Wifi ping spikes to router

Hi,

I'm trying to diagnose an issue with gaming lag
We've used Wifi happily for a couple of years now but recently things have gone a bit fishy.
I noticed during investigation that if I do "ping -t 192.168.1.254" I get spikes
e.g.

Pinging 192.168.1.254 with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time=19ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time=3ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time=1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time=25ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time=7ms TTL=64
Reply from 192.168.1.254: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=64

Is this normal for BT wifi?
I'm sure it used to be 1ms fairly consistently, but could be wrong.

Cheers,

Zebs

Wi-Fi will always have some form of latency spikes at some point due to they are all fighting for that channel to send and receive data, you might only have the one Wi-Fi device, but your neighbours near you might have one (heavily used) or several devices on that same channel on their routers, they will all be fighting against each other for access.

In most cases this may not be that bad, but it can be.

But I would try and change Wi-Fi channels, could be down to other near by routers using the same channels as yours.

I only use Wi-Fi for mobile devices and have everything else as wired.

I know not everyone can go wired, so I would at least try changing channels that your Wi-Fi uses, you can get an app on your Phone or Tablet that scans the Wi-Fi Bands to fine the clearest bands, I am sure somebody on here will tell you the name of the App.

I would scan where your router is located and also in the areas where you use your devices the most, make a note of all the channels with low level signals and pick the channels with the lowest average signals on it.

Paul

I suspect in this case it is something simpler than cross-talk on the channels, Paul. The poster is pinging their own router, and nearly all the responses are the expected 1ms.

Much more likely one of their other devices or even the pinging one is the guilty party, actually receiving or transmitting through the router. I wonder what other devices there are.

Thanks for the replies

I was testing last night with only myself on the network - but a couple of other phones were connected, sitting idle, and a Roku box near the TV

I'm trying a friend's (expensive!) router today hopefully, so will see if that changes things.
I also have an old router I can try as an access point

Cheers,

Zebs

Was the TV in use, on standby, or fully switched/powered off?

Importantly, possibly more so, also the Roku box. I know nothing about how it works, but my Smart TV has a load of apps loaded at boot time.

Don't forget, the Roku is basically a computer and if powered up can do all sorts of things we aren't necessarily aware of. Similarly, mobile phones if they are online to the router even if not being used.

Roku was on but not being used, but it was switched on so could have been doing something.
Will try powering some devices off completely next time it happens