impressively erratic performance over BT adsl

I'm getting some really odd numbers with my BT ADSL at the moment.
I've only just attempted to use my new connection for gaming, and
check out the variation in ping time I get trying to ping a UK-based
server (see below). This connection is unusable for gaming, plain and
simple. The highest number (411ms) is crappy even for dialup - what
the hell is going on here? Any suggestions? Traceroutes are similarly
erratic, and seem to show most of the variation to be in BT networks
hops.

Would changing to a different provider improve my performance, or
would I just be going through the same choke points, but on a
rebranded service?

The lamest part of this is that these numbers are at 1:30 in the
morning - what will they be like at a peak time?

cheers,
Mike

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>ping -n 1000 80.253.122.180

Pinging 80.253.122.180 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=119 <-- What I
expected
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=201ms TTL=119
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=400ms TTL=119 <-- ?
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=261ms TTL=119
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=380ms TTL=119
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=411ms TTL=119 <-- ??!!
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=210ms TTL=119
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=341ms TTL=119
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=271ms TTL=119

On 16 Oct 2004 17:51:43 -0700, (E-Mail Removed) (Mike) wrote:

>Would changing to a different provider improve my performance, or
>would I just be going through the same choke points, but on a
>rebranded service?

what ISP is this with ? Below is a typical response I get, what do you
see to the bbc site ?

The way the service is provided does differ betwen ISPs.

Phil

C:\Documents and Settings\Phil.XP2100>ping www.bbc.co.uk

Pinging www.bbc.net.uk [212.58.224.126] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 212.58.224.126: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=248
Reply from 212.58.224.126: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=248
Reply from 212.58.224.126: bytes=32 time=24ms TTL=248
Reply from 212.58.224.126: bytes=32 time=22ms TTL=248
--
spamcop.net address commissioned 18/06/04
Come on down !

"Mike" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> I'm getting some really odd numbers with my BT ADSL at the moment.
> I've only just attempted to use my new connection for gaming, and
> check out the variation in ping time I get trying to ping a UK-based
> server (see below). This connection is unusable for gaming, plain and
> simple. The highest number (411ms) is crappy even for dialup - what
> the hell is going on here? Any suggestions? Traceroutes are similarly
> erratic, and seem to show most of the variation to be in BT networks
> hops.

Post a traceroute for us to look at.

(E-Mail Removed) (Mike) writes:

> The lamest part of this is that these numbers are at 1:30 in the
> morning - what will they be like at a peak time?

Isn't that about the time when BT perform network maintenance?

(E-Mail Removed) (Mike) came forth with the following in
uk.telecom.broadband

> C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>ping -n 1000 80.253.122.180
>
> Pinging 80.253.122.180 with 32 bytes of data:
>
> Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=30ms TTL=119 <-- What I
> expected
> Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=201ms TTL=119
> Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=400ms TTL=119 <-- ?
> Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=261ms TTL=119
> Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=380ms TTL=119
> Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=411ms TTL=119 <-- ??!!
> Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=210ms TTL=119
> Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=341ms TTL=119
> Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=271ms TTL=119

This what I get below

C:\Documents and Settings\pwsuser>ping -n 1000 80.253.122.180

Pinging 80.253.122.180 with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=121
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=121
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=121
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=121
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=121
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=121
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=121
Reply from 80.253.122.180: bytes=32 time=20ms TTL=121

All seems OK

--
Mark

Thanks for all the quick replies - I think I'm going to have to take
it all back though - something is wrong, but it's either with my
Windows network stack, or the interaction between my windows box and
the USB ADSL modem. While a traceroute was showing me what *appeared*
to be random large delays in the various hops through the BT network,
I've now plugged my apple laptop in, and get no problems at all. In
fact, my pings to that server I mentioned in my last post average
about 15ms.

Not sure what to do with the windows box now - I suppose I could
reinstall, but I'm tempted to try a different modem, or perhaps try
using my Mac as a router/NAT box and see if I still have the same
problem.

Thanks again!
Mike

On 17 Oct 2004 02:59:49 -0700, (E-Mail Removed) (Mike) wrote:

> but I'm tempted to try a different modem

buy an ethernet based router and be done with all these windows
issues.

Phil
--
spamcop.net address commissioned 18/06/04
Come on down !

On Sun, 17 Oct 2004 02:59:49 -0700, Mike wrote:

> Not sure what to do with the windows box now - I suppose I could

you could always give up on windows rubbish and install linux! i'm using a
usb adsl modem (speedtouch 330) on my linux box and i average about 27ms
on pings to that address (via virgin). probably no linux drivers for your
bt modem though, depending what it is.

will

On Sun, 17 Oct 2004 20:55:33 UTC, will kemp <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

> On Sun, 17 Oct 2004 02:59:49 -0700, Mike wrote:
>
> > Not sure what to do with the windows box now - I suppose I could
>
> you could always give up on windows rubbish and install linux! i'm using a
> usb adsl modem (speedtouch 330) on my linux box and i average about 27ms
> on pings to that address (via virgin). probably no linux drivers for your
> bt modem though, depending what it is.

Or install a real UNIX system with a unified distribution:

http://www.freebsd.org

which is much more mature.

--
Bob Eager
begin a new life...dump Windows!

"Bob Eager" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<176uZD2KcidF-pn2-(E-Mail Removed)>...

> > you could always give up on windows rubbish and install linux! i'm using a
> > usb adsl modem (speedtouch 330) on my linux box and i average about 27ms
> > on pings to that address (via virgin). probably no linux drivers for your
> > bt modem though, depending what it is.
>
> Or install a real UNIX system with a unified distribution:
>
> http://www.freebsd.org
>
> which is much more mature.

Both excellent suggestions - I've run (over the years) Red Hat,
Mandrake, and OpenBSD, and they definitely have their advantages.
Sadly, I don't think any of these will let me play Counter-Strike.

cheers,
Mike