Horrible ping times - reboot router fixes it but...

....sometime later (30 minutes -> several hours) it goes wrong again.

The router in question is a Solwise SAR703. I notice that web access
is very poor, so I ping the ISP DNS server. Times are usually around 1
to 2 seconds. If I then reboot the router and try again, times are
around 15ms. It will then be OK for a while but then later on I notice
the same problem.

I suspect a router malfunction but if anyone has any ideas I would
welcome suggestions.

Steve

On 22/9/03 11:26 am, in article
(E-Mail Removed), "Steve Pearce"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> ...sometime later (30 minutes -> several hours) it goes wrong again.
>
> The router in question is a Solwise SAR703. I notice that web access
> is very poor, so I ping the ISP DNS server. Times are usually around 1
> to 2 seconds. If I then reboot the router and try again, times are
> around 15ms. It will then be OK for a while but then later on I notice
> the same problem.
>
> I suspect a router malfunction but if anyone has any ideas I would
> welcome suggestions.
>
I can't recall where (as I'm no longer with BTO) but there is a linked page
where you can see the performance of the BTO DNS servers. It sounds like
your initial configuration goes to a good DNS server, then for some reason,
you are being transferred to one of their dodgy ones.

I do recall there was a particular pair of DNS servers on BTO that was
always responding in seconds - try the BT whinge newsgroup for the listing
of DNS servers.

Graham in Melton <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<BB949382.14AA3%(E-Mail Removed)>...
> I can't recall where (as I'm no longer with BTO) but there is a linked page
> where you can see the performance of the BTO DNS servers. It sounds like
> your initial configuration goes to a good DNS server, then for some reason,
> you are being transferred to one of their dodgy ones.
>
> I do recall there was a particular pair of DNS servers on BTO that was
> always responding in seconds - try the BT whinge newsgroup for the listing
> of DNS servers.

I should have said, pinging anything when in this mode gives times in
the 1 to 2 second range, after a router restart all work as expected.

Steve Pearce wrote:

> ...sometime later (30 minutes -> several hours) it goes wrong again.
>
> The router in question is a Solwise SAR703. I notice that web access
> is very poor, so I ping the ISP DNS server. Times are usually around 1
> to 2 seconds. If I then reboot the router and try again, times are
> around 15ms. It will then be OK for a while but then later on I notice
> the same problem.
>
> I suspect a router malfunction but if anyone has any ideas I would
> welcome suggestions.
>
> Steve

Are you running a P2P server on any of your computers?

Then chances are that your are overloading your upload bandwidth, this
causes the routers buffer to fill up, causing delays and possibly lost
packets. Check to see if your P2P program has an option to cap your upload
bandwidth (for a 512/256 connection 20kb upload should be fine, though if
things are still a little slow for you or other users on the network then
you might want to go down to 10kb). P2P programs tend to use as much upload
bandwidth as they can take (available upload bandwidth is the biggest
bottleneck in todays P2P systems). When you send a request for a web-page or
a ping, then its got to wait in line with all the other packets to leave the
router and thus you get the delay.

Resetting the router will disconnect the P2P server and empty the buffer,
but after your half hour period, it starts to fill up and overload again .

If you want to check this, then try switching off any P2P programs
completely and wait a minute or two, then check your ping times.


I was having a similar problem, with an ASUS EV router, though I still am
but to a lesser degree now. I'm still looking for a better solution at
managing my upload bandwidth so as to not overload my router. Preferably
something that can prioritize my router traffic by port number, so I can
upload full blast on eMule but without my other traffic having to be delayed
because of it.


--
Rules are written for those who lack the ability to truly reason,
But for those who can, rules become nothing more than guidelines,
And live their lives governed not by rules but by reason.
- James McGuigan

The Stars! FAQ (www.starsfaq.com)
Earth Emergency - A Call to Action (www.earthemergency.org)

James McGuigan <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
> Steve Pearce wrote:
>
> > ...sometime later (30 minutes -> several hours) it goes wrong again.
> >
> > The router in question is a Solwise SAR703. I notice that web access
> > is very poor, so I ping the ISP DNS server. Times are usually around 1
> > to 2 seconds. If I then reboot the router and try again, times are
> > around 15ms. It will then be OK for a while but then later on I notice
> > the same problem.
> >
> > I suspect a router malfunction but if anyone has any ideas I would
> > welcome suggestions.
> >
> > Steve
>
> Are you running a P2P server on any of your computers?

Cheers James, I think you might have hit the nail on the head. All the
times
I've had problems, my daughters PC has been on, and she is always
downloading stuff from Kazaa. Her PC is off at the moment and things
have been running just fine.

Steve Pearce wrote:

> James McGuigan <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>...
>
>>Steve Pearce wrote:
>>
>>
>>>...sometime later (30 minutes -> several hours) it goes wrong again.
>>>
>>>The router in question is a Solwise SAR703. I notice that web access
>>>is very poor, so I ping the ISP DNS server. Times are usually around 1
>>>to 2 seconds. If I then reboot the router and try again, times are
>>>around 15ms. It will then be OK for a while but then later on I notice
>>>the same problem.
>>>
>>>I suspect a router malfunction but if anyone has any ideas I would
>>>welcome suggestions.
>>>
>>>Steve
>>
>>Are you running a P2P server on any of your computers?
>
>
> Cheers James, I think you might have hit the nail on the head. All the
> times
> I've had problems, my daughters PC has been on, and she is always
> downloading stuff from Kazaa. Her PC is off at the moment and things
> have been running just fine.

If you set her upload cap to somewhere between 80 bytes/s and 160 bytes/s
then hopefully that should keep the problem to a reasonable level (play
around until its works well for you). Its hard to give an exact figure,
though for some reason the effects of upload buffer overload seem to affect
the other computers on the network a little worse than the computer actually
running the P2P server - so you might still need the occasional router reset
(you should also be able to do this via a web interface or telnet to its IP
address).

Though remember that the P2P networks are always hungry for upload
bandwidth, so try to be as generous as possible.

Downloading is not usually a problem, as you can't really overflow that
buffer as its coming into your "fast" network from a "slower" phone line
connection.

--
Rules are written for those who lack the ability to truly reason,
But for those who can, rules become nothing more than guidelines,
And live their lives governed not by rules but by reason.
- James McGuigan

The Stars! FAQ (www.starsfaq.com)
Earth Emergency - A Call to Action (www.earthemergency.org)