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Short explanation: One of our computers keeps disconnecting randomly in steam. We run an arcade with several identical computers in the same wired LAN. Most used games are from steam - or in steam. It is always the same system which get's disconnected. Mostly within 10-30 minutes. Windows reset does not help.

I would like to know if I can narrow down the causes respectively if I can exclude network or internet issues somehow? Due to this issue: https://gaming.stackexchange.com/questions/341176/randomly-disconnecting-in-steam I would like to extend this topic to a dedicated network troubleshooting. Hence, what drives me: How do professional esport tournaments ensure that the players do not disconnect due to technical issues (network or internet)? That's why I tagged this question also with gameserver. For some games we have to use indeed a dedicated server (for non-private games directly licensed from the studios) and there we don't encounter problems. This makes me think it must be steam or internet related.

Ben
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Presumably, esports techs do what other live performances do. Have redundancies, and during technical difficulties cut away and keep talking.

In many enterprises, desktop techs swap out the entire workstation with different hardware, freshly imaged with a clean install. Problems that still persist will not be from that box's failing hardware or software.

You need network visibility.

  • Start packet capture on the problem desktop.
  • Confirm no errors or performance degradation from the problem box's switchport to the LAN.
  • Identify where the servers are hosted and trace a route to them.
  • Check routes to them from every Internet point of presence you have access to.
  • Look at the traffic on the wire and look for response time or connectivity problems.
  • Try every ISP you can get service with, including 4G cell data.

The trendy term for products in this space is network performance monitoring. Insight tools are probably quite expensive, because you are buying network engineers experience in product form.

John Mahowald
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