Neo's Realm Down Guide
I run "Neo Baals" on USEast NL and I get asked all the time how I avoid realm downs, what realm downs are, and how they work. So I figured I would be helpful and write this guide.
Note: You should be aware that no one outside of Blizzard (to my knowledge) knows exactly how a realm down works; so don't trust random people who claim they know exactly how it works. The information I have has been attained with quite a lot of trial and error. I've also done some research (I'd like to credit a source I used, but it's inappropriate to this forum
).
Terms Used- CD-Key - The numbers and letters you entered when you installed the game.
- IP Ban - IP stands for "internet protocol." An IP ban is when your PC's unique IP address is temporarily (or permanently) blocked from accessing a server. In this case, Blizzard's game servers.
- Packets - Individual "packets" or "snippets" of information which are sent to and from your PC to communicate with other machines.
- TOS - Blizzard's "Terms of Service." The contract you must agree to when making an account online.
What is a realm down?A realm down is a temporary IP ban typically resulting from creating or joining too many games in a certain time period.
What is a "flagged" realm down?A "flagged" realm down is when blizzard "red-flags" your CD-Key. Any IP's associated with that CD-Key will get realm downs after one or two games. The exact cause of getting a "flagged" realm down vs. a "normal" realm down is unknown.
Example: Say you're running baals and suddenly get a realm down. You cleverly change your IP address and resume your baal runs. But after just one game you receive another realm down! This means your CD-Key has been flagged.
How long can realm downs last?Realm downs have been known to last from 2 minutes to 2 weeks depending on the severity. However, the most common time lengths by far are the 2 minute, 1 hour, and 12 hour realm downs.
What causes a realm down?The most common known causes are...- creating or joining over 20 games per hour on any given CD-Key (this number has been known to fluctuate +/- 5)
- rapid anything - logging in and out too fast, moving through chats too fast, moving in and out of games too fast, etc.
- spamming chats or sending packets across Blizzard's servers too fast (this is known as "flooding the server")
- attempting to use an invalid CD-Key
Other reasons are...- more than one connection to battle.net
- using "third-party" software not sanctioned by Blizzard
- entering the wrong account name or password too many times
- scrolling too quickly through skills
- casting instant spells for a long (long) period of time
- connection issues (high latency, firewalls, ports, you have a virus, etc.)
- advertising anything that isn't owned by blizzard
- use of a CD-Key that is also in use by a malicious user (spam bot, etc.)
How can I fix a realm down?Normal Realm Down:Follow
T3H's guide to changing your router's IP.
What if I don't use a wireless router?If you get your internet access from something other than a wireless router attached to a cable modem, your best bet is to
disconnect everything completely, wait 5 minutes, then reconnect. If you are
still realm downed, it's best to just wait it out. However, if you are impatient there are "Socks5" proxy services you can use (google "Socks5"). You won't be able to connect to battle.net with most of the free ones, so I suggest paying for one if you feel you really need a proxy.
Flagged Realm Down:A flagged CD-Key usually lasts 12-24 hours and is much harder to circumvent than a normal realm down, so really there are only 3 options...
1) Wait the 12-24 hours until your flag and realm down clears.
2) As a temporary solution you can simply continue to change your IP after every realm down (It's
possible this can get you permanently banned, so use sparingly).
3) Change
both your CD-Key
and IP address to a fresh CD-Key and IP address (check "How can I change my CD-Key?" below).
*It is important to reiterate that a flagged realm down applies to IP addresses as well in the sense that switching your CD-Key but not switching your IP address will result in yet another flagged CD-Key (your new cd-key will be using the same IP address as the old one). You need to switch
both your IP
and your CD-Key if you are changing CD-Keys as a fix.
How can I change my CD-Key?There are third-party programs which allow you to change your CD-Keys quite easily. However, this site doesn't allow discussion of those programs as they likely violate the Blizzard TOS.
So, here is a
legal method which does not violate Blizzard's TOS (as long as you are only playing one copy of Diablo 2 per computer at any given time).
1) Install Diablo 2 as you would normally using your 1st CD-Key.
2) Copy the entire "C:\Program Files\Diablo II" directory onto your desktop.
3) Change the name of the folder you just copied: "C:\Program Files\
Diablo II" to "C:\Program Files\
anythingelse"
4) Re-Install Diablo 2 using your 2nd CD-Key (you may be forced to uninstall first depending on your operating system).
5) Cut what you copied to your desktop and paste it in the "C:\Program Files\" directory.
6) Voila! You're done. Simply play the game from either directory to change Cd-Keys. You will
not be able to play both at once.
Some Realm Down Myths Debunked- Logging in during a realm down does NOT increase the time you have to wait for the realm down to clear.
- Realm downs are NOT the same for everyone.
- There is NO way to know how long a realm down will last.
Let me know if I missed anything.
This post was edited by neosoph on Nov 17 2011 04:16am