GFast latency dropped, but packet loss jumped

I'm on GFast, 330/50, syncing at pretty much full speed. The connection has been generally pretty reliable.

A couple of nights ago, my latency dropped from ~20ms to ~8ms, but simultaneously started showing packet loss of around 2-5%, which is enough to make online gaming pretty painful. I have a broadband quality monitor running so I can see a clear line where both changes happened together.

Any suggestions? I wondered whether interleaving had been turned off, which would reduce latency but show previously masked packet loss?

I've raised a ticket with Zen, but their response so far has been the usual "connect directly to the master socket, wait a few days" which doesn't fill me with confidence!

Here's the BQM graph , which hopefully will be accessible...

Edited by timjon (Thu 27-May-21 12:43:49)

The link doesn't work!

You need to use the "Share Today's Snapshot Graph" (having selected a day from the calendar first if needed) or "Share Live Graph". After generating the links copy and paste Direct Link or Text Link - BBCode (for forums; including thinkbroadband forums) code in to your post.

Edited by jelv (Thu 27-May-21 12:20:35)

Thanks, post hopefully updated! I've had a bit of a dig and the packet loss is definitely occurring at the first hop (between fritz.box and vt1.cor1.lond1.ptn.zen.net.uk).

Okay, I've pulled the faceplate from my master socket (one of the new "master socket 5c" ones), and connected via an old microfilter instead. This has given me a much slower (around 90 Mbps) connection but with zero packet loss.

Oddly, the metal tines on the plug of the faceplate (where it inserts into the master socket) have sprung loose and popped out, rendering it impossible to reinsert. I'm wondering if that was causing some kind of loose connection.

I was considering buying a replacement like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Openreach-Telephone-Master-...

But that says "VDSL" and I believe GFast is VDSL2? Also my current faceplate has "G.fast" written on it, which the one above doesn't - are there any genuine differences I should be aware of?

In reply to a post by timjon:

Okay, I've pulled the faceplate from my master socket (one of the new "master socket 5c" ones), and connected via an old microfilter instead. This has given me a much slower (around 90 Mbps) connection but with zero packet loss.

Oddly, the metal tines on the plug of the faceplate (where it inserts into the master socket) have sprung loose and popped out, rendering it impossible to reinsert. I'm wondering if that was causing some kind of loose connection.

I was considering buying a replacement like this: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Openreach-Telephone-Master-...

But that says "VDSL" and I believe GFast is VDSL2? Also my current faceplate has "G.fast" written on it, which the one above doesn't - are there any genuine differences I should be aware of?

Use it without the filter connected directly to the test socket; G.Fast uses a different band plan to VDSL and using an old filter only meant for VDSL is probably the cause of the reduced speed.

The filter will not cause lower speed, it only filters the phone output, the Broadband signal is a straight through connection. ADSL, VDSL2 or G.FAST is irrelevant.

Sorry you didnt say if you was using the fritzbox that Zen supplied? If so is one of the issues with the fritzbox

can you try openreach gfast modem ethernet lan port direct to pc ethernet lan port and set up dial up connection with your username / password on your pc without your zen wifi router and see if the packet loss has gone but got max speed then get back to zen to get a replaced zen wifi router.

The engineer did bring him Master Socket 5C with front faceplate marked with Gfast but he saw I already got Master Socket 5C MK4 with front faceplate without Gfast marked and say that's was fine because the front faceplate behind got crystal clear see through, if it was blue on it then he will replaced faceplate with Gfast marked because he told me the blue one is very bad for Gfast. So he tested the line and Gfast was fine with my Master Socket 5C MK4 with front faceplate without Gfast marked.

https://www.run-it-direct.co.uk/adsl-vdsl-faceplates... it say here stroll down the page: This faceplate will work with ADSL, ADSL2, VDSL, VDSL2 & G.fast.

Edited by adslmax (Sat 29-May-21 02:48:29)