Terrible Internet Performance

Forums › LAN (ethernet/Wifi/routers/Bluetooth) › Terrible Internet Performance - Router Related?

Oubadah

676 posts

Ultimate Geek

#106820 1-Aug-2012 01:57

So I've posted in the Slingshot thread abut this issue, but I'm beginning to think it could be Router related.

Firstly, here is my system:

Draytek Vigor 120 in PPPoE bridge mode -> ALIX 2D13 with PFSense -> Gigabit Switch (unmanaged) -> Intel PRO/1000 CT NIC.

All Wired CAT6.

No other active devices on the network (for the purpose of troubleshooting this issue), and no bandwidth using applications on the PC.

Now, the issue is depicted HERE. Wild fluctuations in streaming speed when trying to watch a video from Youtube, and the downloading even appears to drop out altogether and then resume it's erratic behavior. Some days it seems to be working OK with fairly consistent speeds, but most of the time streaming HD videos is impossible.

Tonight I was getting extremely frustrated with the issue and tried rebooting PFSense, and interestingly enough, when I went back to the same video I noticed that it was downloading at a steady 7000-8000kbps - I thought the reboot had fixed it, but after 1.5 minutes of fast, consistent streaming it suddenly resumed it's old behavior and the video was unwatchable.

So I tried rebooting PFSense again. Same thing happened. About 1.5 minutes of perfect streaming, then back to unusable. I tried two more times to make sure this wasn't some kind of fluke.

So it looks like the problem has something to do with the PFSense router. My knowledge on PFSense (and networking in general) is severely limited. I've none little more than the initial setup wizard. Does anyone know of a reason why this strange issue might be happening, and why it's resolved briefly by cycling the router? Possibly something I've configured wrong in PFSense?

freitasm

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#665116 1-Aug-2012 07:49

You should post your modem stats to start with. And have you done any isolation test?

theEd

341 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#665161 1-Aug-2012 09:01

To get the modem stats from the Vigor120 with it configured in bridge mode, you'll need to disconnect it from your router and plug a PC directly into it.

The PC should get an IP via DHCP - if it doesn't manually set your PC's IP to 192.168.1.10.

Web browse to http://192.168.1.1/ and login (username 'admin', no password). Click "Online Status" on the menu.

Oubadah

676 posts

Ultimate Geek

#665527 1-Aug-2012 16:00

I was trying to get into the modem's stats when I realised it feels pretty warm to the touch. So I got to thinking, what if it wasn't the rebooting of the router that temporarily solved the problem, but rather the period of idle 'cool down' time while the router was in the process of rebooting. And after posting this thread last night I went back to my video, and it started streaming perfectly until about 1.5minutes in - usual story. I hadn't rebooted the router that time.

So I believe this might be an issue with the modem overheating after about 1.5 minutes of high throughput (the router and switch are practically idle when this happens, so they have no reason to overheat). I put a fan blowing into the side vents on the modem, and tried again. This time the video streamed at 8000kbps for 3 minutes before the speed bogged down, and this seems to support my theory.

I can't cool the modem any better without opening it, and I don't want to void the warranty. I would like to be able to get some more concrete evidence, but it looks like my best choice is to have the modem replaced.

theEd

341 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#665536 1-Aug-2012 16:06

Oubadah: it looks like my best choice is to have the modem replaced.

I agree. Contact the retailer you purchased it from, ask for a replacement, and let them know Ed sent you :)

Oubadah

676 posts

Ultimate Geek

#665554 1-Aug-2012 16:44

OK, I'm going to send it back and for the time being I've connected up an old D-Link dsl-504t which I was keeping as a backup. I have a couple of questions regarding that:

1) I have it connected d-link dsl-504t -> Switch -> PC. Why can't I access the stupid thing's web GUI when connected via the switch? I can access the internet. I initially connected it directly to the PC, and I could access the web GUI just fine, but I can't get to it via the (unmanaged) switch.

2) What is the point of the ADSL username and password your ISP gives you, when you can apparently connect without them? I have not had a chance to input my slingshot username and password into the dsl-504t because of issue #1, but I can connect to the internet through it anyway. As far as I know it still has an old Xtra username and password from it's days in an office somewhere. I've noticed this before with another modem - I could just plug it in and access teh internet without putting in my username and password.

theEd

341 posts

Ultimate Geek

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#665563 1-Aug-2012 16:53

No idea about #1.

ADSL accounts are bound to your phone line (you can't use your username/password at someone else's house any more), so some ISPs have updated their systems to identify you by your phone line rather than by a username/password. That means you don't need a username and password in your modem, which makes sending modems to customers a lot easier (as they don't need to pre-configure them with each customer's login details).

Oubadah

676 posts

Ultimate Geek

#665591 1-Aug-2012 17:43

theEd: No idea about #1.

ADSL accounts are bound to your phone line (you can't use your username/password at someone else's house any more), so some ISPs have updated their systems to identify you by your phone line rather than by a username/password. That means you don't need a username and password in your modem, which makes sending modems to customers a lot easier (as they don't need to pre-configure them with each customer's login details).

Thanks.

And #1 is a non issue now, as I've found my practically new TD-8840 (which I thought I'd sold). That's less flaky than the d-link thing, and I can access it's GUI properly, so now I've got something decent to use while the Vigor is out of action.

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Oubadah

676 posts

Ultimate Geek

#665817 2-Aug-2012 00:05

God Dammit the mysterious issue returns.

- With the Draytek+PFSense system it would stream at ~8000kbps for 1.5 minutes, then start wildly fluctuating and dropping out frequently.

- Now, with the TD-8840 is streams at ~6600kbps (seems to be it's practical limit) for as long as 5 minutes, then its starts fluctuating. And also dropping out, but not as often.

I guess now I have to remove my switch from the equation, but this will be a PITA as the TD-8840 only has 4 ethernet ports and I have 24 unlabeled connections in the cabinet (well, I used colour coded them and lost the key).

But then I did hours of PC to PC file transfers this week at 60+ megaBYTE/s without issue, so why would the switch be able to handle that but not 8000 miserable kb/s? That same fact should also rule my NIC out.

That doesn't really leave anything else... Can an ADSL master splitter become 'overloaded' from consistent throughput?

bradi

137 posts

Master Geek
Inactive user

#665824 2-Aug-2012 00:38

Check the MTU... long story short... Slingshot, poor customer service, fuelled an exceptionally pissed off troubleshooting session, MTU set to 1492 since. Interestingly this is the MTU for PPPoE and not PPPoA... will never use Slingshot again.

Possibly totally unrelated unless your with Slingshot (only ISP I ever had to go to the trouble to personally prove wrong).

Oubadah

676 posts

Ultimate Geek

#666641 3-Aug-2012 00:02

I set the MTU to 1492. It could be unrelated, but now I can stream for at least 10 minutes at 7000kbps before it goes back to the usual fluctuations/drop outs. Anything else I can try?

I'm back on the Draytek modem. Should I set any specific ADSL mode or leave it at multimode/auto or whatever they call it?