Lag spikes while gaming (2.0)

[Budweizer100]

Dear all,

Happy New Year.  I have been having lag spike issues with my broadband for the last 2 years. 

I've attempted to resolve these by various means, however it remains.  I have:

- discussed with VM over the phone
- had a VM engineer around to check
- spoke to the specialist contract firm used by VM to resolve issues
- upgraded my broadband from 120Mb to 240Mb and now back to 120Mb.  
- purchase a new router, converting my VM hub 3.0 to a modem

None of these have resolved the issue.  I have ran a ping test, noting that it remains at ~20 ms for the most part, but jumps to 900+ ms occasionally, maybe once every couple of minutes. 

I noted a VMC thread in which a similar issue was discussed: (https://community.virginmedia.com/t5/Networking-and-WiFi/lag-spikes-when-gaming/m-p/5027531#M478154). 

I see that there was an issue outside of the user's control which VM needed to address, however the conversation was taken outside of the community post, so I don’t know how it concluded nor how long it took. 

I have spoken briefly with a VMC support member who stated that I need to post my hub's status data (after running 12-72 hours without a restart), and set up and post a link to a shared Think Broadband quality monitor. 

My initial questions are:

- How do I locate the Status Data?
- How do I create a shared Think Broadband quality monitor?

Sincerely,
Budweizer100

[Andrew-G]

Setup a BQM over at https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality that'll show what's going on with your VM connection.  It's free, it works well, and it's all pretty simple.  You'll then need to post a LINK to a LIVE, SHARED graph here and we'll then be able to see what's happening (no screenshots please, and the link to your logged in view at Thinkbroadband will only work for you, not us).  Usually needs to run for 24 hours before we can draw reasonable conclusions, but the live graph will continuously update so you can post the link immediately.

To post hub status data, pull up the log in page for the hub.  But don't log in, just click on the link "Check router status"  That'll bring up a window with five tabs.  Open the Downstream tab.  Select all the text (Ctrl-A if using a keyboard), copy it (Ctrl-C), then paste it (Ctrl-V) into a reply here as TEXT not screenshots.  Post that, do the same for the Upstream and Network log.  You'll get an error message when you post the Network log, just click on "post" a second time.  Then we can check for any obvious problems with power, noise or error counts.  The hub should have run without restart for between 12 and 72 hours before posting hub stats in order for any (possible) error counts to build up.

[Martin_N]

Hi Budweizer100,

Thank you for your post and welcome to the community. 

I'm very sorry to hear about the issue with your broadband service. 

Have you been able to try the suggestions from Andrew-G?

^Martin

[Budweizer100]

Hi Martin.  Thanks for contacting me.  Not as yet.  I expect I'll get a chance to this evening.  I need to change my Virgin Hub back to roouter mode as Andrew-G's request to click on Downstream doesn't seem to be available while the Hub is in Modem mode - when I go to http://192.168.0.1/, it logs me into the tp-link router instead.

[Budweizer100]

Direct Link

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/617d446966a2005a13d27fdde44025d15d...

Text Link

<a title="Broadband Ping" href="https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/617d446966a2005a13d27fdde44025d15d...">My Broadband Ping</a>

Large Graph

<a title="Broadband Ping" href="https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/617d446966a2005a13d27fdde44025d15d..."><img alt="My Broadband Ping - Budweizer100 VM Graph JAN23" src="https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/617d446966a2005a13d27fdde44025d15d..." /></a>

 Text Link

[url=https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/617d446966a2005a13d27fdde44025d15d... Broadband Ping[/url]

[Budweizer100]

Downstream bonded channels

Channel	Frequency (Hz)	Power (dBmV)	SNR (dB)	Modulation	Channel ID
1	202750000	4.5	40	256 qam	9
2	138750000	6.4	40	256 qam	1
3	146750000	6.1	40	256 qam	2
4	154750000	5.8	40	256 qam	3
5	162750000	5.5	40	256 qam	4
6	170750000	5.1	40	256 qam	5
7	178750000	4.8	40	256 qam	6
8	186750000	4.5	40	256 qam	7
9	194750000	4.5	40	256 qam	8
10	210750000	4.5	40	256 qam	10
11	218750000	4.6	40	256 qam	11
12	226750000	4.6	40	256 qam	12
13	234750000	4.6	40	256 qam	13
14	242750000	4.6	40	256 qam	14
15	250750000	4.8	40	256 qam	15
16	258750000	4.8	40	256 qam	16
17	266750000	4.9	40	256 qam	17
18	274750000	4.6	40	256 qam	18
19	282750000	4.8	40	256 qam	19
20	290750000	4.6	40	256 qam	20
21	298750000	4.8	40	256 qam	21
22	306750000	4.9	40	256 qam	22
23	314750000	4.9	40	256 qam	23
24	322750000	5	40	256 qam	24

Downstream bonded channels

Channel	Locked Status	RxMER (dB)	Pre RS Errors	Post RS Errors
1	Locked	40.3	20	0
2	Locked	40.3	21	0
3	Locked	40.3	36	0
4	Locked	40.3	34	0
5	Locked	40.3	21	0
6	Locked	40.9	18	0
7	Locked	40.9	45	0
8	Locked	40.3	34	0
9	Locked	40.9	23	0
10	Locked	40.3	22	0
11	Locked	40.3	41	0
12	Locked	40.3	19	0
13	Locked	40.9	21	0
14	Locked	40.3	43	0
15	Locked	40.3	23	0
16	Locked	40.9	19	0
17	Locked	40.3	23	0
18	Locked	40.9	29	0
19	Locked	40.9	19	0
20	Locked	40.9	21	0
21	Locked	40.3	33	0
22	Locked	40.9	42	0
23	Locked	40.3	33	0
24	Locked	40.3	41	0

[Budweizer100]

Upstream bonded channels

Channel	Frequency (Hz)	Power (dBmV)	Symbol Rate (ksps)	Modulation	Channel ID
1	49600010	47.8	5120	64 qam	1
2	30100172	46.5	5120	64 qam	4
3	23600000	45.5	5120	16 qam	5
4	43100011	47.5	5120	64 qam	2
5	36599888	47	5120	64 qam	3

Upstream bonded channels

Channel	Channel Type	T1 Timeouts	T2 Timeouts	T3 Timeouts	T4 Timeouts
1	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
2	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
3	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
4	ATDMA	0	0	0	0
5	ATDMA	0	0	1	0

[Budweizer100]

Network Log

Time	Priority	Description
01/01/1970 00:01:43	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
20/12/2022 15:34:7	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
19/12/2022 15:51:7	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
17/12/2022 23:42:5	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
17/12/2022 23:42:3	Error	DHCP RENEW sent - No response for IPv4;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
14/12/2022 01:41:11	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
14/12/2022 01:41:9	Error	DHCP RENEW sent - No response for IPv4;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
09/12/2022 11:22:40	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
09/12/2022 07:05:55	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
01/01/1970 00:01:44	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/12/2022 20:39:15	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/12/2022 20:38:51	Warning!	Lost MDD Timeout;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/12/2022 20:38:47	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/12/2022 20:38:46	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/12/2022 20:38:46	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/12/2022 20:38:22	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/12/2022 19:20:45	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
05/12/2022 16:46:21	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
04/12/2022 16:48:41	critical	No Ranging Response received - T3 time-out;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
02/12/2022 09:29:12	Error	DHCP RENEW WARNING - Field invalid in response v4 option;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

[Budweizer100]

Direct Link

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/617d446966a2005a13d27fdde44025d15d...

Text Link

<a title="Broadband Ping" href="https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/617d446966a2005a13d27fdde44025d15d...">My Broadband Ping</a>

Large Graph

<a title="Broadband Ping" href="https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/617d446966a2005a13d27fdde44025d15d..."><img alt="My Broadband Ping - Budweizer100 VM Graph JAN23" src="https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/617d446966a2005a13d27fdde44025d15d..." /></a>

 Text Link

[url=https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/617d446966a2005a13d27fdde44025d15d... Broadband Ping[/url]

[Robert_P]

From the details provided, barring an upstream channel showing 16 as opposed to 64 there doesn't appear to be anything out of what we would expect to see.

Do the lag spikes happen on specific games or all games? 
Are you in a party containing people from outside of the region when this happens?

Rob