My broadband pauses for no apparent reason...

[sophiecentaur]

Our TV and sound radio apps seem to be mis-behaving on both our 'Smart' TVs. Streaming just stops, arbitrarily. Sometimes it re-connects on its own and other times I need to exit the app and start again. Afair, this problem has been getting worse and now I get messages that I have no connection to the internet on our laptop, ipad and iPhones. It mostly heals itself and sometimes, re-starting the router or computer solves the problem.

I did use a wired connection to another router, to extend WiFi into the garden shed and I had an Ethernet switch to provide wired connection to some devices but I've eliminated all that from the problem by sticking to WiFi

When I do a speed check, it shows around 200Mb/s and a ping of 3ms. Big files move very fast these days but the checker sometimes can't get a connection.So it seems that the problem is just to do with the service provider's router, or a dodgy fibre connection. But could it be something to do with mutual compatibility at a different level? If I make a fuss with Gigaclear then I need to be fully armed. Things never used to be like this; is it just the huge increase in traffic or the decrease in competence from providers?

Last night we were at my daughters' house and the same thing happened with the TV connection. They are familiar with the problem (different area, different provider and different equipment).

 

[rbelli1]

Are you having the problem with the same streaming service at both locations? What is the "checker" you are talking about?

BoB

 

[sophiecentaur]

What is the "checker" you are talking about?

Speed Test is one example of a checker I have used. They mostly give the 200Mb/s that I'm paying for

I get the same thing with Amazon TV firestick(?), Apple TV plus, my Apple macbook pro, my iphone, ipod on all services. This is all using Wifi (and Ethernet) and the only common factors are the fibre connection, the Linksys router . If it's even remotely possible that Gigaclear would hold their hands up then I will chase them.

I guess I'd be interested to find out how common this problem is. It's a recent one for me several months / a year.

But my daughter lives more than 30 miles away and uses a 'smart TV' and says it's always happening to her.

 

[Bystander]

But my daughter lives more than 30 miles away and uses a 'smart TV' and says it's always happening to her.

Welcome to the "whimper" (not bang) end of the world.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Measuring the speed when things are working is unlikely to tell you much about when things are not.

Step 1 is to determine which side of the AP the problem is. One way to do this is to open two command prompts on the PC and in one continually ping the AP and in the other continually ping an external site.

When the internet drops, which pings have lost connectivity?

 

[jedishrfu]

It’s unlikely that any carrier would admit it was their fault. Data is not streamed continuously to your device it comes in chunks and may be slightly out of order. In addition, there may be transmission errors which require a resend.

All commercial apps buffer the data meaning they first build up a reserve of data before starting a video. They try to maintain the reserve so you get a smooth and continue video experience. However, things happen with so many folks streaming stuff, playing games… on shared network lines where transmission speeds vary and the reserve runs dry resulting in video pauses until it’s built up again.

Also the data chunks all come from the video service provider ie some server they own and are transmitted to other servers in the network taking different routes and eventually getting to your computer. This means data may come in out of order and so if the next video chunk isn’t there the video will pause until it arrives or the video will hiccup and continue without it.

Another way your service can be sluggish is if your device is trying to decide whether to use wireless or cell data. Normally wireless is preferred over cell data but when wireless isn’t available then cell data will be used unless you turned off the option.

The fuzzy part is when wireless is weak when you are far from the router And then the device keeps trying wireless until finally switching to cell and back should wireless signal strength improve. You might notice this effect while in your car about to leave where the car body interferes with wireless strength and you can’t pull up google maps.

Theres a lot of ways data transmission can be bad and the provider will stay silent on the issue blaming the end user.

 

[sophiecentaur]

Theres a lot of ways data transmission can be bad

Agreed and you have visited many of them in your post.

My main grumble is that things seems to have got much worse in the last few months for me. Nothing has changed about my use of the service for several years. I changed to full fibre over a year ago and that changeover didn't coincide with the arrival of my problem.

The problem doesn't seem to be related to any particular data source (although I did notice the fact that there is now a couple of seconds delay in response when I post on PF; not enough to annoy me (it's predictable) but it suddenly started happening after some changes on the PF site. We watch several streaming sources and none is worse than others.

I'd like to get a flavour of other people's experience of this. I can usually expect a hang-up in a half hour of programme (sound or video) or zoom / facetime. How typical is that?

 

[sophiecentaur]

Measuring the speed when things are working is unlikely to tell you much about when things are not.

Step 1 is to determine which side of the AP the problem is. One way to do this is to open two command prompts on the PC and in one continually ping the AP and in the other continually ping an external site.

When the internet drops, which pings have lost connectivity?

I'd appreciate a link to some software that will do that for me.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Again, I'd do the ping test. It would eliminate issues like RF interference of the Wifi.

 

[sophiecentaur]

Again, I'd do the ping test. It would eliminate issues like RF interference of the Wifi.

A random ping test gives me 3ms at worst. I'd have to set up a series of ping tests over an hour and, without a bit of help from software, I'd die of boredom.
The other day, by sheer chance, The radio died at precisely the same time that I pressed return on a different computer. "One for the diary", I thought.
Also, I used to get the same effect with ethernet - so no RFI to blame.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Just keep two windows open and constantly pinging. When you get a "pause", see what the pings are doing. The time is not so important - you want to see where the packets aren't getting through.

I would guess that the problem is as likely to be on your side of the network as the ISPs side. This will help sort it out.

 

[sophiecentaur]

I would guess that the problem is as likely to be on your side of the network as the ISPs side.

I did suspect this but it happens for all my devices and using WiFi. Wouldn't that point to a problem upstream of me? i.e. their router or further up? Believe me, if I could identify a potentially dodgy item, I'd change it like a shot.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Wouldn't that point to a problem upstream of me

Maybe. The ping test will tell.

 

[Tom.G]

I'd like to get a flavour of other people's experience of this. I can usually expect a hang-up in a half hour of programme (sound or video) or zoom / facetime. How typical is that?

Online Video here freezes every 20 minutes. It seems to be a limitation of my (old) system. I'm guessing it is a buffer problem on my end. I just hit the key to go back a few frames in the video and it is good for another 20 minutes.

I'd appreciate a link to some software that will do that for me.

In Google search, enter pingplotter. Google says there is a free version and a pro version.

I have been using the free version for some years and find it quite useful.

The Free version does not have the Repeat capability, I don't know about the Pro version. You can always write Batch file to call the Ping pgm every few minutes.

Recently my ISP had a widespread problem, apparently with a DNS (Domain Name Server) that they could not find (I forget what the exact error message was). I finally offered to do a Traceroute and told them the last site that responded. The problem was fixed in minutes.

There is also a program called pinglog that showed up. I know nothing beyond:
URL: http://www.securitysoftware.cc/Programs/Pinglog.exe
Page: http://www.securitysoftware.cc/apps.html
Date: 2002/09/27 22:06

Cheers,
Tom

 

[sophiecentaur]

Maybe. The ping test will tell.

Wouldn't that require me to be there all the time though? Which is why I thought some software could do it for me.

In Google search, enter pingplotter. Google says there is a free version and a pro version.

I'll give it a go, later. Cheers.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Wouldn't that require me to be there all the time

Well, yeah, but if it only happens when you aren't using it, how much of a problem could it be?

 

[sophiecentaur]

if it only happens when you aren't using it, how much of a problem could it be?

When I'm watching TV or even talking to you guys I don't want to have to keep getting distracted. (I don't think you're taking this as seriously as I wanted.

Funnily enough, yesterday Gigagaclear had a major outage over a large area of Essex . After a few hours, we were re-connected and we haven't noticed a hiccup since. Well well well.

 

[Vanadium 50]

I don't want to have to keep getting distracted.

Two answers to that:

(1) Do you want to diagnose the problem or not?
(2) If you get a dropout, aren't you already distracted? Then just look at the pinging windows.

 

[sophiecentaur]

(2) If you get a dropout, aren't you already distracted? Then just look at the pinging windows.

But as far as I remember, during a dropout there is no internet connection. Are you saying that Traceroute should show an uncompleted circuit, during these cutouts. This could be an example of my lack of knowledge and your assumption that I have some. (A bear of very little brain, I'm afraid.)

 

[Tom.G]

A "Ping" is when your computer sends a query to a computer you specify and asks "are you there?" If no answer, you get an error message telling you the site can not be found.
If an answer is received, it reports the round-trip elapsed time.

The PingPlotter program Sends a query to each computer on the route to the specified computer. It then reports the computer address it reached and the round-trip time. (it even graphs the travel times for you) The computer at the bottom of the list is the last one that responded.

This gives the troubleshooter an excellent place to start looking for the problem, and may allow them to reprogram a DNS (Domain Name Server) to route around the problem.

Hope this helps!

Cheers,
Tom

 

[sophiecentaur]

Hope this helps!

Of course - thanks; I'm now thinking the right way. I was always thinking of a ping only having relevance to distant nodes. In this case, the ping would be at a near point in the chain. It could end at the router itself or to the cabinet etc. There would / will be a common point where all the pings stop at, whatever URLs I'm seeking.
I'd have them bang to rights if it were always in the router

 

[Vanadium 50]

The problem is almost certainly not with the internet as a whole. Someone else would have noticed. It's likely in a nearby segment - you to the router, or the router to the next unit upstream. This test will tell you where.

 

[sophiecentaur]

I have the terminal open all the while now and can dash over to ping as soon as we get a hold up.

I'm just wondering if the major outage in our area could be related. If the problem is actually over then I will have to conclude a causal relationship. But that's no proof, of course.

 

[Vanadium 50]

dash over to ping as soon as we get a hold up.

You can - and should - just leave it running. Tell it you want lots of pings. It's better this way because if you wait for a problem and then start a ping, it may need to do a DNS lookup and now you have two connectivity problems.

I'm just wondering if the major outage in our area could be related.

Maybe, maybe not. Can we please get some facts before speculating?

 

[sophiecentaur]

Maybe, maybe not. Can we please get some facts before speculating?

Well . . . . the facts are that we had a serious enough problem to make me ask the question here. Then there was a major outage. Then we haven't had a drop - off since. I cannot get any actual measurement facts because the situation hasn't arisen.

It wouldn't be the first time that a biggish organisation has had many complaints and done nothing about it for ages. This same company was unable to set my VoIP service up correctly when I first got my service. The tone which people heard when dialling into me was not the normal UK Brrr Brrr sound. I chased it and chased it and they firstly failed to understand my message. I even emailed a suggestion that they should just ring my number and listen. Then they told me that was that I'd have to accept it . In the end I gave up. A few months later, my son rang and said "you've had your ring tone problem solved". Clearly, enough people had complained to make Gigaclear do something about it.

 

[Vanadium 50]

Then we haven't had a drop - off since.

Then the problem is solved, whether or not you have an explanation or not, right? Seems like a good time to stop troubleshooting.