Lag with Shaw Blue Curve Internet

[AdamK1]

Recently we upgraded to Shaw Bluecurve and have been experiencing lag and packet drops while gaming. This was something I had not experienced when using our old Hitron modem. It seems to be intermittent lag, but irritating none the less. I recently did a quick ping test to show this isn't something we're experiencing with one specific game. This is experienced across the entire network and all connections are wired. Unfortunately it doesn't happen consistently.

C:\Users\Adam>ping 8.8.8.8 -t

Pinging 8.8.8.8 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=72ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=38ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=35ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=92ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=28ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=29ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=33ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=32ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=246ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=52ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=37ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=34ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=31ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=56
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=36ms TTL=56

Any help would be appreciated, I'm wondering if I should just switch back to our old Hitron modem as I still haven't returned it. Thanks

[AdamK1]

Also we are wired directly into the Bluecurve modem

[mdk]

> Any help would be appreciated

Out of your 116 PING packets (which usually are "low-priority-noise" packets going through each router), I see only 4 "outliers":

52 ms
72 ms
92 ms
246 ms

Yes, if Shaw still has your Hitron modem "activated", you should repeat the test, several times, to compare.

Then, repeat several times, with your new modem, to produce even more "quantitative" results.

For me, I see 3 routers located in the USA, and not managed by Shaw, that could have delayed your packets to 8.8.8.8 ---

  13 ms  rc1wt-be40.wa.shawcable.net [66.163.68.18]
  15 ms  72.14.221.102 - managed by Google
  12 ms  74.125.243.193 - managed by Google
  13 ms  209.85.254.249 - managed by Google
  11 ms  dns.google [8.8.8.8] - destination

Given that the Internet is a "shared" network, I think that you have nothing to complain about, when interacting with Google's DNS-server at 8.8.8.8

[AdamK1]

Thank you for the quick reply and good info. I will do those tests ASAP. I should mention as well that ping test was going on while playing a game, where in the game I also was receiving lag simultaneously. Not sure if that makes a difference or not though.

[mdk]

> that ping test was going on while playing a game, where in the game

> I also was receiving lag simultaneously.

The PING packets are one second apart. For how many seconds were you experiencing "lag"?

Unfortunately, you did not PING the game-server, to see if the lags were simultaneous with your gaming.

Note that PING packets are "low-level" - received and responded by the TCP/IP software "deep-inside" the game-server, while your gaming is interacting with an application running on the game-server that is communicating via the low-level layer.  So, the "lag" could have been within the application itself, not in the Internet traffic between your computer and the game-server.

It would be interesting to PING the game-server while playing -- good response-time on PINGs during a "lag" indicate that it is not a "networking" problem.

[AdamK1]

Hi mdk,

So unfortunately our old Hitron modem is no longer active so I wasn't able to test with it but I was able to reproduce the issue again by pinging the game server directly in this case and was still receiving spikes of 295ms for a second or two. It's basically happened with every IP I have pinged so far if it is left long enough.

I spoke to a agent earlier that recommend I maybe change my DNS via this article but it doesn't seem to have helped: https://developers.google.com/speed/public-dns/docs/using

I'm kind of lost as to what other tests I could do to give more data on this.

[rstra]

I get the same response when I pinged it, average of 78 and a spike of 295. 

[mdk]

> I spoke to a agent earlier that recommend I maybe change my DNS via this article

> but it doesn't seem to have helped.

That is not the best advice.

When you send a request to a DNS-server, such as asking for the IP-address for "www.youtube.com", the response contains both an IP-address, and the TTL ("Time-To-Live"). The TTL is like a rental of a hotel-room -- that rental specifies the maximum number of nights that you can use the hotel-room. Your computer stores the TTL, and does not send any more DNS-requests to the DNS-server, asking the same question for the same web-site, until the TTL has expired. So, while launching your online game may make a few initial DNS-requests, the DNS-server is not queried for a long time, namely until the TTL has expired, and then only if you close/re-open the game. In brief, the DNS-server is just a "bystander" while you are playing the game -- you cannot blame "lag" during game-play on the DNS-server.

[DBrogue]

I lived in the city and gaming worked perfectly. Plug and play. I moved to a smaller city, using the same devices and set up, and not able to play games online anymore. Even switching to Gig internet. What has happened ???? My telus smart hub works perfectly, but i don't want to use a smart hub because it's so slow..... why is this happening, and dont say its port forwarding etc.... yes that may be an issue, but One day it works amazing then the next day nope. !! 

[mdk]

@DBrogue -- I moved to a smaller city ...

That could be the cause.

On this forum, I have seen reports from a few people who moved from Edmonton (a "hub" on Shaw's network) to central Saskatchewan. With help, they were able to determine that the Shaw network between Edmonton and Lloydminster was very saturated, causing "slow" Internet for all Shaw customers in/near Lloydminster, even for Shaw customers who subscribe to "Fibre+ Gig" service. Compare to driving on a major urban road during "rush hour" -- whether you have a Lada or a Lamborghini, your vehicle moves at the same (constrained) speed.

So, use the Windows command-line "tracert" utility, to trace the Internet path between your computer and the game-server. Post the output here.