Intermittent packet loss

[dsorrentino]

The past couple days I have been getting intermittent packet loss and general internet connectivity drop outs.  I was recently upgraded to "Quantum Internet" but I don't know if it's related to this issue.

I ran a continuous ping to google.com and there were a number of points where there was packet loss. Some excerpts:

64 bytes from 173.194.123.41: icmp_seq=353 ttl=58 time=21.419 ms
Request timeout for icmp_seq 354
64 bytes from 173.194.123.41: icmp_seq=355 ttl=58 time=19.754 ms

64 bytes from 173.194.123.41: icmp_seq=360 ttl=58 time=58.501 ms
Request timeout for icmp_seq 361
64 bytes from 173.194.123.41: icmp_seq=362 ttl=58 time=19.841 ms

64 bytes from 173.194.123.41: icmp_seq=1292 ttl=58 time=18.519 ms
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1293
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1294
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1295
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1296
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1297
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1298
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1299
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1300
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1301
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1302
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1303
Request timeout for icmp_seq 1304
64 bytes from 173.194.123.41: icmp_seq=1305 ttl=58 time=24.230 ms

--- google.com ping statistics ---
1365 packets transmitted, 1345 packets received, 1.5% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 17.305/30.491/522.911/30.821 ms

I ran a traceroute during this period and here's some corresponding entries on the traceroute:

traceroute to google.com (216.58.219.206), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
1 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1) 1.421 ms 4.103 ms 1.999 ms
2 lo0-100.washdc-vfttp-326.verizon-gni.net (108.31.159.1) 9.296 ms 11.055 ms 12.442 ms
3 t1-1-0-11.washdc-lcr-21.verizon-gni.net (130.81.171.36) 20.513 ms 16.555 ms 42.412 ms
4 so-7-1-0-0.res-bb-rtr1.verizon-gni.net (130.81.199.30) 18.175 ms
ae7-0.res-bb-rtr1.verizon-gni.net (130.81.174.208) 14.642 ms *
5 * 0.ae4.xl4.nyc1.alter.net (140.222.226.37) 22.359 ms *
6 * * *
7 0.ae1.xl4.nyc1.alter.net (140.222.226.33) 24.498 ms
google-gw.customer.alter.net (204.148.18.34) 19.393 ms
0.ae3.xl3.nyc1.alter.net (140.222.226.31) 19.844 ms
8 216.239.50.141 (216.239.50.141) 17.179 ms
0.xe-9-3-0.gw13.nyc1.alter.net (152.63.5.5) 22.734 ms
0.xe-11-1-0.gw13.nyc1.alter.net (152.63.29.230) 26.659 ms
9 google-gw.customer.alter.net (204.148.18.34) 19.877 ms 19.983 ms 21.495 ms
10 216.239.50.141 (216.239.50.141) 57.238 ms 82.229 ms 35.090 ms
11 lga25s40-in-f14.1e100.net (216.58.219.206) 17.278 ms
209.85.253.111 (209.85.253.111) 20.672 ms 23.448 ms

traceroute to google.com (216.58.219.206), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
1 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1) 1.801 ms 1.520 ms 1.431 ms
2 lo0-100.washdc-vfttp-326.verizon-gni.net (108.31.159.1) 11.112 ms 12.092 ms 17.274 ms
3 t1-1-0-11.washdc-lcr-22.verizon-gni.net (130.81.171.38) 14.502 ms 16.650 ms 13.164 ms
4 ae24-0.res-bb-rtr2.verizon-gni.net (130.81.174.228) 38.291 ms * *
5 * * *
6 0.xe-11-1-0.gw13.nyc1.alter.net (152.63.29.230) 60.288 ms *
0.xe-10-0-0.gw13.nyc1.alter.net (152.63.18.110) 20.650 ms
7 google-gw.customer.alter.net (204.148.18.34) 55.788 ms
0.ae3.xl3.nyc1.alter.net (140.222.226.31) 25.387 ms
google-gw.customer.alter.net (204.148.18.34) 16.924 ms
8 0.xe-8-0-0.gw13.nyc1.alter.net (152.63.19.49) 30.584 ms
0.xe-11-3-3.gw13.nyc1.alter.net (152.63.19.122) 18.949 ms
216.239.50.141 (216.239.50.141) 20.170 ms
9 google-gw.customer.alter.net (204.148.18.34) 19.238 ms 21.759 ms 19.166 ms
10 216.239.50.141 (216.239.50.141) 20.698 ms
lga25s40-in-f14.1e100.net (216.58.219.206) 51.281 ms
216.239.50.141 (216.239.50.141) 68.083 ms

traceroute to google.com (216.58.219.206), 64 hops max, 52 byte packets
1 192.168.1.1 (192.168.1.1) 3.473 ms 28.008 ms 1.421 ms
2 lo0-100.washdc-vfttp-326.verizon-gni.net (108.31.159.1) 10.804 ms 10.677 ms 10.038 ms
3 t1-1-0-11.washdc-lcr-22.verizon-gni.net (130.81.171.38) 17.164 ms 12.010 ms
t1-1-0-11.washdc-lcr-21.verizon-gni.net (130.81.171.36) 21.999 ms
4 ae24-0.res-bb-rtr2.verizon-gni.net (130.81.174.228) 12.654 ms
ae6-0.res-bb-rtr2.verizon-gni.net (130.81.199.146) 48.889 ms *
5 * * *
6 * * 0.xe-10-0-2.gw13.nyc1.alter.net (152.63.29.210) 18.539 ms
7 0.ae1.xl4.nyc1.alter.net (140.222.226.33) 19.517 ms
0.ae3.xl3.nyc1.alter.net (140.222.226.31) 19.361 ms
0.ae1.xl4.nyc1.alter.net (140.222.226.33) 22.858 ms
8 216.239.50.141 (216.239.50.141) 20.403 ms
0.xe-8-1-0.gw13.nyc1.alter.net (152.63.4.133) 19.095 ms
216.239.50.141 (216.239.50.141) 22.336 ms
9 google-gw.customer.alter.net (204.148.18.34) 18.234 ms 17.281 ms 20.926 ms
10 216.239.50.141 (216.239.50.141) 18.777 ms 18.917 ms 19.765 ms
11 209.85.253.111 (209.85.253.111) 20.450 ms 29.483 ms 20.374 ms
12 lga25s40-in-f14.1e100.net (216.58.219.206) 19.377 ms 19.434 ms 20.128 ms

Who do I contact about this?

[smith6612]

The starting point would be Verizon support. They will need to make sure there are no problems being reported at the ONT and at the central office, if this started after a speed upgrade.

Also note that as of late, Verizon has been seeing some congestion issues which have been causing packet loss. Washington DC was a noted area. To get a more accurate idea as to where the loss is, try using the path ping tool built into Windows, or a utility called WinMTR. Both will run a traceroute and effectively ping every point on the way to the server once a second. It helps to find out where the loss is.

[dsorrentino]

I'm on a Mac so no WinMTR or path ping here.

[smith6612]

Gotcha. I should have known by the traceroute you provided. My apologies.

Mac can run a utility called MTR, which comes with many Linux distros. It will have to be compiled from terminal as the tool does not come included with OS X. Or, you will have to fimd a copy that someone else has put together and run it. Alternatively, there might be some other freeware online that can do the job. The site "AlternativeTo.com" is a good place to check for this. Windows has a tool called Pingplotter that does this in a GUI fashion.

If you need help, when I am back on a PC and not on my phone, I can offer some more.

[dsorrentino]

Ok, I installed MTR....

Not looking very good at all....

[dsorrentino]

After spending a couple hours on the phone with support last night, it looks like my issues are the same as what is detailed on this thread:

http://forums.verizon.com/t5/FiOS-Internet/alter-net-issues-continue-for-months-verizon-doesn-t-care...

My high latency/timeouts/dropped packets always seem to occur at the hop between verizon-gni.net and alter.net...  It was disappointing though to have the support representative tell me "it's not a Verizon issue" when Verizon clearly owns both networks...

[smith6612]

You have 15% packet loss to your router, before it even touches your Internet connection. Are you on wireless or are you wired into the router?

If you are on wireless, grab a cable and plug in temporarily, then disable your WiFi. If you are on wired, see if you can get another patch cable to use between your Mac and the router. In additon, try using another port on the router. Or, try wireless temporarily.

[Hubrisnxs]

Smith is right. You're focal point needs to be the router.

The definition of packet loss/latency is that If there is an actual issue, the latency will continue or
increase for all future hops:

You're starting out the gate at a loss.  It will ONLY continue or get worse, not better.

[dsorrentino]

I was originally on wireless (when the screen shots were taken) however while I was on with support, I had a second Macbook hardwired to the network.  They had me factory reset the router while they reset the ONT which resolved my packet loss to the router for the wireless connection, however from both wired and wireless there was a consistent timeout/high latency on hops 4/5 in the traceroute:

1 fios_quantum_gateway.fios-router.home (192.168.1.1) 9.819 ms  10.256 ms  10.287 ms
2 lo0-100.washdc-vfttp-326.verizon-gni.net (108.31.159.1) 28.379 ms 14.371 ms 14.662 ms
3 t1-1-0-11.washdc-lcr-21.verizon-gni.net (130.81.171.36) 234.243 ms 162.746 ms 21.864 ms
4 * * *
5 0.ae5.xl1.iad8.alter.net (152.63.8.121) 24.364 ms
0.ae2.xl2.iad8.alter.net (140.222.226.155) 83.167 ms
0.ae5.xl1.iad8.alter.net (152.63.8.121) 33.868 ms
6 0.xe-10-3-0.gw9.iad8.alter.net (152.63.41.246) 41.677 ms
0.xe-8-2-0.gw9.iad8.alter.net (152.63.35.250) 21.433 ms
0.xe-9-2-0.gw9.iad8.alter.net (152.63.36.30) 11.470 ms
7 pool-96-236-104-66.burl.east.verizon.net (96.236.104.66) 17.739 ms 17.861 ms 17.197 ms
8 216.239.46.248 (216.239.46.248) 23.668 ms
216.239.46.250 (216.239.46.250) 79.245 ms 64.659 ms
9 216.239.43.67 (216.239.43.67) 18.048 ms
72.14.236.152 (72.14.236.152) 90.879 ms
209.85.143.112 (209.85.143.112) 97.229 ms
10 209.85.143.223 (209.85.143.223) 73.051 ms *
209.85.143.121 (209.85.143.121) 20.420 ms
11 209.85.246.5 (209.85.246.5) 20.853 ms 22.334 ms
209.85.249.213 (209.85.249.213) 72.826 ms
12 209.85.245.179 (209.85.245.179) 22.762 ms 26.351 ms 21.885 ms
13 lga15s43-in-f3.1e100.net (74.125.226.35) 31.863 ms 32.964 ms 22.459 ms

They were supposed to have a supervisor call me at noon today eastern but I haven't heard from anyone yet.