Call of Duty: Black Ops connection problems

Just a short post: I don’t know about you, but I’m now officially sick of the connection problems plaguing both Xbox 360 and PS3 players alike.  News that the Wii version (a wonderful irony in itself) got patched left me practically foaming at the mouth.  What about the rest of us?

Issues I’ve come across when playing online have included but are not limited to: ‘loss of connection’, ‘could not connect to host’, ‘ethernet cable unplugged’ (totally bogus), being booted from a match only to be unable to rejoin as the match is full, being separated from a friend in a party, being booted into theatre mode, and booted into training mode etc…

Something is quite obviously broke.  So please fix it Treyarch, you have a great game but these issues are just ruining multiplayer for myself and many others.  No wonder I’ve seen quite a few people in my friends list switch back from playing Black Ops to Modern Warfare 2.

17/12/10 Update: Treyarch have recently patched Black Ops for the Xbox 360 and the PS3, but there are reports of PS3 users still suffering from connection problems and freezing.  I’ve yet to check out Black Ops myself since the patch as I’ve switched back to Modern Warfare 2, go figure.  I’ll update this post when I can be bothered going back on Black Ops.

19/12/10 Update: Probably had the least disruption yet on Black Ops with only one disconnection from a game BUT the game froze on me again.  I’ve narrowed the freezing problem down to cancelling the killcam to allow you to respawn and… it freezes.  I called it a night after that happened.  Stay tuned for more info as and when.

23/12/10 Update: PS3 multiplayer got patched yesterday to version 1.05.  The good news?  Errr…  The bad news?  The game still freezes the PS3, and contrary to my update above, it seems to be caused by pretty much anything.  Contacting Treyarch/Activision about this now.

See also my follow-up post

Black Ops connection problems: my chat with Activision

Tips to speed up your network

Many people put up with very slow internet speeds and poor network performance.  With a little tweaking, you too could have a fast connection that’s reliable and works for you.  If you follow all (or at least most) of these steps, you’ll have a network that’s actually up to the task of managing data across any home computers, portable devices (iPhones, iPads etc), and of course, your games console.  There’s no excuse!

Sort out your computer

If you’re running Windows, then for antivirus install Microsoft Security Essentials as it’s lean, mean, and doesn’t bother you.  Plus it’s free, which helps!  It goes without saying that if your computer is very old and/or full with too many programs, then you may need to give it a spring clean or think about making an upgrade if the situation warrants it.

It’s worth mentioning that spyware and malware can significantly slow down your browsing experience, so you should regularly scan for nasties.  Yup, it’s obvious, but it needs to be said.  Also, whether you’re running Windows or a Mac, always have your firewall turned on.

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