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Veze1000's avatar
Veze1000
New Contributor
4 years ago

Packet loss and jitter so bad I can't even work from home

This issue seems to be getting worse and worse with time.  It started a few months ago, occasional missed ping/packet, small ping spikes every once in a while, but over time the issue is getting worse.  As I am typing now I am seeing 26% packet loss, and the pings that do come back are for the most part well over 100ms, sometimes even greater than 200.  A few times a day the connection is going down completely for anywhere from 10 min to a half hour at a time.  I'm trying to work from home, but I have to keep refreshing web pages for them to actually load half the time, I can't use my virtual softphone through my desktop to make calls, and I have a very important Zoom call this afternoon which I am confident I won't be able to participate in now.  

For some background, here is my setup and how I have tested.  I am using a desktop PC with a direct wired connection to my router.  Using an SB8200 modem which I just bought 2 weeks ago hoping the modem was the issue (it wasn't).  I have verified the router is not the issue, as I have tested by plugging my PC directly into the modem and rebooting the modem.  Even after the modem boots up and my PC connects to the internet, I still see the abhorrent ping times and packet loss.  I did have a Cox technician come a week ago who was very courteous.  He replaced the coax connections from the modem to the demarcation point as a precaution, despite his tests showing that part of the connection was fine.  However when he ran a test from the box in the street out to a server on the internet, his tool indicated high jitter and packet loss.  He said he would pass the issue up to a higher level engineering team, but I haven't heard back from Cox at all if the issue is being looked at, identified, or addressed.  I know others around me have been having similar issues.  How can I find out if something is going to be fixed if it is at this higher level?  Making it so I can't do my job is a fairly significant impact, and if Cox isn't going to fix this issue, can I at least be allowed to cancel my internet plan without paying a fee?  I need to switch to an ISP with a stable connection. I can't withstand going through the online live chat or phone call support anymore.  They are nice and well-intentioned, but I know they can't help with what is clearly an issue at a higher level.

The link below shows what I am currently seeing with my ping loss, jitter, and the traceroutes I have performed indicating the issue seems to be happening at the neighborhood level.  

https://imgur.com/a/hfwiEC9

  • monkeypants's avatar
    monkeypants
    New Contributor II

    langbprj01-ae1.rd.la.cox.net  is also a node in my traces that shows issues

    can someone find out more about langbprj01-ae1.rd.la.cox.net ? where and what it is?

    this seems to be a common issue among at least three people on this forum

    • bearone2's avatar
      bearone2
      Contributor III

      how many more times will you post this in various threads??

      • Kalebkk890's avatar
        Kalebkk890
        New Contributor III

        I will keep posting until Cox stops stealing money from their customers and fixes their outdated and over subscribed equipment. 

  • Hi Veze1000,

    This issue can't be resolved by the Forums members. Please reach us at cox.help@cox.com

    Please include your full address, your first/last name, and the first/last name of the primary account holder. Also, please send a link to your Forums message for continuity.

    We may need to schedule to have another tech come out, so please include your best contact number as well and let us know if you prefer morning or afternoon appointments.

    Thank you,

    Mike J.
    Cox Support Forums Moderator
  • bearone2's avatar
    bearone2
    Contributor III

    working from home, sounds more like a gamer issue unless you're zooming/gmail meet or something similar!!

    • Veze1000's avatar
      Veze1000
      New Contributor

      That is what I wrote in my message above, that I participate in Zoom meetings.  But also the spontaneous outages can disrupt work, and I connect to a remote desktop at my physical office and the high pings/jitter/lost packets make it hard to use anything remote.

      • CoxChallenged's avatar
        CoxChallenged
        New Contributor

        Yep, as the rest of the world is more aware of now,  with all the zoom calls and work at home,  jitter and latency can be a real problem.  Not just the gamers anymore.

        OK.. there is something that may help.  Two ways to go,  depending on your DIY and hackabiliy factor is. 

        Very briefly, there is a thing called Bufferbloat, where heavier usage causes serious lag.  There are software features in some routers that can deal with that and smooth out the lag.

        It also can smooth out cable lag bursts and such,  to some extent.  You either get a new firmware for your (hopefully compatible) router,  and a bit of setup and you're on your way.

        https://openwrt.org/

        OK, pretty technical, and most people might be backing away slowly.. but there's another way to go.  The IQ Router guys are starting with the innovations available in the OpenWRT firmware, and adding their self adjusting tech to the mix,  so you just buy their router, and it automatically has and sets up the secret sauce.

        https://evenroute.com

        I really don't have any connection with IQ Router, am just someone who's been using OpenWRT for a long time at home,  and it does help with cable issues here.  Would be nice if we DIDN'T HAVE lots of cable lag,  and it can't fix it all,  but it is a help.

        I also should say I haven't used an IQ Router,  but had some relatives get one, and they keep calling me their Internet Hero for over a year now, when we get together...