• You may need to release and renew your IP address as well as flush your DNS cache. To do this, please follow the instructions below.

→ Windows Vista Users: Windows Vista requires that you run the command prompt (DOS shell) in Administrator Mode to perform these functions. To start the DOS shell in admin mode:

1. Go to Start/Programs/Accessories and locate the “Command Prompt” shortcut.
2. Right click Command Prompt shortcut and select “Run as Administrator” from the drop down menu.
3. Continue with the Windows XP/2000/98 directions below at step 2.

→ Windows XP/2000: Release/Renew your IP address and Flush the DNS Resolver Cache:

1. Go to Start then Run and type the word “cmd” (without quotation marks) in the Run box. A DOS window should open on screen.
2. Type: “ipconfig /release” (without quotation marks) in the DOS window.
3. Wait a few seconds for a reply that the IP address has been released.
4. Type: “ipconfig /renew” (without quotation marks) in the DOS window.
5. Wait a few seconds for a reply that the IP address has been re-established.
6. Type: “ipconfig /flushdns” (without quotation marks) in the DOS window.
7. Close the DOS window and attempt to make a connection.

• If the connection difficulties persist, please Power Cycle your modem and router to reset them and allow them to re-establish a connection to your ISP. Please follow these steps to completely power cycle the devices in your network connection:

1. Shut down all computers connected to the modem/router.
2. Power down/unplug the router if you use one.
3. Power down/unplug the modem.
4. Allow to sit for 60 seconds, unplugged.
5. Turn on the modem, allow to completely boot up till the front panel connection lights show a steady connection.
6. Turn on the router, if you have one, and allow to completely boot up as well.
7. Start the computer(s) and allow to completely boot up.

• If you are using any type of firewall, router, or you are sharing your internet connection between multiple computers, you may need to set your system up to allow access to the game servers. The firewall or router will need to allow unrestricted communication on TCP and UDP Port number 80 and 443.

Please note that thriXXX is unable to assist directly with the configuration of firewalls, routers, or network configurations. If possible, try uninstalling any firewall applications on your computer, and physically removing the router from your internet connection (by having your computer connect directly to your modem). This will allow you to identify whether the firewall or router is responsible for the connection problem. If this turns out to be the case, please consult the documentation that came with that networking product, or contact the manufacturer for further assistance setting it up properly.

• Out-of-date drivers or operating system files can cause connection issues. Please check for the following updates: Operating System Updates Be sure that you have the latest updates for your operating system.

1. Windows updates are available here.
2. If you access the internet through an external broadband modem, be sure you have the latest firmware and drivers available for your modem.
3. If your computer connects to the modem via USB, be sure you have the latest drivers for your motherboard or your USB PCI card.
4. If your computer connects to the modem via Ethernet, be sure that your network card has the latest drivers installed.

Dial-up Users: Modem and ISP Software Updates If you use a dial-up modem to connect to your ISP through your telephone line, be sure that you have the latest software from your ISP and the latest drivers for the model of your modem.

• Running a Trace Route can help identify where the connection problems are occurring. The Trace Route program tests the connection from your computer to the target location you specify and every “hop” in between. Using this program you can determine at what location the data you are sending is running into a problem.

Be certain to read below for a guideline on reading a trace route as well as the message marked IMPORTANT below regarding how the trace route will appear to time out after approx. 12 hops.

Steps to run the Trace Route command

→ Windows XP/2000:

1. Click Start and then Run
2. Type “command” and press Enter
3. In the command window, type 'tracert thrixxx.com > C:\tracert.txt' (without the quotes) and press the Enter key.

→ Windows Vista and 7:

1. Click Start and in the “Start Search” field type “command” or “cmd”
2. Right click on the CMD icon and select Run as - Administrator to start the Command window
3. In the Command window, type 'tracert thrixxx.com > C:\tracert.txt' (without the quotes) and press the Enter key. A file will be created on your C: drive called tracert.txt that contains your trace route information. Please be patient when waiting for the tracert command to complete, it may take several minutes. When you are returned to the command prompt, then the trace is complete. Please add your tracert.txt along with the other steps you have tried in regards to your trouble report for further analysis. If you would like to analyze the results yourself, try our step-by-step explanation of the output produced by the tracert command below.
4. Type exit and press the Enter key to close the command window.

→ I ran Trace Route, now what do I do?

Open the tracert.txt file. You will see 3 kinds of information regarding the route that internet traffic is taking from your computer:

1. The number on the far left is the hop number.
2. The next 3 numbers (with 'ms' after each one) is the length of time, in milliseconds, it takes for your computer to receive a response from the computer you are trying to contact. A high value, for example greater than 200 ms for broadband or 350 ms for dial-up indicates that traffic is slow. Asterisks (*) indicate that your computer did not receive a response from the computer you are trying to contact at all, which can keep you from connecting to our servers all together, or cause you to be disconnected abruptly.
3. The final piece of information is the DNS (or 'name') and/or the IP number of server you are trying to contact on this hop. If you did not receive any responses from this server, you may receive an error message such as 'Request Timed Out' or 'Destination Net Unreachable'.

IMPORTANT Since our thriXXX servers are protected from unsolicited traffic and attacks, all the hops after you have reached our server (everything wit thrixxx.com or thrixxx.at) may give you an error message such as 'Request Timed Out' or 'Destination Net Unreachable'.

All error messages you may receive after contacting our server can be safely ignored for troubleshooting purposes, and they do NOT indicate a problem with your internet connection.

If you see any error messages or asterisks in your trace route for the hops before you reach our servers, you may need to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and provide them your trace route information for further troubleshooting.