10+ Years Delay Issue – Found UDP Packet Size Problem via Wireshark
Hi,
I'm playing EA FC25 from Israel and I've been experiencing serious delay issues for years – ever since FIFA 12.
Back then I didn’t understand the cause of the problem. I thought it was just how online gameplay feels, but something always felt wrong: my players were slow, delayed, and unresponsive compared to others.
Out of frustration, I quit the game and stopped playing FIFA for years.
Two weeks ago, I decided to come back and try again with FC25 – and sadly, the exact same issue is still happening. But this time I started deep technical analysis using Wireshark, and I finally found something concrete:
🔎 My UDP packet sizes are **abnormally small** – average of 103 bytes, sometimes as low as 40–70 bytes.
According to network standards and several sources, EA’s game normally uses **~1024 byte** UDP packets for optimal online gameplay. The difference in packet size clearly affects real-time responsiveness.
When I tested with a mobile hotspot or using remote play via a friend's console – the packet sizes were significantly larger (~800–1300 bytes), and the gameplay was noticeably smoother.
I’ve ruled out everything on my side:
- Tried multiple ISPs (same problem)
- Replaced routers, cables, used direct PPPoE
- No packet loss, no jitter
- No background traffic
- Used ExitLag and GearUP Booster – no consistent improvement
- DNS tested: 1.1.1.1 / 8.8.8.8
- MTU values confirmed
It’s clear that something in the routing or ISP handling is **fragmenting or shrinking** the UDP packets between my console and EA servers.
This issue is regional and persistent for over a decade.
🧾 I have **full evidence** to prove this – including:
- Multiple full Wireshark captures
- UDP packet size breakdown
- Graphs comparing good vs bad gameplay
- Server IPs and connection quality
Please escalate this to your network engineering team. I’m willing to provide everything required. After more than 10 years of trying, I just want to enjoy the game like everyone else.
Thank you.
