Latency - Slight Increase

[TheLyppardMan]

I was just wondering if anyone could tell me why I might be experiencing a slight increase in latency between Merlin builds 378.56_2 and 380.58.0? It's only gone up from 11ms to 13ms, so it's not noticeable in actual use. My router is an Asus RT-AC68U. I've put 378.56_2 back on my router for the time being as I understand from what others have said that it is more stable.*

*I have been having quite a few data freezes of up to a minute when using my employer's VPN on their laptop, but I'm not yet sure whether the problem is at my end or theirs. Also, last night, while running the later build, I had an interruption to streaming TV on my NowTV box for a few seconds. There is though, the possibility that it could be a problem with my Devolo Powerline unit (1200+ ac model), even though it is only about 30cm away from the NowTV box. It's the first time it's happened, so it's not a big issue, but if it becomes more regular, I'll have to try to find the cause. I don't use the router's wi-fi for anything (it's not even switched on), so that at least rules that out.

 

[tsunami2311]

that is with in margin or error no server/game/program guarentee the same ping all that time they are all gona vary from time to time.

 

[TheLyppardMan]

that is with in margin or error no server/game/program guarentee the same ping all that time they are all gona vary from time to time.

Yes, I realise that, but the point is, it's a consistent difference. To illustrate this, look at the two screen captures, the first showing the results with build 380.58.0 and the second showing the results with build 378.56_2. The red area in the middle is of course where the router was offline, updating the firmware.

 

[L&LD]

Yes, I realise that, but the point is, it's a consistent difference. To illustrate this, look at the two screen captures, the first showing the results with build 380.58.0 and the second showing the results with build 378.56_2. The red area in the middle is of course where the router was offline, updating the firmware.

Your screen shots are not readable (very low quality and smaller than actual text size).

 

[Nullity]

Are you talking about external or internal latency? If your internal LAN latency has increased, you might have found something. Do more LAN tests to see if your suspicions are correct.

If you are talking about latency to external hosts... well, that is beyond your control (assuming your link is idle and you have no obvious misconfigurations). Sometimes my ping to google is below 15ms and sometimes it is 40ms, depending on the route my IP packets take. This is normal internet behavior.

 

[TheLyppardMan]

Are you talking about external or internal latency? If your internal LAN latency has increased, you might have found something. Do more LAN tests to see if your suspicions are correct.

If you are talking about latency to external hosts... well, that is beyond your control (assuming your link is idle and you have no obvious misconfigurations). Sometimes my ping to google is below 15ms and sometimes it is 40ms, depending on the route my IP packets take. This is normal internet behavior.

Does the screenshot I have just uploaded give any clues? It's just the consistency thing really as I understand that the latency will vary, but with the latest firmware loaded, the latency across all the 5 sites I have on continuous test is always a bit higher (average 13-14ms) than with the earlier build (average 11-12ms) and I was just wondering why that might be, since the only difference between the two scenarios is the firmware.

 

[TheLyppardMan]

Your screen shots are not readable (very low quality and smaller than actual text size).

I don't know why that is as the originals were fine before I uploaded them. Anyway, you can still see the difference between the two firmwares. You might be able to see it better on this screenshot.

 

[Nullity]

Does the screenshot I have just uploaded give any clues? It's just the consistency thing really as I understand that the latency will vary, but with the latest firmware loaded, the latency across all the 5 sites I have on continuous test is always a bit higher (average 13-14ms) than with the earlier build (average 11-12ms) and I was just wondering why that might be, since the only difference between the two scenarios is the firmware.

The only difference is not just the firmware... have you ever ran a traceroute and seen that a certain hop's IP changes during the 3 pings sent to each hop?

Routes are dynamic, meaning they can change at any time.

Also, if you had to disconnect & reconnect to your ISP, your origin IP may have changed.

There are probably other factors I am unaware of, like ADSL (fastpath vs interleaved) or Cable line quality fluctuation.


External latency is a can of worms. Try to isolate your testing to purely internal, for now.

 

[TheLyppardMan]

The only difference is not just the firmware... have you ever ran a traceroute and seen that a certain hop's IP changes during the 3 pings sent to each hop?

Routes are dynamic, meaning they can change at any time.

Also, if you had to disconnect & reconnect to your ISP, your origin IP may have changed.

There are probably other factors I am unaware of, like ADSL (fastpath vs interleaved) or Cable line quality fluctuation.


External latency is a can of worms. Try to isolate your testing to purely internal, for now.

The differences were consistent over several days though and I do have a static IP on my internet connection. Anyway, it's no big deal - it's just something I noticed when running the two firmwares.

 

[Nullity]

The differences were consistent over several days though and I do have a static IP on my internet connection. Anyway, it's no big deal - it's just something I noticed when running the two firmwares.

I do not mean to stop you sharing a measurable experience. I am saying you should limit your variables before making a claim, which will hopefully more accurately define where we should look.

Try out "mtr" and "traceroute".

 

[tsunami2311]

Once your looking at pings out side your network NOT your pc/router (0ms)/modem this is normal

I could do ping test one minute have 9ms next I could 12 next it could be 15 next it to could be 8 this varation holds true to any server out side the modem/router. including speedtest.net tests

Visual route lite is anther useful tool.
varation in ping is normal