Internet speed slow and unstable, but the lines are fine.

[Turkeysammich]

ISP: charter spectrum

I'm paying for 60mbps, and before Charter's DNS server went down a few weeks ago I was getting 62+ mbps. Then my internet started to get unstable, speeds ranging from 3mbps to 11. I haven't changed any settings, and do not have any viruses or malware.

The techs just came out, checked the lines and everything is fine.

My PC gets 4mbps when hooked directly to the modem, and still gets 4mbps when hooked up to the router. My other PC gets 12mbps connected through wi-fi, my iphone 4 gets 23mbps connected through wi-fi, and the tech's phone got 40mbps (which he said it's because that's all his phone can handle, but that we're getting the full 60+ mbps.)

How is it that every device or PC I own isn't getting a stable connection through the router, yet the tech's equipment is, and getting the full 60+ mbps? or even my PC, connected directly to the modem, is only getting 4mbps.

 

[rgd1101]

Maybe is your pc?

 

[Alec Mowat]

Change the DNS server in the router to 8.8.8.8 and see if it improves. You don't need to use the ISP's DNS server.

Bypass your router and connect your PC directly to the modem and run a speed test.

Try booting to a Linux boot CD and run a speed test outside of Windows, verify if it's the PC or the OS.

Try buying a new CAT5E or CAT6 cable and see if the cable has a break. Make sure there's no electronic interference.

 

[Turkeysammich]

Change the DNS server in the router to 8.8.8.8 and see if it improves. You don't need to use the ISP's DNS server.

Bypass your router and connect your PC directly to the modem and run a speed test.

Try booting to a Linux boot CD and run a speed test outside of Windows, verify if it's the PC or the OS.

Try buying a new CAT5E or CAT6 cable and see if the cable has a break. Make sure there's no electronic interference.

Changed the DNS, still the same, 4mbps.

Tried directly connected to the modem again, the same.

the issue is with two different users PCs with different OS, one windows 7 64, one windows 8, one gets 4mbps hooked directly to modem, and also 4mbps when connected to the router through Ethernet, the other 12-20 through wi-fi. The iphones get the full internet speed and stability through wi-fi

Switched out cables, still the same.

 

[dgingeri]

You probably have a neighbor who is torrenting something. This is what typically happens with a torrenting person on the same segment in a cable internet situation: unpredictable bandwidth, high latency, times of very low bandwidth.

Typically, a cable provider will have up to 150 customers on a single segment. In apartment complexes, it can get upwards of 300. All those people share a maximum bandwidth of the segment. In a DOCSIS 3.0 cable network, that is 912Mb/s. Even if the customers might pay for 60Mb/s, because of the bandwidth sharing of cable internet, traffic can cause customers to get less. DSL customers have similar issues, but in a different way. They'll get their full bandwidth to the central office, but the central office will only have limited shared bandwidth out to the rest of the internet.

Most normal usage would still give pretty good performance, but high traffic times will reduce performance a bit. In my apartment complex, I usually still manage to get 40Mb/s during peak times, even though there are only three segments for over 800 apartments. The big reason for this is that normal traffic has either brief high bandwidth transfers for file transfers and web surfing or many lower bandwidth constant transfers such as media viewing and gaming. These fit together in the limited bandwidth pretty well and generally give customers acceptable bandwidth, kind of like traffic on a highway.

Torrenting is different, in that it, by design, consumes as much bandwidth as possible for as long as it is running, passing packets back and forth to distribute file repositories around. While they are usually limited to a single customer limitation of bandwidth, it still generates constant transfer requests for packets of data, which increases the latency for everyone since the routers can only handle so many transfer requests at a time. With latency increases, bandwidth goes down. Imagine a biker gang of several thousand bikes taking up the entire highway and not letting anyone else on. Individually, the bikes don't total up to much, but having so many around at once in a constant stream causes major traffic problems.

With most cable internet companies, even the dreaded Comcast, register enough complaints about bandwidth problems and they'll track down the torrenter and boot him. The trick is to only register legitimate complaints when the problems happen. They use these complaints to track when the traffic problems happen and figure out who is doing it. Registering a complaint when problems aren't happening only hurts their troubleshooting process, and can slow the time it takes to fix the problem.

There is also the possibility that they could have just put too many customers on a single segment. This is almost impossible in a regular single family housing area, as the distance limitations would usually limit it to about 200 houses per segment maximum, but apartment complexes can get to have too many per segment. An apartment complex I lived in several years ago had over 600 apartments, 612 if I remember correctly, and Comcast chose to only run one segment for the whole complex. It caused major bandwidth troubles. In that case, registering complaints can also help. If they get too many complaints, they can get in trouble with local utility commissions, and they usually prefer to avoid that kind of attention.

 

[Alec Mowat]

Change the DNS server in the router to 8.8.8.8 and see if it improves. You don't need to use the ISP's DNS server.

Bypass your router and connect your PC directly to the modem and run a speed test.

Try booting to a Linux boot CD and run a speed test outside of Windows, verify if it's the PC or the OS.

Try buying a new CAT5E or CAT6 cable and see if the cable has a break. Make sure there's no electronic interference.

Changed the DNS, still the same, 4mbps.

Tried directly connected to the modem again, the same.

the issue is with two different users PCs with different OS, one windows 7 64, one windows 8, one gets 4mbps hooked directly to modem, and also 4mbps when connected to the router through Ethernet, the other 12-20 through wi-fi. The iphones get the full internet speed and stability through wi-fi

Switched out cables, still the same.

Open Run
CMD
type: Pathping 8.8.8.8

See if you are getting any packet loss and where. Takes about 3 minutes to complete.

You may want to try uninstalling your network card driver and reinstalling it.

 

[Alec Mowat]

You probably have a neighbor who is torrenting something. This is what typically happens with a torrenting person on the same segment in a cable internet situation: unpredictable bandwidth, high latency, times of very low bandwidth.

Typically, a cable provider will have up to 150 customers on a single segment. In apartment complexes, it can get upwards of 300. All those people share a maximum bandwidth of the segment. In a DOCSIS 3.0 cable network, that is 912Mb/s. Even if the customers might pay for 60Mb/s, because of the bandwidth sharing of cable internet, traffic can cause customers to get less. DSL customers have similar issues, but in a different way. They'll get their full bandwidth to the central office, but the central office will only have limited shared bandwidth out to the rest of the internet.

Most normal usage would still give pretty good performance, but high traffic times will reduce performance a bit. In my apartment complex, I usually still manage to get 40Mb/s during peak times, even though there are only three segments for over 800 apartments. The big reason for this is that normal traffic has either brief high bandwidth transfers for file transfers and web surfing or many lower bandwidth constant transfers such as media viewing and gaming. These fit together in the limited bandwidth pretty well and generally give customers acceptable bandwidth, kind of like traffic on a highway.

Torrenting is different, in that it, by design, consumes as much bandwidth as possible for as long as it is running, passing packets back and forth to distribute file repositories around. While they are usually limited to a single customer limitation of bandwidth, it still generates constant transfer requests for packets of data, which increases the latency for everyone since the routers can only handle so many transfer requests at a time. With latency increases, bandwidth goes down. Imagine a biker gang of several thousand bikes taking up the entire highway and not letting anyone else on. Individually, the bikes don't total up to much, but having so many around at once in a constant stream causes major traffic problems.

With most cable internet companies, even the dreaded Comcast, register enough complaints about bandwidth problems and they'll track down the torrenter and boot him. The trick is to only register legitimate complaints when the problems happen. They use these complaints to track when the traffic problems happen and figure out who is doing it. Registering a complaint when problems aren't happening only hurts their troubleshooting process, and can slow the time it takes to fix the problem.

There is also the possibility that they could have just put too many customers on a single segment. This is almost impossible in a regular single family housing area, as the distance limitations would usually limit it to about 200 houses per segment maximum, but apartment complexes can get to have too many per segment. An apartment complex I lived in several years ago had over 600 apartments, 612 if I remember correctly, and Comcast chose to only run one segment for the whole complex. It caused major bandwidth troubles. In that case, registering complaints can also help. If they get too many complaints, they can get in trouble with local utility commissions, and they usually prefer to avoid that kind of attention.

That doesn't make sense because his ISP and his Iphone aren't getting any connection issues.

 

[Turkeysammich]

Open Run
CMD
type: Pathping 8.8.8.8

See if you are getting any packet loss and where. Takes about 3 minutes to complete.

You may want to try uninstalling your network card driver and reinstalling it.

3. 7ms
4. 8ms
5.15ms
6. 9ms
7. 10ms
8. 15ms

100/100 on 2, 9, and 10. probably just blocked, going to uninstall network card driver now and edit this post after.

Edit: uninstalled, and reinstalled, no change.

 

[dgingeri]

That doesn't make sense because his ISP and his Iphone aren't getting any connection issues.

That's the "unpredictable" part. The torrenter could turn on or off the torrent program or system at will. The traffic problems from a torrenter come and go at unpredictable times. Also, there are lags in the torrent traffic, allowing some traffic to get through without much trouble while other traffic gets stuck. It's like Chicago traffic just before rush hour starts.

 

[Alec Mowat]

That doesn't make sense because his ISP and his Iphone aren't getting any connection issues.

That's the "unpredictable" part. The torrenter could turn on or off the torrent program or system at will. The traffic problems from a torrenter come and go at unpredictable times. Also, there are lags in the torrent traffic, allowing some traffic to get through without much trouble while other traffic gets stuck. It's like Chicago traffic just before rush hour starts.

That's terrible logic. Sorry, torrents aren't the issue.

 

[Alec Mowat]

Open Run
CMD
type: Pathping 8.8.8.8

See if you are getting any packet loss and where. Takes about 3 minutes to complete.

You may want to try uninstalling your network card driver and reinstalling it.

3. 7ms
4. 8ms
5.15ms
6. 9ms
7. 10ms
8. 15ms

100/100 on 2, 9, and 10. probably just blocked, going to uninstall network card driver now and edit this post after.

Edit: uninstalled, and reinstalled, no change.

Try booting from a Linux live CD and run a speed test from the disk.
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/try-ubuntu-before-you-install

 

[Turkeysammich]

Open Run
CMD
type: Pathping 8.8.8.8

See if you are getting any packet loss and where. Takes about 3 minutes to complete.

You may want to try uninstalling your network card driver and reinstalling it.

3. 7ms
4. 8ms
5.15ms
6. 9ms
7. 10ms
8. 15ms

100/100 on 2, 9, and 10. probably just blocked, going to uninstall network card driver now and edit this post after.

Edit: uninstalled, and reinstalled, no change.

Try booting from a Linux live CD and run a speed test from the disk.
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/try-ubuntu-before-you-install

Would that make a difference though? as the problem is on two different PCs with two different OS.

 

[Alec Mowat]

Open Run
CMD
type: Pathping 8.8.8.8

See if you are getting any packet loss and where. Takes about 3 minutes to complete.

You may want to try uninstalling your network card driver and reinstalling it.

3. 7ms
4. 8ms
5.15ms
6. 9ms
7. 10ms
8. 15ms

100/100 on 2, 9, and 10. probably just blocked, going to uninstall network card driver now and edit this post after.

Edit: uninstalled, and reinstalled, no change.

Try booting from a Linux live CD and run a speed test from the disk.
http://www.ubuntu.com/download/desktop/try-ubuntu-before-you-install

Would that make a difference though? as the problem is on two different PCs with two different OS.

Absolutely, because we are 100% ruling out a software issue, which means it's either the NIC, Router or modem that is configured incorrectly.

 

[Turkeysammich]

Absolutely, because we are 100% ruling out a software issue, which means it's either the NIC, Router or modem that is configured incorrectly.

I ran a speedtest in safe mode instead, and it got the full 62+mbps

It may or may not be significant, but just before my internet issues started, I downloaded Dead Rising 3, and I guess it was to much for my GPU, my PC shut itself off to save it from over heating, but I don't know how that would affect my internet, it's just the only thing I can think of that's changed.

Edit: I find out what it was, somehow "AMD quick stream" snuck itself onto my PC, I read it had something to do with the internet and uninstalled it, and that was it, back to 62+mbps.

Thank you all for your help.

 

[Alec Mowat]

Absolutely, because we are 100% ruling out a software issue, which means it's either the NIC, Router or modem that is configured incorrectly.

I ran a speedtest in safe mode instead, and it got the full 62+mbps

It may or may not be significant, but just before my internet issues started, I downloaded Dead Rising 3, and I guess it was to much for my GPU, my PC shut itself off to save it from over heating, but I don't know how that would affect my internet, it's just the only thing I can think of that's changed.

Edit: I find out what it was, somehow "AMD quick stream" snuck itself onto my PC, I read it had something to do with the internet and uninstalled it, and that was it, back to 62+mbps.

Thank you all for your help.

It's good to rule out the OS, saves a headache in troubleshooting network properties if you know it's not the OS. In this case, it was. You can always use System Restore in the future to jump back to an earlier date.

 

[Turkeysammich]

Absolutely, because we are 100% ruling out a software issue, which means it's either the NIC, Router or modem that is configured incorrectly.

I ran a speedtest in safe mode instead, and it got the full 62+mbps

It may or may not be significant, but just before my internet issues started, I downloaded Dead Rising 3, and I guess it was to much for my GPU, my PC shut itself off to save it from over heating, but I don't know how that would affect my internet, it's just the only thing I can think of that's changed.

Edit: I find out what it was, somehow "AMD quick stream" snuck itself onto my PC, I read it had something to do with the internet and uninstalled it, and that was it, back to 62+mbps.

Thank you all for your help.

It's good to rule out the OS, saves a headache in troubleshooting network properties if you know it's not the OS. In this case, it was. You can always use System Restore in the future to jump back to an earlier date.

I discovered a new issue, with my router. I've been playing an online game, and I kept getting kicked, the game did it before in the past so I didn't think anything of it, but then I noticed that when I get kicked, my microcell disconnects too, so I checked my router's logs, and it's logging out and back in, about every 1 to 2 hours. It is set to dynamic, but it's not scheduled to release and renew until Saturdays. It even did it while typing this. The logging out and in corresponds to the time that I'm kicked from the game.

"Sep 12 00:00:08 DHCPINFORM
Sep 12 00:03:05 DHCPINFORM
Sep 12 01:03:06 XXX.XXX.X.X logout
Sep 12 01:03:18 XXX.XXX.X.X login success
Sep 12 01:14:14 XXX.XXX.X.X logout
Sep 12 01:15:43 XXX.XXX.X.X login success
Sep 12 00:47:16 DHCPINFORM
Sep 12 00:49:56 DHCPINFORM
Sep 12 00:51:27 DHCPINFORM
Sep 12 01:00:52 DHCPINFORM
Sep 12 01:04:57 DHCPINFORM
Sep 12 01:33:54 DHCPINFORM
Sep 12 02:33:55 XXX.XXX.X.X logout
Sep 12 02:34:01 XXX.XXX.X.X login success "

 

[Alec Mowat]

Your router might be failing, you can check your modem to see if it's connected still.
Default modem IP is 192.168.100.1