Question Packet loss with Cox ISP ?

[Jacobfinn123]

I had perfect internet for about a year, then slowly I started getting packet loss. Now for about a year I have been dealing with it. I have tried replacing my modem, my ethernet cable, and the coax cable, and the ISP company (Cox) even replaced the lines. I've been dealing with this for over a year now.

The packet loss isn't brutal, but it's slow and steady, roughly dropping 1 packet per 15-30 seconds. I have dealt with my ISP several times, tried replacing my own equipment, and filed an FCC report, but still no luck. I have no other internet companies in my apartments, is there any hope of using the internet without losing packets here?

• Packet loss occurs on both Ethernet & WiFi
• I live in apartments
• Packet loss across multiple devices, ethernet or wifi.
• Packet loss doesn't occur when pinging default gateway.
• Packet loss still occurs when connected to a VPN

Packet loss to my modem (192.168.0.1):

Packet loss to google's DNS:

Upstream:

Downstream:

I have a normal amount of CM errors, 10> correctable, 0 uncorrectable.

Not sure if these power levels are good. The only thing I think could be bad is some downstream channels power levels are slightly above the upper limit, 15. Although, I only notice outgoing packet loss. Additionally, I had a tech look at my node and mode remotely and said my modem didn't match the signals I'm seeing and that the OFDMA was 3db lower than ATDMA when it should be 6db. I have another tech coming out tomorrow to try to fix this but don't really know what to tell them when they inevitably tell me everything looks fine.

 

[bill001g]

The ISP can remotely see these numbers in your modem and in the equipment on their end. As you state the numbers are pretty good with the one the is only slightly out.

Not much you can do check that all cables connectors are tight and clean in the house. Maybe hook the modem the cable closest to the point were the wire enters the house and see how much the power level change. It would tell you how much is related to the cable in you house.

The cable company can test with their meter to get more accurate readings when they come out. Most times this is some dirt or water in some connection in the path between your house and the cable company box where the electronic reside.

Ping plotter likes telling its normal lies. Your problem is the 1% loss you get in every node including the final one. Since it starts in hop 2 it is likely the connection to your house. Other stuff is testing errors. Not sure about a consumer router but it is not uncommon for routers to limit the number of ping packet they respond to. The need to reserve their CPU for doing real work and it also prevent denial of service attacks using ping.

 

[Jacobfinn123]

The ISP can remotely see these numbers in your modem and in the equipment on their end. As you state the numbers are pretty good with the one the is only slightly out.

Not much you can do check that all cables connectors are tight and clean in the house. Maybe hook the modem the cable closest to the point were the wire enters the house and see how much the power level change. It would tell you how much is related to the cable in you house.

The cable company can test with their meter to get more accurate readings when they come out. Most times this is some dirt or water in some connection in the path between your house and the cable company box where the electronic reside.

Ping plotter likes telling its normal lies. Your problem is the 1% loss you get in every node including the final one. Since it starts in hop 2 it is likely the connection to your house. Other stuff is testing errors. Not sure about a consumer router but it is not uncommon for routers to limit the number of ping packet they respond to. The need to reserve their CPU for doing real work and it also prevent denial of service attacks using ping.

If you mean the outlet, the modem's outlet is directly next to the coax cable outlet. I already had the ISP replace the lines without fixing the issue and I myself have tried replacing all hardware, modem, coax cable, and ethernet.

I don't think ping plotter is inaccurate because when I am playing games the packet loss seems to roughly match with ping plotter.

 

[Ralston18]

I am wondering about 2 things:

1) This:

"If you mean the outlet, the modem's outlet is directly next to the coax cable outlet."

If the modem is not connected to coax what is it connected to: DSL, fiber?



2) Network connectivity: should be wired or wireless. One or the other, not both at the same time.



More information is needed about the computer's network configuration.

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

Run "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) via the Command Prompt and post the full results.

You should be able to copy and paste the results herein without needing to retype everything.

 

[Jacobfinn123]

I am wondering about 2 things:

1) This:

"If you mean the outlet, the modem's outlet is directly next to the coax cable outlet."

If the modem is not connected to coax what is it connected to: DSL, fiber?



2) Network connectivity: should be wired or wireless. One or the other, not both at the same time.



More information is needed about the computer's network configuration.

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

Run "ipconfig /all" (without quotes) via the Command Prompt and post the full results.

You should be able to copy and paste the results herein without needing to retype everything.

It's connected with coax.

I am using a wired connection.

It's cox's commscope (formerly arris) pw7 modem.

Brand: ARRIS
Model: TG4482A

 

[bill001g]

Mostly you want to make sure there is not extra cable and splitters in the path when you test. Not likely the problem but one of the few things you can do yourself.

1% packet loss is a lot especially for games. The number I am referring to are the 98% and 49% loss numbers. If you actually lose 98% of the packets at your router then you could never get responses back from the nodes past it that do not also show 98% loss.

These tend to be tricky to find. Could be interference from a neighbor. I know if someone feeds moca out of their house it can cause issue for other users but it can be many things even some bad board in the ISP equipment.

 

[Ralston18]

Regarding (per @bill001):

"Mostly you want to make sure there is not extra cable and splitters in the path when you test. Not likely the problem but one of the few things you can do yourself."

In full agreement.

If possible sketch out a simple diagram showing all the coax cables, splitters, and connections that you can find.

Trace all of the coax cables but do so safely. No climbing on roofs, poles, etc..

Look for signs of damage: kinked or pinched cables, corrosion, rodent chews, nail or staple damage, bare conductor showing, moisture, tangled wires. Unterminated connections.

Splitters are cheaply made. They can and do degrade.

Unterminated connections are another concern. Many coax cables and ports are left uncapped much less unterminated.

FYI:

https://www.wiringo.com/coax-terminator.html

https://blog.solidsignal.com/tutorials/tip-terminate-unused-ports/

You can easily find other similar links and explanations.

Plus swapping out splitters and adding terminator caps is indeed something you can do yourself.

 

[Jacobfinn123]

Mostly you want to make sure there is not extra cable and splitters in the path when you test. Not likely the problem but one of the few things you can do yourself.

1% packet loss is a lot especially for games. The number I am referring to are the 98% and 49% loss numbers. If you actually lose 98% of the packets at your router then you could never get responses back from the nodes past it that do not also show 98% loss.

These tend to be tricky to find. Could be interference from a neighbor. I know if someone feeds moca out of their house it can cause issue for other users but it can be many things even some bad board in the ISP equipment.

Oh yea the 98% is definitely not correct, not sure what its referring to. I talked to a cox tech in my area and they looked at my node and said my neighbor wasn't having the same issue.

Regarding (per @bill001):

"Mostly you want to make sure there is not extra cable and splitters in the path when you test. Not likely the problem but one of the few things you can do yourself."

In full agreement.

If possible sketch out a simple diagram showing all the coax cables, splitters, and connections that you can find.

Trace all of the coax cables but do so safely. No climbing on roofs, poles, etc..

Look for signs of damage: kinked or pinched cables, corrosion, rodent chews, nail or staple damage, bare conductor showing, moisture, tangled wires. Unterminated connections.

Splitters are cheaply made. They can and do degrade.

Unterminated connections are another concern. Many coax cables and ports are left uncapped much less unterminated.

FYI:

https://www.wiringo.com/coax-terminator.html

https://blog.solidsignal.com/tutorials/tip-terminate-unused-ports/

You can easily find other similar links and explanations.

Plus swapping out splitters and adding terminator caps is indeed something you can do yourself.

I'm not really sure how to do this, there is only one coax cable outlet in my apartment. Would I need to take off the outlet cover or something?

 

[Ralston18]

As I understand the connections thus far:

For the time being, do not take any wall jacks apart.

= = = =

There is one only coax cable in your apartment.

The modem is connected to some other wall jack/port (?) next to that coax cable port - correct?

What devices, if any, are plugged into the modem?

This modem?

https://www.cox.com/residential/sup...html?msockid=3a1a7e14f33f67341a066b79f24666d8

If the link matches the installed modem then I believe that you have DSL service and that the wall jack serving the modem is a DSL connection.

Is the connecting wall cable (wall jack to modem) plugged into one of the ports next the small telephone handset icon?

Do you have a landline telephone?

Incoming DSL services often come to a splitter (AKA a filter) that divides the incoming service into two paths.

One path to the modem ("telephone jack") and a second path to the telephone(s). Splitters/Filters are small metallic boxes usually about 1" x 2" by 1/2". Cheaply made and often fail. Quite problematic. Look for one somewhere. If there are no landline phones then there may not be a splitter.

But you do need to know what is on the other end of that wall jack....

Are you able to take a couple of photographs showing those ports, cables, and connected devices?

Photographs can be posted here via imgur (www.imgur.com). Click the green "New post" icon.

And, just for a quick check/test, try swapping the wall cable from the modem jack in use to the other modem jack. Does that make any improvements?

 

[Jacobfinn123]

As I understand the connections thus far:

For the time being, do not take any wall jacks apart.

= = = =

There is one only coax cable in your apartment.

The modem is connected to some other wall jack/port (?) next to that coax cable port - correct?

What devices, if any, are plugged into the modem?

This modem?

https://www.cox.com/residential/sup...html?msockid=3a1a7e14f33f67341a066b79f24666d8

If the link matches the installed modem then I believe that you have DSL service and that the wall jack serving the modem is a DSL connection.

Is the connecting wall cable (wall jack to modem) plugged into one of the ports next the small telephone handset icon?

Do you have a landline telephone?

Incoming DSL services often come to a splitter (AKA a filter) that divides the incoming service into two paths.

One path to the modem ("telephone jack") and a second path to the telephone(s). Splitters/Filters are small metallic boxes usually about 1" x 2" by 1/2". Cheaply made and often fail. Quite problematic. Look for one somewhere. If there are no landline phones then there may not be a splitter.

But you do need to know what is on the other end of that wall jack....

Are you able to take a couple of photographs showing those ports, cables, and connected devices?

Photographs can be posted here via imgur (www.imgur.com). Click the green "New post" icon.

And, just for a quick check/test, try swapping the wall cable from the modem jack in use to the other modem jack. Does that make any improvements?

No it's plugged into the one coax cable in my apartment. Just my PC is connected to the modem.

That is the correct modem. It's a cable connection not DSL.

Its not plugged into the telephone slot.

I don't have a landline.

Already tried swapping all ports, doesn't make a difference.

 

[bill001g]

When you live in a apartment you have very few options. Even if there were multiple jacks and cables you really should not mess with them.

In your case that jack likely has a wire that connects in some common room with other apartments. Hopefully the ISP has access to that room and can inspect the cables and the connectors.

Your are pretty much stuck waiting on the ISP to help you. What you might want to do test with a actual ping command. You want to ping the IP in hop2 that you deleted from the post. This really isn't that sensitive of a IP, it is the ISP router and at worst it might indicate what city you lived in.

No need to post it here just have it for the ISP tech. What you want to show them is there is no loss when you ping your router IP but you see loss when you ping the ISP first router. Many ISP are not very technical and have never seen pingplotter. Hopefully they have used a real ping command before. You are trying to avoid them blaming your pc or the pingplotter software. they should be able to do the same ping test on the pc the bring....many of the testing meters can also do ping.

 

[Ralston18]

The other wall connection being power.....

= = = =

Added thought: review the linked Modem manual. Including the Easy Connect Guide.

Ensure that all is correct.

Pay attention to the Status lights and their respective meanings. What ports are actually in use, etc..

Which Ethernet port is being used".

From the Guide:

"Note: Ethernet port 4, marked with an orange line on the bottom right, is the 2.5 Gbps port, the preferred port for wired devices"

= = = =

Look for that common room. Not unusual for apartment dwellers to hijack connections to other tenants.

Ensure that the ISP checks the incoming service line(s). Just in case.....