ADSL Line Issue: High Latency

[MrG]

Friend of mine came online today complaining with the following.

Issue: "Bought cs go. Cannot play due to excessive lag. What the ****?"
ADSL Line: 4Mbps
ISP: TelkomInternet and Afrihost

Trace Routes on Afrihost

Tracing route to games.saix.net [196.43.22.222]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 158 ms 124 ms 100 ms 105-236-4-193-esr-lo.mtnbusiness.co.za [105.236.
4.193]
2 33 ms 32 ms 33 ms ipc-recieve-rb-4a.za.mtnbusiness.net [41.181.178
.89]
3 169 ms 164 ms 180 ms rb-dca-2.za--rb-cr-1.za-a.mtnns.net [196.44.31.1
20]
4 236 ms 229 ms 213 ms jh-cr-1.za--rb-cr-2.za.mtnns.net [196.44.0.42]
5 119 ms 121 ms 124 ms qux-jh-dca-2.za-b.za.mtnbusiness.net [41.181.165
.115]
6 213 ms 204 ms 231 ms rrba-ip-se-2-wan.telkom-ipnet.co.za [196.25.58.1
7]
7 89 ms 126 ms 185 ms 196.43.25.137
8 284 ms 332 ms 370 ms 196.43.39.162
9 454 ms 414 ms 321 ms rrba-ip-bssr-1-ge-2-48.telkom-ipnet.co.za [196.4
3.23.6]
10 502 ms 482 ms 486 ms nbsc-ip-bssr-2-atm-5-0-0-1.telkom-ipnet.co.za [1
96.43.23.34]
11 516 ms 438 ms 427 ms nbsc-ip-rcache-1-vif0.telkom-ipnet.co.za [196.43
.22.222]

Trace complete.

Tracing route to bbc.co.uk [212.58.241.131]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 179 ms 214 ms 253 ms 105-236-4-193-esr-lo.mtnbusiness.co.za [105.236.
4.193]
2 242 ms 233 ms 263 ms ipc-recieve-rb-1a.za.mtnbusiness.net [41.181.178
.53]
3 170 ms 140 ms 143 ms rb-dca-2.za--rb-cr-1.za-a.mtnns.net [196.44.31.1
20]
4 291 ms 261 ms 221 ms jh-cr-1.za--rb-cr-2.za.mtnns.net [196.44.0.42]
5 239 ms 298 ms 365 ms qux-jh-dca-2.za-b.za.mtnbusiness.net [41.181.165
.115]
6 384 ms 374 ms 333 ms ct-cr-2.za--ct-cr-1.za.mtnns.net [196.44.31.35]

7 416 ms 401 ms 414 ms ls-pr-1.uk--ls-cr-2.uk-a.mtn.net [209.212.111.20
1]
8 381 ms 383 ms 379 ms bbc-linx.pr01.thdow.bbc.co.uk [195.66.224.103]
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 396 ms 406 ms 441 ms ae1.er01.rbsov.bbc.co.uk [132.185.254.46]
11 450 ms 424 ms 422 ms 132.185.255.60
12 613 ms 647 ms 750 ms 212.58.241.131

Trace complete.

Tracing route to games.saix.net [196.43.22.222]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 85 ms 70 ms 40 ms dsl-240-220-01.telkomadsl.co.za [41.240.220.1]
2 157 ms 200 ms 178 ms 196.43.39.166
3 123 ms 142 ms 164 ms rrba-ip-bssr-1-ge-2-48.telkom-ipnet.co.za [196.4
3.23.6]
4 217 ms 204 ms 206 ms nbsc-ip-bssr-2-atm-5-0-0-1.telkom-ipnet.co.za [1
96.43.23.34]
5 226 ms 143 ms 87 ms nbsc-ip-rcache-1-vif0.telkom-ipnet.co.za [196.43
.22.222]

Trace complete.

Tracing route to bbc.co.uk [212.58.241.131]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 280 ms 305 ms 282 ms dsl-240-220-01.telkomadsl.co.za [41.240.220.1]
2 158 ms 182 ms 201 ms wblv-ip-cat-1-vlan-913.telkom-ipnet.co.za [196.4
3.35.38]
3 46 ms 43 ms 38 ms wblv-ip-esr-3-gig-6-1-0-914.telkom-ipnet.co.za [
196.43.35.33]
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 160 ms 157 ms 185 ms 196.43.10.130
6 198 ms 200 ms 191 ms rrba-ip-lir-1-gig-2-0-0-201.telkom-ipnet.co.za [
196.43.33.5]
7 318 ms 282 ms 317 ms lon-ip-hsll-1-gig-0-1-0.telkom-ipnet.co.za [196.
43.9.46]
8 355 ms 360 ms 337 ms 93-126-245-83.packetexchange.net [83.245.126.93]

9 * * * Request timed out.
10 216 ms 217 ms 247 ms ae1.er01.rbsov.bbc.co.uk [132.185.254.46]
11 220 ms 245 ms 263 ms 132.185.255.60
12 270 ms 305 ms 333 ms 212.58.241.131

Trace complete.

He commented: "...it's not just today. It's been this way for weeks now. If it were just today I would be understanding. But this **** is going too far."

His port was reset by Telkom a few weeks ago.

So my conclusion is the following:

1) There is nothing wrong with the ISP backbones, since two different backbones are giving the same result.

2) There is an actual copper issue on the line between his house and the exchange, however that will usually result in line dropping as well. He wasn't able to give me SNR Margins etc.

3) His exchange is congested which is my number one theory at this point by taking everything into account. Given that it is my understanding that it's not uncommon to witness high latency over weekends and residential areas during those times on congested exchanges.

He is within the 021 976 region. My guess is he is connected to: http://www.broadbandstats.co.za/exchange/WDBV05

His speedtest:

Any ideas on what I should tell him to do next? Contact Telkom? Anything I've missed out on?

Thanks for your input.

 

[ichigo]

Looks like congestion on the exchange so he has to pray that it gets upgraded while these MSAN upgrading are going on.

 

[SilentCynic]

The 021 976 region isn't far from mine. I'm connected to the Bellville North (WBLX03) exchange, and I've been having terrible latency for the past two weeks. Current ping to www.mweb.co.za is sitting at 565ms on a 1mbps line.

I wonder if the proximity might not mean that it's an upgrade/overhaul/maintenance in the whole Bellville/Durbanville area, but getting an answer to that question is like pulling teeth.

I figure the best bet is to call them. I've been doing so, but for now I need to recharge my tolerance before trying again. Best of luck, though.

 

[MrG]

I myself am also in the 021 976 area. I believe I am connected to the UITZICHT (WDBV06) Exchange. No issue with latency here. My ping to mweb.co.za is 11ms.