WOW Stuck On Authenticating, Steps On How To Fix Stucking On World Of Warcraft Authentication

If you are having problems connecting to the World of Warcraft servers, please try the following steps one at a time and then attempt to connect again, as each step has the potential of solving the connection issue.

- Step 1: Check the Server Status
Step 2: IP Release/Renew, Flush DNS
Step 3: Power Cycle the Modem and Router
Step 4: Firewalls, Routers, and Internet Connection Sharing
Step 5: Check for Updates
Step 6: Diagnose your Internet connection

Step 1:
Please go to the Realm status page, as well as the Realm Status Forum and check the status of the game servers before continuing to more advanced troubleshooting steps. If the servers are indicated as being unavailable, please try your connection again at a later time. If the page indicates that the servers are available, or if you cannot reach the page to check the status, please continue on to the next step.

Step 2:
You may need to release and renew your IP address as well as flush your DNS cache. To do this, please follow the instructions below.

Windows Vista Users: Windows Vista requires that you run the command prompt (DOS shell) in Administrator Mode to perform these functions. To start the DOS shell in admin mode:

- Go to Start/Programs/Accessories and locate the "Command Prompt" shortcut.
- Right click Command Prompt shortcut and select "Run as Administrator" from the drop down menu.
- Continue with the Windows XP/2000/98 directions below at step 2.

Windows XP/2000: Release/Renew your IP address and Flush the DNS Resolver Cache:

- Go to Start then Run and type the word "cmd" (without quotation marks) in the Run box. A DOS window should open on screen.
- Type: "ipconfig /release" (without quotation marks) in the DOS window.
- Wait a few seconds for a reply that the IP address has been released.
- Type: "ipconfig /renew" (without quotation marks) in the DOS window.
- Wait a few seconds for a reply that the IP address has been re-established.
- Type: "ipconfig /flushdns" (without quotation marks) in the DOS window.
- Close the DOS window and attempt to make a connection.

Apple OS-X: Release/Renew your IP address and Flush the DNS Resolver Cache:

- Open the Network Status menu: Apple>System Preferences>Network>Network Status.
- Select "Built-in Ethernet" from the Network Status menu and click "Configure".
- Click "Renew DHCP Lease". This process may take a few minutes.
- Close the Network Status window.
- To flush the DNS cache, open the Terminal. (Go > Utilities > Terminal)
- For Leopard (10.5), type:
dscacheutil -flushcache
- For Tiger (10.4) and Panther (10.3), type:
lookupd -flushcache

Step 3:
If the connection difficulties persist, please Power Cycle your modem and router to reset them and allow them to re-establish a connection to your ISP. Please follow these steps to completely power cycle the devices in your network connection:

- Shut down all computers connected to the modem/router.
- Power down/unplug the router if you use one.
- Power down/unplug the modem.
- Allow to sit for 60 seconds, unplugged.
- Turn on the modem, allow to completely boot up till the front panel connection lights show a steady connection.
- Turn on the router, if you have one, and allow to completely boot up as well.
- Start the computer(s) and allow to completely boot up.

Step 4: If you are using any type of firewall, router, or you are sharing your internet connection between multiple computers, you may need to set your system up to allow access to the game servers. The firewall or router will need to allow unrestricted communication on TCP and UDP Port number 3724. World of Warcraft game client utilized TCP while the Voice Chat features use UDP.

We do have a networking assistance page that contains valuable steps for issues such as these. Please note that Blizzard Entertainment is unable to assist directly with the configuration of firewalls, routers, or network configurations. If possible, try uninstalling any firewall applications on your computer, and physically removing the router from your internet connection (by having your computer connect directly to your modem). This will allow you to identify whether the firewall or router is responsible for the connection problem. If this turns out to be the case, please consult the documentation that came with that networking product, or contact the manufacturer for further assistance setting it up properly.

Step 5: Out-of-date drivers or operating system files can cause connection issues. Please check for the following updates: Operating System Updates Be sure that you have the latest updates for your operating system.

- Windows updates are available here.
- Mac OS X updates can be obtained by clicking on the "Apple" icon and choosing "Software Update...". Broadband Users: Modem and Network Card Updates There are several drivers that, if out-of-date, could cause issues for broadband users. If you need more help in locating drivers for your hardware, please contact the hardware manufacturer or a qualified technician.

- If you access the internet through an external broadband modem, be sure you have the latest firmware and drivers available for your modem.

- If your computer connects to the modem via USB, be sure you have the latest drivers for your motherboard or your USB PCI card.

- If your computer connects to the modem via Ethernet, be sure that your network card has the latest drivers installed.

Dial-up Users: Modem and ISP Software Updates If you use a dial-up modem to connect to your ISP through your telephone line, be sure that you have the latest software from your ISP and the latest drivers for the model of your modem.

Step 6: Running a Trace Route can help identify where the connection problems are occurring. The Trace Route program tests the connection from your computer to the target location you specify and every "hop" in between. Using this program you can determine at what location the data you are sending is running into a problem.

Be certain to read below for a guideline on reading a trace route as well as the message marked IMPORTANT below regarding how the trace route will appear to time out after approx. 12 hops.

Steps to run the Trace Route command

Windows XP/2000
1) Click Start and then Run
2) Type "command" and press Enter
3) In the command window, type 'tracert us.logon.worldofwarcraft.com > C:\tracert.txt' (without the quotes) and press the Enter key. If you're using a Battle.net account login, type 'tracert us.logon.battle.net > C:\tracert.txt'

Windows Vista
1) Click Start and in the "Start Search" field type "command" or "cmd"
2) Right click on the CMD icon and select Run as - Administrator to start the Command window
3) In the Command window, type 'tracert us.logon.worldofwarcraft.com > C:\tracert.txt' (without the quotes) and press the Enter key. If you're using a Battle.net account login, type 'tracert us.logon.battle.net > C:\tracert.txt'

A file will be created on your C: drive called tracert.txt that contains your trace route information. Please be patient when waiting for the tracert command to complete, it may take several minutes. When you are returned to the command prompt, then the trace is complete. Please email your tracert.txt to support@blizzard.com along with the other steps you have tried in regards to your connection issue for further analysis.

If you would like to analyze the results yourself, try our step-by-step explanation of the output produced by the tracert command below.

4) Type exit and press the Enter key to close the command window.

For Mac OS X:

1)Go to the /Applications/Utilities folder and start the Terminal application.
2)Type traceroute us.logon.worldofwarcraft.com > ~/Desktop/tracert.txt and press the Return key. (If you're using a Battle.net account login, type traceroute us.logon.battle.net > ~/Desktop/tracert.txt) A file will be created on your Desktop called tracert.txt that contains your trace route information.
3)Quit the Terminal application.


I ran Trace Route, now what do I do?

Open the tracert.txt file. You will see 3 kinds of information regarding the route that internet traffic is taking from your computer to the realm you chose:

1) The number on the far left is the hop number.

2) The next 3 numbers (with 'ms' after each one) is the length of time, in milliseconds, it takes for your computer to receive a response from the computer you are trying to contact. A high value, for example greater than 200 ms for broadband or 350 ms for dial-up indicates that traffic is slow, and can cause latency or 'laggy' play.
Asterisks (*) indicate that your computer did not receive a response from the computer you are trying to contact at all, which can keep you from connecting to our servers all together, or cause you to be disconnected abruptly.

3) The final piece of information is the DNS (or 'name') and/or the IP number of server you are trying to contact on this hop. If you did not receive any responses from this server, you may receive an error message such as 'Request Timed Out' or 'Destination Net Unreachable'.

**IMPORTANT**
Since our World of Warcraft servers are protected from unsolicited traffic and attacks, all the hops after you have reached our server may give you an error message such as 'Request Timed Out' or 'Destination Net Unreachable'. Our current server names begin with various mixes of numbers and letters, and end in the following addresses:

attens.net (example: mdf1-bi8k-1-ve-114.lax1.attens.net)

All error messages you may receive after contacting our server can be safely ignored for troubleshooting purposes, and they do NOT indicate a problem with your internet connection.

If you see any error messages or asterisks in your trace route for the hops before you reach our servers, you may need to contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and provide them your trace route information for further troubleshooting. Once the information has been submitted, it may take several days for the problem to be identified and resolved. Remember that Blizzard Entertainment can only ask your ISP to fix an issue; the best results come when you contact your ISP directly.


source: http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?locale=en_US&articleId=21014