Recent content by richb-hanover

Alas... I just re-read your note, and realize you're in the UK. It doesn't look as if you can get an IQrouter from Amazon there. You can also learn about flashing another router with new firmware, either the Merlin firmware for Asus, or OpenWrt for any inexpensive router.

If you want to solve the lag, check Item #2 on What Can I Do About Bufferbloat: It lists several manufacturers selling commercial routers that solve bufferbloat. I use an IQrouter - setup is simple, and it just works. Other posters have suggested asking others not to use the network: this is a...

If you don't detect a problem, then you don't have a problem. If your gaming, VoIP calls, etc work just fine all the time, then don't go looking for problems. But it seems like the OP has determined there is a problem. To answer the OP's question, read What Can I Do about Bufferbloat? at...

[Sorry to revive an old thread...] DSLReports Speedtest simply measures the latency during heavy transfers. You can do the same thing manually by starting a ping to google.com, then starting your favorite speed test site. If the ping times go up during the speed test, something is affecting...

Update: A lot has happened in the six (!) years since I wrote this message. CeroWrt has been completely merged into the OpenWrt main line. See https://openwrt.org The SQM of OpenWrt now sports newer algorithms (cake, instead of fq_codel) that have higher throughput. OpenWrt has dramatically...

Sorry, I have to disagree with much of what you've said. Bufferbloat is never a good thing. If we knew ISPs held only a small amount of data, it could theoretically help, but in practice ISPs often hold hundreds (or thousands) of msec of packets, creating huge bufferbloat. This is a...

Actually, Bufferbloat does matter, in most situations, and almost all the time. Unless you're the only person using the internet connection (no family, no roommates, no phones uploading pictures to the cloud) any other traffic can seriously increase your latency/lag. Even "normal" web browsing...

As you may know, the FCC has issued a Proposed Rule that affects us all. Although it started out as a good idea, the current proposal would (in part) make it impossible to install third-party firmware such as OpenWrt, DD-WRT, Tomato, Gargoyle, etc. on a home router. WHAT YOU CAN DO: ■Learn...

Even if you have great ping times when your network connection is idle, your router can still have bufferbloat - the undesired latency caused when the router buffers too many packets at times of high traffic. You can check for the presence of Bufferbloat using www.dslreports.com/speedtest. The...

Anytime I hear someone report high pings and chokes, I recommend they try DSLReports Speedtest (www.dslreports.com/speedtest) It will measure both your down/up speeds as well as the latency/lag *during the test* This is shown in the Bufferbloat measurement (which isn't provided by...

@bill001g: Yes, you're right about the total bandwidth available from your ISP. Netflix will consume a considerable fraction of a 2 mbps link, but things should work fine for others with a higher (5+ mbps) link. @jasabe: Ping spikes like you report can also be caused by "bufferbloat" - unwanted...

Ping spikes like you report can be caused by "bufferbloat" - unwanted latency/lag that's caused by other traffic. Here's how to get a definitive test... Go to www.dslreports.com/speedtest Not only will it give you accurate down/up speed measurements, but it measures latency *during* the big...