • If the results of the ping test indicate that you are not getting a reply from the router, try connecting your PC directly to your modem by using an Ethernet cable. If you can connect to the internet using an Ethernet cable, it confirms the connection problem is due to the Wi-Fi router. Make sure you've installed the latest firmware and see the documentation for your router.

If you're still not having any luck getting into the game or staying connected, we're sincerely sorry about that! Please open a support ticket and let us know more about the difficulties you're experiencing so that we can help you get back to playing again.