Packet loss, thoughts?

[Joecimz]

Having major packet loss issues, here are my traces. Have tried multiple bluecurve modems

[mdk]

@Joecimz -- Having major packet loss issues ...

Other than 1 router that seems to be configured to NOT respond to "traceroute" packets at all  ...

 11    83 ms    82 ms    82 ms  ge-4-1-0.mpr1.iad10.us.mfnx.net [206.126.236.86]

 12     *        *        *     Request timed out.

 13    82 ms    82 ms    82 ms  ae22.er2.iad10.us.zip.zayo.com [64.125.29.121]

I do not see any "major" issues.  Why do you call 98% or 99% to be a problem?

Some routers are configured to treat "PING" and "TRACEROUTE" special packets as "low-priority" packets, and thus just "drop" the occasional one.

If you have any other symptoms, please share.

[Joecimz]

Thankyou for reply! well I am experiencing lag/ stutter problems online at on apex legends. I talked with EA and after he looked at these trace reports he recommended getting a static IP. You don’t see anything wrong with these reports?

[mdk]

@Joecimz --  I talked with EA and after he looked at these trace reports he recommended getting a static IP.

That was a USELESS suggestion. It only changes the IP-address that Shaw assigns to your cable-modem. The rest of the "path" over the Internet to their server will be IDENTICAL.  Compare to having a two-vehicle garage. Once you pick a vehicle, and travel over your driveway to your street, your path to the Starbucks will be identical.

> You don’t see anything wrong with these reports.

I do. In a "perfect" world, there should be 0% packet-loss, but your traces are showing about 1%. In my opinion, that is not a "major" problem.

Note that some routers on the Internet are configured to treat "PING" and "TRACEROUTE" traffic as "low-priority" traffic -- OK to not respond to those packets when "actual" packets are to be routed.

> I am experiencing lag/ stutter problems online at on apex legends.

With an "end-to-end" transit-time of 84 milliseconds (42 milliseconds to reach their server, and 42 milliseconds to receive a response) you probably will experience those symptoms.

Those servers are "far away" from you: you -> Vancouver -> Calgary -> Winnipeg -> Montreal -> New York -> IAD (Washington Dulles airport) -> DCA (Ronald Reagan Airport in District of Columbia) -> "above.net" -> game-server. There is nothing you can do to "shorten" that path.

[darkol1]

So, are you saying that SHAW is aware of random "Request timed out." issues? 

From my PING requests cross-referenced when streaming TV or gaming, I have see where this happens about minute during peak times of 8-11 am and 5-8 pm central.

So there is nothing that can be done for this issue?

I only ask because I have been looking at this for some time and I think it contributes to lowering stats like below :

Minimum 0.29 Mbps (DOWN) : 9.37 Mbps (UP)
Average 152.25 Mbps (DOWN) : 85.69 Mbps (UP)
Maximum 260.89 Mbps (DOWN) : 96.32Mbps (UP)

Upload is not the issue but down presents challenges...

Any thoughts in possible solutions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Darrell

[mdk]

@darkol1 -- So there is nothing that can be done for this issue?

One drastic solution would be to physically move your household closer to the current location of the game-server, to eliminate many network segments and network routers between your current location and the game-server.

For example:

$ tracert www.ucla.edu

Tracing route to gateway.lb.it.ucla.edu [164.67.228.152]

  5    12 ms  rc1wt-be40.wa.shawcable.net [66.163.68.18]
  6    19 ms  six.tr-cps.internet2.edu [206.81.80.77]
  7     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  8    30 ms  ae-6.0.rtsw.sunn.net.internet2.edu [198.71.47.74]
  9    30 ms  198.71.47.75
 10    41 ms  dc-lax-agg8--svl-agg8--100ge--2.cenic.net [137.164.11.20]
 11     *        *        *     Request timed out.
 12    46 ms  bd11f1.anderson--cr00f2.csb1.ucla.net [169.232.4.4]
 13    36 ms  cr00f2.csb1--rtr11f4.mathsci.ucla.net [169.232.8.181]
 14    35 ms  gateway.lb.it.ucla.edu [164.67.228.152]

Trace complete.

This shows that packets originating in the Greater Vancouver area must traverse 10 network segments and 10 network routers, to reach the destination in Los Angeles. Note that 2 of the routers have been configured to NOT respond to the "trace-route" packets. So, "what can be done" is to check each of those segments for "noise" that causes problems with the transmitted packets, and to pay "big bucks" to upgrade the routers to supply higher capacity, to switch more packets per millisecond.  Note that most of the above routers are NOT managed by Shaw; so, don't blame Shaw for those other routers.