Ping problems - help!

[chaoslordtom]

Hi....I don't use IDnet :-( I'm on Orange although I wish I wasn't - my Dad won't change ISP!

Attatched is a graph of my pings (duh!) and every minute or so they spike hugely. As I play games and things that need a low ping, this tends to be a huge problem. This was taken at 4 in the afternoon. In the evening the pings can go as high as 6000!!

The technical support from Orange is, at best, useless...so I was wondering if anyone knew what the problem was? And how I could sort it out!

My connection is 8mb, with an Orange Livebox...wireless, D-Link adaptor.
My computer is brand new (and rather good :-D) so I don't think it's that!

[attachment deleted by admin]

[Rik]

Try pinging both www.bbc.co.uk and www.idnet.net using the ping -n 20 format. Cut'n'paste your results back here and we'll take a look. Using these two 'known quantity' sites will give us a better idea of how your connection is performing.

Can you remove the Livebox from the equation and use a conventional router or modem?

Finally, can you post your line stats and do you know if you have interleaving on or off?

[chaoslordtom]

Hmm...interesting results 

C:\Users\Tom>ping www.bbc.co.uk -n 20

Pinging www.bbc.net.uk [212.58.251.202] with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 212.58.251.202:
    Packets: Sent = 20, Received = 0, Lost = 20 (100% loss),

C:\Users\Tom>ping www.idnet.net -n 20

Pinging www.idnet.net [212.69.36.10] with 32 bytes of data:

Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

Ping statistics for 212.69.36.10:
    Packets: Sent = 20, Received = 0, Lost = 20 (100% loss),

Yet I can get onto both sites in IE perfectly! :-S

I can't use a normal modem...only reason we're on useless Orange is because we get free phone calls and the like through the Livebox.

Linestats according to the router are 6144 448.

I'd assume interleaving is on..I haven't told them to do anything otherwise.

[Rik]

Mmm. You don't have a DNS problem as the addresses are being resolved. I've just pinged both, averaging 23ms, which is with interleaving on. Try doing a tracert, see if that gets through.

It could be that Orange is giving low priority to pings...

[chaoslordtom]

All of them time out apart from the 1st which is the router...

Would turning interleaving off help at all?

[chaoslordtom]

I've been doing ping tests every few minutes and it's started working. Pings normally average at about 42, but I got one which caught one of the spikes:

C:\Users\Tom>ping www.bbc.co.uk -n 20

Pinging www.bbc.net.uk [212.58.226.232] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=42ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=43ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=47ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=42ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=42ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=1777ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=43ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=46ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=43ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=41ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=43ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=42ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=41ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=43ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=43ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=45ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=41ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=42ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=43ms TTL=122
Reply from 212.58.226.232: bytes=32 time=42ms TTL=122

Ping statistics for 212.58.226.232:
    Packets: Sent = 20, Received = 20, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 41ms, Maximum = 1777ms, Average = 216ms

It still just times out to IDnet...

[Rik]

That looks like an issue within the Orange network. You do appear to have interleaving on, which is said to add 20ms on average (so my pings would be phenomenal without it ).

I hate to say this to you, but I feel you are going to have to contact Orange to resolve this. If you can do it by email, it would probably be less painful (though you could sit on the phone to them for a while, it might change your Dad's mind when he sees the cost of getting support  ).

Hopefully, though, someone else might have a bright idea that could avoid such pain - hang around...

[RobMc]

If I remember correctly www.idnet.net doesn't respond to pings from outside IDNet adsl account lines.

Rob.

[Rik]

Thanks, Rob, I've never tried it except from an IDNet connection.

That still leaves the BBC not responding, though, any thoughts on what the OP could try other than phoning Orange?

[RobMc]

no idea re bbc, although they may be a bit busy today with all the home news and that

Frankly I wouldn't wish Orange support on my worst enemy, although, wait a minute, yes, I probably would 

Rob.

[Rik]

 

I spent ages explaining to a friend of mine why he shouldn't sign up with Orange, he did anyway. 

[chaoslordtom]

HAHAHAHA you guys are SO right....I rang them before I came on here...God it was awful...I just told him what he said worked in the end and that I was very happy!........totally awful!

[chaoslordtom]

I've emailed them....This should be interesting....Another hour on the phone isn't appealing! :-)

[Rik]

Good luck. Sadly, I have a feeling you will need it with Orange. 

[Supanova]

hehe i told him you lot didnt like orange :p Tom's a mate of mine, thought he could use some of your wisdom!

[Supanova]

try setting graph up to ping router? would that help?  if the spikes were still there it would indicate it was the router / receiver connection.

[Rik]

hehe i told him you lot didnt like orange :p Tom's a mate of mine, thought he could use some of your wisdom!

Actually, I am still with Orange for my mobile, and I was once with Freeserve/Wanadoo. I found the service was fine until something went wrong, then life got hard.

[chaoslordtom]

C:\Users\Tom>ping 192.168.1.1 -n 50

Pinging 192.168.1.1 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=3ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1178ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=4ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=2ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64

Ping statistics for 192.168.1.1:
    Packets: Sent = 50, Received = 50, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 1ms, Maximum = 1178ms, Average = 25ms

Thats a ping to my router...so it's something happening inbetween my computer and the router lol....

[Rik]

Is that the Livebox, or a normal router? What OS?

[chaoslordtom]

Livebox...and Vista

[Rik]

I've no experience of either.

Have you visited ThinkBroadband? You'll get a wider range of experience over there (and they have a dedicated Orange forum).