Connection Issures

SweetSensi · Registered User Joined: 08 Nov 2001 Posts: 12

Hi guys, my connection has gone to crap lately, at least for what I'm used to. I did a couple tests on my connection through www.dslreports.com

The first one I did was a security test. They said I could have a possible problem with my tcp/ip port 21. I believe this port is used for ftp. I have run a ftp server before but I am not currently running one. They suggested that I might have a trojan horse virus using this port to upload warez to different servers. This is possible, since my virus protection is outdated and I do have serveral cracked programs that could have led to a virus. My question is: is there an easy way to close this port? or do i have to find the virus, if there is one, and delete it?

The second test I did was on my line quality. I had been talking to other tfc players about lag who seemed to know what they were talking about and they said my problem was with packet loss. I would have a ping of around 50, but then all the sudden i would freeze and be stuck for 5 seconds or so, and then my ping would be right back down to 50. The line quality test came back with the results of a 20% loss latency. This doesn't mean much to me, because I'm not fully aware of all the technical terms on the net, but I'm almost positive it's related somehow to my packet loss. The details of the line quality test can be seen here http://www.dslreports.com/quality/nil/746274

I guess my next step would be reformatting unless you guys could provide some suggestions. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Oh, and btw do you think a firewall would help at this point, because I don't have one.

SweetSensi

BitterBeerFace · Posted: Wed May 01, 2002 5:06 pm Post subject:

Doh! 20% packet loss is... well, unplayable. If I'm interpretting that right, there are 4 routers being "bottlenecks" for ya... ***EDIT*** Actually, it looks like 2, didn't notice they were testing from both coasts...***/EDIT*** they're probably overloaded and can't keep up with all the traffic, when they get like that, their memory buffer fills up, and then they start dropping packets... they do that so there's at least a chance that stuff will get through, otherwise they'd have to block some connections, giving someone the BIG shaft, the way it is now, they only give everyone a small shaft.

I've tried to play with packet loss like that, but I totally gave up on it, just not fun.

If you want to be helpful, send that link to the tech guys at your ISP, it could be that no one "important" knows about the problem... all the customers know, but if no one complains, the tech guys just think everything is running fine. (I'm a tech guy, I know how we think, hehehhe)

SweetSensi · Registered User Joined: 08 Nov 2001 Posts: 12

Yea, it is unplayable, I've actually been thinking about giving up tfc cause of it. Halo seems alot better. I will email the techies over at cox@home. Hopefully they can fix the problem. Thanks for the input.

Snaggletooth · Guest

It wouldn't let me use the tools anymore, but here is one of the results of my speed test.
your
download «4993 kbps
your
upload «6060 kbps

I think that's pretty decent compared to my old cable modem with its 1500 max DL speed.

Sensi,
I don't think a Firewall would help your situation at all. It would just cause one more place for you to experience packet loss. I guess I'd recommend calling the operators where the loss is the worst, and see if there's anything you can do.

Albino Gibbon · Posted: Thu May 02, 2002 10:01 am Post subject:

Try a traceroute. For the most part, it will give you the amount of hops to the server, ping times and packet loss. It should show you exactly which hop is causing the hassle. If it is your local connection, you might be able to do something about it. If it is 6 hops down the line, I don't know what you could do. I had the same problem awhile back and until @home went belly up it stayed that way for weeks. Once @home went bye bye, it improved tremendously. I knew exactly where the the connection went south, called them and because I wasn't an @home user, they wouldn't help me. So, pretty much, I told them they were doing a disservice to all customers going through that hop, because it was theirs.
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Bada Bing · Posted: Thu May 02, 2002 2:04 pm Post subject:

go back to dslreports.comm/tweaks and run that test as well. when complete it will give you some sugestions. It may have you download drtcp it will allow you to set up some or all or the recommenations tweaks gave you
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