Schizophrenic ping

Narcotic

Narcotic

Narcotic

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24 Mar 2010
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I'm with Virgin Media on a 20Mbps package - been having some issues lately with the accursed connection working but that seems to have settled - the upload and download speeds are fine at the moment. What is currently causing me some problems is the fact that my ping is currently completely unpredictable.

At times I'm getting 22ms with 7ms jitter, other times my ping is 400ms and higher -this doesn't coincide with high traffic times - it can go from mediocre to awesome to terrible within the space of 20 minutes at any point in the day. The modem is a VM proprietary one that sits in the study, my pc is connected to it through a router usually , but at the moment it is not being used -the room the modem is in is a mess currently so the modem sits on a tangle of broadband cable next to a shredder on the floor - but the shredder isn't being used when the ping changes (electrical interference?). I don't know much about networking etc but i did a few tracerts:


C:\Users\****>tracert www.google.com

Tracing route to www.l.google.com [173.194.37.104]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 262 ms 122 ms 198 ms 10.162.248.1
2 303 ms 262 ms 227 ms brad-core-1b-ge28.network.virginmedia.net [81.97
.81.137]
3 278 ms 264 ms 245 ms leed-bb-1b-ae2-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.43
.163.237]
4 357 ms 350 ms 211 ms leed-bb-1a-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253
.187.185]
5 290 ms 273 ms 321 ms manc-bb-1b-as3-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.10
5.175.142]
6 323 ms 223 ms 273 ms tele-ic-3-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.43.
163.70]
7 270 ms 322 ms 234 ms 162-14-250-212.static.virginmedia.com [212.250.1
4.162]
8 280 ms 245 ms 229 ms 209.85.255.175
9 356 ms 311 ms 235 ms 209.85.251.202
10 286 ms 350 ms 303 ms lhr14s02-in-f104.1e100.net [173.194.37.104]

Trace complete.

C:\Users\****>tracert www.google.com

Tracing route to www.l.google.com [173.194.37.104]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 59 ms 89 ms 91 ms 10.162.248.1
2 49 ms 69 ms 33 ms brad-core-1b-ge28.network.virginmedia.net [81.97
.81.137]
3 102 ms 95 ms 50 ms leed-bb-1b-ae2-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.43
.163.237]
4 34 ms 24 ms 15 ms leed-bb-1a-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253
.187.185]
5 80 ms 11 ms 9 ms manc-bb-1b-as3-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.10
5.175.142]
6 86 ms 15 ms 25 ms tele-ic-3-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.43.
163.70]
7 14 ms 17 ms 15 ms 162-14-250-212.static.virginmedia.com [212.250.1
4.162]
8 22 ms 70 ms 110 ms 209.85.255.175
9 15 ms 15 ms 19 ms 209.85.251.202
10 22 ms 17 ms 15 ms lhr14s02-in-f104.1e100.net [173.194.37.104]

Trace complete.

C:\Users\****>tracert www.google.com

Tracing route to www.l.google.com [173.194.37.104]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 399 ms 395 ms 364 ms 10.162.248.1
2 417 ms 464 ms 365 ms brad-core-1b-ge28.network.virginmedia.net [81.97
.81.137]
3 382 ms 551 ms 538 ms leed-bb-1b-ae2-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.43
.163.237]
4 467 ms 443 ms 345 ms leed-bb-1a-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253
.187.185]
5 353 ms 499 ms 387 ms manc-bb-1b-as3-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.10
5.175.142]
6 491 ms 429 ms 380 ms tele-ic-3-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.43.
163.70]
7 432 ms 373 ms 396 ms 162-14-250-212.static.virginmedia.com [212.250.1
4.162]
8 335 ms 348 ms 342 ms 209.85.255.175
9 391 ms 353 ms 340 ms 209.85.251.202
10 298 ms 335 ms 337 ms lhr14s02-in-f104.1e100.net [173.194.37.104]

Trace complete.

C:\Users\****>TRACERT WWW.GOOGLE.COM

Tracing route to www.l.GOOGLE.COM [173.194.37.104]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 9 ms 7 ms 9 ms 10.162.248.1
2 32 ms 7 ms 7 ms brad-core-1b-ge28.network.virginmedia.net [81.97
.81.137]
3 73 ms 61 ms 45 ms leed-bb-1b-ae2-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.43
.163.237]
4 20 ms 48 ms 10 ms leed-bb-1a-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253
.187.185]
5 8 ms 9 ms 13 ms manc-bb-1b-as3-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.10
5.175.142]
6 15 ms 15 ms 15 ms tele-ic-3-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.43.
163.70]
7 32 ms 18 ms 33 ms 162-14-250-212.static.virginmedia.com [212.250.1
4.162]
8 23 ms 15 ms 33 ms 209.85.255.175
9 35 ms 24 ms 15 ms 209.85.251.202
10 54 ms 65 ms 17 ms lhr14s02-in-f104.1e100.net [173.194.37.104]

Trace complete.

The ISP hasn't shed any light on the issue and I don't know what to do to identify and/or fix the problem - any help would be greatly appreciated.

**edit** read up a little and realised many people have this sort of issue - am I stuck with this then?
 
Last edited:
I am guessing 10.162.248.1 is router / gateway here. Usually if it was net related you wouldn't be having such a high latency to your router / gateway.

Can you try a trace route to your router / gateway 10.162.248.1? Do you have this high latency here too? What is the make and model of this router? Seems to have a class A address too, which is a little odd unless you've set this yourself.

I would be looking at the connection between your computer and router first (including router settings), pc second and then the net connection third. IMHO.

**EDIT**

Do you use a wireless connection or ethernet? Assuming wireless.
 
Last edited:
Hi there - thanks for taking the time to help me. I don't trust wireless to do a wire's job and always use wires when I can - my desktop is connected by a long cat5 cable directly to the modem (there is currently no router in the equation). The modem is an Ambit, with the model number E080C013.00 . Just thinking - could it be the cable itself? - this one is quite old in the sense that I've had it for a few years (2-3), and it has seen some abuse. I do have a spare.

Just to make things interesting - when I tried to do the tracert you suggested, I came up with this:

C:\Users\****>tracert 10.162.248.1

Tracing route to 10.162.248.1 over a maximum of 30 hops

1 * * * Request timed out.
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 * * * Request timed out.
6 * * * Request timed out.
7 * * * Request timed out.
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 * * * Request timed out.
11 * * * Request timed out.
12 * * * Request timed out.
13 * * * Request timed out.
14 * * * Request timed out.
15 * * * Request timed out.
16 * * * Request timed out.
17 * * * Request timed out.
18 * * * Request timed out.
19 * * * Request timed out.
20 * * * Request timed out.
21 * * * Request timed out.
22 * * * Request timed out.
23 * * * Request timed out.
24 * * * Request timed out.
25 * * * Request timed out.
26 * * * Request timed out.
27 * * * Request timed out.
28 * * * Request timed out.
29 * * * Request timed out.
30 * * * Request timed out.

Trace complete.

?!
 
Alrighty, not familiar with that particular Ambit modem, maybe someone else on this forum has experience with it? Could be the modem has a crippled network capability and does not respond correctly. It will not be acting as a DHCP server therefore your computer will have a 169.x address unless it is configured otherwise.

I can see a few things wrong with the documentation provided by Ambit / Virgin Media. Don't have experience with this kit therefore cannot really comment on it sorry.

One thing you can try to determine what is possibly at fault is pathping.

Try "pathping google.com" (without quotes). Maybe another member of the forum can help you with it.
 
sort your cables out first.

then try leaving the modem off for a few hours longer the better and see if it can get a new connection when it reconnects.
 
Thanks for the input - I will switch the cable and leave the modem off overnight. How will I know if it has got a new connection btw?

I did ipconfig to see what my IP address was:

Connection-specific DNS Suffix . : cable.virginmedia.net
IPv4 Address. . . . . . . . . . . : 77.97.141.20
Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway . . . . . . . . . : 77.97.141.1


Also I did the pathping - here are the results if they are of any use:

C:\Users\****>pathping google.com

Tracing route to google.com [173.194.37.104]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
0 ****-Computer.cable.virginmedia.net [77.97.141.20]
1 10.162.248.1
2 brad-core-1b-ge28.network.virginmedia.net [81.97.81.137]
3 leed-bb-1b-ae2-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.43.163.237]
4 leed-bb-1a-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253.187.185]
5 manc-bb-1b-as3-0.network.virginmedia.net [213.105.175.142]
6 tele-ic-3-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [212.43.163.70]
7 162-14-250-212.static.virginmedia.com [212.250.14.162]
8 209.85.255.175
9 209.85.251.202
10 lhr14s02-in-f104.1e100.net [173.194.37.104]

Computing statistics for 250 seconds...
Source to Here This Node/Link
Hop RTT Lost/Sent = Pct Lost/Sent = Pct Address
0 ****-Computer.cable.virginmedia.net [77.97.141.20]
0/ 100 = 0% |
1 --- 100/ 100 =100% 100/ 100 =100% 10.162.248.1
0/ 100 = 0% |
2 176ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% brad-core-1b-ge28.network.virginme
dia.net [81.97.81.137]
0/ 100 = 0% |
3 182ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% leed-bb-1b-ae2-0.network.virginmed
ia.net [212.43.163.237]
0/ 100 = 0% |
4 179ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% leed-bb-1a-ae0-0.network.virginmed
ia.net [62.253.187.185]
0/ 100 = 0% |
5 178ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% manc-bb-1b-as3-0.network.virginmed
ia.net [213.105.175.142]
0/ 100 = 0% |
6 185ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% tele-ic-3-ae0-0.network.virginmedi
a.net [212.43.163.70]
0/ 100 = 0% |
7 193ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 162-14-250-212.static.virginmedia.
com [212.250.14.162]
0/ 100 = 0% |
8 188ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 209.85.255.175
0/ 100 = 0% |
9 183ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 209.85.251.202
0/ 100 = 0% |
10 181ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% lhr14s02-in-f104.1e100.net [173.19
4.37.104]

Trace complete.
 
PistolPete said:
Looks like an overloaded UBR.
Click to expand...

Would that affect the connection to the modem 10.162.248.1 too though?

Since that is local it should not affect the first bounce as the UBR would be practically irrelevant to a local network device?

Computer >(Ethernet)> Modem >(Fibre)> Internet
10.162.248.1

I don't claim to be an expert on Virgin Media connections though.:D It would be stupid if the connection to the modem from the computer relied the ATM/UBR. If this is the case I wonder what the BRAG looks like on the Virgin Media Side?

Best Advice I could offer you would be to take this up with Virgin Media second line technical support.
 
PistolPete said:
Looks like an overloaded UBR.
Click to expand...

Yep, looks like it to me too. Good luck getting that fixed if it is the case.

I wouldn't waste your time phoning up and telling them that though as they will just feed you a pack of lies and false hope with promised dates for a fix when they finally admit an issue.

I would perhaps look at checking all your cables and maybe asking them to check the modem hasn't developed a fault of some sort.

It also might be worth going to thinkbroadband.com where you can get them to set up a constant ping to your IP address and graph is, would be quite handy to build up a picture of the latency over a few days - would show quite clearly if it is peak time congestion on the UBR causing the issue.
 
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