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Extreme ping spikes during peak hours

QmunkE
On our wavelength

I've been experiencing high ping spikes during peak hours (looking at my BQMs it's basically at any time not in the middle of the night!) - an engineer came to check the line for signal issues and replaced my hub but the issue persists - he suggested it's a network issue (and it definitely looks like some sort of contention to me)

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/7fc7f6cd536f7ae3f84fce7dae50d3c52e...

This is verging on unplayable at times - the engineer said he'd flag this as a possible network issue but I would like to get some kind of indication that it's being looked into, as it's been ongoing for several months now.

8 REPLIES 8

Adduxi
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

Your BQM suggests over utilisation. 

However Post the power levels, Pre and PostRS errors and network log from the Hub. Once done we can comment.

 

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QmunkE
On our wavelength

Downstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) SNR (dB) Modulation Channel ID

17230000002.538256 qam40
25390000003.238256 qam17
3547000000338256 qam18
45550000003.238256 qam19
55630000003.238256 qam20
6571000000338256 qam21
75790000002.938256 qam22
85870000002.938256 qam23
9595000000338256 qam24
106030000003.238256 qam25
116110000003.238256 qam26
126190000003.238256 qam27
13627000000338256 qam28
146350000002.938256 qam29
156430000002.538256 qam30
166510000002.538256 qam31
176590000002.538256 qam32
186670000002.538256 qam33
196750000002.738256 qam34
20683000000338256 qam35
216910000002.938256 qam36
22699000000338256 qam37
237070000002.938256 qam38
247150000002.538256 qam39



Downstream bonded channels

Channel Locked Status RxMER (dB) Pre RS Errors Post RS Errors

1Locked38.914160
2Locked38.62530
3Locked38.93180
4Locked38.63270
5Locked38.63530
6Locked38.64230
7Locked38.65740
8Locked38.65710
9Locked38.96090
10Locked38.95540
11Locked38.66690
12Locked38.66380
13Locked38.98780
14Locked38.610050
15Locked38.612480
16Locked38.611870
17Locked38.612720
18Locked38.614430
19Locked38.613540
20Locked38.613870
21Locked38.914980
22Locked38.914540
23Locked38.616080
24Locked38.616650

 

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) Symbol Rate (ksps) Modulation Channel ID

15370000044.8512064 qam10
23940000044.8512064 qam12
34620000044.8512064 qam11
46030000044.8512064 qam9



Upstream bonded channels

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts

1ATDMA0020
2ATDMA0020
3ATDMA0010
4ATDMA0030

Adduxi
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

Need to see the Network log as there are a lot of T3 errors. 

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QmunkE
On our wavelength

I suspect the initial errors are when the new hub was initially syncing (given the 1970 timestamp)

Network Log

Time Priority Description

07/06/2022 19:31:41noticeLAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
06/06/2022 23:30:30criticalNo Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
06/06/2022 19:23:48noticeLAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
06/06/2022 04:23:39criticalNo Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
06/06/2022 01:02:52noticeDHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt060+voc-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
06/06/2022 01:02:52ErrorDHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
02/06/2022 15:49:22criticalNo Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
02/06/2022 13:02:51noticeDHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt060+voc-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
02/06/2022 13:02:51ErrorDHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
02/06/2022 12:04:17noticeDHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt060+voc-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
02/06/2022 12:04:17ErrorDHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
02/06/2022 11:42:26noticeLAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
02/06/2022 11:34:44noticeSW download Successful - Via Config file
02/06/2022 11:31:44noticeSW Download INIT - Via Config file
01/01/1970 00:02:1criticalNo Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
23/01/2020 03:48:5criticalSYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.0;CM-VER=3.0;
01/01/1970 00:01:56critical16 consecutive T3 timeouts while trying to range on upstream channel 2;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/01/1970 00:01:56criticalRanging Request Retries exhausted;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/01/1970 00:01:49criticalNo Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/01/1970 00:01:48critical16 consecutive T3 timeouts while trying to range on upstream channel 3;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

Andrew-G
Alessandro Volta

Seems over-utilisation is the cause.  

The BQM you posted shows a typical over-utilisation pattern, meaning more traffic than VM's local network can handle.  The particular giveaway is the way that latency magically improves at half past midnight, and then builds again through working hours to a worst case usually in the 7pm-11pm slot when the network it typically busiest.

Nothing you can do to improve matters. In some areas VM undertake work to rejig the local networks to balance loads and eliminate over-utilisation. But sometimes/often that's either not possible, or judged uneconomic if there's a need to spend money on more equipment. And sadly VM won't ever admit the truth, so even where there is a fault reference and a "fix date", but there's no way of knowing if that fix date is actually backed by an actual plan of action and programme of works. Quite often it seems quoted fix dates are simple unabashed lies, and as the fix date approaches it is simply moved a month or two ahead. It is possible your area will be in line for improvement, but there's no way of finding out.  So, if the problem persists you have two simple options:

1) Sit it out, and hope that either VM do carry out improvement works. There's little or nothing you can do to force VM to upgrade the network, nor to be honest about the outlook.  This has been the case for years now, although the actual incidence of over-utilisation has diminished over time as VM have fixed the worst problems (no help to you, of course).

2) Get yourself a new ISP. If you're in a fixed term contract you'll probably have to use the VM complaints process (and almost certainly escalate for arbitration at CISAS ) to be released from contract without penalty. If you need to do this, the grounds of your complaint is the poor performance, and your request fro release from contract without penalty is twofold: First the Consumer Rights Act 2015 that requires any consumer service to be provided with "reasonable skill and care", and second, the Ofcom Fairness Commitments, that state "Customers’ services work as promised, reliably over time. If things go wrong providers give a prompt response to fix problems and take appropriate action to help their customers, which may include providing compensation where relevant. If providers can’t fix problems with core services they have promised to deliver within a reasonable period, customers can walk away from their contract with no penalty."

Good Afternoon @QmunkE, thanks for your post and I'm sorry to hear of the issues you've currently experiencing in your local area.

Can you please advise us if the issues you're currently experiencing are still ongoing, and if so, when did these issues begin?

Did you possibly discuss high utilisation with the engineer that has recently visited your property?

Kindest regards,

David_Bn

QmunkE
On our wavelength

Yes, still ongoing, and has been for several months.

Yes, discussed with the engineer and he said he'd flag this as a potential network issue.

Carley_S
Forum Team
Forum Team

Hi QmunkE

Sorry to hear this is still ongoing for you. I have checked the systems at our side and cannot see issues with your services personally. They engineer would have flagged this to Networks who will be monitoring the area. Hopefully this will be resolved soon for you. Please let us know if you are having any further issues or have any questions at all. We'll be here to help on the community forums if needed :). 

Here to help 🙂
Virgin Media Forums Agent
Carley