Can router CPU usage spikes cause packet loss?

[n0stalghia]

I've recently started having packet loss during online games. I've been trying to find out why, and one possible cause is my router. It's a "cheap" TP-Link Archer C6. It would seem that every time when I experience packet loss in-game, the router's CPU usage shows as 100%. Could the router be "busy" and skipping packets?

 

I have a gigabit ethernet connection to the router, and my internet is a gigabit connection in a university dorm. It's possible the university internet is at fault - there were problems before - but they fixed them about half a year go, so I would think it's the router or something else.

 

Alternatively, how can I identify where the packet loss is happening?

[Robchil]

7 minutes ago, n0stalghia said:

I've recently started having packet loss during online games. I've been trying to find out why, and one possible cause is my router. It's a "cheap" TP-Link Archer C6. It would seem that every time when I experience packet loss in-game, the router's CPU usage shows as 100%. Could the router be "busy" and skipping packets?

 

I have a gigabit ethernet connection to the router, and my internet is a gigabit connection in a university dorm. It's possible the university internet is at fault - there were problems before - but they fixed them about half a year go, so I would think it's the router or something else.

 

Alternatively, how can I identify where the packet loss is happening?

do a traceroute when it's happening. 

 

[n0stalghia]

4 minutes ago, Robchil said:

do a traceroute when it's happening. 

 

It happens for a quarter or half a second, then everything is fine again for the next 10s. Is there a different way? It would be nigh to impossible for me to catch it perfectly...

 

Also, what domain should I trace the route to? The game's servers? Google.com? To the router?

[Robchil]

3 minutes ago, n0stalghia said:

It happens for a quarter or half a second, then everything is fine again for the next 10s. Is there a different way? It would be nigh to impossible for me to catch it perfectly...

 

Also, what domain should I trace the route to? The game's servers? Google.com? To the router?

gameservers preferably.. but you might never get to the end, depending on FW rules .. but it's too slow if it's every 10 seconds and only for half a second. 

you could set up pings to devices enoute and see if any of them change.. you should get a higher latency when it happens.  (ping -t for continous ping)

 

[n0stalghia]

Just now, Robchil said:

gameservers preferably.. but you might never get to the end, depending on FW rules .. but it's too slow if it's every 10 seconds and only for half a second. 

you could set up pings to devices enoute and see if any of them change.. you should get a higher latency when it happens. 

Thanks, I'll try that. 

 

What about the router however? Do you know if it can drop packets?

[Robchil]

2 minutes ago, n0stalghia said:

Thanks, I'll try that. 

 

What about the router however? Do you know if it can drop packets?

depends.. should be possible to set up logging on it that you should turn off later. 

 

[Whatisthis]

I’m not sure buffet bloat has been fixed still. You can try turning the router off completely, let it sit for a minute, and power back on. If that fixes the issue, it is buffer bloat. Unfortunately there is no fix for it aside from buying a different unit.

[Brando212]

I could see your router being at fault even if just partially. could see there being buffer overflow issues when the router resources are maxed.

 

even if it doesn't fully solve the issue I'd say a router upgrade wouldn't be a bad idea anyway if your usage is maxing it out like it sounds like.

[Eigenvektor]

1 hour ago, n0stalghia said:

What about the router however? Do you know if it can drop packets?

A router will drop packets when they arrive at a rater faster than it can process/forward them and its buffer is full

[n0stalghia]

1 hour ago, Eigenvektor said:

A router will drop packets when they arrive at a rater faster than it can process/forward them and its buffer is full

So, assuming a gigabit connection and a bad router, this is possible, right?

I just ran a gigabit cable directly to the socket in the wall and had the smoothest Dota match. So it seems it is the router.

[Eigenvektor]

2 minutes ago, n0stalghia said:

So, assuming a gigabit connection and a bad router, this is possible, right?

Sure. It's possible at any speed. If the router isn't fast enough to forward packets at least as fast as they come in, at some point its buffer is filled and it'll start to drop packets.

 

2 minutes ago, n0stalghia said:

I just ran a gigabit cable directly to the socket in the wall and had the smoothest Dota match. So it seems it is the router.

If it doesn't happen without the router in the mix, it seems fairly certain the router is the issue. You could try downloading things at max speed with and without the router. If the router isn't fast enough, you should be able to observe packet loss in one setup, but not the other.

[Robchil]

2 hours ago, n0stalghia said:

So, assuming a gigabit connection and a bad router, this is possible, right?

I just ran a gigabit cable directly to the socket in the wall and had the smoothest Dota match. So it seems it is the router.

snipped from internet from your router.. do a google search.. "Now with more expensive routers, you will get better performance, but in most cases, the difference is only noticeable once you go beyond speeds of 200 mbps"

 

so above 200mbps.. you should get something else..