Networks·41,449 discussions

Packet loss every 30 seconds

Tags: Windows

Hi all,

I noticed I get packet loss every 30 seconds. It’s most obvious when I’m gaming. I’ve spend days researching online and nothing’s solved the issue.

I go into command and do the “ping 192.168.1.1 -n 35” command to see that indeed the connection times out every 30 seconds. The rest of the replies say

“Reply from 192.168.1.1: bytes=32 time=6ms TTL=64”

I’ve moved to different places and tried different WIFI networks with this same computer and had the same problem, so I know it’s not a problem with the network. Also I have two wifi routers, and have tested both. They both have the same problem when I do the ping test. So it may be some kind of configuration issue.

I can’t connect directly to the router because I’m in a shared wireless network. I’ve tried uninstalling and reinstalling the wireless router driver, as well as plugging/unplugging it. The issue went away when I installed some Windows updates, but then returned the next day.
if someone can lend a hand I’d appreciate it!

Topic

I see nothing wrong here.

In reply to Packet loss every 30 seconds

Ping packets are never guaranteed a reply. There are long discussions about this so I’ll stop here. That is, if a new networker is trying to fix ping, you leave them be until they understand ping.

Now about the gaming, so little was shared that I can’t start a discussion.

Re: packet loss

In reply to Packet loss every 30 seconds

A few questions:
1. Why (and how) using a wireless router if you’re on a shared wireless network?
2. What happens if you use a different WiFi-adapter (say, one that you connect to a USB port)?
3. To see if it’s Windows, boot into a Linux disc or stick (free to make, if you don’t have one) and tell if it’s the same there.

correction

In reply to Re: packet loss

1. Correction, I have two wifi adapters (not routers), and have tested both. The cheaper/weaker router just has the same problem but is slower. They both have the disconnection/packet loss every 30 seconds. I’m in an apartment which has a main wifi network that I connect to.

While gaming, the speed is fine, but every 30 seconds the game disconnects and reconnects.

I’ll give that Linux boot a try

So it’s not your router?

In reply to correction

Those setups seem to always be trouble. Remember I only have the barest of information here. No machine details, no mention of the game and so on.

Usually we walk around the apartment to see if the signal is better somewhere (we use an Android WiFi Analyzer App.) Then we plug in a WiFi to Ethernet adapter at the spot (AKA Client Mode.) Then the Ethernet is run to the PC for a test run. If that works we talk about how to get rid of the Ethernet cable.

If it doesn’t then we chalk it up to a the “free” apartment WiFi. To show that’s it we set up our phone as a hotspot.

What info would I need to troubleshoot?

In reply to So it’s not your router?

The thing is, I tried connecting to different wifi networks when I was living in different Airbnbs and it had the same problem. My laptop, however, connects and keeps the connection just fine. So it’s not the network.

Again the problem persists even if I switch my wireless adapter, so its not the adapter.

It’s probably some kind of setting in my software or configuration that I don’t know about.
I’m not a tech guy so let me know what info you need.
The pc I’m on is Windows 10 64-bit.
Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-7700K CPU @ 4.20GHz

Network adapter: Realtek 8814AU Wireless LAN 802.11ac USB NIC

Game name: Mordhau. The lag spikes happen every 30 seconds, which correlates to when I do a “ping 192.168.1.1 -n 35” in the command prompt, which says “request timed out” every 30 seconds.

“My laptop, however, connects and keeps the connection just fine. So it’s n

In reply to What info would I need to troubleshoot?

“My laptop, however, connects and keeps the connection just fine. So it’s not the network.”

I can’t agree as I’ve seen it be the network in such situations because others will be streaming Netflix and more. It’s a shared system unsuitable for gamers.

There could be something else but your details so far point to a poor network.

If I were to do another test without asking for more PC details such as a Web SPECCY REPORT (link only) that would be to boot a Live Linux to perform the same ping test there. The bad news is I’ve done many times and found it was the overloaded shared network.

But hey, clients want proof so we oblige with two tests:
1. Boot a Linux, ping again.
2. If the location is good we turn on our phone’s hotspot and see if that fixes it. (too often it does.)

“my laptop doesn’t suffer this issue that my pc is having.”

In reply to What info would I need to troubleshoot?

This has me think about another test we use. Remember that as I read above you do not have WIRED access to the networks.

So these are WiFi. Another test is to pull out some USB WiFi stick and test with that. What you encounter from time to time along with the lesson that not WiFi cards, sticks and such are equal is that you will have to try other hardware, another OS and of course your cell phone’s hotspot to narrow it down.

-> Sadly I’ve had clients tell us “You don’t know what the problem is.” And that’s true as we begin the tests and diagnosis. One can guess but it’s better to have a test plan as above.

tried the hotspot

In reply to “my laptop doesn’t suffer this issue that my pc is having.”

I appreciate the reply.

What makes me think it’s not just a poor network, is the consistency of the problem. The internet is totally fine.. but then it consistently disconnects every 30 seconds.

I connected the pc to my phones hotspot and ran the ping test again. This time it timed out even more frequently (like every 10 seconds).

I also tried downloading a program called WinMTR. I had it run through for a while until the numbers spiked. This is the result.. not sure if this means anything to you:
| WinMTR statistics |
| Host – % | Sent | Recv | Best | Avrg | Wrst | Last |
|————————————————|——|——|——|——|——|——|
| 192.168.1.1 – 0 | 28 | 28 | 4 | 143 | 3814 | 7 |
| No response from host – 100 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 096-034-101-160.biz.spectrum.com – 4 | 27 | 26 | 14 | 66 | 933 | 19 |
| 096-034-248-064.biz.spectrum.com – 0 | 28 | 28 | 14 | 166 | 3850 | 26 |
|bbr02atlnga-tge-0-0-0-1.atln.ga.charter.com – 5 | 24 | 23 | 16 | 207 | 3**7 | 16 |
|bbr01ashbva-tge-0-1-0-1.ashb.va.charter.com – 5 | 24 | 23 | 17 | 208 | 3**2 | 24 |
| 142.250.47.88 – 0 | 28 | 28 | 20 | 171 | 3837 | 26 |
| 108.170.238.58 – 0 | 28 | 28 | 19 | 172 | 3840 | 24 |
| 142.250.226.109 – 0 | 28 | 28 | 17 | 171 | 3847 | 24 |
| lax17s46-in-f14.1e100.net – 0 | 28 | 28 | 14 | 169 | 3840 | 23 |
|________________________________________________|______|______|______|______|______|______|

I’ll try to run Linux and see. The download keeps cutting out.

My view about the network.

In reply to tried the hotspot

Is from experience. But that’s why we have these tests.

In fact last week I had a laptop that was what I’ll write “cranky” about WiFi work. It would connect and then poke along on a speedtest (I used the Speakeasy Speed Test) at a measly 1 megabit per second.

I tried the methods above and on Linux and ChromeOS (CloudReady) same results. Drivers did not make any difference I plugged in one of our USB WiFi sticks and much better at about 20 megabits per second.

Since we have a bone pile of old dead laptops I found a nearly same model WiFi card for the laptop and swapped it out. After Windows asked for a reboot to install the new hardware the speed tests are now about 30 megabits per second which is about average for the 2.4 GHz channel in the shop. This laptop and card is 2.4 GHz only so we called it fixed.

This story is about how we work the issue so you can see how others tackle it.

Re: laptop is fine

In reply to What info would I need to troubleshoot?

So your laptop is fine everywhere and this mysterious machine (which apparently you take with you when living in Airbnb’s) isn’t. Then it’s either hardware or software.

Go back to factory conditions or install Windows 10 on a (temporary) SSD or HDD. If it’s fine than, you know it’s “something” in your current software or settings. Then continue with your temporary Windows by building it up again to your current configuration, without the offending software or the bad settings. If it still happens in the new Windows, it’s something in the hardware.

Packet loss every 30 seconds

In reply to Packet loss every 30 seconds

Just to make sure that what you are saying is true. Try connecting your PC using an ethernet cable. If the issue persists, then its related to your ISP. Also try disconnecting any VPNs you might have running in the backend if you use any.

Cant connect

In reply to Packet loss every 30 seconds

While I’d love to try, I’m in an apartment complex that just gives Wifi we connect to. There’s no way to directly connect to the router.

But like I mentioned, my laptop doesn’t suffer this issue that my pc is having.

[Author]

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