BQM Shows 30% Packet Loss, Ping Test Doesn't

I have BQM pinging my Fritzbox 7530 constantly. I get random periods of reported packet loss of around 30%. Ping test from CMD shows no appreciable packet loss & is consistent both when BQM shows loss & not. Simply dropping the connection momentarily to get a new dynamic IP address (BT) clears this from BQM.

Any idea what's going on?

Does anyone know what threshold BQM uses to determine a packet as lost?

In reply to a post by rbz5416:

Any idea what's going on?

pingbox is on a different network to your ISP. If you ping from the Windows Command Prompt you can ping anything, including pingbox1.thinkbroadband.com but there is no guarantee the pings from your computer to TBB and back to you go through the same network paths, as pings started from the TBB end. Asymetric routing happens.

Windows command ping may not be as fast as once a second that the pingbox is sending.

In reply to a post by rbz5416:

Does anyone know what threshold BQM uses to determine a packet as lost?

I'm fairly sure it's 500mS, but I wouldn't guarantee it. That's based on memory of discussions in the early days of the BQM, which was a long while ago!

Get a free copy of PingPlotter and instal on your device.

You can run that continually and see what results you get there.

Thanks guys. I've been using this site but also downloaded PingPlotter. Neither show any packet loss while BQM does. So whatever BQM is reporting seems false.

I have been seeing the same thing on my Plusnet FTTC broadband for some time. I also use the same Fritzbox 7530 router.

The packet loss shown by BQM doesn't seem to affect speed tests from TBB or BT wholesale or pings from CMD, but shows up as a sudden jump to 20-30% packet loss followed by a gradual improvement to 0% loss over perhaps 24 hours, then its starts again with a sudden jump back to 20-30% loss.

Here's a link to a BQM graph that shows this:

My Broadband Ping

Today's results from BQM have been a bit more consistent, for no apparent reason.

My Broadband Ping

I'd also like to know why this might be happening, and why the large packet loss doesn't seem to affect speed tests or pings.

I am just curious about it, not overly concerned. Could it be a router thing rather than the line?

Interesting that yours kicked in at 2 AM, that's when mine often starts. This has only started in the last couple of weeks or so but is showing to varying degrees most days.

I don't think it's anything to do with the router as I run a pair of them as a mesh, so one connected to vDSL & the other connected to that. I swapped them around last week & the phantom packet loss is still showing. Nothing has changed in the Fritzbox setup or firmware version in that time.

I might dig out the old HG612 modem to try if I can find the will. But as long as there's no actual impact of usage I'm just curious like yourself.

And so it continues, again kicking in in the early hours:

Packet loss

Is the Fritzbox that the issue, For some reason they dont like to be pinged from the WAN interface.

Keep in mind, You dont need the HG612 modem as you can put the Fritzbox into bridge mode, see here https://en.avm.de/service/knowledge-base/dok/FRITZ-B... - Once you done that, You can attach your own router e.g netgear nighthawk r7000 with PPPoE via WAN and make sure is Cable and not ADSL2+ version,

If you with BT broadband there PPPoE is simple as

VLAN ID: 101
username: [email protected]
password: bt

Plusnet uses a username and password for PPPoE what you can request from the ISP.
https://www.plus.net/help/broadband/broadband-connec...

TalkTalk
VLAN ID: 101
No username/password needed.
https://community.talktalk.co.uk/t5/Articles/Set-up-...

Edited by francisuk25 (Wed 31-Aug-22 03:51:38)