High, frequent latency spikes and connection dropouts

[Selbar]

Recently (last two to three weeks) started experiencing mega high latency spikes frequently on our network.

Have been with Virgin for two years now. No significant problems til now.

Couple of times in the last few weeks connection has gone completely for several hours, to the extent VM actually recognised it on the status checker.

Rest of the time we're experiencing big ping spikes, corresponding with loss of services for MS Teams, Zoom, streaming. Really disruptive in the middle of the day while trying to work from home on meetings.

Kit is all fine, using VM superhub in modem mode connected to Google WiFi. Have troubleshooted my equipment, no issues there. 

No faith in telephone support given past experience so options on the table are change ISP or get VM to look into this. Posting here in the hope that the latter gets actioned...?

Happy to share account details over DM with VM if you get in touch.

[jbrennand]

Have you checked first for any “known network faults”

As well as trying the “check service,”Area status webpage" (link at top right of this forum), also try the “free & automated” Service Status number - 0800 561 0061 - which usually gives the most up to date info. and tells you of more local issues down to postcode level.

[Selbar]

Yep, when it goes down for a few hours generally we’ll have a confirmed issue according to the service status. But the ping spikes leading to intermittent, brief connection faults occur when VM say there are no issues in our area.

[Selbar]

[jbrennand]

We prefer the ThinkBroadband BQM for viewing connectivity. Can you do that as per this...
____________________________________

Set up a free, secure and “offlsite” - “Broadband Quality Monitor” to continually monitor the state of your connection and record any true network dropouts , latency issues, packet drops, etc - it will thus allow you to differentiate between those and simple wifi dropouts. It does it 24/7/365 and it keeps a visual record of any/all of your network disconnections, useful data to have to match to the Network logs (in your Hub settings) and also in discussions with VM - note it will take a few hours to start seeing a sensible picture - post up the “link” to the “share live graph”. Click the lower link (Share Live Graph) then click generate. Copy the text in the Direct Link box, beware, there may be more text than you can see. On here click the Link icon (2 links chain to the left of the camera icon) In the URL box paste the link you copied and then click OK

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality

[Selbar]

Am I likely to generate much more useful information in lobbying to get VM to take a look upstream? I’m on a google WiFi mesh setup, virgin super hub in modem only mode so thinkbroadband’s BQM just gives me 100% packet loss. Reluctant to disengage my mesh and revert to superhub as I’ll lose connectivity in rest of the house.

[jbrennand]

When in modem mode your ip address changes - check that the ip address in the the BQM settings is the same one you get when you just do a Google ip check. Or.... the Google router may not be responding to ICMP echo requests (pings) check in its settings that that feature is enabled.

You can also post up the Hub data and someone will have a look

[Selbar]

Cheers, yeah Google Wifi blocks ICMP.

Item Status Comments

Acquired Downstream Channel (Hz)	234750000	Locked
Ranged Upstream Channel (Hz)	46200044	Locked
Provisioning State	Online

General Configuration

Network access	Allowed
Maximum Number of CPEs	1
Baseline Privacy	Enabled
DOCSIS Mode	Docsis30
Config file	cmreg-vmdg505-bbt057+voc-b.cm

Primary Downstream Service Flow

SFID	824996
Max Traffic Rate	117000047
Max Traffic Burst	42600
Min Traffic Rate	0

Primary Upstream Service Flow

SFID	824995
Max Traffic Rate	10500047
Max Traffic Burst	16320
Min Traffic Rate	0
Max Concatenated Burst	16320
Scheduling Type	BestEffort

Network Log

Time Priority Description

13/02/2022 08:23:21	notice	LAN login Success;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:19:42	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:19:42	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:18:58	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:18:54	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:16:14	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:16:14	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:16:10	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:16:9	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:15:39	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:15:39	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:13:34	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:13:34	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:13:0	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:13:0	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:02:2	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
13/02/2022 00:02:2	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
12/02/2022 20:12:44	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
12/02/2022 20:12:43	critical	SYNC Timing Synchronization failure - Loss of Sync;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;
12/02/2022 20:04:58	Warning!	RCS Partial Service;CM-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CMTS-MAC=**:**:**:**:**:**;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0;

[Ashleigh_C]

Hi there @Selbar

Thank you so much for your post and welcome back to our community forums! 

I'm so sorry to hear that you are facing this issues with your connections! 

I have checked the Hub and everything does appear to be in spec and working as we would expect.

Would you be able to set up a BQM on this site for us? Leave it running for 48 hours and update us with the live link after? 

Thank you. 

[Selbar]

Thanks @ashleigh_C

Not quite 48 hours, but might be by the time you see this and to be honest I'm sure you can see enough from the graph already to recognise there's a problem!

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/broadband/monitoring/quality/share/a175f667522ad10dfafe5f00864e2b28b2...

Let me know if you need anything else, and what your thoughts are.

Cheers,

Alan.