How do I fix my "connection to the server timed out" error?

Well, the next obvious test would be for your friends who don't have the problem to come and play at your place to see if it's your ISP / Network equipment that are causing the problem.

Please accept the solution if it's correct and press the XP button if somebody helped you.

Cheers
-Carbonic

All friends that play BF3 play on desktops, so I can't really do that. Either way, chances are it's not my computer since it worked fine elsewhere.

That's why I mentioned your network equipment / ISP to be the possible fault here. By that I mean your router and basicly everything between your computer and whatever hole your internet comes out of and your Internet service provider as well.

First I would try doing a UOtrace to EA's servers to check for timeout problems and check where they occour - https://help.ea.com/article/how-to-uo-trace

Also, you could look at this handy dandy post for possible tweaks to make your internet more stable for Battlefield: http://answers.ea.com/t5/Battlefield-3/Battlefield-3-fixes-guide-read-carefully/td-p/76264

Please accept the solution if it's correct and press the XP button if somebody helped you.

Cheers
-Carbonic

I've seen that guide before and I tried all the fixes having to do with disconnection/crashing; unfortunately nothing worked.

As for the UOtrace, the tutorial said I should type the name of the server in the UOtrace utility; what should I be putting there?

easo.ea.com as the guide suggests 🙂

Ok I tried that and 6 out of the 12 host names had black icons/100% ping loss; but how am i even connecting to BF3 in that case?

Here are the results:

Host Name IP Address Hop Ping Time Ping Avg % Loss Pkts r/s Ping best/worst

* Unknown Host * 10.0.1.1 1 1ms 1ms 0% 108 / 108 0ms / 128ms

bas1-ottawa08_lo0_SYMP.net.bell.c64.230.200.128 2 6ms 7ms 0% 108 / 108 4ms / 132ms

dis9-ottawa10_4-1-0_100.net.bell.64.230.58.142 3 5ms 5ms 0% 108 / 108 4ms / 23ms

bx4-chicagodt_xe0-1-1-0.net.bell.64.230.186.110 4 22ms 25ms 0% 108 / 108 20ms / 74ms

* Unknown Host * 12.249.212.9 5 23ms 27ms 0% 108 / 108 20ms / 87ms

cr1.cgcil.ip.att.net 12.122.99.22 6 38ms 100% 0 / 108

cr2.wswdc.ip.att.net 12.122.18.22 7 39ms 100% 0 / 108

cr84.wswdc.ip.att.net 12.123.10.250 8 36ms 100% 0 / 108

gar2.ascva.ip.att.net 12.122.134.117 9 35ms 100% 0 / 108

* Unknown Host * 12.116.77.34 10 35ms 35ms 0% 108 / 108 34ms / 58ms

fert07-eqx-iad.ea.com 159.153.224.226 11 35ms 100% 0 / 108

meav5-pub.pt.iad.ea.com 159.153.226.105 12 35ms 100% 0 / 107

Sorry if it's hard to read I can't think of any other way to post the results

Well, as you can read from the guide, som hosts along the way will just not respond as that is not their intended function. However, if you run the test, specificly when you are having problems, you might notice that there are packetlosses or high ms's.

Some questions:

• Are the problem happening in other network intensive games? Other online fps games perhaps?
• How is your network configuration? (Cable-->Modem-->Router(brand model)-->switch-->computer)
• Have you updated your drivers, ie. motherboard, network adapter, etc. ?
• Are you playing on different servers? (I presume they have good ping)
• Is your router using the newest firmware?
• Have you tried connecting your computer directly to the modem or however you are getting the internet.
• Does it happen more frequently when you are using torrents, downloading, have several users on the internet?

Looking at your uotrace there might be some problems, especially with the first one to "* Unknown Host" which I suspect is the Apple Airport thing. It should never reach a worst ping of 128ms also the next step reaches 132ms which is quite high. I don't think it should be high enough to course you to be kicked from the servers but it could indicate a problem.

Again, this is the hard way to do it, the easy thing would be for someone else to play BF3 on your network 😉

Please accept the solution if it's correct and press the XP button if somebody helped you.

Cheers
-Carbonic

Ps. just as a reference, this is how my UOtrace looks(my ip replaced with x's):

Host Name IP Address Hop Ping Time Ping Avg % Loss Pkts r/s Ping best/worst
DIR-615 192.168.1.1 1 0ms 0ms 0% 142 / 142 0ms / 1ms
ip-15-1.bnaa.dk x.x.x.x 2 0ms 5ms 0% 142 / 142 0ms / 23ms
te-2-2.core16.net.bnaa.dk 84.238.2.74 3 12ms 10ms 0% 142 / 142 5ms / 20ms
* Unknown Host * 194.255.178.97 4 5ms 5ms 0% 142 / 142 5ms / 14ms
telia-dk-106842-kbn-b1.c.telia.ne213.248.66.146 5 5ms 5ms 0% 142 / 142 5ms / 7ms
kbn-b1-geth2-3.telia.net 213.248.66.145 6 5ms 9ms 0% 142 / 142 5ms / 55ms
kbn-bb1-link.telia.net 213.155.130.96 7 29ms 12ms 0% 142 / 142 5ms / 85ms
nyk-bb1-link.telia.net 80.91.254.89 8 103ms 98ms 0% 142 / 142 85ms / 167ms
nyk-b5-link.telia.net 213.155.131.137 9 87ms 91ms 0% 142 / 142 86ms / 139ms
* Unknown Host * 192.205.36.109 10 97ms 93ms 0% 142 / 142 87ms / 145ms
cr2.n54ny.ip.att.net 12.122.81.110 11 96ms 100% 0 / 142
cr2.wswdc.ip.att.net 12.122.3.38 12 97ms 100% 0 / 142
cr84.wswdc.ip.att.net 12.123.10.250 13 94ms 100% 0 / 141
gar2.ascva.ip.att.net 12.122.134.117 14 107ms 100% 0 / 141
* Unknown Host * 12.116.77.34 15 92ms 92ms 0% 141 / 141 92ms / 102ms
fert07-eqx-iad.ea.com 159.153.224.226 16 96ms 100% 0 / 141
meav5-pub.pt.iad.ea.com 159.153.226.105 17 98ms 100% 0 / 141

I don't play any other intensive games online on pc, but I do occasionally diconnect even on TF2, which is relatively light.

I connect via wifi from my Airport Extreme, which is connected to my modem (don't know what kind; my ISP is Bell if that helps, since they supplied the modem)

I haven't updated my drivers and don't really know how to

I've had this problem on at least five different servers, all with ping under 50ms

I believe there's an update available for my router, which I'll update before I try playing again

No I haven't tried tried directly connecting to my modem but that's a good idea; I'll try that

I don't know if other people using the internet, downloading, etc makes it disconnect more, but the rate of disconnection fluctuates like crazy so that could definitely be the case

1. TF2 is not light on network traffic since there's many players. so that means it's not Battlefield's or EA's fault 🙂
2. Now I don't know how far you are away from your wifi and what quality it is, but using a cable instead might help
3. Look here how to update: https://help.ea.com/article/finding-devices-and-updating-drivers or just google it - your network card drivers are the most important
4. Ok, problem is in several servers which means the server is not to blame
5. Yes please update your router
6. If connecting directly to your modem fixes it, then we know the router is to blame
7. Well, testing this seems straight forward, test it when you are the only one there

I hope this will lead to you solving your problem, I think I have been pretty helpfull so please click the xp button at my usefull posts and if this fixes and when you figure out what the problem is and thus it's solution then accept it so others with similar problems can find this thread easier 🙂

Looking forward to hear how it goes.

Ok thanks for the help; hopefully I'll be able to get it working.