~30% Packet loss in Edinburgh/Fife area?

[#1]

I've had a heck of a time with intermittent packet loss in Fife (01592 prefix) since Sunday evening (23rd).  To begin with, I thought this might be the problem:
http://usertools.plus.net/exchanges/mso.php?id=33679
But that outage ended ages ago and I'm still having intermittent issues.  My connectivity monitor tells me the packet-loss issues are occurring mainly around midday through to early afternoon and again in the evenings (i.e. now!).  When it happens, I'm seeing about 30% packet loss:
[tt]$ ping www.plus.net
PING portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=2 ttl=250 time=51.6 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=4 ttl=250 time=48.9 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=5 ttl=250 time=48.2 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=7 ttl=250 time=49.7 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=8 ttl=250 time=53.4 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=11 ttl=250 time=44.3 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=12 ttl=250 time=44.6 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=13 ttl=250 time=45.4 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=15 ttl=250 time=44.7 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=16 ttl=250 time=45.1 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=17 ttl=250 time=44.6 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=18 ttl=250 time=45.8 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=19 ttl=250 time=45.0 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=21 ttl=250 time=44.4 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=22 ttl=250 time=45.0 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=23 ttl=250 time=47.5 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=25 ttl=250 time=44.6 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=27 ttl=250 time=44.9 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=28 ttl=250 time=44.3 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=29 ttl=250 time=44.3 ms
64 bytes from portal.plus.net (212.159.9.2): icmp_seq=30 ttl=250 time=55.2 ms
--- portal.plus.net ping statistics ---
30 packets transmitted, 21 received, 30% packet loss, time 28985ms
rtt min/avg/max/mdev = 44.322/46.790/55.274/3.192 ms[/tt]
I've just raised a customer-support ticket, as I'm getting pretty frustrated with this now.. but something tells me this might still be a BT wholesale issue (call it a hunch).  Just wondered if anybody else on here was having trouble in the Edinburgh/Fife area?
Cheers,
Graham

[#2]

Try running

pathping ntp.plus.net

That might show where the packet loss is occurring.

[#3]

Hi
Lots of problems here,  01592 code,  gateway keeps dropping,  DNS problems, changed router and still the same.
Changed all the cables, filter etc.  Rebooting the router sometimes helps.  this is the same on a wireless laptop and an ethernet desktop.
Cleared DNS cache on both computers, have ran out of ideas now.
The exchange i am on is Lochgelly which is on amber at the moment and has been for months. I don't Know if this is anything do with it. Suspect a BT problem as well.
Really is annoying me now.

[#4]

Thanks for the suggestion jeiv. I'm purely a linux/mac man so can't use "path ping" (but can replicate it's functionality by using traceroute in conjunction with ping).  I have confirmed that when the issue occurs, I see packet loss to the plus.net gateway (i.e. my first hop past my own router).  So the problem most likely lies within BT's network before it's handed off to plus.net.
Fifer, nice to see another Lochgelly exchange victim, err i mean user. I've been keeping an eye on the VP status of the Lochgelly exchange for the last couple of years, but I've never had a problem with this sort of packet loss (outside of known outages of course).  As I say, it's really intermittent.  For example, right now, I'm not seeing any packet loss at all.  It's a right royal pain!  Will be interesting to see if it reoccurs again today shortly after midday, as that seems to be the time of day it starts to happen (and then again in the evening).  How long have you been having problems?? This is the first packet-loss type issue I've seen and I've been online here since 2005.  The only other issue I've ever had was loss of line sync due to a faulty line card in the DSLAM in the exchange, back at the start of the year.

[#5]

Hi guys,
If you pop your phone numbers in here you'll see that there was reported degraded service yesterday and in the early hours of this morning following an outage in Edinburgh on Monday which affected your dialling codes.
Jojo

[#6]

Hi
I've never really had any problems for the four years with Plusnet until now, been like this for over a week.  Just checked and the profile has dropped to 0.5Mb.
The connection has been dropping and the router has been rebooting through the night.  Still an 8128 sync.
I usually have a solid 8128 snyc and a 7150 profile, been like this for years, the router usually keeps the connection for weeks if not months.
Just have to wait and see if it settles down, if not will have to report a fault.  it's a real pain as you say.
Fifer 

[#7]

Hi Jojo
Missed your post there, thanks for the info.
Will wait and see if it gets back to normal.
Thanks again
Fifer

[#8]

Quote from: Joanne

Hi guys, If you pop your phone numbers in here you'll see that there was reported degraded service yesterday and in the early hours of this morning following an outage in Edinburgh on Monday which affected your dialling codes. Jojo

Awesome thanks Jojo!  I was expecting any issues to show up under the general BT outages page, but didn't realise you could drill down into the exchange info like that.  Many thanks indeed!  I'll keep an eye on it.. I thought it was most likely a BT issue, but that confirms it nicely!