Recording/tracking network issues (e.g. jitter, latency, packet loss)

Started by networkwalking

Recording/tracking network issues (e.g. jitter, latency, packet loss)   30 May 2018, 11:31

I'm emboldened by the wonderfully positive response I received in another thread, so wanted to see if there's already functionality in NetWorx (or maybe a companion app), or whether functionality could be added to NetWorx, for trying to track and diagnose network issues like latency, packet loss and jitter?

The reason for my request is that I have an ongoing, very difficult to diagnose, problem with my Comcast connection at one site. I've had technicians out multiple times, I've had a new line run from the local box to the building, and my jack that my modem plugs into has tested out fine. But periodically I'll have horrible periods of timeouts that aren't a complete "internet down" situation, but where not much is usable. It's basically the worst scenario to diagnose -- the connection isn't completely down (so Comcast remotely asserts everything is fine), but the connection is barely usable during these episodes. So I've been looking into getting something like PingPlotter, but it's crazy expensive for the full version and probably way more than I need in the long run.

I understand if this is all beyond the scope of NetWorx and/or other software you all offer, but thought I'd throw it out there to see if there's any existing functionality I could use for diagnosing this issue (and ideally accumulating data to make a more concrete case to Comcast regarding whatever is going wrong), and/or if there's functionality that could be enhanced or added in NetWorx (or other software you offer) to help with all this.

Thanks for your consideration! smile
SoftPerfect Support forum - Andrew avatar image

Re: Recording/tracking network issues (e.g. jitter, latency, packet loss)   30 May 2018, 16:44

It is indeed beyond the scope of NetWorx. We aim to keep it a lightweight traffic monitor rather than all-in-one network connectivity troubleshooting tool.

Furthermore, the network issues like you described are common, yet painfully hard to pinpoint and fix. One may need tools like a ping monitor, Iperf, Wireshark and even a hardware signal analyser. With intermittent connectivity issues the reason can be anything from router running out of memory to a microwave oven interfering with signals (a real case from my practice!).

We do have another tool -- Network Scanner, but its feature set is more suitable for network administration than troubleshooting. So would recommend to try a third-party tool, PRTG Network Monitor, it has a freeware version and performs all those advanced tests. Please take a look, it sounds like something you are looking for.

Re: Recording/tracking network issues (e.g. jitter, latency, packet loss)   30 May 2018, 23:36

I totally understand and respect all that. One of the things I have really appreciated about NetWorx is that it is not bloated, so keep up the good work with that tight-focus! smile

Thanks for those thoughts, experiences and suggestions -- I'll get rid of all the microwaves in the building (hah!). wink PRTG Network Monitor is a good suggestion -- I appreciate the free alternative!

Thanks again!

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