Network problems - Missing packages

[TigerShark]

This happens when I ping to my proxy...
It's just a bad service, or maybe the cables or modem are broken?
I have DSL so I'll try with my friend's modem and ISP to see if the cables are broken or not but I want some help plz.

[Finchwizard]

Hmm, ping times aren't unusually high for timeouts or anything like that. Although there is a few.

I'd check your cables in the house.

Do you get any Loss? Or just timeouts?

[TigerShark]

No, I've never got a lost. I always thought that timedout=lost.
I'm trying to solve it cause I can't play any online game like this. An intermittent lag make playing the most unpleasant of activities.

[Finchwizard]

Yea, they aren't always the same thing.

Loss can be your connection, whereas timeouts, could be there end deciding to drop packets.

[TigerShark]

Oooh I see my master.
Anyway, it happes when pinging anywhere, including some friend's computers, and I don't think they would drop packets.

[Finchwizard]

Firewalls can often cause timeouts too.

Check your connections, check your drivers, contact your ISP. There's other techniques such as changing MTU sizes and Window sizes too, but you'd have to read up on it, not the easiest thing to explain.

[cyraan]

Is most likely your ISP having issues, open a command prompt and type "tracert yahoo.com" (w/o quotes, doesnt have to be yahoo, any url/ip will do) youll get an output like this:

Tracing route to yahoo.com [216.109.112.135]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.10.1
2 21 ms 28 ms 26 ms 10.98.32.1
3 39 ms 26 ms 27 ms 653215hfc254.tampabay.res.rr.com [65.32.15.254]
4 11 ms 37 ms 28 ms pos6-0-OC-192.tampflerl-rtr4.tampabay.rr.com [65.32.8.137]
5 25 ms 25 ms 26 ms pop2-tby-P3-0.atdn.net [66.185.132.1]
6 63 ms 32 ms 23 ms bb1-tby-P0-3.atdn.net [66.185.138.208]
7 43 ms 23 ms 44 ms bb2-atm-P2-0.atdn.net [66.185.152.186]
8 21 ms 47 ms 25 ms pop1-atm-P4-1.atdn.net [66.185.150.3]
9 52 ms 66 ms 53 ms if-0-1.har1.A56-Atlanta.teleglobe.net [64.86.9.1]
10 48 ms 53 ms 71 ms if-3-0-0.core3.AEQ-Ashburn.teleglobe.net [64.86.9.18]
11 57 ms 52 ms 49 ms ix-3-1-8.core3.AEQ-Ashburn.teleglobe.net [216.6.51.26]
12 61 ms 51 ms 46 ms ge-1-0-0-p110.msr2.dcn.yahoo.com [216.115.108.45]
13 62 ms 49 ms 56 ms ge10-2.bas2-m.dcn.yahoo.com [216.109.120.249]
14 54 ms 53 ms 41 ms w2.rc.vip.dcn.yahoo.com [216.109.112.135]

Trace complete.


The 1st number is the hop number, the 2nd set are ping times for each hop towards the destination, if there is 1 or more *'s instead of a ping time, thats most likely the server thats dropping your packets.

[TigerShark]

Mmmmm, let me try to understand.
With tracert the pc tries to get to the destination using diferent routes every time??
I'm tracerting(? haha) to my proxy server.....

How it's posible that my own proxy is doing this?
If u could explain me, or tell me exactly what to google for and read, plz.

[Phoenikx]

@TigerShark

Pay attention to ports opened.
Every time a port is being changed, you have different timings.

Additionally, how do you know the other side :
- hardware/software specifications
- hardware/software settings
- activity : off-network ; on-network
All these are crucial factors for smooth networking.

P.S.
Firewall brings bandwidth down, noticeably. That is the "price" of protection.

[cyraan]

To be honest, although I'm not sure how a proxy server would effect it/change things, I'm pretty sure you should not be getting timeouts on the first hop, thats supposed to be localhost (your machine), if you drop packets to yourself, something is definitely wrong.

If i may ask, what is the purpose of the proxy server? Does your ISP make you use it, or did you set it up for yourself? Do you have internet access without it? If so, try to ping/tracert something without being connected to it. If your ISP makes you use it, call them up and see if theres another one you can use. The server may just be overloaded, not able to keep up with all the requests its getting.

[TigerShark]

My fu.... ISP make me use that proxy. It's ice age tecnology and yeah, I'm sure it's overloaded.

So the first tracert line is localhost (loopback?) and I missing packs there... any clue of what can be causing that problem???

[Finchwizard]

How are you connected to the net? Do you have a USB modem or something?

Also, try pinging say the ISP's mail servers.

If their Core Router is overloaded, they could be getting some timeouts.

Proxies are not new, nearly every ISP uses them, most are low level and you don't even know they are there, but they are, it helps alleviate load.

[TigerShark]

Yeah I have and USB modem they gave me.
I don't know much about proxy servers, only that I hate them. In the past, when I was little and dump I had several problems due to proxy configuration, and the ISP bast..... wanted to fine me for information they should have gave me in first place.
Hahaha, OK, that's enough....

Thx u very much for your help, I'll try to ping the other servers as u told me.

[Finchwizard]

I would invest in a proper Router, the Netgear DG834G is what I recommend to everyone, and I have it myself, great Router/Modem/Gateway.

You get that, replaces your modem, and you connect your computer via Ethernet instead of USB.

I never ever ever ever recommend USB modems to people, they are plain crap, they shouldn't even be sold IMO.

[TigerShark]

Hahaha, OK so I'll check and buy one, hope I can get that model here.
Thx again.

[archie123]

ive been having the same problem and i solved it by altering my MTU , it ws set to 1500 on someones advice and it was too high i was getting packet loss.

Im very new to all this so it may have been a fluke bit you may as well give it a shot.

how to set up your optimal MTU

click start then run and in that window type CMD then return , a command prompt window will open

in that window type ping -f -l 1430 www.bbc.co.uk (the last address can be anything local to you even the ip of a gaming server you use.

now the 1430 bit is your MTU size , if after pressing return you have any packet loss (you'll see what i mean if you have any it'll say in the report) then lower the mtu size by 10 eg 1420 then if you have no packet loss up it a little till you find your maximum MTU with no packet loss.

alternatively if for example 1430 pings fine with no loss then up it , but DO NOT go any higher than 1472

when you have your max MTU add 28 to the figure and thats what you set your MTU to eg max stable MTU 1420 + 28 set MTU to 1448

you can set your mtu using Dr TCP or the more complicated tcp optimiser

from this info you can also experiment with your RWIN or recieve window but we'll leave that for another time

Im sorry if im not exlaining myself properly if you have any trouble just shout

As i say im new to this so my success may have been a fluke

incidently as Finchwizard say get a router I have the Netgear DG834G v3 and i would recomend it