I have DSL in a remote cabin, 4mb download speed. The ISP has found several problems and corrected them, and now said they show "no errors" when a tech comes out. Symptoms as follows: 1) During WiFi phone calls the call will sometimes drop about every 3-10 minutes. 2) Using VoiP, the same thing happens. I downloaded a 'Ping Monitor' app and notice ~100ms returns. However sometimes I will get a single 'red' spike ~ 2500ms; or when the calls drop there are a group of 2500ms red spikes lasting about 20 seconds. I remote work and these drops coincide with getting kicked off my company VPN. During a red spike episode I can't make an outgoing call, either. Non-VPN websites will hang during these outages. Their modem has been replaced and the ISP says everything is fine. Is it? What do these 2500 ms pings mean? This was not always happening. This problem has been going on for ~4 months. A neighbor reports the same problem. Help me, please.
Long ping problems?
- Thread starter pigeon0436
- Start date
Kshipper
Posts: 943 +228
Chances are you guys have line noise outside the cabins. You would have to have the ISP agent on the phone at the time the pings go through the floor to properly prove you are not crazy.
There is lots you can do to prove it's not you. Everything that uses the phone line needs a DSL filter except the computer's modem/router. You should only use the short telephone cord that comes with the ISP modem/router (or a short one like that cord). Customers of mine use super long telephone cords and that weakens the signal. They tell me "It's always worked" and I am quick to say "Yah, but it is not designed to work that way".
You should plug that short cord into a wall jack that is a as close as you can get to the demarcation point (where the phone cord comes into the cabin). As a test you could even unplug all phones in the cabin, alarm systems, fax etc..anything that uses the phone line that can introduce noise (just as a test).
If you know how to login to the Modem/Router you could change the DNS that your ISP gave you to Cloudflare or Open DNS. That could speed up browsing (although that usually just speeds up DNS lookups and not general ping times).
Finally...it is somewhat the nature-of-the-beast DSL is based on old Ma Bell copper line and that stuff is old, that's why everyone moved to cable and now fibre. I'm sure you don't have those options but you could consider satellite. Maybe Starlink?
There is lots you can do to prove it's not you. Everything that uses the phone line needs a DSL filter except the computer's modem/router. You should only use the short telephone cord that comes with the ISP modem/router (or a short one like that cord). Customers of mine use super long telephone cords and that weakens the signal. They tell me "It's always worked" and I am quick to say "Yah, but it is not designed to work that way".
You should plug that short cord into a wall jack that is a as close as you can get to the demarcation point (where the phone cord comes into the cabin). As a test you could even unplug all phones in the cabin, alarm systems, fax etc..anything that uses the phone line that can introduce noise (just as a test).
If you know how to login to the Modem/Router you could change the DNS that your ISP gave you to Cloudflare or Open DNS. That could speed up browsing (although that usually just speeds up DNS lookups and not general ping times).
Finally...it is somewhat the nature-of-the-beast DSL is based on old Ma Bell copper line and that stuff is old, that's why everyone moved to cable and now fibre. I'm sure you don't have those options but you could consider satellite. Maybe Starlink?
Thanks for the reply! I will give it a try.
