Alright folks. I've spent hours, days and perhaps even WEEKS searching the wastelands of the interwebs to find solutions to the disconnect problems I've had. I've laughed, cried, and consumed a fair amount of adult beverages in my quest to solve the error codes. I am posting here to (hopefully) help you all, and in hopes that Bungie hears a very simple message: We like the game. Might even say we Love it (although it's only been a few months and I feel like we are moving really fast...I don't say that word easily so please don't pressure me), and we are asking for help. I don't care how it happened, I don't care why, just please communicate with us! Tell us what you are doing more than just 'eventually' and 'trust us we care.' I want to trust you Bungie but you make it hard. Tell us what work you are doing, what findings you have, when you can fix them. Tell us what you are thinking about and how you are tackling the problem. We are here because we want to communicate with you, and we are frustrated because you are not communicating back. Alright, time to wipe my eyes and get on with the post. You've checked your speed on Speedtest.com and its good, low ping, high download and upload. You are not using wifi (you bad, bad child) but are instead using a Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet cable. Still getting error messages? Try these fixes: Step 1) You can put your console in the DMZ, or you can forward your ports, or you can use UPnP. All these are done by logging into your router. These are not going to fix everything in Destiny, but it will make the experience better for Destiny AND all your other games. PortFoward is a GREAT site for how-to guides on this, so is Google. A lot of good guides exist out there (with screenshots!). You can choose ONE of the below options and only ONE. Do not use multiple, they will crash and burn. Make sure UPnP is deselected if you want to go one of the other routes etc. [b]UPnP[/b]-This is the default option for many routers off the shelf, and for almost all ISP default routers. This options allows all ports to open when they are needed, and to close when they are not. Not terribly secure but very convenient, this option works for almost everyone. I do not do this because I like to have control and I like higher security. Think of it this way: Your console is your house, different ports are like different doors inside. With UPnP anyone who wants to go into your house needs to unlock the doors first. But this is done just by knocking...so not really secure. BUT the doors are locked after the person leaves. [b]Forwarding Ports[/b]-Forwarding a port is the same as leaving one or two doors to your house unlocked. Anyone can go in, but they have to know which door is unlocked (and your house has billions). This is not the default option, and you can only do this is you have access to your router. Go to PortFoward to find how to do this and to find the exact ports to open. For this option you will first need to set your console to a static IP address. Again, this is pretty simple. You can do it through your router, which is recommended so that nothing else gets assigned the IP, or through your console. Lastly is the [b]DMZ[/b]-This is akin to leaving all the doors on your house unlocked and wide open at all times. Not very secure at all. Information can come and go from Destiny servers, but so can data from any other source. DO NOT do this for your CPU! Consoles are generally safer (just because people don't care so much about hacking a console). You still need a static IP, but this option is easier because you don't need to know the specific ports. I don't do this because of the security concerns, but if you are worried about entering ports correctly, or you want to make sure you dont leave one out, then go ahead and put your console in your router's DMZ. 2) For those of you who have done step 1 already and are still getting errors (particularly HAWK, or CENTIPEDE or are just being dropped from online altogether) the next step is a frustrating headache. You cannot do this one on your own, you need your ISP to do it. Basically, there is a problem with one of Bungie's nodes. Thanks to CommunistShovel for first bringing this to my attention. An error is happening on the side of Bungie, preventing streamlined data from being sent. Now, I don't work for Bungie so I don't know how expensive/intricate a fix this would be for them, but there are two solutions for it. A) Wait for Bungie to fix it. Could be days, could be months, maybe they never will. As I said I don't work there so I don't know, perhaps they are already in the process of doing this and have not told us, or maybe they cannot go this route and are finding another one. But they coooooooould fix it, it just might be a while. A Long While. B) Call your ISP. This is where the headache comes in (enter COMCAST). They will not know what you are talking about. They will say you need a technician. Don't mention Nodes. It is not a local problem, it is not an issue with your local connections. You are getting onto the internet just find, it's the route you are taking to get to the Bungie servers that is the issue. So...to continue with the metaphor... You leave your house through a door that you opened (somehow, I don't care) and get in your car. You get onto the interstate just fine (interstate = internet) and you start driving towards your destination of Bungie HQ. When you are almost to Bungie, when you get off the interstate and are on the Bungie Ave or Bungie St. or whatever it is called (you can SEE the building!), the road suddenly gets rough. Very rough. Pot holes are everywhere, suddenly there are all these toll booths you have to stop at and pay, and before you can really register what happened your car is in a ditch on the side of the road. The Street just ended. Tell your ISP that you need to re-route your connection. You do not need a new local Node (that helps other things but that is not your problem here) you need a re-direction. You will have to call...and call again...and just keep calling until you find someone who knows what you are talking about. Do not let them send a technician, do not let them talk you into going into a service center, and do not allow them to waste your time testing your connection. Your connection is FINE and your speed is FINE. You need to change the pathway your signal is taking to get to the host (shout out to CommunistShovel again). If your ISP does this, great! You should be all set. If they wont do it, or if they DO and it doesnt work, there is really only one last-ditch effort left. 3) You changed the settings in your router, and you are on a different pathway, but you are still being disconnected. So now what? Now you shell out $300 for a nice router and modem. Yea. Seriously. That's not a joke. Sadly the only other thing it could really be is your gear. Well, your xbox/playstation is fine. They get updated regularly, and they aren't the issue. But that default, two-in-one modem/router combo sitting in the corner? Yea...that could be the problem. Here comes the metaphor... It's your Car! That thing is a car. Problem is that this car is designed not for the consumer, but for the company. Let me say that differently...when you sign up for internet with a company, say COMCAST, they will most often send you a two-in-on modem and router. The Modem just converts the Cable internet signal to an Ethernet one (It does more but that's all you really need to worry about) and the router takes that Ethernet signal and splits it up into other Ethernet signals or wireless ones. Fancy routers do more interesting things too. The box that the ISP sends you when you sign up is the CHEAPEST box they can get away with. Low cost, high simplicity. It works in MOST cases just fine, but if you want to do more with your internet than standard video streaming or email, you need your own set up. The box combines both Modem and Router into one machine, but sadly it does not perform very well on either ends. A standalone Modem or standalone Router will almost always outperform, and they have features which the Gateway Box will not. In Short, when you moved into your house you were given a really low quality car. The car will get you to where you need to go, but only if it is not very far away and the roads are in good condition. If you want to take a long trip, or if you want to go off-road, you need a better car. Bungie is, sadly, pretty far away and the roads are (as we have seen) not always great. So if you have set up your ports and the roads are clear (your ISP re-routed your signal) then you need to buy a new modem and router. Check to make sure the modem is compatible with your ISP by going to their sites, and get a router that has the features you want or need. Anything is generally better, so don't worry about that too much. Call your ISP to install your new Modem, then plug it in to your router. Set that one up with all the choices from Step 1 again, and try it out. Return your Modem so that you no longer pay the rental fee. If none of that works...sorry mate. Bungie has to fix it on their end. But here is the good news: Every fix I recommended is not DESTINY specific. These improvements will help you with all your games, not just this one. So you have not wasted any time, and your set up is better for it for all games. You should not have to work this hard to play a game, that responsibility lies with Bungie. So ultimately you have to ask yourself what it is worth to you. Do not do a job that is almost worth it, do not marry someone who you almost love, and do not play a game that you can almost play whenever you want. If any of these apply to you, let it go.