30M : How did my friends ping/latency half when his speeds were doubled?

[Cammsy]

Hi guys,

I'm a competitive console gamer and compete in a game where broadband connection seriously matters, it's more or less the difference between winning and losing, so this question is really important for me.

My friend, who is a competitive gamer like myself who is a member of my team, lives in Grimsby, England and had his broadband speeds doubled (in his area) earlier last month. He was upgraded from virgin media 30MB to virgin media 60MB. I understand ping/ latency isn't meant to change, but his improved/ lowered from (averaged) 20-23 pings to 10-12 pings. How did this happen? I need my pings (averaged) 21-24 to change closer to 10 also.

I've been doing hours of research a day for the past week, to find out how to achieve this low pings with my broadband connection.

My broadband speeds aren't going to be doubled until January 2013, but I can upgrade to 60MB or 100MB with virgin media when ever I want. I would upgrade to 100MB instantly if I knew this would affect my pings/latency.

Is it possible that virgin media can do something to improve my pings/latency? Could I get whatever happened with my team mates broadband to my own broadband?

Please reply if you have any input to give,
Thanks.

[qasdfdsaq]

Your team-mate's change of ping probably has nothing to do with his change of speed. Some other coincidental factor caused it, such as a change of IP address.

Ask him to do a traceroute to a gaming server, then do the same thing on your connection. Post the results here.

[Cammsy]

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Your team-mate's change of ping probably has nothing to do with his change of speed. Some other coincidental factor caused it, such as a change of IP address.

Ask him to do a traceroute to a gaming server, then do the same thing on your connection. Post the results here.

I won't be able to get in contact with my team mate until he comes online, but here is my ping traceroute below, i'm a console gamer so don't know any gaming servers to ping to, so I pinged to this website instead:-

Microsoft Windows XP [Version 5.1.2600]
(C) Copyright 1985-2001 Microsoft Corp.

C:\Documents and Settings\HP_Administrator>tracert www.cableforum.co.uk

Tracing route to www.cableforum.co.uk [87.106.245.143]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 15 ms 7 ms 7 ms cpc3-sket3-2-0-gw.7-3.cable.virginmedia.com [[Mod Edit - home IP address removed]
2 7 ms 7 ms 26 ms swan-core-1a-ge-300-1609.network.virginmedia.net
[213.105.225.69]
3 15 ms 11 ms 18 ms brhm-bb-1a-ge-130-0.network.virginmedia.net [212
.43.162.105]
4 46 ms 59 ms 21 ms nrth-bb-1b-ae2-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253
.185.85]
5 25 ms 20 ms 21 ms tele-ic-4-ae0-0.network.virginmedia.net [62.253.
174.18]
6 26 ms 24 ms 26 ms linx.bb-c.the.lon.gb.oneandone.net [195.66.224.9
8]
7 38 ms 39 ms 39 ms te-1-3.bb-c.bap.rhr.de.oneandone.net [212.227.12
0.49]
8 40 ms 49 ms 37 ms ae-1.bb-c.tp.kae.de.oneandone.net [212.227.121.1
67]
9 46 ms 33 ms 35 ms ae-1.gw-distp-a.bs.ka.oneandone.net [212.227.116
.210]
10 36 ms 135 ms 34 ms ae-1.gw-prtr-r1-1a.fs.kae.de.oneandone.net [195.
20.247.137]
11 35 ms 37 ms 33 ms server1.cableforum.co.uk [87.106.245.143]

Trace complete.

[pabscars]

Cammsy, arent you already discussing this in at least 2 other threads ?

[Jayster]

I am guessing you and your team mate are measuring latency via pingtest?

[Cammsy]

Originally Posted by pabscars

Cammsy, arent you already discussing this in at least 2 other threads ?

I have been discussing ping (generalised) in one other thread which isn't active. This is an entirely different question on it's own and wish much different answers.

---------- Post added at 15:19 ---------- Previous post was at 15:18 ----------

Originally Posted by Jayster

I am guessing you and your team mate are measuring latency via pingtest?

Yes, www.speedtest.net and www.pingtest.net. However, we have compared our results by www.pingtest.net only. I have done several traceroutes, he has done none. My traceroutes always look similar to my traceroute above. An average test from www.pingtest.net for my broadband is:-

Ping: 21-24
Packet Loss: 0%
Jitter: 3-5ms

[Jayster]

Your friend could have either tested via a different server that is closer/has better routing or the routing to the server your friend used may have changed. I can get pings around 10ms from some servers close to me and im sure you can too.

So basically your friends overall latency has not really changed.

[Cammsy]

Originally Posted by Jayster

Your friend could have either tested via a different server that is closer/has better routing or the routing to the server your friend used may have changed. I can get pings around 10ms from some servers close to me and im sure you can too.

So basically your friends overall latency has not really changed.

Nope, I get consistently from my closest server, 21-24 ping.
He tests from his closest server, and gets 10-13 ping consistently, both using an ethernet cable.

His faster ping speed is more than evident when playing together online on every single host/ server. He agrees with me when I say his ping is significantly faster in comparison to how it used to be before the doubling of the speeds and to my ping.

I've never got below 20 ping on speedtest.net or pingtest.net at any time of day or on any type of server. I know these are not as accurate as traceroutes, but they are accurate enough to give me this much knowledge so far.

[boroboi]

What game are you playing? A lot of console games, almost all infact, are p2p based and don't use dedicated servers, they only use servers to handshake and then it's all down to the clients, so the quality of your connection relies on the quality of your host. Latencies are obviously higher when using the p2p method and cheaper for the developer. You'll only see pings as low as 10 on some dedi servers. The reason you'll also feel sluggish in comparison to your team mates is because jitter is prevalent on a lot of people's connections on Virgin Media... 20 ping is uselesss if you have 10ms of jitter ontop of it.

The only way his latency would have improved is as qasi said, a change of IP or his local router has been routed through a faster part of the network.

Saying that, your claims of 10ms or less on a console game without any sort of real time measurement or way to actually measure it seems a bit far fetched tbh... sounds more like to me your team mates have less jitter and you have more.

Another thing is that your team mates local network was updated capacity wise along with the speed upgrade, which resulted in (as has been seen in other areas) a reduction in max and average latency, resulting in less jitter, while yours remains the same.

[Cammsy]

Originally Posted by boroboi

What game are you playing? A lot of console games, almost all infact, are p2p based and don't use dedicated servers, they only use servers to handshake and then it's all down to the clients, so the quality of your connection relies on the quality of your host. Latencies are obviously higher when using the p2p method and cheaper for the developer. You'll only see pings as low as 10 on some dedi servers. The reason you'll also feel sluggish in comparison to your team mates is because jitter is prevalent on a lot of people's connections on Virgin Media... 20 ping is uselesss if you have 10ms of jitter ontop of it.

The only way his latency would have improved is as qasi said, a change of IP or his local router has been routed through a faster part of the network.

Saying that, your claims of 10ms or less on a console game without any sort of real time measurement or way to actually measure it seems a bit far fetched tbh... sounds more like to me your team mates have less jitter and you have more.

Another thing is that your team mates local network was updated capacity wise along with the speed upgrade, which resulted in (as has been seen in other areas) a reduction in max and average latency, resulting in less jitter, while yours remains the same.

Gears of War 3 - With better ping/ latency, your bullets register faster (come out after pulling the trigger faster) and most importantly (what i'm interested in and effects competitive play), your bullets register better making the damage you inflict a lot more powerful and consistent meaning at the top competitive level, you win a gun fight if your ping is better than your opponents.

My guess is that his router has been routed through a faster part of the network which I guess I need my mother to phone virgin media and ask for too.

My jitter never goes above 6ms, average is 3ms. We both use an ethernet cable direct from our routers. We both have more than sufficient download and upload for gaming. We both play on dedicated servers when not playing competitively, and on p2p servers when playing competitively. Lag differences remain the same on both type of servers, we both agree, we are competitive players and have been playing the game since 2006, and so can easily recognise a change in lag as we have both done with his broadband connection.

On tests, the results i've shown have been consistent. We know judging from ping tests and from the evidence shown when playing the game, that he is connecting to dedicated servers and p2p servers, a lot faster/ better than he was before the upgrade and in comparison to how I connect to the same servers at the same time (when i'm in the same match playing).

[boroboi]

VM can't, and won't do anything to change your route through the network, it is what it is until it changes for whatever reason.

Even jitter of between 3 and 6 is enough to impact on online gaming, especially shooters and other games which require instant button registration in order to be fluid.

[Cammsy]

Originally Posted by boroboi

VM can't, and won't do anything to change your route through the network, it is what it is until it changes for whatever reason.

Even jitter of between 3 and 6 is enough to impact on online gaming, especially shooters and other games which require instant button registration in order to be fluid.

Thought not, [Mod Edit] my life and call me [Mod Edit] at the game.

It is against site Acceptable Use Policies to use words that activate the site "profanity" filter - please do not repeat this behaviour, otherwise the infraction system may be invoked.

[Cammsy]

Originally Posted by Hugh

It is against site T&C's to use words that activate the site "bad language" filter - repetition of this behaviour will invoke the infraction system.

Thought it might have been, I apologise for my use of bad language, but don't regret showing how much impact ping/ latency affects competitive gaming, especially Gears of War 3. My endeavours with my research, still have not been met.

If you thought it might have been, may I suggest (very strongly) you don't repeat your action.