EA Javelin anticheat terminates PPPoE internet session on game launch
# Bug Report — EA Javelin anticheat terminates PPPoE (dial-up) internet session on game launch | Field | Value | |---|---| | **Product** | Apex Legends (Steam) | | **Component** | EA Javelin anticheat (EAAntiCheat) | | **Platform** | Windows 11 Pro, build 10.0.26300, x64 | | **First observed** | 2026-09-30 — the day after the EAC → EA Javelin migration | | **Reproducibility** | 100% (5/5 attempts over 2026-10-04) | | **Severity** | High — complete loss of internet connectivity for the whole OS, not just the game | | **Launcher** | Steam (`E:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\Apex Legends`) — **not** the EA app | --- ## TL;DR Launching Apex Legends on a machine whose internet is a **Windows PPPoE dial-up connection** terminates the internet session **~10 seconds after the game starts**. Windows still reports the dial-up connection as **"Connected"**, but the OS has **no IPv4 address on that interface and an empty routing table** — i.e. the connection is a zombie. After 20–76 seconds Windows finally tears the session down (RAS reason code **631**) and auto-redials, restoring connectivity. The **physical link layer is unaffected** (verified with 250 ms polling — zero link state changes). The issue **does not occur** with another kernel-level anticheat on the same machine and network (Tencent ACE, via Delta Force), and began **exactly** with the switch from Easy Anti-Cheat to EA Javelin. --- ## Environment - **OS:** Windows 11 Pro 10.0.26300 - **Internet:** Windows PPPoE dial-up connection named `宽带连接`, over a Realtek Gaming 2.5GbE NIC (campus broadband). IPv6 is also assigned on the same PPPoE session via Router Advertisement. - **Anticheat build:** `EAAntiCheat.*` files dated 2026-09-29; `EAAntiCheat.Installer.exe` 2026-09-30 - **EA app:** not installed — the game is launched from Steam - **No VPN / proxy / accelerator active during reproduction** (see *Ruled out* below) --- ## Steps to reproduce 1. Connect to the internet using the Windows PPPoE dial-up connection. 2. Launch Apex Legends (Steam). 3. Wait approximately 10 seconds. **Observed:** All internet access on the machine is lost. --- ## Observed behaviour — measured timeline ### Occurrence #1 — 2026-10-04 | Time (UTC+8) | Source | Event | |---|---|---| | 13:05:22 | — | Apex launched | | **13:05:32** | NetworkProfile | `网络已断开连接 (宽带连接)` — connection drops | | 13:05:34 | sampler | No IPv4 address on PPPoE interface; **routing table empty** | | 13:05:50 | FilterManager | `EAAntiCheat` filesystem filter **unloaded** (game exit) | | 13:05:56.166 | RasClient 20226 | Session terminated, **reason code 631** | | 13:05:57.3 | RasClient 20225 | Auto-redial succeeds | | 13:05:58 | sampler | Connectivity restored | Outage ≈ 25 s. ### Occurrence #2 — 2026-10-04 | Time | Event | |---|---| | 13:11:56 | Apex process appears | | **13:12:06** | No IPv4 address; routing empty; outage begins | | 13:12:47 | RasClient 20226, **reason code 631** | | 13:12:48 | Auto-redial succeeds | Outage ≈ 42 s. ### Occurrence #3 — 2026-10-04 (250 ms link monitoring active) | Time | Event | |---|---| | 13:14:58.318 | PPPoE interface loses its IPv4 address | | 13:16:14.711 | IPv4 address returns (auto-redial) | Outage ≈ 76 s. **During this entire window the NIC reported `Status=Up`, `MediaConnectionState=Connected`, with zero link-state changes.** --- ## Key diagnostic findings **1. The connection is a zombie, not a dropped link.** A snapshot taken mid-outage shows `rasdial` reporting: ``` Connected to 宽带连接 Command completed successfully. ``` …while at the same moment: ``` Get-NetIPAddress -InterfaceAlias '宽带连接' -AddressFamily IPv4 → no result Get-NetRoute -DestinationPrefix '0.0.0.0/0' → no result ``` This exactly matches the user-visible symptom: *"the dial-up still shows as connected but nothing loads."* **2. The physical link is not involved.** A 250 ms-resolution monitor polled the NIC link state and the PPPoE interface continuously. Across a 76-second outage the link reported `Up / Connected` with **zero transitions**. **3. The network adapter stack momentarily disappears.** In one capture taken during an outage, `Get-NetAdapter` returned **no adapters at all** — only the loopback interface was present, and `rasdial` reported `没有连接` ("no connections"). **4. An anomalous default route appeared during one outage.** A capture recorded the default route as: ``` 0.0.0.0/0 ifIndex 29 NextHop 198.18.0.2 ``` `198.18.0.0/15` is an RFC 2544 benchmarking range, commonly used as a pseudo-gateway by TUN-style virtual adapters. Interface 29 was transient and is not a normal PPPoE interface (PPPoE is point-to-point and always has NextHop `0.0.0.0`). No VPN or proxy was running. **5. Unclean shutdowns correlated with the same period.** Two bugchecks occurred in the same timeframe: - 2026-09-30 17:26:20 — `0x000000CE` `DRIVER_UNLOADED_WITHOUT_CANCELLING_PENDING_OPERATIONS` - 2026-10-01 11:06:08 — `0x000000CE` (same signature) Both occurred ~4.5 minutes after boot, with no user-initiated action. **6. Timing correlation with the anticheat.** The `EAAntiCheat` filesystem filter loads ~10 s before each outage and unloads when the game exits. Every recorded outage on this machine begins with that load window. --- ## Ruled out (with method) The following were tested and **eliminated** as causes on this machine: | Suspect | Method | Result | |---|---|---| | Third-party game accelerator (VeryKuai / 迅游) | Exited the application **and** stopped its WFP kernel driver (`sc stop vkdpi`) — confirmed zero filter activity in its debug log | **Still reproduces** → eliminated | | Physical NIC / cable / link flap | 250 ms-resolution link-state monitor | Zero link transitions → eliminated | | NIC power saving (Realtek Green Ethernet, EEE, PnP power management) | Link state never changed during outages | eliminated | | Another kernel anticheat (Tencent ACE) | Played Delta Force (WeGame, ACE-protected) on the same machine/network | **No outage** → eliminates "generic anticheat vs PPPoE" | | Javelin's *kernel driver* hooking the network stack | Enumerated all filesystem minifilters and all third-party NDIS/WFP kernel drivers — `EAAntiCheat` is registered as a **filesystem minifilter** (`FSFilter Activity Monitor`), and there is **no** anticheat network driver present | Not the mechanism — but does not exonerate the **user-mode** service | | ISP-side / campus network policy | Not directly testable from the client; however the outage is 100% correlated with game launch and does not occur with another game | Unlikely | --- ## What we are asking 1. **Does EA Javelin modify host network configuration during initialisation?** Specifically: does it disable, reset, or re-enumerate network adapters, inject routes, or create a virtual/TUN interface? The transient interface with gateway `198.18.0.2` and the momentary disappearance of the entire adapter list suggest exactly this kind of activity. 2. **Is there a known incompatibility between EA Javelin and PPPoE / dial-up connections?** PPPoE is point-to-point and has no ARP layer; an anticheat that enumerates or manipulates network adapters generically may not handle it correctly. 3. **Is there a fixed build?** The installed anticheat files are dated 2026-09-29 / 2026-09-30. If a hotfix has shipped since, please advise how to obtain it (the game auto-updates via Steam but the anticheat build may be pinned). 4. **Workaround?** Is there any supported way to run Apex Legends on a PPPoE connection without triggering this? --- ## Attachments / data available on request Full diagnostic captures are available, including: - Second-by-second network state logs (3 s resolution) covering each outage - 250 ms link-layer state log covering a complete 76 s outage - Full network snapshot captured automatically ~3 s after each outage began (adapters, IP configuration, full routing table, TCP connection table, ARP table, DNS configuration, hosts file, proxy settings) - RAS event log extracts with reason codes - Windows FilterManager load/unload timeline for `EAAntiCheat` - `netsh wfp` sublayer/filter dumps *Note on the attached RAS reason code:* Windows reports **631** (`ERROR_USER_DISCONNECTION`), but the RAS teardown is consistently logged **20–76 seconds after** NetworkProfile already reported the connection as disconnected. This suggests the local machine is *reacting* to a link that has already died, not initiating the disconnect. --- ## Environment summary (copy-paste for support) ``` Apex platform : Steam EA app installed : No OS : Windows 11 Pro 10.0.26300 Connection type : Windows PPPoE dial-up (PPPoE5-0, WAN Miniport (PPPOE)) NIC : Realtek Gaming 2.5GbE Family Controller, driver 1125.21.903.2024 IPv6 on same session : Yes (RA-assigned global address) Anticheat build : EAAntiCheat 2026-09-29 / installer 2026-09-30 Bugcheck : 0x000000CE x2 (2026-09-30 17:26, 2026-10-01 11:06) Repro rate : 100% (5/5) Time to failure : ~10 seconds after game launch Outage duration : 25–76 seconds, then auto-redial restores connectivity ```
EA APP APEX LAUNCHING ISSUE
An unexpected game shutdown was detected. Please relaunch the game or contact EA Help if this continues. (0x675) Session ID: jHxnAybi6ebxj4u+tM3KSFkf0fcE/5BRQ2zRujJMy2ySBCS+ Previous Session ID: 0Xo9UiOwurXx24vp5s3KH3VQhbdPGM1R42lVdIWD1Au7gouT Previous Service Session ID: 0Xo9UiOwurXx24vp5s3KH3VQhbdPG I keep getting this every time i launch apex, i even repaired the files on the EA app and it still did not work
Security Violation error: Aster Ibik blocked by Javelin Anticheat
Hello EA Support Team and Community, After the recent EA Javelin Anticheat update, I am completely unable to launch Apex Legends on my PC. The game immediately crashes with a "Security Violation" error pop-up: "This software cannot be used at the same time as the game. Please make sure it's not running, or restart your PC.: Aster Ibik" Session ID: jCs3VXHnu7rxiYvrvM3KG3dVZvrLNiigKMS4mV6t//rEfDtE ASTER (by IBIK) is a legitimate multiseat software used only to create separate desktop workspaces for multiple monitors/users on a single PC, not a cheat or injection tool. Prior to this update, the game ran fine without conflict. Could the EA Anticheat team please investigate this conflict and consider whitelisting legitimate multiseat drivers in upcoming patches? Thank you for your assistance.Apex Legends incorrectly blocks Proxifier as incompatible software
Hello EA Support Team, I am experiencing an issue with Apex Legends after the latest update. When I launch the game while Proxifier is running, AntiCheat reports that the following software cannot be used together with the game: This software cannot be used at the same time as the game: Proxifier Session ID: hXY0BXbg6ubxi43gsM3KGOBse/ccmRFUp8pX/OFrG9D0LOmN Previous Session ID: n/a Previous Service Session ID: n/a Proxifier is a legitimate Windows networking application that I use for my network configuration. It is not being used to modify Apex Legends, inject code into the game, manipulate game files, or otherwise interact with the game's process. As far as I understand, the current AntiCheat detection appears to be treating Proxifier itself as incompatible software, rather than detecting any malicious behavior. This prevents me from running Apex Legends while I have a legitimate networking application running. Could you please investigate whether this is an intentional compatibility restriction or a false positive? If possible, I would appreciate it if this case could be forwarded to the EA AntiCheat/technical team for investigation. I am happy to provide additional information, such as the Proxifier version, Apex Legends version, EA App version, Windows version, logs, or diagnostic information if needed. Thank you for your help.[PC/Steam] PPPoE broadband disconnects on Apex launch after Javelin update
Hello EA / Respawn team, I have identified PPPoE broadband dial-up as the connection method associated with this issue. After the EA Javelin Anticheat rollout, launching Apex Legends while connected through a Windows PPPoE broadband connection causes my Internet connection to drop. Steam then reports that there is no Internet connection, and I cannot enter the game. I suspect that Javelin may be falsely flagging or interfering with the Windows PPPoE / Remote Access components used for broadband authentication. Please investigate this possible false positive or compatibility issue. PPPoE is a legitimate way to connect to an ISP. Platform: Windows PC Launcher: Steam Connection method: Windows PPPoE broadband dial-up First observed: September 30, 2026 (UTC+8), after the Javelin rollout Steps to reproduce: 1. Establish a PPPoE broadband connection in Windows. 2. Confirm that Internet access is working. 3. Launch Apex Legends through Steam. 4. The Internet connection drops, Steam reports no Internet connection, and Apex cannot be entered. Expected behavior: Apex should launch normally while the legitimate PPPoE connection remains active. Actual behavior: Launching Apex interrupts the computer's Internet connection and prevents me from entering the game. Please check whether EA Javelin Anticheat is falsely detecting or disrupting legitimate PPPoE / Remote Access networking components, and provide an official fix or supported workaround for players who use PPPoE broadband. Thank you.Unable to open the game regardless of windows version
im trying to open apex and whatever yall did with the new anticheat doesnt allow me to open the game her is the error message Your Windows version is not supported. Please upgrade to the minimum supported version. For information please see: https://help.ea.com/help/pc/ea-anticheat Session ID: jCw8CXPjvbTxjtzgss3KHhJmr2+ZDNQmnqAoqB2n4DtbYh0y Previous Session ID: gyxnVnbhueHx2oq8ts3KSxejOVh91yxLrBNOnvz6DFiCWqwE Previous Service Session ID: n/a[PC/Steam] Apex Legends stuck on logo when launching
Apex Legends on Steam and EA stuck on the Apex logo I’m playing Apex Legends through Steam. The game was working normally yesterday, but now it gets stuck on the Apex logo and never reaches the main menu. I’ve already tried: Reinstalling Apex Legends through Steam Verifying the game files through Steam Restarting my PC Reinstalling EA Javelin Anti-Cheat Reinstalling the EA App Clearing the EA App cache Resetting my network settings The game still gets stuck on the Apex logo. This started around September 30, 2026. Please investigate whether this is related to the recent Javelin Anti-Cheat update or the Steam launch process.starting EA javelin anticheat error
Game doesn't even launch, I can't even get into the lobby/loading screen of Apex because Javelin fails to launch with the message "Starting EA Javelin Anticheat" stuck on the popup when opening apex then fails to open altogether. The screenshot below shows the message stuck on the popup before exiting and not opening due to an error code. I've tried reinstalling the game, moving to Steam, verifying file integrity, reinstalling Javelin, and nothing is working. This is honestly a disappointment to see an update being pushed out without further testing. This is what I saw in Event Viewer on Windows as an error code when trying to start Javelin : Event source: Service Control Manager Event ID: 7023 Service: EAAntiCheatService Reported error: %%4294966217.
