[SOLVED] Packet loss help?

[Mike2533]

I have been having packet loss issues for the last week and a half. I know that the issue is not in my home network as ping plotter shows. I just need some ideas on what could possibly be causing this so I can present it to Spectrum? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

https://imgur.com/gk0cfh0

View: https://imgur.com/gk0cfh0

https://imgur.com/NwebH3n

View: https://imgur.com/NwebH3n

 

[bill001g]

If you get lucky and the level 1 tech has any skills other than telling your to reboot the equipment the pingplot should be good enough.

It is unfortunate that hop2 does not respond. That is the most common point for packet loss. It represent the connection to your house from the ISP. Still loss in hop 2 will cause loss in every hop past it and that is what you are seeing so it is highly likely the problem really is in hop 2.

Even most stupid level 1 tech know about the normal ping command. You should be able to run a constant ping to your router IP and a constant ping to hop 3 and show them you get no loss to the router but you have issues in their network.

Try to get into the cable modem. You want to look at the signal levels. The exact values depend on a couple of things so I will let you search for recommended cable modem values and read the info there. Your modem likely also is showing uncorrected errors increasing a lot. These are packet loss. There is always some but when the numbers change a lot it indicates a problem. The ISP can see the signal levels as well as errors in your router remotely. Again most good tech know what these numbers are. Because you have bad upload rates I am going to bet you have power levels above 51 on the upstream channels which is above recommended for most cable modems.

All you can really do is check you cabling is tight and does not appear damaged. You could I guess try to hook the modem closer to where the cable comes into the house so the ISP does not blame your cable for the problems. It could be if you have splitters and other stuff in the path especially when you have upstream signal level issues.

 

[Mike2533]

If you get lucky and the level 1 tech has any skills other than telling your to reboot the equipment the pingplot should be good enough.

It is unfortunate that hop2 does not respond. That is the most common point for packet loss. It represent the connection to your house from the ISP. Still loss in hop 2 will cause loss in every hop past it and that is what you are seeing so it is highly likely the problem really is in hop 2.

Even most stupid level 1 tech know about the normal ping command. You should be able to run a constant ping to your router IP and a constant ping to hop 3 and show them you get no loss to the router but you have issues in their network.

Try to get into the cable modem. You want to look at the signal levels. The exact values depend on a couple of things so I will let you search for recommended cable modem values and read the info there. Your modem likely also is showing uncorrected errors increasing a lot. These are packet loss. There is always some but when the numbers change a lot it indicates a problem. The ISP can see the signal levels as well as errors in your router remotely. Again most good tech know what these numbers are. Because you have bad upload rates I am going to bet you have power levels above 51 on the upstream channels which is above recommended for most cable modems.

All you can really do is check you cabling is tight and does not appear damaged. You could I guess try to hook the modem closer to where the cable comes into the house so the ISP does not blame your cable for the problems. It could be if you have splitters and other stuff in the path especially when you have upstream signal level issues.

Do you think the loss in hop 2 is a cable issue? I guess what I am trying to figure out is if the issue is possibly on the main service line to my home? I had a maintenance truck rolled to my home Tuesday and they claimed that everything looked fine on their end. I just simply could not believe that from looking at the data and the speed tests that I had ran. They also claim that no other homes in my area have reported other problems but the packet loss is 24/7 like you can see and it makes gaming (my favorite hobby) nearly impossible. Thank you for your reply.

 

[bill001g]

The ISP can be very lazy sometimes. It depends where exactly the tested. Testing out on the street is different than testing the cable at your modem or at least where the cable first comes into the house.

You loss is so high and consistent that you should be able to do some testing. The bad ones are the ones that happen randomly. You could try to move the modem to where the cable very first comes into the house. This should show if it is cabling in the walls causing it. After this if the ISP is really sure there is no problems you replace the modem.

 

[Mike2533]

The ISP can be very lazy sometimes. It depends where exactly the tested. Testing out on the street is different than testing the cable at your modem or at least where the cable first comes into the house.

You loss is so high and consistent that you should be able to do some testing. The bad ones are the ones that happen randomly. You could try to move the modem to where the cable very first comes into the house. This should show if it is cabling in the walls causing it. After this if the ISP is really sure there is no problems you replace the modem.

I have had the cabling from the outside box to the modem replaced. They have also replaced my drop and the modem. They then even replaced the cabling from a few poles back from my home all the way to my tap from a previous problem I had with these same issues. Then all of a sudden last Monday the problem surfaces again after 4 months. I just have ran out of options to try in and around my home with replaced parts. I just don’t understand what could have caused this to surface again last Monday with seemingly no prior warning.

 

[bill001g]

Can be as simple as water got in some connection.

This should affect the number you see for power both up and down. Would have been nice to know the numbers before.

 

[Mike2533]

Can be as simple as water got in some connection.

This should affect the number you see for power both up and down. Would have been nice to know the numbers before.

I can’t see the modem signal levels. Spectrum doesn’t allow customers to see them on Spectrum issues modems and every time I ask to see them over the chat they tell me there’s no use in me seeing them that the tech that arrives will be able to address the issue. Well, that hasn’t been the case.