WNDR3400v3 N600 Netgear High ping and packet loss intermittently while loading browser

[Prashanthrb]

Sorry, at this point I am really frustrated with Netgears experience. I have bought this Netgear device about year and half back approximate. Straight out of box it had manufacturing defect and was later informed the model was a failure. I was replaced with another one of the same model. But, then the replacement was working well enough until now.

I had my ISP issue for the past of couple of days. So, I tried USB tethering my mobile data for use to Win 10 pc and apparently Win10 is not that great at compatibility with Android tethering. At this point since my work was crucial I tried tweaking my router to see if I can get it to use my mobile data like hotspot somehow. All I did was Enable AP mode. Apparently, after still being unsuccessful, I realized I had to do factory reset to disable AP mode.
After the AP mode disabling via factory reset. I even got the latest firmware, I was already having the latest one but reflashed the same to the device reset factory pin again and then configured.
Now my ISP is back up, but I get really high ping and packet losses while I connect through my router. further details... .

The router has 2 wired connections for 2 desktops and about 6 to 8 wireless connections which includes a wireless printer, three laptops, 4 to 5 android devices.
Currently all other devices are not connected or it is shut down. So, right now only this pc is in active connection with the router.

Through router:
Tracert for 8.8.8.8
1 6 ms 8 ms 8 ms 192.168.1.1
2 13 ms 20 ms 19 ms 150.107.209.1
3 7 ms 6 ms 6 ms Chennai-Core.youbroadband.in [203.187.244.1]
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 384 ms 47 ms 54 ms 33-244-187-203.static.youbroadband.in [203.187.244.33]
6 49 ms 68 ms 69 ms 209.85.249.11
7 43 ms 54 ms 46 ms 209.85.143.105
8 163 ms 80 ms 80 ms google-public-dns-a.google.com [8.8.8.8]

Pinging (8.8.8.8) [Sent = 2164, Received = 2102, Lost = 62 (2% loss), Minimum=36ms, Maximum = 3215ms, Average = 182ms]
Pinging (ISP local City node - 3 in tracert) [Sent = 1516, Received = 1504, Lost = 12 (0% loss), Minimum=4ms, Maximum = 2805ms, Average = 108ms]
Pinging (2 node in tracert) [Sent = 523, Received = 518, Lost = 5 (0% loss), Minimum=4ms, Maximum = 1965ms, Average = 151ms]
Pinging (Router) [Sent = 124, Received = 124, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Minimum=4ms, Maximum = 687ms, Average = 52ms]
=== Just noticed there is a considerable fluctuation in time between my pc and router itself === it shot up to 500ms in btw.

Direct plugin without router :

Tracert for 8.8.8.8
1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 150.107.209.1
2 11 ms 5 ms 5 ms Chennai-Core.youbroadband.in [203.187.244.1]
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 35 ms 42 ms 43 ms 33-244-187-203.static.youbroadband.in [203.187.244.33]
5 43 ms 41 ms 31 ms 209.85.249.11
6 153 ms 203 ms 206 ms 209.85.143.105
7 35 ms 35 ms 34 ms google-public-dns-a.google.com [8.8.8.8]

Pinging 8.8.8.8 [Sent = 235, Received = 235, Lost = 0 (0% loss), Minimum=34ms, Maximum = 47ms, Average = 35ms]

Clearly there is an issue with the router in being in the network and ISP is pretty good. I tried loading speedtest.net and facebook during each ping mentioned above. Even with that ping was only 47ms tops. Where as with router if I load any website or go on Dota the time shoots upto 2000ms+

I suspect router firmware, router physical ports / the wire from pc to router. But I can't get to the source further down.

 

[Ralston18]

With router Hop #5 (is very high. I.e., static.youbroadband.in
Without router the same Hop (now #4) appears okay.

Possibly a time related problem.

You mentioned: "Just noticed there is a considerable fluctuation in time between my pc and router itself..."

Do you have the User Manual for your router?

http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/WNDR3400V3/WNDR3400v3_UM_19June2014.pdf

Check page 101. Get the router's and pc's times correct for your location and see if that improves performance.

 

[Prashanthrb]

With router Hop #5 (is very high. I.e., static.youbroadband.in
Without router the same Hop (now #4) appears okay.

Possibly a time related problem.

You mentioned: "Just noticed there is a considerable fluctuation in time between my pc and router itself..."

Do you have the User Manual for your router?

http://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/WNDR3400V3/W...

Check page 101. Get the router's and pc's times correct for your location and see if that improves performance.

I checked them, they are set to automatic setting and the router rectifies the time by itself once connection is established, except it was an hour ahead in time due to daylight setting mishap, which I removed and now PC and router times are the same. But still...

This is ping side by to my 2nd PC on remote. Since they are connected to adjacent ports and by different cables but still exhibit that weird high range ping fluctuation, this rules out port or cable problem. All though strangely where my main PC varies from 37ms ~ 3200ms. the few pings on 2nd PC only shows range of max up to 800ms only.

Okay now I have run another ping sequence on my remote pc, now it shows max of 3200ms once I loaded speedtest.net. So there is nothing wrong with the my side router cable or pc ports and incoming line.

It has to do only with the router.

 

[Ralston18]

Could well be a router problem.

The router has reached some threshold where the incoming signal may be insufficient and thus further degraded within the router.

However the incoming signal (from a modem) is still more than enough to work when connected directly to the PC.

Borrow another router and test.

Try the existing router somewhere else.

Determine if the problem stays with your network connections or moves with the router.

 

[bill001g]

Maybe try to run only a single pc directly connected to the router via ethernet. Disable the wifi radios and unplug the internet wan connection.

You should see consistent ping times of only a few ms. If you don't there is not much else other than a defective router. Make sure before you replace the router though you do this test with a second pc just to be sure it is not a pc software issue.

If it is good you then can for plug other pc into the router, turn on the wireless radio and finally connect back the internet. Do these 1 at a time running ping to the router ip address. Your router may give you a clue as to what is causing issues, many show things like CPU usage and traffic rates on ports.

Mostly you only see huge ping times like that on wifi because the devices attempt to prevent data loss by retransmitting the data.

 

[Prashanthrb]

Sorry, I didn't return to this. But, I ended up buying new router from D-Link. I believe the router was at fault. Several pieces of that model was said to be failure, and they had replaced me with a better piece of the same model about year and half back when I got it fresh out of the box. So, I believe the model was rigged from the start and I am just grateful it even lasted that long. Anyway new router everything is fine except the pings are constantly 30ms extra but I feel no difference.