Unstable connection

[tomahawkz]

Hi There,

Can anybody offer any advice why I may be seeing the following latency issues?

I'm connected into the Phone Test Socket and I haveSuperfast Fibre 2 FTTC Connection.

I literally have 1 PC connected straight into SmartHub via Ethernet cable, no network activity other than this web browser and I am seeing the following results.

When I restarted the router and I also noticed it took considerably longer to re-establish connection than usual.

Tracert show the following results:

C:\Users\Tom>tracert 8.8.8.8

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

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms BTHUB [192.168.1.254]
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 24 ms 7 ms 7 ms 31.55.187.181
4 7 ms 7 ms 6 ms 31.55.187.180
5 231 ms 231 ms 231 ms core1-hu0-8-0-1.southbank.ukcore.bt.net [195.99.127.176]
6 190 ms 17 ms 6 ms peer7-et-3-0-2.telehouse.ukcore.bt.net [109.159.252.180]
7 8 ms 8 ms 8 ms 109.159.253.185
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 224 ms 207 ms 153 ms 108.170.238.120
10 7 ms 7 ms 7 ms 72.14.238.239
11 52 ms 7 ms 6 ms google-public-dns-a.google.com [8.8.8.8]

Trace complete.

C:\Users\Tom>tracert 8.8.8.8

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

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms BTHUB [192.168.1.254]
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 219 ms 224 ms 124 ms 31.55.187.180
5 7 ms 7 ms 7 ms core1-hu0-8-0-1.southbank.ukcore.bt.net [195.99.127.176]
6 55 ms 6 ms 6 ms peer7-et-3-0-2.telehouse.ukcore.bt.net [109.159.252.180]
7 8 ms 8 ms 8 ms 109.159.253.185
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 125 ms 75 ms 7 ms 108.170.238.120
10 174 ms 172 ms 174 ms 72.14.238.239
11 7 ms 6 ms 6 ms google-public-dns-a.google.com [8.8.8.8]

Trace complete.

The broadband checker on BTs website suggest my connection is fine but it's clearly not. Tracert shows latency within BTs network. This is making internet activities such as online gaming pretty much unplayable.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

[imjolly]

Can you post stats from hub

that does not show connection unstable

[tomahawkz]

What info would you like?
Where abouts on the hub can I retrieve the info?

[tomahawkz]

I think i found the info. See below:

Information

Event log
This is a list of your BT Smart Hub settings and current statistics.


Product name: BT Hub 6A
Serial number: +084317+NQ80205457
Firmware version: SG4B1000B540
Firmware updated: 19-Jun-2018
Board version: 1.0
Gui version: 1.64.0
DSL uptime: 0 Days, 2 Hours 1 Minutes 4 Seconds
Data rate: 20.00 Mbps / 80.00 Mbps
Maximum data rate: 23422 / 91497
Noise margin: 15.1 dB / 7.5 dB
Line attenuation: 16.6 dB
Signal attenuation:
VPI / VCI: 0/38
Modulation: G_993_2_ANNEX_B
Latency type: Fast Path
Data sent / received: 180 MB Uploaded / 4606 MB Downloaded
Broadband username: bthomehub@btbroadband.com
BT Wi-fi: Active

[tomahawkz]

Can anyone shed any light on the issue?

My connection experiences latency intermittantly as per the screenshots posted above every day.

[tomahawkz]

Hi,

I appear to be  expierncing high latency spikes when only a fraction of my total bandwidth is being used. 
This makes certain activites such as online gaming virtually impossible and I'm stumped as I have never had this issue at any other address or ISP.

My speedtest shows 60Mbps+ download, I feel that should be enough for 2 online activies without massive jumps of latency? I did upgrade my package to the "Superfast Fibre Plus" before Christmas in hope that this would resolve the problem but unfortunately it hasn't.

Speedtest

 Pings to google DNS

My home network consists of 2 wired connected PCs, one which my partner watches netflix / youtube and such, if she watches Netflix I simply cannot play an online game due to the latency spikes.
I've tested the same thing with just one computer and the same symptoms occur. I don't understand why if I am getting the bandwidth it seems to be so saturated due to a single online activity, I can appreciate that Netflix is bandwidth hungry but that's why we pay the extra for FTTC otherwise I would just be running ADSL stilll.

My SmartHub is connected straight into the master socket and I have tried the test socket and same issue occurs.

I've read information online about the possibility of a congested/hot SVLAN? Not sure this if this the case?

Could you guys help on and how I can get this resolved please?

[Keith_Beddoe]

A faster connection would not have improved latency, as latency depends very much on the path between your computer, and the destination host, and how much buffering is taking place within that network path.

Your connection from the cabinet to the core network is being shared by many other users, so a delayed ping response is likely.

[tomahawkz]

So can I get a different route to this core network as personally I don't think in 2019 using 5Mbp/s of my avalaible 60Mbps+ is enough to create this buffer? The product itself is named "Superfast", when really it's not.

As it would appear that I simply cannot do more than one thing at once on this broadband, is switching to another ISP going to help alleviate the issue? Have they over sold their products too? 
So when using a fraction of their bandwidth the connection is usuable for any applications which require low latency.

I haven't ever experienced this with Virgin Media, which unfortunately isn't available in this area or any other ISP going back to early ADSL days.

[Keith_Beddoe]

You would not be able to have another route, as you are sharing the route with lots of other users.

You have a superfast connection as far as the speed is concerned, and a speed test will confirm this.

What you do not have, is any priority over any other user who is connected to that cabinet. If every user had 100% use of the fibre link back to the core node, then the bandwidth requirements would be massive.

Instead, Statistical Multiplexing is used https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statistical_time-division_multiplexing

This is based on the fact that all users are not uploading or downloading all of the time, so buffering has to take place in the RDSLAM to allow time slots to be allocated.

Unfortunately, what it does not guarantee, is response time. In your case its the upload response time which is affecting your connection. In fact you will find that no ISP will guarantee this.

The more users that are connected to the same link, the worse its going to be. I don`t think response time is a figure that is measured.

Normal broadband connections ADSL, generally have better connectivity, as the MSAN (Multi Service Access Node) in the exchange, has a direct connection to the SDH ( Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) core network.

Changing ISP is unlikely to help, as you will still be on the same cabinet with the same priority.

Virgin Media use a totally different network which is primarily designed to deliver TV Services, which does not require much in the way of upload capacity, in fact I think its restricted to about 5 or 6 Mbs.

All you can do to minimise any delay, is to avoid using your connection for anything else, while you are gaming, with perhaps BT YouView as an exception, as that does not use the upload path unless you are using one of the apps.

[pippincp]

It is of course possible that the delay is introduced at the hub as there is no control over QOS.

BTW Keith VM have higher upload depending on package as with any other ISP but typically lower on like for like packages.