Need Help Isolating and Fixing Internet Problem

[Navaros]

I'm using an ADSL connection.

Starting a couple of weeks ago, out of the blue I started getting serious lag issues in online games that always kill me by making me appear to be stuck in one exact spot. When this happens, it's as if data stops being transferred for 30 - 45 seconds, and then starts again at which point I'm dead.

I've run numerous bandwidth tests and I noticed that my speed vastly fluctuates. Sometimes the results are normal, sometimes they are above normal, sometimes they are unbelievably bad.

I do not ever lose sync according to the lights on my modem, which always remain lit normally even when this lag problem is occurring.

I had the phone company test my phone line and say they noticed big problems while they tested my line and I heard interruptions in the music I heard while I was on hold with him as he tested my line (5 minute test). He told me those interruptions indicate big problems on the line.

I had a technician from the phone company come to my residence and test my phone line and inspect the wires outside. According to him, everything was perfect and there was nothing at all wrong with my phone line.

I have scanned my computer with AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition as well as Ad-Aware and Spybot. These scans did not identify any problem with viruses or spyware that might be causing this problem.

So it seems my problem is either:

- Phone line

- Modem

- Virus/spyware that was not detected by the above software.

I don't have another modem on hand to test with but I will have to acquire one if the modem is the problem. I'm hesitant to do that in case there is a way to eliminate the modem as the cause of this problem prior to me expending money to acquire another one.

My questions are:

1. Based on this post, what would you suspect the problem is?

2. Due to this problem occuring somewhat randomly and that my bandwidth tests were running fine at the time the phone technician was at my residence, is it possible that his equipment could have missed the problem, and there is in fact a problem with my phone line?

3. How exactly do I isolate and fix this problem?

 

[andy04]

One thing I do to test my bandwidth real time is download some really popular big file >500 MB (which will go on for an hour atleast) using bittorrent and monitor the consistancy and quality of download AND UPLAOD speed.

Other thing that you can do is install a fresh version of windows on a seperate partition or HDD and try it - that will eliminate the spyware/virus threat. (I have, till date, never found a s/w that can FULLY clean your PC FOREVER)

 

[Navaros]

Then I would have to acquire Partitioning software which would be a pain. Would prefer an 'easy' solution if possible.

By the way when I scan with Trend Micro Housecall, my browser always crashes 100% of the time shortly after the scan starts. I have enabled ActiveX and reset Security to "Medium" like their site says to, but it still always crashes my IE. I wouldn't mind scanning with that too, if I can make it work.

4. How do I make TrendMicro Housecall stop crashing my IE web browser?

 

[oOZo]

Call your ISP ... they can verify your line to your house.

Since you already established there is a line problem confirmed by the phone company you can be guaranteed not to have to go through the whole t/s procedures of power off and on your modem etc.

ASDL lines are notorious for having issues with cold and heat changes.
This may be a seasonal thing however to boost the signal the ISP companies install routers along the way and if you are very remote you may go through two or three.

One good way to determine the source of the issue is to run a trace route and watch the spikes per ip and if you notice a huge spike you can bring this up to your ISP but they will most likely do the same thing when you call.

A good site to get traceroute info is http://visualroute.visualware.com/ that displays the information in a very user friendly manner

OZ

 

[Navaros]

I have been dealing my my ISP since the outset and it was through them that they arranged (after a very painful process for me) for the technician from the phone company to come. My ISP is a reseller of the phone company's ISP service.

At the moment my ISP is blaming my modem for this problem. Is there any good easy way to eliminate my modem as the cause of this problem apart from using a different modem?

I tried going to that trace route site you linked to. It gave me one 100% packet loss followed by 3 erratic hops, after that it stopped at Hop 8. After that showing no new information even though it is still running and stuck at 50% complete. I have absolutely no idea what any of that means or how I would interpret that to my ISP. Even if I knew how, wouldn't they still blame my modem?

 

[oOZo]

If you call your ISP and they can traceroute to your house successfully (not including your modem)and you cannot traceroute from your house then I would suggest replacing the modem.

One way to test their claim the line is fine from outside the house is to go offsite and traceroute to your IP address. Use the same website I listed above and if its fine or fails at your IP address then you know the modem is fried. Replace the modem.

If it fails or lags significantly before reaching your IP then print out the reports and combind them with the phone company report, send a certified letter to the ISP demanding they fix the line as you have collected conclusive proof of the issue.

Since the ISP may not agree with you on what a problem is you may have another issue. In the fine print of your service contract they will list the acceptible up and down speads. These speeds are often considerably lower than the advertised speed but as long as they can provide the minimum speed they are within the contract and you have no legal recourse.

OZ

 

[Navaros]

 

[oOZo]

Basically to read the Traceroute results you look at the top graph .
It goes from green to red and measures the respons time in ms.
If the hop is stopping or timing out then at that point the router or your modem is failing to communicate.

Each IP address or hop or point on the graph represents a router or server your signal is traveling to and passes to the destination.

 

[btcomm1]

It sounds like there is an issue with your line. I would talk to the tech support again and if they tell you there is a problem with your line again then tell them that the tech that came to your house said there was not a problem and see if they can escalate this issue further, bring up the issue very directly with them. Ask them what can they can do for you if another technitian comes out and says that there is no problem with the line, if they skirt around the issue then it could be that you do have a line issue and they aren't willing to do anything about it maybe when they say the line is "fine" they mean it works most of the time. Also you should probrably keep a record of those speed tests when you are in the terrible range so if the technitian tells you your line is fine show them all the tests with date stamps on how often the problem occurs. I don't know if you have any other choices for braodband but maybe there is a deal you can take advantage of