Random time-based high network ping (connectivity issues)

DianeLeigh · June 17, 2019

I'm just curious, it's something at my workplace wherein the ISP, me and the outside network person (who's a assistant that we pay as needed) kind of disagree on the cause (well he and I agree, the ISP doesn't), yet we're all confused.

General info-setup

Switch->wireless (microwave?)<----->wireless across street maybe 50 yards->switch (with their computers attached

Both dishes have direct unobstructed line of sight. ISP says "they are so powerful they can be at 90degree angles and still work! Roofers tilted one dish about 25degrees (literally had an angle difference from | to / ), and we totally lost connection even though still pointed "at each other". One dish is out of alignment it seems after tornado a few weeks ago on the other building, as it's facing the building, but like 20ft off from the dish if we can visually see where the angle is pointed.

Anyway...

Some days (including weekends where no one's here), the ping from switch to switch is 5000-9000ms. It only happens generally between 9:30am and 2pm outside those hours, it's a 1-2ms ping. Some days it's fine (ex: mon-thurs last week it was fine, Friday, 5000+ ping).

There's no viruses on any pcs there (4 separate programs to check were used). No teamviewer, outside access programs. Any netstat shown connections go to Microsoft update servers, or local servers (as expected given shares, remote desktop sessions, mail, etc). Oh, and all PCs are updated.

However, switch data usage:

highest -- trunk to wireless

next -- pc that has nothing running but the OS (regardless of user--even renamed the pc just in case something was using it's name to access it, as it's IP is dynamic) (however, disconnecting this pc still doesn't fix the ping issue)

next -- security cameras with remote viewing (they are on their own switch, then on a router, then that router plugs into the switch, it only allows 3-4 port access to it)

then at 10-40x less data usage--3 other pcs and printers

Does anything stick out to someone for why there would be no issues most days, then "time based high pings"? Alignment of dish is like 'probably it' but it's time-sensitive. Thought virus/etc, but.... nothing found. Not even recent file changes. Even swapped the pc for a Linux USB boot--and the pings were still high.

Anyway, thought I'd ask here.. it's definitely an odd thing!