It's always doing this? It times out at #2? Here's my tracert to a Riot server:

Tracing route to 216.133.234.54 over a maximum of 30 hops

1 11 ms <1 ms <1 ms Wireless_Broadband_Router.home [192.168.1.1]
2 8 ms 5 ms 4 ms L100.WASHDC-VFTTP-123.verizon-gni.net [96.255.20
0.1]
3 11 ms 14 ms 7 ms G0-10-3-4.WASHDC-LCR-21.verizon-gni.net [130.81.
137.210]
4 10 ms 9 ms 10 ms so-13-1-0-0.RES-BB-RTR1.verizon-gni.net [130.81.
22.54]
5 13 ms 12 ms 14 ms 0.xe-7-0-0.XL3.IAD8.ALTER.NET [152.63.34.201]
6 84 ms 90 ms 84 ms 0.so-7-0-0.XL3.LAX15.ALTER.NET [152.63.112.53]
7 88 ms 84 ms 84 ms POS6-0-0.GW3.LAX15.ALTER.NET [152.63.112.105]
8 88 ms 85 ms 87 ms internapGIGE-gw.customer.alter.net [157.130.236.
110]
9 89 ms 88 ms 85 ms border1.po2-20g-bbnet2.lax010.pnap.net [216.52.2
55.103]
10 ^C

As you can see, it starts at my router, goes to what seems to be Verizon's hub in DC, then through different routers until it reaches Riot (at which point their firewall says fk you to me so I terminate). Anyways the moral of the story is that the earlier in the hop points, the closer the problem is to you. If you're timing out as early as hop #2, then it's either your router (check firewalls) or your ISP.

Best advice to you would be to try disabling any firewalls.

Hi friend, you're near me (WASH-DC)! ^-^

I just did a tracert on that IP and got normal results at that hop point (~86ms). Keep running it. Is it always at that hop point?

Hey I'm in MD!

It does seem to always be at internap. I just ran it another 4 times and got it there. 164ms has been my constantly high ping as of late. It used to be around 89 before all of this mess XD It's fine in every other game, and even connecting to servers in SanFran via speedtest has my ping around 80.

I'm in MD too (MontCo atm, but I attend CP!)

If you're absolutely sure it's not you (which it doesn't seem to be actually), then there's not much you can do but sit back and wait. An hour ago I was pinging high on a Riot server, but trying that same server now it seems fine. Also, check this thread: http://forums.verizon.com/t5/FiOS-In...ed/td-p/480423

People are all having the same issue as us (a couple of people in MD too) with ALTER.NET hop point. Seems to be Verizon's mess.

I'm also in Mont Co XD I'm near Germantown. At this point, I'm hoping it's anything except my connection's fault lol. Thing is, my ping sometimes goes back to normal, but never lasts. It'll be normal the entire game, but the next game it may be at a steady 164. There are no spikes or crashes.

Yep exact same story here for about a week. That's why in the OP I said it's a gamble. Just know it's not on our end though. Oh well what can you do...

I just played a perfect ms game atm, but who knows when it'll come back.

I'm not alone!

It only seems to happen to me at night, say, after 9 pm (est). Any ideas?

Peak hours, presumably. Or they shuffle people to different hubs at that time. You'd be contact verizon.

I use Optimum, as do several of my friends who live near (or at least I think they use Optimum). I was having lag, but they were not (in the same game).

Just got done playing 3 games. For a while, the pattern used to be: Make custom, check ping, ping low, make custom, check ping, ping high, then it repeated, so I was able to get 3 games with normal ping off as long as I alternated with a custom game>quit in between.

Then after the 3rd, my ping was high for 3 custom games in a row so I stopped. It's so unpredictable XD Hopefully it gets fixed on it's own, though I have my doubts at this point >.>