Now that you can ping, we can use this information to check the stability of your connection.
Step 1 – Make sure your computers aren't downloading. Best situation would be to shut down all computers on the network besides your own.
Step 2 – Ping the Internet and your Router
Run a sustained ping test out to the Internet. Be sure to pick a very robust site such as
www.google.com or
www.yahoo.com .
Once again the command is: ping
www.yahoo.com -t
Simultaneously, run a sustained ping to your router. Your router's IP address will be printed on your router somewhere. The most common router IPs are 192.168.0.1 and 192.168.1.1 .
The command is: ping 192.168.0.1 -t
After 2 min of sustained pings press Ctrl + c in each command promt and the pings will stop.
Step 3 – Analyze the results.
Now that we have run the ping tests we can use the statistical data to diagnose where the packetloss or lag is coming from. After you hit Ctrl +c you will have information on packets sent, packets received, and percentage of packet loss, maximum time of reply, minimum time of reply, and average time of reply.
If your percentage of packet loss is more than 3%, you have a connectivity problem. If your maximum time of reply to the Internet is more than 100ms higher than your minimum time of reply, you may have a connection problem. If your ping times to the router are above 7 ms, then you may have a connection issue. If this is the case, you need to determine where the problem is in your network.
If spiking ping times to your router coincide with spiking ping times to the Internet, then the problem is between your computer and your router. If this is the case, the problem is either your ISP, your router, your computer's wireless adapter, your computer's Ethernet port, or the wireless signal strength.
To determine if the router is the problem, simply bypass the router and plug your Internet connection directly into the computer. If your latency goes down and stabilizes significantly and your packet loss improves, then your router is malfunctioning. Sometimes, a router reboot will correct this. A wireless adapter runs about $30.00-60.00 US. You can spend more than this but there is not much reason to unless you get a gaming specific router (packet prioritizing), trust me.
To determine if your computer's Ethernet port is the problem (if you are connected through a wire to your router), simply test with another computer. If the ping test from one computer is significantly more consistent than the ping test from the other, the Ethernet port is the problem. A new ethernet port is about $10.00 US. If you continue to have connectivity issues, there could be a problem with your ISP's modem or even the ISP itself. If this is the case, call your ISP.
To determine if your computer's wireless adapter is the problem (if you are connected wireless to your router), you will need to run a test with another wireless connected simultaneously from the same location. Run the tests and look for inconsistencies. If the ping test from one computer is significantly more consistent than the ping test from the other, the wireless adapter is the problem. A wireless adapter runs about $30.00-60.00 US. You can spend more than this but there is no reason to, trust me. If the pings are the same, then the wireless signal is too weak to deliver bandwidth required for enjoyable gaming. Look into powered antennae if this is the case.
There are many computer related issues that can also create connection issues. Most of these are related to Viruses, firewalls, or Anti-virus programs. I will do a writeup on these issues some other time.
Please feel free to add to this or ask questions.
