snousle: (badger)
[personal profile] snousle
I just updated my directional-wireless Internet service from the $50/month version to the $90/month version. Believe me, it's not quite what you get in DSL land. I was hoping that the upgrade in service would end the Vexing Problem, but it has not.

The Vexing Problem is this. I run PingPlotter all the time so I can see an hour-long chart of network performance. Connectivity is nearly flawless, for hours and hours, until I actually use the connection. If I load several picture-heavy web pages at once, it does not just slow down, but instead stops returning pings entirely. The page-loads all time out. Generally, it's back up in about five minutes. Usually not much less, or much more. Continued use at the pace I usually surf the web will show irregular connectivity on the scale of ~30 seconds.

A typical pingplot looks like this:



Not sure if it's universally true, but rebooting the antenna seems to bring it back faster. (I should test this more to be sure.) It occurs whether I'm going through a router or not. (The antenna contains a sort of "router" of its own.)

Anyone know why this might be? My ISP is basically clueless and unhelpful.

Date: 2010-03-31 01:39 am (UTC)
qnetter: (Default)
From: [personal profile] qnetter
Might be an MTU issue.

Date: 2010-03-31 01:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] snousle.livejournal.com
Ah, the magic buzzword that opens whole new realms of nerdiness...

I did this test:

http://help.expedient.net/broadband/mtu_ping_test.shtml

except directed it at www.google.com because that was more reliable.

...and it did indeed show fragmentation at 1482 but not at 1472. I think the default setting for Windows is 1500 so that should be OK...

I guess it wouldn't hurt to fiddle with it?

Date: 2010-03-31 04:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ednixon.livejournal.com
If it's multipath, that is, there is reflected signal interfering with a direct signal, then a second panel or parabolic grid antenna might help. Here's a discussion of wireless network multipath issues. For Tranzeo, Trango, and numerous other WiFi radios these are easily connected via a UHF or N connector on the back of the existing integral panel antenna unit.

Date: 2010-03-31 06:18 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] broduke2000.livejournal.com
Replace the 12AX7 tube.

Date: 2010-04-01 07:20 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] beastbriskett.livejournal.com
Maybe if you hold your tongue just this way...

Profile

snousle: (Default)
snousle

August 2013

S M T W T F S
    123
45 678910
11121314151617
1819202122 2324
25262728293031

Most Popular Tags

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags
Page generated Feb. 8th, 2026 10:18 pm
Powered by Dreamwidth Studios