odd latency issues.

[Rhino_Man]

Ok here's the scoop, I'm a customer of shaw and have their residential service. I am behind several splitters (there are good reasons for that, but I can't change the splitter set up)

I recently have been having some serious problems with my internet connection. this is primarily on video games but it's effecting some of the services I use for school as well.

according to speed tests I get a decent average down and up speed based on what several different internet speed test sites say (as well as the shaw speed test), but whenever I access the internet my download and upload rates fluctuate wildly. Whenever I use my ventrilo server to talk to my friends online, I find that my voice gets bunched up for anywehre from 30 seconds to 10 minutes before it's transmitted on their end, while I myself get perfect incoming transmissions. Similarly, in game, I get the same delay for when I click on something and when something happens, while still getting input just fine.

Needless to say, this makes both Ventrilo and this game in question absolutely unusable.


This gets worse. I spoke with shaw, and we've been back and forth over this issue for about 2 months now trying to fix this issue. Shaw says:

1. there is nothing wrong with the node
2. there is nothing wrong with the cable leading into my house
3. there is nothing wrong with the signal INSIDE my house
4. there is nothing wrong with the signal past the 3 splitters
5. there is nothing wrong with my modem (it was swapped about 4 weeks ago for a newer motorola modem)
6. there is nothing wrong with my router (it was replaced about a month and a half ago)

both ping tests and internet speed tests show absolutely normal, but this creepy lag spiking persists. What's the problem? I know it's not my computer cause this happens to every computer connected to the same line, but the stupid part is that a different modem that ISN'T behind the 3 splitters is giving perfect connection (it's on a different plan).

Even more frustrating, Shaw just recently added an amplifier to the line and it didn't DO anything. HELP! it can't possibly be me, like shaw says it is, can it?


(er, sorry, I kinda went on)

[johnwill]

What you describe is a classic symptom of having multiple splitters between you and the feed. I am curious as to why you can't fix this, since it seems an obvious solution.



Register at DSLReports and run their Line Quality Tests. It's best to run this test with a direct wired connection to eliminate any wireless issues from the results. It's useful many times to run this test several times, and we'd like to see each of the results. Post the results link from the top of the test display page for each test run here.

The link to post is near the top of the page and looks like:

If you wish to post this result to a forum, please copy/paste this URL
http://www.dslreports.com/linequality/nil/2357195 <- sample only, yours will obviously be different!
and your IP will be disguised.

Copy/paste that link here.

Note: You will have to enable PING (ICMP) request response either in your router (if you have one), or in your computer's firewall for direct modem connections. This is very important to get the most important part of the test to run.

[Rhino_Man]

well, I could probably figure out a solution around it, but it's a little awkward. I'm the end of the hallway away from the vent which the coax is running up, but there are two tvs in rooms prior to my own, which each need coax to them to get a signal. I COULD switch the order around, there's enough cable in the house for it, but the problem we run into then is that we'd have 3 seperate coax cables down the hall or in the best case, 2.

I'm running the test but it might take a while since there's a line up. Thanks for the quick response.

[Rhino_Man]

http://www.dslreports.com/linequalit...a6b53c/2484476

that took less time then I thought

EDIT: oh, right, I almost forgot to mention. the laggy spikes come and go. When the test went through I believe it hit a clear patch.

[johnwill]

Well, you had some packet loss in your "clear" patch, so I think we're on the right track.

I see no way around doing a better job with the cabling, because I think that's likely to be where the issue lies.

[Rhino_Man]

just re-wired it. The problem is still there but less so. I'm still behind two splitters (I think) because there's a one more in the basement before it goes up the vent to the splitters I'm aware of. I just jiggered with the wires so that the TVs get the 3rd splitter and my internet gets the other connection of the second.

Issue is still present as far as I can tell, but that might just be my modem hitting peak hours. Should I re-test my line quality?

[johnwill]

It wouldn't hurt do do a couple more line quality runs.

FWIW, I had the same issue with Comcast until I removed ALL the splitters except the first 2:1 at the service entrance. Nature of the beast.

[Rhino_Man]

http://www.dslreports.com/linequality/nil/2485564

uhm, that big spike in the middle is probably those latency issues I'm talking about.

[Rhino_Man]

uhm, ok so strangly enough the latency issues were gone when I got on about 20 minutes ago. Yes the funny thing is, I'm pretty sure I didn't do anything since all I did was install some drivers on a completely different computer.

[johnwill]

I have to believe this is an ISP/Internet issue.