Dropped connection / intermittent ping

[#1]

This is to be my last attempt at getting these issues resolved. If I don't a reliable connection then I'll up and leave.

I've my router connected to the master socket, I only have the master socket.

I've had dropped connection and now PN have added intermittent connection speeds. I joined PN because I believed them to be reliable. I feel like support are just p**ing me around and so I'm going to talk here because I don't feel like they care in the least bit.

Ping statistics for 212.58.249.212:
    Packets: Sent = 500, Received = 497, Lost = 3 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 26ms, Maximum = 2023ms, Average = 75ms

[#2]

Hi @Stridey1975

Thanks for getting in touch.

Your connection is stable and you're in sync at 40mb/s.

Looking at the history of your account, I can see that we raised a fault for you in July of last year, however I cannot locate any other contact from yourself after that point in time. Could you please highlight where you've contacted us and we've provided an unsatisfactory response so that I can review this accordingly?

In terms of your connection, were the stats you've posted obtained via a wifi connection or a wired connection? Is there a difference in results between the two? Do you experience disconnects/slow speeds under specific conditions or across all platforms and all connection types?

If you ping and traceroute www.bbc.co.uk what are the results? (post them here)

Let us know

Best wishes

Dave

[#3]

> Looking at the history of your account, I can see that we raised a fault for you in July of last year, however I cannot locate any other contact from yourself after that point in time.

I didn't follow up because I wasn't getting anywhere.

> In terms of your connection, were the stats you've posted obtained via a wifi connection or a wired connection? Is there a difference in results between the two? Do you experience disconnects/slow speeds under specific conditions or across all platforms and all connection types?

Router is connected by ethernet to my PC

If you ping and traceroute www.bbc.co.uk what are the results? (post them here)

Connection has been stable. I'll follow this up when the connection starts dropping again.

[#4]

Connection has dropped again.

https://justpaste.it/6rdxv

I don't know if I mentioned before but the router is connected to the master socket. Router connects to PC by ethernet. 

Please tell me you have an idea what is causing these disconnections.

[#5]

Something very odd is going on here, what it is I'm not sure.

But looking at that tracert

1 14 ms 14 ms 14 ms 10.8.3.1

This should be the IP of your router - ie 192.168.1.254 or 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.1 or 172.16.0.1

The 10.xx.xx.xx on BT/PN network is (IIRC) reserved, for BT it's for BTwifi, for PN for 'future use'.

2 36 ms 25 ms 40 ms 1.150.38.185.baremetal.zare.com [185.38.150.1]

This isn't even Plusnets network.

3 14 ms 15 ms 15 ms ae2.31-rt1-cr.ldn.as25369.net [185.38.150.226]

Neither is this

etc etc etc.

I've got to be missing something here.

I simply don't understand the first hop, nor the remainder. It looks like you're not on the Plusnet network

Are you using a Plusnet supplied router?

Totally baffled!!

edit. Never heard of Hydra Communications too

[#6]

Hello @Stridey1975 and thank you for confirming the checks that you have completed.

After retesting the line, I have detected an external fault which has now been raised to our suppliers. They have provided us an estimated response time of 02/04/19 anytime up to midnight. Our faults team will monitor the issue and you can also monitor the fault report here.

If you require any further assistance in the meantime, please don't hesitate to reply to the fault ticket or reply on here.

Thanks again.

[#7]

Any reason you are connecting to Hydra Communications Ltd a Bristol based company?

[#8]

@Jubby Thanks. Hopefully the fact I'm running a NordVPN client hasn't skewed your decision to raise a ticket. To that end here is an updated ping/traceroute without the VPN running.

https://justpaste.it/77kii

@DS Yes.

@Mustrum I find the wording of your question impertinent. 

[#9]

@Stridey1975  Any reason why you think I am being impertinent? 

You have posted tracert and ping results that don't go anywhere near the PN network.

Of course using NordVPN has skewed any diagnosis, but even so they did not show any issues, or dropped connections or intermittent ping.

[#10]

Thanks for clarifying

And now it makes sense!

I have to agree with @Mustrum, the connection itself looks pretty quick, but it is actually quicker without the VPN running.

With VPN

1 14 ms 14 ms 14 ms 10.8.3.1
2 36 ms 25 ms 40 ms 1.150.38.185.baremetal.zare.com [185.38.150.1]
3 14 ms 15 ms 15 ms ae2.31-rt1-cr.ldn.as25369.net [185.38.150.226]
4 15 ms 15 ms 15 ms ae21.rt0-cr.ldn.as25369.net [5.226.136.6]
5 21 ms 14 ms 15 ms ae0.rt0-thn.ldn.as25369.net [5.226.136.28]
6 14 ms 15 ms 15 ms ip81-59.fastly-gw1.lonap.net [5.57.81.59]
7 15 ms 14 ms 14 ms 151.101.64.81

Without VPN

1 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms dsldevice.lan [192.168.1.254]
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 14 ms 13 ms 14 ms 133.hiper04.sheff.dial.plus.net.uk [195.166.143.133]
4 14 ms 14 ms 14 ms 132.hiper04.sheff.dial.plus.net.uk [195.166.143.132]
5 13 ms 13 ms 13 ms 195.99.125.144
6 15 ms 14 ms 14 ms peer2-et3-1-4.slough.ukcore.bt.net [62.172.103.220]
7 * * * Request timed out.
8 13 ms 13 ms 13 ms 151.101.64.81

Hop 2 on the non VPN doesn't matter on FTTC. Not sure why hop7 times out, but mine always does the same. It doesn't indicate a problem though

With that being said, as they've found an issue, I hope they fix it for you!!

But back to the tracerts, I know it's only in milliseconds, but unless you're trying to evade a ban (for example), or you don't need a specific server, it might be worth switching from the VPN to 'normal' when the issues next arises - post back either way.... as in if the VPN caused it, or there's no change.

I did read recently of another using NORD, and had issues, but I think they went from a paid one to a free one or vice versa. But plusnet do not block VPN's.

The ping response time is also a tad quicker without the VPN. But both don't show any losses.

[#11]

@DS Apologies if I've not made this clear, I've skimmed my post. I might not have mentioned that the latency issues appear to have been resolved/resolved themselves. At the moment the issue is just that the connection will occasionally drop.

> With that being said, as they've found an issue, I hope they fix it for you!!

Thanks

@Mustrum 

> Stridey1975  Any reason why you think I am being impertinent? 

> You have posted tracert and ping results that don't go anywhere near the PN network.

> Of course using NordVPN has skewed any diagnosis, but even so they did not show any issues, or dropped connections
> or intermittent ping.

For the record I never said you were being impertinent. I said the wording of your question struck me as impertinent. Just like this one, actually. 

I'd ask that you simply don't reply to any of my posts moving forward. Thanks.

[#12]

I wrote earlier:

The 10.xx.xx.xx on BT/PN network is (IIRC) reserved, for BT it's for BTwifi, for PN for 'future use'.

The more I think on this, the more 'hmm, could it be', the fact that the VPN is giving you a 10.IP address.

I'm not sure if being on PN would do this, but I know it used to matter on a BTHH (the PNH1 is a HH5), but I wondering if the address allocation is actually creating the drop - as in the router is causing this as you're on that range and it's giving up...?

You/we need PN to check with their techies if being on a 10.xx.xx.xx IP range would cause the router to 'act up'.

(I could be barking up the wrong tree, but certainly worth clarification;))

Apologies if I've not made this clear, I've skimmed my post. I might not have mentioned that the latency issues appear to have been resolved/resolved themselves. At the moment the issue is just that the connection will occasionally drop.

The probable reason why they fix themselves could be due to the drop, when it reconnects it might actually 'nudge' for example your SNR back to somewhere your connection 'likes'.

When you 'feel' it's going 'glitchy', test then, hopefully before the drop or as the latency jumps.

Then, maybe, without the router dropping, turn off the VPN and see if the latency decreases.

(still could do with PN checking - just in case it's a router/VPN clash...?)

[#13]

My last experience of a BT homehub (3.0a I think) was that it added a mandatory 1ms latency for the first hop. I had a lot of latency issues on that connection but saw a big improvement after replacing the router for something else.

I'm not saying replace the router as you have an open fault.. just that I've had a better experience with third party routers for latency.

[#14]

The problem isn't really latency anymore to be fair. In fact I've only really experienced any latency once in the time that I've been with Plusnet. I have had a problem with my connection dropping for quite a while now. Not frequent but enough to get gradually annoying.

[#15]

it added a mandatory 1ms latency for the first hop

Not doubting you there for a moment, but did notice the H5a or PNH1 were always showing 1ms on hop1.

Though, currently using the (IMHO) BTH6 and even over wifi, it's less than 1 millisecond

Tracing route to bbc.co.uk [151.101.128.81]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms bthub [192.168.1.254]

I have had a problem with my connection dropping for quite a while now.

And herein lies the pita. You need around 3 drops in 24 hours or 6 in 72 hours for PN to start the fault process. Whether or not they 'bend the rules' I have no idea. I still think your IP and router (possible) clash needs answering first. I could be wrong, but would think it's possible one could be tripping the other one over...?