With issues like this I like to take a look at multiple pings. I'd personally ping the following points: Computers default gateway (usually cable/dsl router) The first hop after your internal network (Typically a router at your ISP) A third party internet IP like Google's public DNS Servers. These points help you try and figure out what point in the link is breaking down. If you have high pings to your local default gateway the switch/router could be bad. A high ping to the first hop after your internal network could suggest saturation of your DSL line. A high ping beyond your ISPs network could suggest contention issues on the ISPs upstream links. On 2013-09-22 22:36, Jeff Jensen wrote: > Not sure how they start. Based on my son's complaint on gaming ping > increases... starts lower such as ping in 100+, then goes up. He's > mentioned high and very high pings before, e.g. 800, 1400. > Even if all streaming is then stopped, something is still going on > sometimes as the ping rate doesn't always go back to very low/normal; > it lowers enough for decent usability, but not fully. Hence I wonder > about something that can track the traffic for summary review to > detect high volume traffic sources and destinations, ideally with > service identified. > > I played with ping google dns a bit. We'll use that when next issue > strikes. > > Thanks again for your ideas. > > On Sun, Sep 22, 2013 at 7:17 PM, Ryan Coleman <ryanjcole at me.com> > wrote: >> Hah. Apple Mail autocorrected "speediest.net" ,… dammit it did it >> again: speedtest.net. >> >> If you're on DSL and you're streaming more than 2 things you're >> likely going to have issues…. how do your pings start before the >> slowdown? can you keep a steady ping of 8.8.8.8 (google's DNS server) >> going and see? >> >> >> On Sep 22, 2013, at 6:29 PM, Jeff Jensen <jjensen at apache.org> wrote: >> >>> Hello Ryan, thank you for the reply. >>> >>> The slowdowns happen on all computers. Sometimes related to >>> streaming >>> (wife and 3 kids) - e.g. Netflix - noticeable speed improvement when >>> it is stopped. While at times it is likely/obviously internet >>> speed, >>> sometimes it has happened when no one has been streaming. I've >>> tried >>> tracking to other background processes but don't get very far. :-/ >>> This is where I wonder about a monitoring tool that lists the >>> various >>> process communications in descending order... >>> We notice the slowdowns with general surfing, ping rates (especially >>> as shown in games), and just using gmail is pokey. >>> Noted on 3 user machines; I'm down to one server, which is only >>> interactively used for admin stuff; tablet surfing noted slower at >>> times/wifi, but not correlated yet. >>> >>> Yes, used the dslreports speed tests (did you mean speediest.net or >>> a >>> different one? that link went to "domain for sale"! :-). The DSL >>> router also shows the connect speed. It seems accurate when I >>> compare >>> the two speed sources with low traffic. Dslreports shows slowdowns >>> at >>> times when we do too, which helps correlate internet speed as cause. >>> I'm at the highest DSL speed available in my area, so faster means >>> switching service type which requires more effort and coordination >>> than just the next level up! While internet speed could be a good >>> portion of the cause, I'd like to know before switching as well as >>> have proper monitoring in place for future use. >>> >>> No, using a 24 port switch and only have one. I have a couple of >>> small ones - 8 port and 4 port used in a couple of rooms. Are you >>> hinting at a faulty switch? I can possibly borrow a larger one if >>> you >>> think worth a check. >>> >>> On Sun, Sep 22, 2013 at 5:57 PM, Ryan Coleman <ryanjcole at me.com> >>> wrote: >>>> First thing: Is the problem occurring on just one computer or many? >>>> >>>> Have you run internet speed tests like speediest.net? Have you >>>> tried running against other servers (you can pick the server on >>>> their site)? >>>> >>>> Do you have other switches to try (if you're using a switch)? >>>> >>>> >>>> >>>> On Sep 22, 2013, at 5:48 PM, Jeff Jensen <jjensen at apache.org> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> I'm having some home network speed problems and am seeking advice >>>>> for >>>>> software and/or hardware to help resolve. I'm having troubles >>>>> determining if it is internal traffic only or ISP/internet speed. >>>>> >>>>> I setup bandwidthd and review its generated charts, but I'm not >>>>> sure >>>>> if it sees all traffic, even with the server in promiscuous mode. >>>>> It >>>>> sees quite a bit though, so maybe it does. However, I'm having >>>>> difficulty ascertaining what it's telling me, especially whether >>>>> it's >>>>> external vs internal traffic; and it's limited charts. My guess >>>>> is I >>>>> need a different tool but I don't know which one. I know of tools >>>>> like WireShark, but need a higher-level tool that summarizes and >>>>> coordinates. >>>>> >>>>> Currently, CenturyLink DSL is my ISP and have the Zyxel Q1000Z DSL >>>>> router. The router is ok, but doesn't offer much >>>>> manageability/reporting/monitoring. And it's stupid enough to not >>>>> offer discovered hosts back to DNS (especially the names!). It >>>>> was >>>>> cheap, so can't complain... >>>>> >>>>> So I'm wondering is it a software tool I should use or perhaps a >>>>> better router with it built in (or both of course!). I wonder >>>>> about >>>>> one of the DD-WRT routers, but not sure if that's still the >>>>> recommended approach or are there better ones/approaches now. >>>>> >>>>> I setup Nagios many years ago for fun/to learn and for practical >>>>> notification on servers and internet status. My prior DSL router >>>>> (before the high speed upgrade) was a little Cisco and had limited >>>>> SNMP support, so I configured Nagios to tell me what it could; >>>>> current >>>>> one has no SNMP or monitoring support. I mention this as ideally >>>>> I'd >>>>> like to have nagio monitor this stuff again, but also in more >>>>> detail >>>>> than the prior router to know what is going on. >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> I might change to cable in the future, so isolating the setup with >>>>> a >>>>> new router in bridge mode to the DSL or cable device may be part >>>>> of >>>>> the equation (vs a new DSL router), if a new router is in the >>>>> recommended solution. If so, then my question includes which ones >>>>> are >>>>> the regarded as the better ones for home networking for someone >>>>> with >>>>> much higher desire for monitoring abilities. >>>>> >>>>> So knowing this group has a lot more experience than I do at this >>>>> (many of you do this full time!), if anyone has any suggestions >>>>> based >>>>> on my ramblings, I would appreciate them! The only caveat for me >>>>> is >>>>> it's the home network, so not going to setup something with high >>>>> cost >>>>> as a proper business would. >>>>> _______________________________________________ >>>>> TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota >>>>> tclug-list at mn-linux.org >>>>> http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list >>>> >>>> _______________________________________________ >>>> TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota >>>> tclug-list at mn-linux.org >>>> http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list >>> _______________________________________________ >>> TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota >>> tclug-list at mn-linux.org >>> http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list >> >> _______________________________________________ >> TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota >> tclug-list at mn-linux.org >> http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list > _______________________________________________ > TCLUG Mailing List - Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota > tclug-list at mn-linux.org > http://mailman.mn-linux.org/mailman/listinfo/tclug-list