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Very high latency and packet bursts

ackblom
Tuning in

Hi

Recently my latency has been getting gradually worse and my connection is now completely unusable for gaming. My PC is wired directly into the router and Hub3 is running in a modem mode. 

I have a BQM running and things are not looking great.

Logs:

Spoiler

Downstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) SNR (dB) Modulation Channel ID
13307500006.140256 qam25
22507500006.340256 qam15
32587500006.540256 qam16
42667500006.440256 qam17
52747500006.440256 qam18
62827500006.340256 qam19
7290750000640256 qam20
8298750000640256 qam21
93067500005.940256 qam22
10314750000640256 qam23
11322750000640256 qam24
123387500006.140256 qam26
13346750000640256 qam27
14354750000640256 qam28
153627500005.940256 qam29
163707500005.840256 qam30
173787500005.840256 qam31
183867500005.540256 qam32
193947500005.540256 qam33
204027500005.440256 qam34
214107500005.340256 qam35
22418750000540256 qam36
23522750000440256 qam37
24530750000440256 qam38


Downstream bonded channels

Channel Locked Status RxMER (dB) Pre RS Errors Post RS Errors
1Locked40.350
2Locked40.950
3Locked40.350
4Locked40.340
5Locked40.970
6Locked40.340
7Locked40.960
8Locked40.350
9Locked40.360
10Locked40.340
11Locked40.360
12Locked40.960
13Locked40.360
14Locked40.950
15Locked40.950
16Locked40.360
17Locked40.380
18Locked40.360
19Locked40.320
20Locked40.950
21Locked40.350
22Locked40.300
23Locked40.950
24Locked40.300
Spoiler

Upstream bonded channels

Channel Frequency (Hz) Power (dBmV) Symbol Rate (ksps) Modulation Channel ID
15370006845.3512064 qam2
23939999145.3512064 qam4
34619996645.3512064 qam3
46030007045.3512064 qam1


Upstream bonded channels

Channel Channel Type T1 Timeouts T2 Timeouts T3 Timeouts T4 Timeouts
1ATDMA0010
2ATDMA0000
3ATDMA0000
4ATDMA0000
Spoiler

Network Log

Time Priority Description
16/12/2021 08:29:46noticeLAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
16/12/2021 08:29:29Warning!LAN login FAILED : Incorrect Username / Password / ConnectionType;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
16/12/2021 08:28:37noticeLAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
16/12/2021 08:28:15Warning!LAN login FAILED : Incorrect Username / Password / ConnectionType;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
14/12/2021 10:49:45criticalNo Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/12/2021 08:21:50noticeDHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt062-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/12/2021 08:21:50ErrorDHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
11/12/2021 10:42:37criticalNo Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
09/12/2021 20:21:50noticeDHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt062-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
09/12/2021 20:21:50ErrorDHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
09/12/2021 11:43:50noticeLAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
06/12/2021 16:20:10criticalNo Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
06/12/2021 08:21:50noticeDHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt062-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
06/12/2021 08:21:50ErrorDHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/12/2021 10:19:16criticalNo Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/12/2021 03:44:18noticeDHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt062-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
03/12/2021 03:44:18ErrorDHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
30/11/2021 09:13:33criticalNo Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
30/11/2021 07:29:18noticeDHCP Renew - lease parameters tftp file-cmreg-vmdg505-bbt062-b.cm modified;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
30/11/2021 07:29:18ErrorDHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

It's definitely not my setup because I had no issues prior to moving to Virgin about 6 months ago.

Could really do with some help please. If there's any more info required please let me know.

24 REPLIES 24

Adduxi
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

Your power levels etc are all fine.   However, your BQM is atypical of over utilisation in the area, and not much can be done about that.

All you can do is complain and see if you can get some sort of compensation for poor service.

I'm a Very Insightful Person, I'm here to share knowledge, I don't work for Virgin Media. Learn more

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Thank you for taking a look Adduxi. If the service is not fit for purpose, then compensation is not going to change things anyway. Unfortunately, my contract is not up for renewal for a good while. Would you happen to know if I can break out of it early because of the above?

Adduxi
Very Insightful Person
Very Insightful Person

I'm not too sure, but there is a process of complaint. 

@Andrew-G has the process and I'm sure he will post his reply around the deadlock letters etc.

I'm a Very Insightful Person, I'm here to share knowledge, I don't work for Virgin Media. Learn more

Have I helped? Click Mark as Helpful Answer or use Kudos to say thanks

Quietly hoping that @Andrew-G or someone from the Forum Team is going to chip in.

Andrew-G
Alessandro Volta

The BQM does look like a typical over-utilisation pattern - you see how it's very poor during normal waking hours, and then OK from about half past midnight to waking up time?  Shows that the network and your hub are working OK when there isn't too much traffic, although there's still some suggestion of noise to my eye.  Sometimes measured speeds may be good, what's causing the latency problem is that VM have more customers than their network can handle, and when the network is busy this creates brief queuing of data packets at the head of the local coax network, and the resultant delays in the 40-200ms range create the spikes you see on the BQM, and play havoc with gaming, live streaming, and Teams/Zoom/video call types of use which are critically sensitive to poor and erratic latency.  Very rarely it is a transient fault as VM make changes to the network, but that's far less common than "systemic" over-utilisation caused by poor control of sales, and occasionally it is a network fault that isn't over-utilisation but is evident during busy times.  

Nothing you can do to improve matters. In some areas VM do indeed undertake work to rejig the local networks to balance loads and eliminate over-utilisation, and the roll out of DOCSIS 3.1 is helping a modest amount (but not a panacea).  But sometimes upgrade works are 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 if there is a fault reference and a "fix date", there's no way of knowing if that fix date is backed by an actual plan of action and programme of works. Quite often it seems not, and as the fix date approaches it is simply moved a month or two ahead.  Over-utilisation is usually particularly Virginmediaesque tragedy - the problem is always self-inflicted, it could be having millions of pounds thrown at it and a permanent and glorious fix will happen tomorrow.  Or, even if there is a fix date, it may be in the "we won't bother with this one" bucket, where no effort at all will be made to resolve the issue.  Either way, you'll get no reliable and accurate information out of VM, and there's a good number of examples of similar situations in the forum.  As far as the forums are concerned, there's only one example where it seems a customer has managed to bludgeon VM into fixing an over-utilisation fault, and this took many months of unbelievable persistence.  Other customers have been almost as persistent but seen no improvement.

Raise a complaint using the online form in My Virgin Media, giving them thirty days to resolve the poor connection or to release you from contract without penalty, and state that if they can't agree to that, that you then require a deadlock letter for the purposes of escalation to CISAS.  The grounds of your complaint is the poor performance in regard to reasonable uses of a residential broadband connection, and your request for 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 VM signed up to in 2019 (but seem rather careless in complying with), 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. "  If you have to go to CISAS, copy the complaint to Ofcom, and add in a request to the CISAS complaint for compensation for the poor connection, the time you've had to endure this and refusal to release you from contract.

One thing for anybody else reading this and thinking "me too".  We've just flopped back into a near lockdown with extensive working from home.  For reasons too long and technical to explain here, this puts an inordinate strain on the upstream side of things for VM's network, and causes a lot of areas to temporarily suffer upstream congestion problems, which is a real pain if you're trying to WFH and the online meetings keep glitching.  This happened the same time last year, but as we came out of lockdown most of those problems went away.  If the latency problems have appeared suddenly in the past week or so, you might want to sit it out and hope things resolve in the new year, or at least consider what your best strategy is for dealing with a problem that may only be temporary rather than leaping to complaints and demands to leave VM.  If you're cheesed off with the consequences of Covid, take them up with a certain country's ambassador.

Sofia_B
Forum Team (Retired)
Forum Team (Retired)

Hi @ackblom.

 

Welcome to the Community and thanks for your first post, we're happy to have you with us 🙂 

 

I'm sorry to hear you've been experiencing service issues, I appreciate this is frustrating and we apologise for any inconvenience caused. 

 

I've managed to locate your account from your profile information and everything seems to be performing as it should on our end. 

 

How have things been since posting? 

 

Thanks, 

Sofia
Forum Team



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Hi Sophia,

It's gotten a lot worse and I've now completely given up on online gaming:

ackblom_0-1640855693667.png

As you can see above, BQM proves over-utilisation in my area. My connection is a mess from 2pm, seems to get a bit better in the middle of the night and then becomes unusable from 2pm again.

Hayley_S
Forum Team (Retired)
Forum Team (Retired)

Hello @ackblom,

Thank you for sharing this BMQ chart.

What happens when you game using your wired connection? Can you try a pinhole reset for me?

Many thanks,

Hayley
Forum Team



New around here? To find out more about the Community check out our Getting Started guide


Hi Hayley,

This is what I said in my first post:

"My PC is wired directly into the router and Hub3 is running in a modem mode. [...] It's definitely not my setup because I had no issues prior to moving to Virgin about 6 months ago."

Hard resetting Virgin hub was the first thing I did prior to posting here. No amount of resetting it is going to fix what magically fixes itself around 1-2am and gets worse again around 2pm.

Also, I'd like to thank @Andrew-G for his very insightful post. I was hoping that, at the very least, Virgin would offer to swap my hub for a newer Broadcom based version 5 which is not plagued by Intel Puma chipset issues or that DOCSIS 3.1 would alleviate some the issues I've been having but that doesn't seem to be the case.

 

Edit:

Please note the issue is still not solved despite me marking @Andrew-G's reply as Helpful Answer.