How to fix packet loss in FFXIV

Since the release of the Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker patch 6.1, some players have been reporting that they’re experiencing lag and stuttering in their game. While most chalked this up to individual connection issues, a recent post on the Final Fantasy XIV Lodestone confirmed that it is an issue related to the 6.1 patches.

The post confirmed that players have been experiencing so-called “packet loss” due to information being lost or interrupted during connection. Since these issues have arisen in the last few weeks, Square Enix has shared some methods to identify if you’re suffering from packet loss and how to fix them.

Official developer fix for 6.1 packet loss issues

In their previously mentioned post, the developers related that the first step to fixing packet loss is to identify the route in which your data is traveling. To do this, open the Command Prompt. You can access Command Prompt in Windows by navigating to the search bar and pressing the R key, and then Enter to open the Run tool. 

In the Run tool, type cmd to open the Command Prompt. Next, you’ll need to type in tracert (Your Data Center’s IP Address). So, for example, for North America, you’d type in tracert 202.2.229.119. IP Addresses of each Data Center are listed below:

•  JP: 124.150.157.15 (tracert 124.150.157.15)
•  NA: 204.2.229.116 (tracert 204.2.229.116)
•  EU: 195.82.50.33 (tracert 195.82.50.33)
•  OC: 153.254.80.65 (tracert 153.254) .80.65)

Next, press Enter and wait while the process runs. Take a screenshot when it’s done (it should have around 10-15 rows when complete). Finally, remove any personal information from the picture using an image editor (IP addresses, folder addresses, etc.) and submit your results to this thread on the Final Fantasy XIV Forums. 

Related: NSFW Adventurer Plates are getting players banned in Final Fantasy XIV

Square Enix is in the process of compiling information about packet loss from each Data Center so it can create a fix. Submitting your information here will help speed up the process. In effect, Square Enix is aggregating information about packet loss so they can find anomalies and fix the issues.

In the meantime, the best way to fix your packet loss is to change or reset your IP address. This, in effect, gives your connection a new route and may bypass some of the current packet loss issues until Square Enix can come up with a complete fix. To do this, unplug your router for a few minutes, which will cause your IP to be reallocated.

For more Final Fantasy XIV guides and information check out The race to beat Final Fantasy XIV’s newest Ultimate starts tomorrow on Pro Game Guides.