I understand you have a desire to help, but it is literally impossible for clearing cache to help in any way, shape, or form for this particular issue. I understand it is "Troubleshooting 101". I know that this is a step that a lot of people need to go through with respect to other issues. That said, this step has no bearing at all on the specific instance of "network connection error", and as such, I prefer moving on to the second-tier course, Troubleshooting 201 - Examination of Network Paths and Firewall Settings.
I've tried numerous times in the past to explain this, but I shall try one final time. Bear in mind I'm adding color and bolding and underlining. I'm not mad at you. Most of this is not really directed AT you, but more at everyone involved. Yes, I am frustrated with this, which shows in the color, bold, and underline, but my frustration is not based out of a psychological need to be right, argumentative, or whatever psychological condition / disorder one might try to ascribe to me, only the desire to see people get timely technical support with a minimum amount of runaround.
That said:
The process of connecting to a game server is not as simple as people think.
Any and all game server names (ss47, ss1, na1, wn2, etc...) resolve to the exact same IP address, which is 64.156.194.8. This is where every single attempt at signing on first passes through. This is where your user name and password are checked, aka the authentication server farm. This step is successful in cases where network connection error happens.
What then happens is Evony's (or the hosting provider's) software reads the URL that you typed (in the case of Age I URL-based signon), or what button you clicked for the Age II and/or home page-based signon. It grabs the server name, looks it up in a table, and responds back to the game client (on your computer) the name (or IP, I haven't dug into it that far) of the server you wanted to connect to.
The reason why deleting cache and cookies is totally and completely ineffectual is that the game client has already performed a complex function successfully, namely authenticate the user and obtain the location of the next step in the process.
Part of authenticating includes running the password through MD5 and SHA-1 cryptological hashes, a complex task. Additionally, the game client has successfully performed networking functions, specifically opening a TCP socket to the authentication server farm, encapsulating the data into a IP datagram, transmitting it to the server, waiting for and then receiving a response, and moving on to the next step in the process.
It is because of these two reasons - that the error hasn't happened yet, and that so many complex functions have been done successfully by the software on the client's computer, that a problem with the game client software itself is ruled out of being a cause with an extremely high level of certainty (nearly 100%).
The error specifically happens when the client software then attempts to establish a network socket connection to the actual game server. It first attempts on port 443. If that fails, it will then try on port 80. If that fails, the network connection error message is displayed.
Now, I said "nearly 100%". Whatever percentage is left that could possibly point at the client software as being the problem, that doubt is totally eliminated by virtue of the ability for the same computer to be able to connect to a different game server, without deleting cache and cookies.
The client software, meaning the stuff belonging to Evony, is now 100% removed from suspicion if the person can connect to a different server.
This does not mean that the computer or local network is removed from suspicion, only the Evony software, including the browser cache.
There could still be a problem with the customer's router or software firewall / antivirus, which is why I move to "Troubleshooting 201".
Again, please don't take offense at the bolding, coloring, and underlining. It is my exasperation with knowing how to troubleshoot this issue, but seeing so many people get the runaround. I've let a few other instances of this pass by, because it is ultimately exhausting for me to get involved, and sometimes ends in punishment.



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