[WastedYouth]

ok, im not amazing but ive made a few networks before, i use like the 10/100Mb stuff... but one thing i noticve is that on prolonged use, the network fails...

a while back i had a game of red alert2 like 7 hours in... there were many rules set btw... the connection died, and it did this sometimes.. but it got me thinking is that the game or the network.. and on normal usage it was like there one minute and gone the nxt... can a network really be reliable 100% of the time offering like good connection all the time, or is that something you cant get with my sought of expertise... ?

[Inaris]

It all depends on the hardware (network) involved and the connections used.
If you are talking about a "lan" and not connecting through the net, then it would be hardware specific. If you are working on a hub, you can expect issues with prolonged data transfer and high bandwidth usage, as there is no real protection for the data. If you have a switch there is a little better data transfer and some protection (depening on quality) against data loss.
If you are connecting though the net, then you are at the mercy of your ISP, and the rest of the world. You can have the best hardware in the world, but if your ISP has a refresh policy every 8 hours, then you will loose the connection you are running on. Only for a second, but that is enough to drop a game connection.

The best that I can tell you is if you are gaming in a LAN, (without a large network) make sure you have good hardware for it. Use a switch and CAT5e cable. Don't skimp.
IF you are on a Large Network, then you are at the Network admins mercy. Network policy can force IP releases and refreshes, which can cause connection failure among other things.
My 2 Cents...
Good Luck

[WastedYouth]

cheers... i think i get it...

[ekÆsine]

its not your network hardware.i play redalert2: yuri's revenge hosted on the same servers. you should have already known westwood is dead. EA has forgotten about red alert.

the servers are not maintained well. it is always down or boots you because of overloads and bots. i find it almost impossible you stayed on for 7 hours.

[WastedYouth]

i play LAN tho no internet, i dont use westwood at all... so wot cud that b?