XR500 Firmware .56 huge and instant packet loss

[SaintFinnigan]

Hello all, 

Before I end up writing a 4-hour read of something very specific I’m struggling with I’ll preface with a few things: 

Connection Type/Bandwidth: DSL, package is 600mbps down/20mbps up 

Router: XR500

Current Firmware: V2.3.2.40-C424a

Firmware Tried: The newest .56, regular .40, .32, and .22. 
*Each time I down/upgraded firmware, I factory reset. 
 

Netduma Forumns I’ve read tediously: 

The former being settings I tried for Modern Warfare ‘19, but after doing everything the router suddenly jumped from previous firmware to the .56. I am unsure of which firmware I was on, but I bought the XR500 about a year ago, and from what I’ve looked up I was probably on .32, possibly .40 vanilla. 
 

Photos for reference: 

PingPlotter, even immediately after factory reset with selecting the router to auto-config: * not sure where they’ll land in this thread. 
 

At the time of writing this I am sitting at this screen: 

Things I’ve checked/tried: 

Testing PingPlotter with direct cable connect to DSL Modem (Arris 6190) shows 0% to google, 1.1.1.1, etc but as soon as factory reset XR500 is added (still with Mac hardlined: Mac>hardline to XR500>hardline to>Arris 6190. 

Checked all cables, used 3 different cables, same results 0% PL until router is reintroduced. 
 

I’ve followed the step by step videos of this: 

*I understand it is semi-old, but when I downgraded back to previous FM I was making sure to abide by the setup for them when initial release came about. 
Also, to make entirely sure that the factory reset was in fact in its totality

I have scoured the internet and have read the following articles about bandwidth, network congestion, and common packet loss % causes: 

https://www.dnsstuff.com/reduce-packet-loss
 

https://community.netgear.com/t5/Nighthawk-Pro-Gaming-Routers/Rx700-internet-drops-bad-packet-loss/td-p/1670115
 

Some I read nearly 10 times front to back to see if anyone else ended with the same issue as I have. 
 

To no avail, have I found anyone that:

Still gets their full bandwidth on dslreports with 35ms latency, but with Anti-BufferBloat getting a (-) when selected as Always, and F when selected as Only When HP Traffic and Never. 
 

I still get perfectly amazing internet, speeds and latency remain fairly constant, but with PingPlotter showing between 10-60% PL 4-5 seconds into the test. 
 

As for the testing I tried for the Traffic Priority settings, attached is a short video of in-game MW19 latency. It was incredibly strange to have such AMAZING hit detection but also lagging 20-30meters at a time in random intervals. 
 

Currently awaiting response from anyone before continuing to setup the router again from Factory Reset. 
 

Hopefully, this won’t be a 4 hour read for anyone. I’m happy to resend new PingPlotter tests, Speedtests, screenshots of every tab within the router, anything. I am completely missing some, incredibly tiny component, and maybe if I send photos of every single menu someone can spot why my router is losing packets on 2nd, private network IP on PingPlotter. 
 

I have exhausted every article and my general knowledge of networking, and that comes from doing Satellite Comms for the military. 
 

Thank you for your time. 
 

I hope everyone out there is staying safe with current events unfolding globally. 
 

Much Love and Stay Excellent,

SFinni

[SaintFinnigan]

Also, don’t ask me how I managed to get Modern Warfare to connect as a 10,156,250Kbps/10,000Mbps bandwidth. 

[Newfie]

Massive packet loss might be down to what’s going on at the moment. COD servers are not great anyway but given that the internet is under strain which kind of shows on the plotter test.

[Guest Killhippie]

Have you considered massive packet loss is due to ISPs throttling connections due to strain on the networks because of Covid-19. Gamers come last in the list of prioritised traffic shaping wise in possible new rules to be possibly brought in as home workers come first. YouTube and Netflix in some areas in the EU are reducing bit rate to SD to reduce bandwidth as well, so it would make sense that at this time people may at points see packet loss and spikes too. I would imagine unless using a gaming package this will continue as the world isolates itself, severs will be hammered due to so many people around the world using them simultaneously.

[SaintFinnigan]

Killhippe and Newfie,

I am currently running tests to screenshot/share for reference. I am doing them in the most sure-fire way that anyone on this forum asks for. I mentioned above that I only have this issue reintroducing the XR500 into my network. I am running all tests now with my Mac directly cabled to my Arris 6190 modem. I've read the entire post where the rules are explained on proper etiquette for this forum (connection type, bandwidth, modem, etc). I made sure to be as thorough as I possibly could, with the exception of not (yet) posting results directly cabled to the modem (as I have read numerous times from Fraser, Alex, and others on other forums that a faulty cable needs to be ruled out).

I understand what is going on in the world right now, and in no way did I rule out that it may get weird for a while with many services. But, with that said, it doesn't negate my very strange and complicated issue.

This is a PingPlotter test to 1.1.1.1 for 10 minutes done by directly hard lining my Mac to my Arris 6190: https://share.pingplotter.com/fWyp7BHMCtj

This is the same 10 minute test hard lined to my modem to google: https://share.pingplotter.com/WtygmezB8Zq

As I mentioned in my initial post:

"Things I’ve checked/tried: 

Testing PingPlotter with direct cable connect to DSL Modem (Arris 6190) shows 0% to google, 1.1.1.1, etc but as soon as factory reset XR500 is added (still with Mac hardlined: Mac>hardline to XR500>hardline to>Arris 6190. 

Checked all cables, used 3 different cables, same results 0% PL until router is reintroduced."

"I still get perfectly amazing internet, speeds and latency remain fairly constant, but with PingPlotter showing between 10-60% PL 4-5 seconds into the test."

Here within the hour I will retest in 10 minute increments PingPlotter to 1.1.1.1, google and ipv4google directly Ethernet cabled to my modem.

Then, I will run the exact same 10 minute tests with my XR500 reintroduced to my network.

I have several different settings changed for traffic priority, static route reserved, geo-filter, etc. from this forum now:

But, even after a factory rest, and all settings back to that as soon as I start PingPlotter I instantly have between 10-60% PL.

I will post again in a few minutes with further tests.

 

Much Love and Stay Excellent

SFinni

 

[SaintFinnigan]

This is the speed test hard lined directly to my Arris 6190:

http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest/61041334

 

 

[SaintFinnigan]

Now, this is the speed test with my XR500 reintroduced to my network, with all QoS features disabled: http://www.dslreports.com/speedtest/61043400

These are the 10 minute test of PingPlotter as such: Mac>XR500>Arris6190: https://share.pingplotter.com/H4Ljt6vrvLF

The same 10 minute test to google: https://share.pingplotter.com/5FeyxzEKWfd

Next, is there any other screenshots of my XR500 settings, Xbox, Mac or any other information that I can provide to help remedy my current strange and difficult issue?

I am more than happy to relay anything to figure this out.

Much Love and Stay Excellent.

SFinni

 

[Newfie]

Arris 6190 uses the well known buggy puma 6 chipset. Perhaps the connection from the router to modem and the puma chipset are having issues. 
Are you using IPv6, turn that off. Turn off bufferbloat. There are some issues that need sorting which hopefully will be sorted at some point.

[Netduma Fraser]

I know you've mentioned you've reset but are you changing any settings after that? IPv6 would definitely be good to disable to ensure QoS can work optimally. Are you using PPPoE, VLAN or DHCP 60/61? As said, that arris can cause spikes, do you have another modem you can test in conjunction with the router?

[SaintFinnigan]

8 hours ago, Netduma Fraser said:

I know you've mentioned you've reset but are you changing any settings after that? IPv6 would definitely be good to disable to ensure QoS can work optimally. Are you using PPPoE, VLAN or DHCP 60/61? As said, that arris can cause spikes, do you have another modem you can test in conjunction with the router?

This is what happen immediately after entire factory reset as well as re-updating the firmware to the latest .56:https://share.pingplotter.com/7zC7bnnJW6T

My ISP is TDS and their internet is DCHP.

I do not have any other modem to be able to test with. Honestly, when I was gaming about a week ago I had no issues whatsoever until I updated to the .56 firmware, and once it was updated I factory reset it so I could try the settings from this forum:

With that said, I've tried working myself backwards all the way to .40 and its hotfix, and factory resetting each time. Even without changing any settings, all QoS disabled I get instant PL % running PingPlotter. Again, up until a week ago gaming on the new CoD MW was absolutely fine going through the Arris to the XR500 to my Xbox. Even with multiple ports forwarded, QoS on, static reserve for xbox, and even most of the settings from the forum above. As soon as I updated firmware to .56 I suddenly had spikes in-game from 50-60ms all the way to 900ms ni random intervals. As for watching on the geo-filter to see tick rates, etc. I can clearly see that, even though the values are different there from in game, my "client tick rate" will be amazing with 40-50 showing. Then, suddenly 115, 90, 130, etc.

Is there a certain router, out of this group approved by ISP, that you would recommend?:https://www.buyyourownmodem.com/tds-approved-modems/

Much Love and Stay Excellent,

SFinni

[Netduma Fraser]

Thanks for the extra information could you do some tests for me please, from your PC connected to the XR500 could you use command prompt and ping the XR500 LAN IP and post the results, then still connect to the XR500 ping the modem IP if possible and post the results. Then using the same ethernet cable connecting the XR to the modem connect that to your PC and do a command prompt ping to the modem IP. I don't have a specific recommendation for a modem but DOCSIS 3.1 would be best.

[SaintFinnigan]

11 hours ago, Netduma Fraser said:

Thanks for the extra information could you do some tests for me please, from your PC connected to the XR500 could you use command prompt and ping the XR500 LAN IP and post the results, then still connect to the XR500 ping the modem IP if possible and post the results. Then using the same ethernet cable connecting the XR to the modem connect that to your PC and do a command prompt ping to the modem IP. I don't have a specific recommendation for a modem but DOCSIS 3.1 would be best.

I am not totally sure what all my ip addresses are. I know the router is 192.168.1.1 and my xbox is .2, etc. But when it comes to the modem, I think (?) it's 192.168.100.1, but the first place I see PL% is pinging what the XR has gotten from my ISP as my default gateway which is: 74.211.72.1 (I know public and private IP's are different, but pinging the 74.211.x.x what is that going to? My modem? Or is that the public IP of something else?).

 

[Netduma Fraser]

There is a much higher ping from the XR to the modem than I would have expected, it should be minimal consistently. Could you connect the XR to the modem with a new (not a spare) ethernet cable and see if it makes any difference?