very weird lag

for the past 2 days, I have been experiencing weird lag. Everything would freeze for a few seconds, sometimes up to a minute+, then I would see everything that happened while "frozen" in the span of a few seconds. This only happens in GvG, HA, or Obs mode.

Uploading files is fine - my speed stays constant during the entire transfer.
Downloading files is fine - my speed stays constant during the entire transfer.
Uploading/downloading files WHILE obsing/PvPing is also fine - the transfer rates stay the same, while GW may lag, or it may not.
Surfing the net - fine, no slowdowns noticed.
Email - fine, no slowdowns noticed.

No, I was not uploading/downloading files while pvping/obsing - I did that after just to test. No, I haven't changed any settings in the game, or windows, or my connection, or...anything else really (vid/sound drivers).

The only thing I did (after this problem appeared, in order to try and fix it) was insert Factions Disc 1, repair my installation, follow the instructions (ie, insert disc 2), and then just normally login to the game.

Has anyone experienced the same problem? Does anyone have an idea of how to fix it?

EDIT: Forgot specs, didn't think it mattered, but here they are:
Radeon 9600XT
intel 2.4c
512 ram
WinXP SP2

Well, main thing I would change is on your specs. add 512 more ram, I had various lag problems and ram fixed many. I could be wrong of course since I still see some, I attribute this to the servers, but you cant really go wrong with 1024 either way.

Thanks for your response.

Since it worked with 512mb for so long, i see no reason why it would just all of a sudden stop. But unless adding ram is sure to fix the problem, I'm hesitant to buy anything =P

I doubt its your ram - alot of people have been experiencing similar lag etc. Even ppl with 1gb of ram. Try surfing for solutions, but i suspect (as many have as well) is a anet problem.

Well I guess it is time to break down, and get ping-ponged around anet support. The problem still persists
Thanks for the reply

the slingshot-type lag i have notised comes from your own internet connection. im not saying thats the case here, but when that happens to me occasionally, my roomate's streaming music or whatever he is using skips a beat