Question Late packets issue?

[HowlingWolf95]

Hello everyone,

so a few months back I starter experiencing some weird issues. While I would play online/multiplayer games I would often have stutters. I mainly play Dota 2 and CS2 so I noticed the issue there. I need to make clear that the stutters would randomly appear (and disappear) in between 20:00 and 00:00, during the day I wouldn't have stutters. I suspect it has something to do with "Late packets". While I had the stutters I did the test on https://packetlosstest.com/ site and it would wary, but the late packets would constanly have a percentage. Also, the stutters would correspond with the late packets in the test. When I do the test during the day, everything is normal.

How can I resolve this problem?

Thanks in advance!

 

[Ralston18]

If the cause is between your modem, router, or modem/router (if combined) and computer you may be able to fix it.

If the cause is between your router and ISP, your ISP may be able to fix it.

If the cause is beyond your ISP then there is likely little to be done that could fix it.

Run "tracert" and "pathping" targeting Google at 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4 via the Command Prompt.

Copy and paste the full results here.

You can also target the game site as well.

FYI:

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/network-troubleshooting-techniques/

You can easily find other similar links and tutorials.

No need, at present, to download any other 3rd party apps or utilities for diagnostic purposes.

 

[bill001g]

You likely can't fix it. There really is no true definition of what a "late" packet is so it many times is something testing site make up. It does not always mean there is a actual problem. Some sites like the DSL testing site find "buffer bloat" in almost everyone's internet connection even though bufferbloat only truly occurs at 100% usage which is not very likely when you have a gigbit internet.

For online games the issue is you need consistent latency. The games use the timing between the packets and the overall latency to predict the positions of players/items in the game in the future. If this timing varies the predictions are not valid and when the game corrects you get stutter and lag.

The most common cause is someone who plays games on wifi. Wifi is subject to interference from both inside and outside your house. Wifi unlike almost any other network transport does error correction and retransmits lost data. This takes time and causes latency variations.

The other would be if for some reason there was a over utilized connection in the path between you and the game company. You really only can do something if it was say too many people in your house using your internet. You would have to buy a larger plan. This is extremely uncommon now days. Even 100mbps is more than enough unless someone is downloading files all the time.

 

[HowlingWolf95]

If the cause is between your modem, router, or modem/router (if combined) and computer you may be able to fix it.

If the cause is between your router and ISP, your ISP may be able to fix it.

If the cause is beyond your ISP then there is likely little to be done that could fix it.

Run "tracert" and "pathping" targeting Google at 8.8.8.8 or 8.8.4.4 via the Command Prompt.

Copy and paste the full results here.

You can also target the game site as well.

FYI:

https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/network-troubleshooting-techniques/

You can easily find other similar links and tutorials.

No need, at present, to download any other 3rd party apps or utilities for diagnostic purposes.

Hey Ralston, so I ran tracert for Google and got this:

Tracing route to dns.google [8.8.8.8]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms home.box [192.168.1.1]
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 6 ms 6 ms 6 ms hdr11-gtr02-3.ip.t-com.hr [195.29.3.177]
5 7 ms 7 ms 6 ms gtr09-hdr11-2.ip.t-com.hr [195.29.225.142]
6 11 ms 11 ms 12 ms 72.14.204.128
7 12 ms 11 ms 11 ms 216.239.56.157
8 12 ms 12 ms 11 ms 142.251.65.219
9 11 ms 11 ms 11 ms dns.google [8.8.8.8]

Trace complete.

and pathping:

Tracing route to dns.google [8.8.8.8]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
0 DESKTOP-JBB9IUA [192.168.1.18]
1 home.box [192.168.1.1]
2 * * *
Computing statistics for 25 seconds...
Source to Here This Node/Link
Hop RTT Lost/Sent = Pct Lost/Sent = Pct Address
0 DESKTOP-JBB9IUA [192.168.1.18]
0/ 100 = 0% |
1 0ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% home.box [192.168.1.1]

 

[HowlingWolf95]

You likely can't fix it. There really is no true definition of what a "late" packet is so it many times is something testing site make up. It does not always mean there is a actual problem. Some sites like the DSL testing site find "buffer bloat" in almost everyone's internet connection even though bufferbloat only truly occurs at 100% usage which is not very likely when you have a gigbit internet.

For online games the issue is you need consistent latency. The games use the timing between the packets and the overall latency to predict the positions of players/items in the game in the future. If this timing varies the predictions are not valid and when the game corrects you get stutter and lag.

The most common cause is someone who plays games on wifi. Wifi is subject to interference from both inside and outside your house. Wifi unlike almost any other network transport does error correction and retransmits lost data. This takes time and causes latency variations.

The other would be if for some reason there was a over utilized connection in the path between you and the game company. You really only can do something if it was say too many people in your house using your internet. You would have to buy a larger plan. This is extremely uncommon now days. Even 100mbps is more than enough unless someone is downloading files all the time.

Hey Bill,

I am using ethernet cable. While I game my parents usually watch TV (idk how to describe it, its like a cable TV but it uses internet), but it is not consistent in giving me issues (as in I get it anyways, regardless if the TV is on) so I am pretty sure thats not the reason I have "late packets".

 

[Ralston18]

Make and model information for modem, router, or modem/router if combined?

Run "ipconfig/all" (without quotes) via the Command Prompt.

Copy and paste the full results here.

Added question: Make and model TV? how connected, where connected?

 

[HowlingWolf95]

Make and model information for modem, router, or modem/router if combined?

Run "ipconfig/all" (without quotes) via the Command Prompt.

Copy and paste the full results here.

Added question: Make and model TV? how connected, where connected?

It say on the modem/router: "Magenta Home Box"

Windows IP Configuration

Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : DESKTOP-JBB9IUA
Primary Dns Suffix . . . . . . . :
Node Type . . . . . . . . . . . . : Hybrid
IP Routing Enabled. . . . . . . . : No
WINS Proxy Enabled. . . . . . . . : No

Ethernet adapter Ethernet:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . :
Description . . . . . . . . . . . : Realtek PCIe GbE Family Controller
Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : A8-A1-59-46-36-EF
DHCP Enabled. . . . . . . . . . . : Yes
Autoconfiguration Enabled . . . . : Yes
Link-local IPv6 Address . . . . . :
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . :
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Lease Obtained. . . . . . . . . . : 28. rujna 2024. 22:17:14
Lease Expires . . . . . . . . . . : 29. rujna 2024. 22:17:14
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . :
DHCP Server . . . . . . . . . . . :
DHCPv6 IAID . . . . . . . . . . . :
DHCPv6 Client DUID. . . . . . . . :
DNS Servers . . . . . . . . . . . :
NetBIOS over Tcpip. . . . . . . . : Enabled

Sry about some deleted parts I am just scared to share any vounerable information online.
The TV is some offbrand called Tesla and it is connected by a wire to a small reciever which then provides the internet for different channels.

 

[lantis3]

There is almost nothing you can do about packet loss or packet delay as mentioned by others.

Packet delivery is just like you sending a package via USPS. FedEx, UPS, Amazon, etc. Once the package is out of the door/your home, you have absolutely no control.

 

[bill001g]

Your current posting show no issues...strange that pathping did not return results.

It might be very intermittent.

Try the more standard test. Leave a constant ping run to 8.8.8.8 in a background window. When you see issues in the game quickly switch over and see if the ping also shows issues.

If the ping does not see loss or very large latency increase I would start to suspect some game setting or maybe the game server as the problem. It could also be some issue with the path to 8.8.8.8. being different than to the game server. There is very little you can do about the path to the game company data center.