cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Large number of corrected errors in router - was "Improved gaming performance?"

vultura
Rising Star
Posts: 325
Thanks: 14
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎22-05-2011

Large number of corrected errors in router - was "Improved gaming performance?"

Hi all.
Its been a while since I last posted, no real issues since my initial line quality gremlins around June 2011.  
Download speed has been better than expected, so moving to Plusnet was a good thing Smiley  Current BT profile is a little over 6Mb.
Since the release of Modern Warfare 3 I have noticed the lag more when on xbox live than I did when playing Halo Reach or Black Ops.  Now I am aware that the game is having some issues, but other gamers in my party don't seem to be suffering in quite the same way as me.
My network setup is wired, with just a single wireless item (Netbook).  ADSL router is 2Wire HGV2700, with 200Mb Homeplug devices to the PC upstairs and TV/Bluray/XBOX/NAS downstairs.  The TV/Bluray/XBOX/NAS is supplied by one homeplug which is connected to a new TP-Link 10/100 5 port switch, previously had a ASUS RT-N11 cable router doing the same job, but I wondered if having two routers in-line wasn't helping.
Is there anything I can do at home or ask PN to do that might help?  I have read about having interleaving turned off on the line, but I see a lot of corrected errors in the router logs, so that may just make things worse or am I wrong thinking that?
Has anyone seen my signature, it's gone missing.
14 REPLIES 14
adamwalker
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 16,871
Thanks: 882
Fixes: 221
Registered: ‎27-04-2007

Re: Improved gaming performance?

Hi vultura,
In our experience most gamers prefer interleaving turned off, if you want to give that a try then do bear in mind it can be either turned on or off with 24 hours notice (applies to mon-fri working days only)
Adam
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Adam Walker
 Plusnet Help Team
vultura
Rising Star
Posts: 325
Thanks: 14
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎22-05-2011

Re: Improved gaming performance?

My concern with the errors was that the interleaving/modem  is dealing with a 99.99% of them, with just a few uncorrected ones.  With the interleaving off I assume that the now corrected errors will go uncorrected and might cause issues with speed/stability.
I do use the bandwidth available for streaming and downloads when not gaming, a small speed decrease I could live with if exchanged for better gaming.
Has anyone seen my signature, it's gone missing.
adamwalker
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 16,871
Thanks: 882
Fixes: 221
Registered: ‎27-04-2007

Re: Improved gaming performance?

That all depends on the level of errors to be honest and IMO I'd say that speeds were more likely to be affected than stability with interleaving if the router was picking up a high number of errors.
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Adam Walker
 Plusnet Help Team
vultura
Rising Star
Posts: 325
Thanks: 14
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎22-05-2011

Re: Improved gaming performance?

Thanks Adam.
Will try and post up router stats later, so yourself or anyone reading the thread will see the number of errors that are being reported.
Has anyone seen my signature, it's gone missing.
vultura
Rising Star
Posts: 325
Thanks: 14
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎22-05-2011

Re: Improved gaming performance?

Have taken screenshots of current connection details and the link errors.
Has anyone seen my signature, it's gone missing.
WWWombat
Grafter
Posts: 1,412
Thanks: 4
Registered: ‎29-01-2009

Re: Improved gaming performance?

You are right that those errors that are currently correctable (aka RS) will all become hard errors (CRC or HEC) once interleaving is turned off.
However, also remember that a "correctable block" is much smaller than the blocks that CRCs are calculated over, so you might not see every RS error turn into a CRC/HEC error. It could well be a factor of 16 lower - but it really depends on how much those RS (correctable) errors are distributed over time. If you come in large bursts, then you will see considerably fewer CRC errors; if the RS errors are spread evenly over time, then they'd probably all become individual CRC errors.
Your stats show 1,800,000 RS errors in the last 24 hours, which would average at 21 RS errors every second. So the best case is that this would translate to 2 CRC errors per second, and worst case would be 21 CRC errors per second.
IIRC, the CRCs are calculated on blocks that run at around 58 per second. That would mean your best case is 2/58 errors (3.5%) and worst case is 21/58 (36%).
I don't know, but even the best case sounds to me like it is not really acceptable.
As an example, our phone line used to get a sync of 8128 on ADSLmax without interleaving, and averaged around 10 CRC errors per hour. This was totally unnoticeable as a user.
However, the same line converted to FTTC was (during the first 2 days) getting about 4% packet loss. DLM cut in after 48 hours, and both reduced the sync speed (by 4Mbps) and turned on interleaving, which removed the packet loss entirely. That 4% loss *was* noticeable as an end-user, and also reduced download speeds by about 2mbps (presumably due to retried packets being sent). Unfortunately, BT locked the modem down, so I couldn't get hold of the same kind of details about the state of the line. It would have been nice to see.
My best guess is that, if you turned off interleaving, DLM would intervene after a while and turn it back on.
Plusnet Customer
Using FTTC since 2011. Currently on 80/20 Unlimited Fibre Extra.
vultura
Rising Star
Posts: 325
Thanks: 14
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎22-05-2011

Re: Improved gaming performance?

Thanks for the reply WWWombat.
The errors only seemed to appear after changes to my wiring which resulted in a higher sync rate.  As stated in my OP the current line profile is around 6Mb, the BT wholesale checker estimate is 3.5Mb.
Has anyone seen my signature, it's gone missing.
sjrinfroyle
Grafter
Posts: 895
Registered: ‎08-05-2011

Re: Improved gaming performance?

It might be worth forcing your router to connect at ADSL1. On a reasonably long line, it might just reduce the errors and work better with interleaving turned off.
vultura
Rising Star
Posts: 325
Thanks: 14
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎22-05-2011

Re: Improved gaming performance?

Thanks for reply sjrinfroyle.
Sadly I cannot locate an option to force the 2700 to connect using adsl1 only and google results confirm that it doesn't give an option, it will always connect at best modulation type available.  It is running firmware version 6.1.1.48-enh.tm if that makes any difference.
Has anyone seen my signature, it's gone missing.
sjrinfroyle
Grafter
Posts: 895
Registered: ‎08-05-2011

Re: Improved gaming performance?

Can you test with an alternate router?
w23
Pro
Posts: 6,347
Thanks: 96
Fixes: 4
Registered: ‎08-01-2008

Re: Improved gaming performance?

There may just be a simple solution to reducing the error rate (not guaranteed but worth a try), simply re-sync when noise margin is at its lowest, it should then sync at a slightly lower speed and errors will likely reduce by a reasonable amount.  A typically good time to try this would be 9 to 10PM at this time of year.
Call me 'w23'
At any given moment in the universe many things happen. Coincidence is a matter of how close these events are in space, time and relationship.
Opinions expressed in forum posts are those of the poster, others may have different views.
vultura
Rising Star
Posts: 325
Thanks: 14
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎22-05-2011

Re: Improved gaming performance?

Quote from: walker23
simply re-sync when noise margin is at its lowest, it should then sync at a slightly lower speed and errors will likely reduce by a reasonable amount.  A typically good time to try this would be 9 to 10PM at this time of year.

An interesting idea.  Did a re-sync late night, errors still occurring (have to check numbers later).  Did a a speedtest and got highest results I have ever seen for my line.
Quote from: sjrinfroyle
alternate router?

I have unlocked BT Homehub 1, an old Origo wired router and someplace an early Netgear DG834.  Currently contemplating buying a second user Netgear DG834GT, to be used with DGTeam firmware.
Has anyone seen my signature, it's gone missing.
vultura
Rising Star
Posts: 325
Thanks: 14
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎22-05-2011

Re: Improved gaming performance? Large number of corrected errors shown by router...

To see if it makes any difference have replaced the RJ11 cable used with my router for a (hopefully) better one like http://www.intellect.uk.com/component/virtuemart/?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&prod....
Don't think it has helped the error rate, certainly seemed to be at similar level when I checked last night.
Has anyone seen my signature, it's gone missing.
vultura
Rising Star
Posts: 325
Thanks: 14
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎22-05-2011

Re: Large number of corrected errors in router - was "Improved gaming performance?"

Have temporarily wired in a new NTE5 with an Austin Taylor ADSL Faceplate to see if that helps, but the errors are still quickly adding up.
Anything else I can do?
Has anyone seen my signature, it's gone missing.