Frustrated...Horrible download speeds...only in the evenings?

[matt_g]

Been battling with this issues for the past couple of weeks now. During the day, I can get 25-30Mbps Down/20-25Mbps Upload. Testing is mostly being done from my desktop on a wired connection, plugged directly into the router, already downloaded and installed the FIOS optimizer several times now. However these symptoms also occur on mobile and wireless devices as well.

Normally around 530-600pm my download speeds plummet to 500Kbps-1Mbps. Besides simple web browsing, my connection is almost unusable at that point. Contacted support, went through all the normal troubleshooting of rebooting all my equipment, the ONT, etc, they said my router was old and no longer supported and replaced it. Wait a few days for the replacement router and still having the same issue. Call back and talk to support and kept troubleshooting. We're not watching any VOD movies, etc, no streaming when this is going on and it effects any device connected, wired or wireless. Done virus/rootkit scans on my desktop and laptop. I've even disconnected all of my devices and just had 1 machine at a time connected directly to the router and it still happens.

Couple more calls to support checking my MTU settings, TCP receive window, dozens of speedtests and tracerts. Finally one tech says he is seeing discards at the ONT when we're testing, they schedule someone to come out today. Tech comes out during the day (of course the speeds are fine 30/25) and I had to go through the whole story with him. He says he can't see any other issues with the equipment, but agrees that the issue is strange and he's going to escalate to his manager to see if they can check at the CO for any potential issues there that might be causing it. He leaves and shortly after, I get a message that my repair case has been closed. WHAT??

I call back to support, the support case was closed with no trouble found. I have to go through the ENTIRE thing all over again and open a new case, told I have to wait 24-48 for another tech to even look at my ticket again...

Sorry for the rant, just frustrated and at my wits end with support. I love FIOS...have had it 4-5 years now and this is the first real issue I've had with it. Don't know if it's some sort of weird routing issues, issues at the CO, maybe oversubscription?, and I'm not completely ruling out anything on my end either...just haven't found any evidence pointing the the culprit.

Anyone else have any suggestions?

[Johnny_Utah]

Same here Matt.  There is something VERY weird going on.  Here is a trace to my Khadgar server for World of Warcraft:

Tracing route to 63.240.104.93 over a maximum of 30 hops

  1     1 ms     1 ms    <1 ms  Wireless_Broadband_Router.home [192.168.1.1]
  2    71 ms    73 ms    51 ms  L100.LSANCA-VFTTP-127.verizon-gni.net [173.51.202.1]
  3    75 ms    74 ms    77 ms  G0-9-1-5.LSANCA-LCR-21.verizon-gni.net [130.81.138.96]
  4    74 ms    74 ms    71 ms  so-4-1-0-0.LAX01-BB-RTR1.verizon-gni.net [130.81.151.246]
  5    76 ms    76 ms    77 ms  0.xe-3-0-0.BR3.LAX15.ALTER.NET [152.63.114.241]
  6    77 ms    77 ms    75 ms  204.255.168.134
  7   150 ms   168 ms   135 ms  cr2.la2ca.ip.att.net [12.123.30.134]
  8    79 ms    79 ms    79 ms  cr1.slkut.ip.att.net [12.122.30.29]
  9    82 ms    83 ms    83 ms  cr2.dvmco.ip.att.net [12.122.30.26]
 10    81 ms    79 ms    79 ms  cr1.cgcil.ip.att.net [12.122.31.86]
 11    82 ms    79 ms    82 ms  cr1.cl2oh.ip.att.net [12.122.2.206]
 12    80 ms    78 ms    79 ms  cr2.cl2oh.ip.att.net [12.122.2.126]
 13    83 ms    81 ms    83 ms  cr2.phlpa.ip.att.net [12.122.2.210]
 14    80 ms    79 ms    79 ms  gar1.pitpa.ip.att.net [12.122.107.85]
 15    82 ms    82 ms    84 ms  12-122-254-242.attens.net [12.122.254.242]
 16    87 ms    85 ms    85 ms  mdf001c7613r0004-gig-12-1.nyc3.attens.net [63.240.65.14]

My second hop is 51ms....isn't that ridiculously high?

Here is my report from Verizon's SPeed test:

Checking for Middleboxes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  Done
SendBufferSize set to [522720]
running 10s outbound test (client to server) . . . . . 43.45Mb/s
running 10s inbound test (server to client) . . . . . . 10.14Mb/s
Information: Network Middlebox is modifying MSS variable
Server IP addresses are preserved End-to-End

[smith6612]

That is quite high for a second hop value. Do you have anyone downloading or uploading any data in your home? Likewise do you have Quality of Service enabled or is it always that bad? Do you have a DSL modem such as a Zoom modem or a Westell 9100VM being used in the mix despite having FiOS service (applies if you are in an apartment).

[Johnny_Utah]

Nope, nobody is downloading at the house.  Again, this all started just two weeks ago and nothing has changed here and my modem is new.  Had a tech out 2 days ago and he confirmed everything was fine on my end.  This only occurs between 7:30pm-11pm EACH night!

Tested 2 min ago:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2009 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\Users\i73930k2>tracert 63.240.104.93

Tracing route to 63.240.104.93 over a maximum of 30 hops

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  Wireless_Broadband_Router.home [192.168.1.1]
  2     3 ms     2 ms     1 ms  L100.LSANCA-VFTTP-127.verizon-gni.net [173.51.202.1]
  3     4 ms     7 ms     3 ms  G0-9-1-5.LSANCA-LCR-21.verizon-gni.net [130.81.138.96]
  4     3 ms     5 ms     4 ms  so-4-1-0-0.LAX01-BB-RTR1.verizon-gni.net [130.81.151.246]
  5     5 ms     5 ms     4 ms  0.xe-3-0-0.BR3.LAX15.ALTER.NET [152.63.114.241]
  6    19 ms     *        3 ms  204.255.168.134
  7    79 ms    79 ms    81 ms  cr2.la2ca.ip.att.net [12.123.30.134]
  8    83 ms    82 ms    79 ms  cr1.slkut.ip.att.net [12.122.30.29]
  9    82 ms    82 ms    80 ms  cr2.dvmco.ip.att.net [12.122.30.26]
 10    82 ms    79 ms    78 ms  cr1.cgcil.ip.att.net [12.122.31.86]
 11    79 ms    79 ms    80 ms  cr1.cl2oh.ip.att.net [12.122.2.206]
 12    82 ms    79 ms    79 ms  cr2.cl2oh.ip.att.net [12.122.2.126]
 13    82 ms    79 ms    83 ms  cr2.phlpa.ip.att.net [12.122.2.210]
 14    77 ms    77 ms    78 ms  gar1.pitpa.ip.att.net [12.122.107.85]
 15   129 ms   203 ms   211 ms  12-122-254-242.attens.net [12.122.254.242]
 16    86 ms    85 ms    88 ms  mdf001c7613r0004-gig-12-1.nyc3.attens.net [63.240.65.14]

[smith6612]

Okay. Just to be sure, what is the make and model of the modem and/or router you have for FiOS? I'd like to make sure the right terms are being used here so there isn't any confusion taking place. Basically, between your computer and the Verizon ONT (the box the Fiber cable terminates at), what devices lay in between?

[Johnny_Utah]

Only the router:  Actiontech MI424-WR Rev F.  Sorry, since the modem and router are the same, I use the terms intechangably.  🙂

[matt_g]

My pings time aren't that high and I don't normally have much packetloss. Definitely not at my router's gateway like that. But still having the same problem during peak hours...it's getting extremely frustrating and I'm getting nowhere with support.

One thing to note, if you're running the tracert's while your games are running, it may skew your times a bit. I normally close everything, then run it...not sure if this is what you're doing, but I've noticed the same thing occur when running the tests while the app is open.

[Johnny_Utah]

---

@matt_g wrote:

I'll have to check that out. I've been trying to play some Diablo 3 lately and it's hardly playable...i started reading the community sites there and even Blizzard is trying to collect data to give to Verizon about the issues going on. They have posts on their forums for both World of Warcraft and Diablo 3 about FIOS customers having the exact issues we're having:

Here is a link if you're interested:

http://us.battle.net/wow/en/forum/topic/7864916450

---

Yup, I posted on the first page earlier today (Shambulanse).

I did read that D3 players were experiencing the same...Fios users as I see.  If Blizzard gets on this as they have, that is excellent news for us.  From my tracerts tonight, it appears that the problems are when the Verizon lines hand off our info to the lines owned by Alter.net.  I was told that Alter.net was OWNED by Verizon but who really knows 🙂

[Rugger1]

hmm. that didn't work.

[Rugger1]

---

@Johnny_Utah wrote:

Okay guys here is my update:

A WONDERFUL (I mean it, AWESOME 15 yr + on job) knowledgable tech came out today,  and we talked for 2 hours about this as he tested all my equipment.  He had personally had 5 of these exact calls within a 4 mile radius of me just yesterday.

He thinks that this issue may be a problem with an edge router with either ATT or Alter.net..however after I run a tracert for him tonight, he will know more.  HIS boss is now aware of the problem.  We ARE getting somewhere guys.

I will keep you all updated!

Johnny

---

This is good news!  

However, I don't know why they would "think" it's a problem with an edge router when about 1,000 people have been screaming "VERIZON, YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH YOUR EDGE ROUTERS!" in every media format available for 4 weeks now.

In my case being in NJ my problem lies with their Alter.net router.  Particularly 152.179.72.122 tinet-gw.customer.alter.net.  It only happens between 6:00pm to 10:30-11:00pm.  My ping runs about 150  to 200 to a server 350 miles away.  My DL speeds plummet to 2.5 while my upload speeds jump to 13.  I'm on 35/35 btw.  And like everyone else, I've been getting stymied on every call to Verizon.  However, it sounds like we finally got through to them.  So heres to hoping we see some improvements soon.

[Johnny_Utah]

I contacted Verizon again via Twitter and they were a heck of a lot more helpful than anyone on the phone.

They are sending out another tech who is going to communicate with their network techs this Wednesday.

[szymiszymi]

Oh finally...something?

[Johnny_Utah]

The tech who came out today was on the phone with a level 2 tech for about an hour.  After all the testing, they said that they would need more support from people higher up the food chain.  They are forwarding my info on up...the level 2 tech said that they have now noticed an increase in this type of problem.  They also said that people with the fastest speeds will always notice it first...which is why they haven't been inundated with calls yet since most subs are the lower tiers. 

We may be finally getting somewhere.

[matt_g]

Good to know! Been working with the support folks as well and they have a couple different teams looking at it from their end as well. Hopefully they can find something soon! Thanks for the update.

[voleksa]

Hi guys,

the same problem here - in PA. On 75/35 plan speeds are on wired connection 84-85 Mbps down and 38-39 up in the morning and goes down to 15-18 down every evening.

Just wondering if there was any solution since tyhe last post was 02/23/2013?

[matt_g]

My issues were resolved, but I received no notifcation from support that anything was fixed. Just had to keep contacting support. It ended up being an issue outside of my home though, so I'm not sure if your problem will be the same thing or not.

[voleksa]

Thank you for the update. I'm collecting data for couple of days and will contact the support.