Packet loss/slow latency with

[#1]

For the last few days, I've had issues working from home connecting to work servers based in the US. This only happens on my PlusNet internet connection - my mobile data and other wifis work as normal.

I'm seeing the following traceroutes though:

tracert **.**.***.**

Tracing route to **-**-***-**.static.enta.net [**.**.***.**]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     2 ms     1 ms     1 ms  192.168.0.1
  2     2 ms     1 ms     1 ms  192.168.1.254
  3    13 ms    13 ms     *     172.16.19.95
  4     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  5    23 ms    24 ms     *     132.hiper04.sheff.dial.plus.net.uk [195.166.143.132]
  6    24 ms    23 ms    24 ms  peer8-et-7-0-4.telehouse.ukcore.bt.net [62.172.103.176]
  7    25 ms    34 ms    32 ms  te5-4.telehouse-north.core.enta.net [195.66.236.151]

I'm also seeing 100% packet loss on 172.16.19.95 using pathping. 172.16.19.95 is my default gateway according to the PlusNet router admin page.

It isn't just my work servers that are affected - I seem to have issues with most american websites. For example, if I trace route to cnn.com:

tracert cnn.com

Tracing route to cnn.com [151.101.195.5]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     2 ms     1 ms     1 ms  192.168.0.1
  2     3 ms     2 ms     2 ms  192.168.1.254
  3    14 ms    13 ms    14 ms  172.16.19.95
  4     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  5    25 ms    30 ms    25 ms  132.hiper04.sheff.dial.plus.net.uk [195.166.143.132]
  6    26 ms    25 ms     *     peer3-et0-0-4.redbus.ukcore.bt.net [194.72.16.78]
  7     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  8    25 ms    25 ms    24 ms  151.101.195.5

Trace complete.

[#2]

I'm not sure there is packet loss there. The end of the traceroute is always responding. The hops that always show an asterisk (or sometimes show an asterisk) are just routers that are set to never reply to traceroute packets (or, only reply if they aren't too busy doing their real job of routing). If there was real packet loss, it would follow through the next hops, ie asterisks all the way down and no response from the target.

Those servers are not in the US, it would be about 80ms to get to the east coast of the USA. The cnn one is using a CDN (Fastly, like eg bbc.co.uk use etc).

I see hops that never reply to traceroute packets too, its not unusual.

tracert cnn.com

Tracing route to cnn.com [151.101.131.5]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     1 ms     1 ms     1 ms  OpenWrt22.home.arpa [192.168.203.1]
  2     2 ms     2 ms     2 ms  192.168.1.254
  3     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  4     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  5    15 ms    14 ms    14 ms  128.hiper04.sheff.dial.plus.net.uk [195.166.143.128]
  6    15 ms    15 ms    15 ms  peer7-et-3-0-1.telehouse.ukcore.bt.net [109.159.252.152]
  7    14 ms    15 ms    15 ms  peer5-te0-9-0-32.telehouse.ukcore.bt.net [195.99.126.81]
  8    14 ms    14 ms    14 ms  151.101.131.5

Trace complete.

or

tracert bbc.co.uk

Tracing route to bbc.co.uk [151.101.0.81]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     1 ms     1 ms     1 ms  OpenWrt22.home.arpa [192.168.203.1]
  2     2 ms     2 ms     1 ms  192.168.1.254
  3     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  4     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  5    14 ms    14 ms    14 ms  128.hiper04.sheff.dial.plus.net.uk [195.166.143.128]
  6    15 ms    14 ms    15 ms  peer7-et-3-1-1.telehouse.ukcore.bt.net [109.159.252.164]
  7     *        *        *     Request timed out.
  8    14 ms    14 ms    14 ms  151.101.0.81

Trace complete.

 The target (last hop) always replies, so there is no loss.

However, as for the actual latency I'm not sure why you are getting a 10ms increase around hop 4, that looks unusual.

Are you on a static IP address eg paid the £5 one off fee before, or do you have the Plusnet Broadband firewall turned on in the Plusnet website here  - that coincidentally gives you a pretty static IP address, and both affects the routing compared to dynamic addresses (like I have)?

[#3]

@patmon91 welcome to the forum.

I'm also seeing 100% packet loss on 172.16.19.95 using pathping. 172.16.19.95 is my default gateway according to the PlusNet router admin page.

It is very likely IP Address 172.16.19.95 does not respond to ping hence the 100% loss. 

If you getting some latency on your connections it would be  best to check the performance of you connection.

Have you checked the speed of you connection to ensure it's not reduced.

BTW Performance Tester would be a good place to start.

DSL uptime of you router is handy as if the uptime is hours rather than many days you could be getting line drops.

Latency could be caused by a noisy phone line, with a wired landline phone dial 17070 select option 2. There should be NO noise.

If you think you have a fault report using; for Phone or for Broadband

HTH

I note both you and @seebee connection are "double NAT" (more than one router) is this intentional?

[#4]

Thanks for responding!

The latency is occuring on all devices on plusnet, but not when I use another WiFi or mobile data.

I don't have the static IP service and my firewall is off according to that link.

Thanks

[#5]

---

@Dan_the_Van wrote:

...

I note both you and @seebee connection are "double NAT" (more than one router) is this intentional?

---

It is in my case! I can't help tinkering 😀. For a long time I was using a HG612 as a modem and an OpenWrt WNDR3700v4 to do the PPP. A while ago I found my Plusnet 2704N in a drawer and thought I'd give that a try and get it updated. At random times I swap them around. Currently the 2704N does the PPP and the 3700 is in the DMZ of the 2704N so I can still make incoming connections to forwarded ports, and despite the double NAT I've not noticed a single thing affected (various work VPNs and Vodafone/o2 wifi-calling all fine).