[SOLVED] Bad packet loss all of a sudden

[chris.g]

Hey guys, about three days ago I started getting a lot of latency spikes and disconnecting from my computer game. I have a good internet plan and speed test at around 470mb down and 23mb upload.
I have pinged ip's from multiple home computers and they are all having the issue. Even when disconnecting the router and plugging directly into the modem I am still getting packet loss.
My gateway seems fine from multiple computers I have tested direct to the new and old modems.
However after running multiple WinMTR's I have come across the fact that I am getting packet loss on the 2nd hop.
|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| WinMTR statistics |
| Host - % Sent | Recv | Best | Avrg | Wrst | Last |
|------------------------------------------------|------|---------|------|------|------|
| RT-AC3100-5E38 - 0 | 487 | 487 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 96.120.36.69 - 3 | 444 | 433 | 7 | 8 | 27 | 11 |
| 68.85.126.165 - 3 | 440 | 428 | 4 | 8 | 18 | 8 |
|ae-13-ar02.stuart.fl.pompano.comcast.net - 3 | 440 | 428 | 8 | 10 | 42 | 12 |
|be-40-ar01.northdade.fl.pompano.comcast.net 3 | 440 | 428 | 12 | 14 | 57 | 14 |
|be-20214-cr02.miami.fl.ibone.comcast.net - 4 | 432 | 418 | 13 | 15 | 59 | 17 |
| be-3211-pe11.nota.fl.ibone.comcast.net - 3 | 436 | 423 | 13 | 15 | 32 | 15 |
| 50.208.235.58 - 4 | 432 | 418 | 13 | 20 | 96 | 44 |
| 137.221.76.35 - 3 | 440 | 428 | 67 | 73 | 175 | 72 |
| xe-0-0-1-1-br01-eqda6.as57976.net - 3 | 436 | 423 | 69 | 72 | 155 | 72 |
| et-0-0-2-br02-swlv10.as57976.net - 3 | 436 | 423 | 69 | 73 | 131 | 70 |
| et-0-0-1-pe02-swlv10.as57976.net - 3 | 436 | 423 | 69 | 72 | 147 | 70 |
| las-swlv10-ia-bons-02.as57976.net - 3 | 440 | 428 | 69 | 70 | 86 | 71 |
| 137.221.105.2 - 3 | 440 | 428 | 69 | 71 | 89 | 73 |
|____|__|__|__|__|__|__|

As you can see 487 packets were sent, and on the next hop only 444 were recieved.
Where and how can I isolate this issue? Would it possibly be my ISP's local server having issues?
Any help would be great because dealing with comcasts technicians is very frustrating.. Especially when it has to do with their equipment.

 

[SamirD]

Even when disconnecting the router and plugging directly into the modem I am still getting packet loss.

This should be enough right here. Go to packetlosstest.com and take a screenshot in case they need proof. Keep calling back if they keep blowing you off--it's 100% on their end unless your modem somehow went bad.

 

[bill001g]

I agree this is problem with the first connection to the ISP. Maybe you get lucky and the tools the ISP level 1 techs are trained to use will also detect the error. The level 1 techs follow a script and many have no actual network troubleshooting knowledge. The last time I called mine the first tech did not know what "ping" even was.

If you can get into the modem and see if there are any messages. These if they exist will be very helpful getting the tech to the correct point in his script.

Your test clearly shows the problem is in hop 2. The difficulty is many people do not actually know how to interpret the results so a much simpler test that shows a ping command to your router IP and a ping to command to the ISP router.

This type of problem is almost always some kind of wiring issue and the tech will need to come out and actually test cables looking for a bad one. Be sure to stop their new excuse for not fixing stuff, that it is wires in your house and they won't come in because of the virus. You want hook you modem up as close to where the wires enter your house as possible. This will make it easier to convince them it is not a problem inside your house.

 

[chris.g]

This should be enough right here. Go to packetlosstest.com and take a screenshot in case they need proof. Keep calling back if they keep blowing you off--it's 100% on their end unless your modem somehow went bad.

right.. And i already ruled out the modem being the issue because I tested a brand new out of the box modem and directly plugged into it from multiple devices.
Was getting the same packet loss.

 

[chris.g]

I agree this is problem with the first connection to the ISP. Maybe you get lucky and the tools the ISP level 1 techs are trained to use will also detect the error. The level 1 techs follow a script and many have no actual network troubleshooting knowledge. The last time I called mine the first tech did not know what "ping" even was.

If you can get into the modem and see if there are any messages. These if they exist will be very helpful getting the tech to the correct point in his script.

Your test clearly shows the problem is in hop 2. The difficulty is many people do not actually know how to interpret the results so a much simpler test that shows a ping command to your router IP and a ping to command to the ISP router.

This type of problem is almost always some kind of wiring issue and the tech will need to come out and actually test cables looking for a bad one. Be sure to stop their new excuse for not fixing stuff, that it is wires in your house and they won't come in because of the virus. You want hook you modem up as close to where the wires enter your house as possible. This will make it easier to convince them it is not a problem inside your house.

I was able to get onto the modems control panel but I had to run out of the door for work. I saw errors showing up on the history but they didnt look like they had anything to do with the issue at hand. Ill reevaluate the errors when I get home later and i have another tech coming out later today (hopefully a more elevated one with correct equipment this time).

 

[SamirD]

right.. And i already ruled out the modem being the issue because I tested a brand new out of the box modem and directly plugged into it from multiple devices.
Was getting the same packet loss.

Unless you possibly got a bad new modem (super rare, but can happen), I think you've nailed it to the isp as the root cause.