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simplegreen

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Santa Barbara, CA - Significant packet loss in route to Netflix

Over the last couple months, Netflix streaming has been a mediocre experience, at best, despite an otherwise consistently stellar internet connection (averaging 300–340 mbps downstream & 30 mbps upstream, with extremely low ping times, as evidenced by the various ubiquitous speed test services out there).

Generally speaking, beginning a Netflix video stream (from a variety of different devices) will begin at a picture quality ranging between 240 to 480p, then gradually improves —here, "gradually" is a very generous term—back to an acceptable range (of up to 4K).

Tracing a route to fast.com (Netflix's own measure of one's approximate connection to their servers) appears to support my perceived experience. While I will continue to perform additional tests over the coming days, based on multiple diagnostic tests run tonight, packet loss is both consistent and sizeable.

*Edit 8/26/18: Diagnostic test results for fast.com removed from this post, for the sake of brevity, as I no longer consider them relevant to this issue.*

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simplegreen

New Contributor II

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8 Messages

Tonight, I ran a few more packet loss tests using a destination of fast.com, and they were very consistent with the previous night's.

However, I decided to attempt a different, perhaps more valid approach, and installed Wireshark to assist with identifying the specific Netflix destination IP involved with my particular streaming session—in this case, the destination IP was 23.246.25.150. So I then tested that IP for packet loss. Here are some of those results, which, if I interpret them correctly, seem to suggest or confirm that the issue is internal to Netflix. 

Test #1

1 0ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% router.asus.com [192.168.1.1]
0/ 100 = 0% |
2 10ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 10.6.16.1
0/ 100 = 0% |
3 10ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.4.15.10
0/ 100 = 0% |
4 28ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% ip68-4-11-98.oc.oc.cox.net [68.4.11.98]
0/ 100 = 0% |
5 24ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.1.1.63
1/ 100 = 1% |
6 31ms 1/ 100 = 1% 0/ 100 = 0% 23.246.25.10
5/ 100 = 5% |
7 31ms 6/ 100 = 6% 0/ 100 = 0% ipv4_1.cxl0.c071.lax008.ix.nflxvideo.net [23.246.25.150]

Test #2

1 1ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% router.asus.com [192.168.1.1]
0/ 100 = 0% |
2 9ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 10.6.16.1
0/ 100 = 0% |
3 10ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.4.15.10
0/ 100 = 0% |
4 28ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% ip68-4-11-98.oc.oc.cox.net [68.4.11.98]
0/ 100 = 0% |
5 24ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.1.1.63
3/ 100 = 3% |
6 29ms 3/ 100 = 3% 0/ 100 = 0% 23.246.25.10
0/ 100 = 0% |
7 29ms 3/ 100 = 3% 0/ 100 = 0% ipv4_1.cxl0.c071.lax008.ix.nflxvideo.net [23.246.25.150]

Test #3

1 1ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% router.asus.com [192.168.1.1]
0/ 100 = 0% |
2 9ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 10.6.16.1
0/ 100 = 0% |
3 10ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.4.15.10
0/ 100 = 0% |
4 28ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% ip68-4-11-98.oc.oc.cox.net [68.4.11.98]
0/ 100 = 0% |
5 25ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.1.1.63
2/ 100 = 2% |
6 28ms 2/ 100 = 2% 0/ 100 = 0% 23.246.25.10
2/ 100 = 2% |
7 28ms 4/ 100 = 4% 0/ 100 = 0% ipv4_1.cxl0.c071.lax008.ix.nflxvideo.net [23.246.25.150]

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simplegreen

New Contributor II

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8 Messages

A couple more tests, both from tonight, and performed back to back. Depending on which server I was connected to, the results were drastically different from one another. The same IP that previously exhibited packet loss (23.246.25.150) reappeared tonight, this time with absolutely horrendous performance. 

Test #1

1 0ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% router.asus.com [192.168.1.1]
0/ 100 = 0% |
2 10ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 10.6.16.1
0/ 100 = 0% |
3 11ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.4.15.10
0/ 100 = 0% |
4 15ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% ip68-4-11-98.oc.oc.cox.net [68.4.11.98]
0/ 100 = 0% |
5 28ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.1.1.63
15/ 100 = 15% |
6 32ms 20/ 100 = 20% 5/ 100 = 5% 23.246.25.10
0/ 100 = 0% |
7 32ms 15/ 100 = 15% 0/ 100 = 0% ipv4_1.cxl0.c071.lax008.ix.nflxvideo.net [23.246.25.150]

Test #2

1 0ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% router.asus.com [192.168.1.1]
0/ 100 = 0% |
2 12ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 10.6.16.1
0/ 100 = 0% |
3 12ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.4.15.6
0/ 100 = 0% |
4 16ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% ip68-4-11-96.oc.oc.cox.net [68.4.11.96]
0/ 100 = 0% |
5 19ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.1.1.171
0/ 100 = 0% |
6 19ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% xe-5-0-0.edge2.LosAngeles9.Level3.net [4.53.230.81]
0/ 100 = 0% |
7 19ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% ae-2-3614.ear4.LosAngeles1.Level3.net [4.69.211.214]
0/ 100 = 0% |
8 --- 100/ 100 =100% 100/ 100 =100% Netflix-level3-100G.LosAngeles1.Level3.net [4.68.73.26]
0/ 100 = 0% |
9 21ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% ipv4_1.lagg0.c010.lax004.ix.nflxvideo.net [198.38.96.139]

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BrianM

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887 Messages

We believe the issue impacting Netflix should now be resolved. Please let us know if you continue to have issues.

Brian
Cox Support Forum Moderator

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simplegreen

New Contributor II

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8 Messages

Hello Brian,

Thank you for the update. Unfortunately, as of tonight, I cannot say my issue is resolved. I spent some time starting/stopping several separate streaming sessions, then traced each corresponding Netflix IP addresses—all within the span of just a few minutes. Qualitatively, my observations were proportionate with the data seen below. I either experienced a flawless experience (immediate streaming at approximately max bitrate), or suffered an experience identical to what I described in my original post.

Test #1
1 0ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% router.asus.com [192.168.1.1]
0/ 100 = 0% |
2 10ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 10.6.16.1
0/ 100 = 0% |
3 11ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.4.15.10
0/ 100 = 0% |
4 14ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% ip68-4-11-98.oc.oc.cox.net [68.4.11.98]
0/ 100 = 0% |
5 18ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.1.1.61
0/ 100 = 0% |
6 16ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 23.246.24.10
0/ 100 = 0% |
7 16ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% ipv4_1.cxl0.c046.lax008.ix.nflxvideo.net [23.246.24.175]

Test #2
1 0ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% router.asus.com [192.168.1.1]
0/ 100 = 0% |
2 9ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 10.6.16.1
0/ 100 = 0% |
3 10ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.4.15.6
0/ 100 = 0% |
4 15ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% ip68-4-11-96.oc.oc.cox.net [68.4.11.96]
0/ 100 = 0% |
5 17ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.1.1.167
1/ 100 = 1% |
6 16ms 1/ 100 = 1% 0/ 100 = 0% 23.246.25.10
7/ 100 = 7% |
7 31ms 8/ 100 = 8% 0/ 100 = 0% ipv4_1.cxl0.c077.lax008.ix.nflxvideo.net [23.246.25.156]

For reference, a contemporaneous speed test, with the following results, was also performed.

PING: 15ms
DOWNLOAD: 214.86 Mbps
UPLOAD: 31.73 Mbps

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BrianM

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887 Messages

Thank you for the trace route, I am forwarding this to our network operations team to further review.

Brian
Cox Support Forum Moderator

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simplegreen

New Contributor II

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I appreciate the ongoing investigation. In the meantime, I have another possibly useful trace route, along with a speed test via fast.com, both performed within minutes of each other:

1 0ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% router.asus.com [192.168.1.1]
0/ 100 = 0% |
2 10ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 10.6.16.1
0/ 100 = 0% |
3 11ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.4.15.10
0/ 100 = 0% |
4 15ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% ip68-4-11-98.oc.oc.cox.net [68.4.11.98]
0/ 100 = 0% |
5 20ms 0/ 100 = 0% 0/ 100 = 0% 68.1.1.63
1/ 100 = 1% |
6 16ms 1/ 100 = 1% 0/ 100 = 0% 23.246.25.10
20/ 100 = 20% |
7 31ms 21/ 100 = 21% 0/ 100 = 0% ipv4_1.cxl0.c095.lax008.ix.nflxvideo.net [23.246.25.174]

Downstream: 400 Mbps
Latency—
Unloaded: 17 ms
Loaded: 33 ms
Upstream: 29 Mbps
Client: Carpinteria, US Cox
Server(s) Los Angeles, US

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chmod777

New Contributor III

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17 Messages

Brian, I am still having consistent issues during primetime as well. A test to fast.com just resulted in only 200 Kbps download while a speedtest within the Cox network is at the correct speed (120+ Mbps). It certainly seems like a peering issue. I am having issues with other sites besides just Netflix, even browsing popular sites like eBay/Craigslist are slow to load. I am in Aliso Viejo (92656).

Here is a traceroute to Netflix:

Tracing route to ipv4_1.cxl0.c095.lax008.ix.nflxvideo.net [23.246.25.174]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.1.1
  2     9 ms     9 ms     7 ms  10.82.8.1
  3    71 ms     9 ms     9 ms  100.120.104.160
  4     8 ms     7 ms     8 ms  100.120.104.12
  5    10 ms     9 ms    19 ms  68.1.1.167
  6   126 ms    78 ms    22 ms  23.246.25.10
  7     *       25 ms    26 ms  ipv4_1.cxl0.c095.lax008.ix.nflxvideo.net [23.246.25.174]

Trace complete.

And a traceroute to Craigslist, another site that loads very slowly during primetime, despite not being particularly bandwidth intensive, just waiting for images to load takes a while:

Tracing route to cities.g.craigslist.org [208.82.237.2]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.1.1
  2    9 ms     7 ms    9 ms  10.82.8.1
  3    13 ms    17 ms     8 ms  100.120.104.162
  4    11 ms    10 ms     8 ms  100.120.104.14
  5    13 ms    11 ms    11 ms  68.1.1.61
  6    12 ms    11 ms   121 ms  ae20.mpr1.lax12.us.zip.zayo.com [64.125.13.97]
  7    76 ms    76 ms    75 ms  ae14.cs2.lax112.us.eth.zayo.com [64.125.27.38]
  8   178 ms    78 ms   130 ms  ae3.cs2.dfw2.us.eth.zayo.com [64.125.29.20]
  9    75 ms    75 ms    75 ms  ae5.cs2.iah1.us.eth.zayo.com [64.125.28.102]
 10    74 ms   101 ms    83 ms  ae3.cs2.dca2.us.eth.zayo.com [64.125.29.44]
 11   165 ms   130 ms    74 ms  ae27.cr2.dca2.us.zip.zayo.com [64.125.30.249]
 12    76 ms    77 ms    77 ms  ae15.er5.iad10.us.zip.zayo.com [64.125.31.42]
 13    86 ms    75 ms   124 ms  208.184.77.102.IPYX-082122-ZYO.zip.zayo.com [208.184.77.102]
 14   110 ms   112 ms    81 ms  cities.craigslist.org [208.82.237.2]

I would appreciate any followup from the network ops team as well if possible.

Thank you in advance for your help and please let me know if there's any other info I can provide that may be of assistance in investigating the issue.

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DavidA2

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212 Messages

Thank you for providing the additional trace route. I will get this sent over to our network operations team.

David
Cox Support Forum Moderator

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simplegreen

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8 Messages

I've discovered a fairly substantial pattern to the ongoing packet loss currently exhibited.

First, some statements of fact, all based on rigorous and methodical testing:

  • While the particular Netflix video server will vary from session to session, with 100% consistency, the destination Netflix IP is always Los Angeles-based (as indicated by the following naming convention: laxZZZ.ix.nflxvideo.net—"ZZZ" being a numeric-based variable).
  • Most, but not all, of the time, I specifically receive lax008.ix.nflxvideo.net.
  • Within lax008.ix.nflxvideo.net, there are 100 separate possibilities, each with their own IP (C001 through C100). Consider these two examples: c001.lax008.ix.nflxvideo.net [23.246.24.130]; c051.lax008.ix.nflxvideo.net [23.246.25.130]
  • C001 through C050 all map to an IP in the range of 23.246.24.XXX, first passing through a penultimate hop of 23.246.24.10. (Feel free to test this.)
  • C051 through C100 all map to an IP in the range of 23.246.25.XXX, first passing through a penultimate hop of 23.246.25.10. (Again, try it.)

With that long string of findings out of the way, here were my main observations:

  1. All 23.246.25.XXX IPs consistently lead to packet loss, and always during the final hops.
  2. All 23.246.24.XXX IPs consistently lead to 0% packet loss.

I am hopeful that my findings will prove to be consistent by others who currently are encountering this issue.

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Becky

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Hi Simplegreen, did this pattern emerge during testing over the past few days? I just want to ensure that we're using data collected over the past few days; not data from the end of August. Thanks! -Becky, Cox Support Forums Moderator

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simplegreen

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Good question. It was based on current and ongoing data, as recent as last night.

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Becky

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Excellent. I've forwarded your observations to our network operations team. Thanks! -Becky, Cox Support Forums Moderator

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simplegreen

New Contributor II

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Just checking in on this—can you provide an update on the investigation?

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