Regular ping spikes to router through a wired connection. Should I buy a new router?

[smudgecat123]

I am currently living with my girlfriend and her parents and they have virgin media internet service with a "Super Hub 2" router which is probably 2 or 3 years old.

When I try pinging the default gateway through a wired ethernet connection I expect to get consistent <1ms ping but in this case the ping generally stays at =1ms and then spikes up to anywhere between 2 and 30ms consistently (every 10-20 seconds).

I'm also pretty sure the ping spikes get higher and more frequent when more people are using the network.

This also happens over the wifi so I am convinced the ethernet cable is not faulty and it happens with mine and my girlfriend's laptops so I am convinced that neither of our laptop's network cards are faulty either. This only leaves the "Super Hub 2" modem/router combo as the culprit.

I read that putting the Super hub into modem mode and using your own router can resolve problems like this however I don't own a router to test this and I am reluctant to buy one if I can't be certain that it will resolve the issue.

Even in modem mode, the super hub has a gateway and upon pinging this, I am still getting ping spikes although they seem less frequent when in modem mode.

Is there any way I can concretely verify whether buying a new router will resolve this issue? or should I harass virgin media instead and try to get them to send a new super hub?

 

[JustifyHerko]

If your doing it during peek time then that is expected.

 

[ahnilated]

If your doing it during peek time then that is expected.

This has nothing to do with peek time what so ever as he isn't going outside his network.

I would check into getting your own modem/router as ones from cable company's never are great quality or the best designs.

 

[weberdarren97]

When I try pinging the default gateway through a wired ethernet connection I expect to get consistent <1ms ping but in this case the ping generally stays at =1ms and then spikes up to anywhere between 2 and 30ms consistently (every 10-20 seconds).

I'm also pretty sure the ping spikes get higher and more frequent when more people are using the network.

This is what happens when the microprocessor in a modem/router combo device receives a load. If it's already busy performing instructions given by a previous command, you command is forced to wait until there are free cycles to process it. This leads to a delay in the device's response. I would recommend just living with it. If you really want it solved, try getting your Internet through Verizon FIOS or Comcast, they have great modem/router combo devices that don't have these issues.

Even with seven others online, I can move away to the point where I have one bar of WIFI and my 150Mbps is reduced to 12Mbps because of loss of signal clarity... But even when that happens because I'm too far away from it, I still get responses to my pings within 3ms max. I have the "Blast!" internet package offered by Comcast.

EDIT: I'm using the modem/router provided by Comcast. Thought I should clear that up.

 

[smudgecat123]

This is what happens when the microprocessor in a modem/router combo device receives a load. If it's already busy performing instructions given by a previous command, you command is forced to wait until there are free cycles to process it. This leads to a delay in the device's response. I would recommend just living with it. If you really want it solved, try getting your Internet through Verizon FIOS or Comcast, they have great modem/router combo devices that don't have these issues.

I assumed this was the case although I still find it odd that it's happening since I have used several virgin media hubs before this one and none have ever given me higher than <1ms ping through a wired connection, even under load.

Perhaps this was because I am usually the only one who uses a wired connection and wired connections get priority under load? This hub has a second wired connection which is connected to a wifi extender, I'll see what happens if I disconnect it. The only other reason I can think of is maybe the microprocessor has gotten worn out over years of use and is now slower to respond under load.

Aside from that, I live in the UK so neither of those providers are options for me and I also couldn't change provider if I wanted to because it's not really my home, they're just letting me stay with them.

So it looks like buying my own router is the only option. This is fine, but I'm concerned that even using the super hub just as a modem might give it the opportunity to bottleneck the performance of my router. Is this even possible? The ping tests to the modem seem to suggest so.

Edit: The reason the spikes matter is because I want to play video games and the frequency and severity of the spikes is enough to make gaming very frustrating.

 

[smudgecat123]

I would check into getting your own modem/router as ones from cable company's never are great quality or the best designs.

I definitely don't mind investing money into something I'll be able to use and depend on for a long while, but I'm concerned that even using the super hub just as a modem might give it the opportunity to bottleneck the performance of my router. Is this even possible? The ping tests to the modem seem to suggest so.

I know that most modems are just supposed to be a bridge for the internet data to pass through, but in this case, it has a gateway and the gateway was responding with ping spikes almost as bad as they were in full router mode.

 

[weberdarren97]

Much like how installing a graphics card allows a CPU to perform more non-graphics instructions because it is no longer being held back from having to process graphics may allow for higher frame rates... Splitting the load between a modem and router (assuming the router is reasonable quality) will decrease the load on the modem device, which should minimize these frustrating spikes.

 

[Solandri]

From what I can tell, the Super Hub 2 appears to be a DOCSIS 3 modem. CPU comes up as Intel Xscale, but I thought Intel sold that line to Marvell a decade ago (or maybe that's why you're getting ping spikes - it's a decade-old CPU). Edit: A lot of newer routers have moved to dual core or even quad core CPUs (usually ARM) to alleviate the type of load problem others have described. I'm guessing this Intel CPU is just a single core.

https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Virgin_Media_Super_Hub_2

If it's a DOCSIS 3 modem, call Virgin and ask if you can replace it with any other DOCSIS 3 modem. I don't know how Europe handles cable modems, but in the U.S. you can buy any DOCSIS modem, plug it in, and call your cable company requesting they activate it. That is the whole point of DOCSIS.

 

[smudgecat123]

From what I can tell, the Super Hub 2 appears to be a DOCSIS 3 modem. CPU comes up as Intel Xscale, but I thought Intel sold that line to Marvell a decade ago (or maybe that's why you're getting ping spikes - it's a decade-old CPU). Edit: A lot of newer routers have moved to dual core or even quad core CPUs (usually ARM) to alleviate the type of load problem others have described. I'm guessing this Intel CPU is just a single core.

https://wikidevi.com/wiki/Virgin_Media_Super_Hub_2

If it's a DOCSIS 3 modem, call Virgin and ask if you can replace it with any other DOCSIS 3 modem. I don't know how Europe handles cable modems, but in the U.S. you can buy any DOCSIS modem, plug it in, and call your cable company requesting they activate it. That is the whole point of DOCSIS.

Ah ok yeah that's an interesting idea I hadn't considered trying to replace the modem entirely. I'll ring up and ask them about it, thanks for the advice

 

[smudgecat123]

Much like how installing a graphics card allows a CPU to perform more non-graphics instructions because it is no longer being held back from having to process graphics may allow for higher frame rates... Splitting the load between a modem and router (assuming the router is reasonable quality) will decrease the load on the modem device, which should minimize these frustrating spikes.

That does make a lot of sense. Thinking about it though, modem mode forces there to be no wifi and only a single active ethernet output which was going straight into my computer so I can't see how there would be any less load than that even if I did use a router.

I think I'm going to try and take care of each potential problem in turn. I definitely know that that model of router is capable of <1ms consistent pings so I think it would be best for me to request a replacement of the same or a better model. If that fails I'll have to buy my own router and if that also fails then I'll have to replace the hub entirely by buying my own modem to go with the router.

EDIT: Does that sound like a good plan to you? Also thanks for all your advice, you've been extremely helpful.

 

[weberdarren97]

That sounds like a good plan

 

[JustifyHerko]

If your doing it during peek time then that is expected.

This has nothing to do with peek time what so ever as he isn't going outside his network.

I would check into getting your own modem/router as ones from cable company's never are great quality or the best designs.

I had multiple windows up, talking about something totally different.

I would not worry about the large increases in ping responses. You don't really feel it "Through wired".

Never stuck to the routers the company's give out. usually prefer my own ones that I know works and are great.

 

[smudgecat123]

I had multiple windows up, talking about something totally different.

I would not worry about the large increases in ping responses. You don't really feel it "Through wired".

Never stuck to the routers the company's give out. usually prefer my own ones that I know works and are great.

Yeah I wouldn't normally feel it but when I'm playing video games with a fairly steady ping of 20ms I definitely feel the consistent spikes up to 40ms just because it's taking 20ms for the router to respond.