30% Packet loss at 1st hop, 3rd hop, and 4th hop

[dan2me76]

I am using a Linksys E2500 Wireless B/G/N router connected to what is supposed to be a 30MB/s cable ISP. My main computer, being used as a home network media server, is connected to that router via 100MB/s Ethernet connection. I have been trying to explain why I am only getting speeds out of my ISP of one 15MB/s or less. I have run tracerts that show packet loss at hops 1 (my router), hop 3 and hop 4, both local connections to my ISP. I started using a program, called PingPlotter. It is showing a 30+% packet loss between my computer and my router at hop 1 and then a 25% packet loss at hops 3 and 4. While PingPlotter is telling me that this is within normal limits, I don't understand why I have any packet loss between my computer and my router. Thinking I may have a bad Ethernet cable, I bought a brand new one and got the same result. I don't understand why this is happening, and wonder if this has anything to do with why I am not getting the speed I should be getting out of my ISP. Included is a sample of what PingPlotter is showing me.

Host Information
1,LINKSYS02822,192.168.1.1
2, -------------- ,10.67.208.1
3,abr0-rovlnc.zitomedia.net,24.51.164.17
4,abr0-brcync.zitomedia.net,24.51.164.13
5,host17324625521.zitomedia.net,173.246.255.21
6,cr1-cdptpa.zitomedia.net,74.81.98.193
7,eth6.dr0-cdpt.zitomedia.net,74.81.96.142
8,nscache0.zitomedia.net,74.81.99.1

Sample Information
"6/26/2015 12:37:58 PM",19,11,10,21,91,71,56,70
"6/26/2015 12:37:59 PM",1,20,90,50,30,70,51,52
"6/26/2015 12:38:01 PM",4,34,32,24,24,74,64,64
"6/26/2015 12:38:02 PM",4,14,14,24,44,64,63,64
"6/26/2015 12:38:03 PM",4,32,24,34,34,64,64,62
"6/26/2015 12:38:05 PM",9,49,39,22,38,69,68,79
"6/26/2015 12:38:06 PM",9,28,48,28,48,58,55,68
"6/26/2015 12:38:08 PM",46,18,28,18,28,68,60,96
"6/26/2015 12:38:10 PM",1,22,22,62,42,52,52,53
"6/26/2015 12:38:11 PM",2,22,22,32,32,72,62,162
"6/26/2015 12:38:12 PM",1,9,11,21,21,51,61,51
"6/26/2015 12:38:14 PM",5,28,16,16,26,52,54,55
"6/26/2015 12:38:15 PM",3,16,36,26,36,60,66,66
"6/26/2015 12:38:16 PM",6,26,26,36,26,66,54,66
"6/26/2015 12:38:18 PM",1,10,21,11,20,50,70,61
"6/26/2015 12:38:19 PM",1,10,14,10,20,50,60,80
"6/26/2015 12:38:20 PM",10,29,19,22,29,69,59,60
"6/26/2015 12:38:22 PM",3,13,13,13,43,52,51,63
"6/26/2015 12:38:23 PM",3,13,13,23,33,63,57,73
"6/26/2015 12:38:24 PM",3,33,23,13,23,53,93,57
"6/26/2015 12:38:26 PM",8,18,28,27,28,88,54,68
"6/26/2015 12:38:27 PM",8,28,18,18,38,57,78,68
"6/26/2015 12:38:28 PM",8,18,28,28,28,55,68,65
"6/26/2015 12:38:30 PM",2,22,21,12,22,59,62,62

 

[atheus]

Well, you could try updating your network card driver and maybe update the firmware on your router, factory reset the router, etc, but my money is on the router being bad. I used to go through about 1 router per 2 years for a while until I started buying $150+ routers. Yours is not that cheap, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if it were flaky. If possible, try to get hold of another router and see if that makes a difference. If that's not possible, then keep doing what you're doing with swapping equipment around. Testing the free and cheap stuff first, then it gets expensive x.x

 

[dan2me76]

Well, you could try updating your network card driver and maybe update the firmware on your router, factory reset the router, etc, but my money is on the router being bad. I used to go through about 1 router per 2 years for a while until I started buying $150+ routers. Yours is not that cheap, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if it were flaky. If possible, try to get hold of another router and see if that makes a difference. If that's not possible, then keep doing what you're doing with swapping equipment around. Testing the free and cheap stuff first, then it gets expensive x.x

Thanks. The firmware upgrade to my router fixed hops 3 and 4 and jumped my speed significantly (25MB/s now). I will look into my network card driver next and hope that fixes my connection between my computer and my router.

 

[dan2me76]

Well, you could try updating your network card driver and maybe update the firmware on your router, factory reset the router, etc, but my money is on the router being bad. I used to go through about 1 router per 2 years for a while until I started buying $150+ routers. Yours is not that cheap, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if it were flaky. If possible, try to get hold of another router and see if that makes a difference. If that's not possible, then keep doing what you're doing with swapping equipment around. Testing the free and cheap stuff first, then it gets expensive x.x

Both suggestions worked. I upgraded the firmware on my router and that fixed the packet drops on hops 3 and 4 and then I checked on the driver for my network card, and it turns out, I had the wrong driver for my card which I got off the Realtek website. When I went to my computer manufacturers website and installed the driver they said I should have, the packet drops at hop 1 stopped. Thank you for all your help.

 

[atheus]

Nice! Glad it worked out for you.