Ping and server change issues

[FBFate]

I normally ahve a 47ms ping at best to main arena which was great, then during the day the server was changed it went dont down to lower then 43ms which had a great effect on gunnery lethality I was very happy! Then I log on today and my main arena ping has more then doubled and the gameplay suffers, however the ping to all other servers except main are still in the 40ms range why is this? I know it may seem stupid to whine about a 140ms ping but when u are used to a 40ms ping its a big difference, and not a good one. I cannot play with a ping that high.

[feem]

Please post a traceroute demonstrating this issue.

[FBFate]

Target Name: argon.gamerslobby.net
         IP: 206.123.111.42
  Date/Time: 3/1/2006 8:12:10 PM to 3/1/2006 8:13:55 PM

 1   *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       [-]
 2    0 ms   14 ms    0 ms    0 ms   14 ms    0 ms    0 ms   14 ms  ge-4-18-ur02.rockville.md.bad.comcast.net [68.87.136.77]
 3    0 ms    0 ms   14 ms    0 ms    0 ms   13 ms   14 ms   14 ms  te-9-1-ur01.rockville.md.bad.comcast.net [68.87.129.153]
 4   14 ms   13 ms    0 ms    0 ms   13 ms    0 ms   14 ms   13 ms  te-9-1-ur01.chillum.dc.bad.comcast.net [68.87.128.217]
 5   14 ms    0 ms   14 ms    0 ms   13 ms    0 ms    0 ms    0 ms  te-9-1-ur01.michiganave.dc.bad.comcast.net [68.87.128.210]
 6   13 ms    0 ms    0 ms   13 ms   14 ms    0 ms   13 ms   14 ms  te-9-1-ur01.benning.dc.bad.comcast.net [68.87.128.165]
 7   14 ms   14 ms   14 ms    0 ms   14 ms    0 ms    0 ms   14 ms  te-7-2-ar01.capitolhghts.md.bad.comcast.net [68.87.128.174]
 8   13 ms   54 ms   14 ms   14 ms    0 ms   14 ms   14 ms    0 ms  [68.87.16.157]
 9   14 ms   14 ms   14 ms   13 ms   14 ms   14 ms    0 ms   14 ms  [12.118.122.5]
10   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms  tbr1-p010401.wswdc.ip.att.net [12.123.9.106]
11   41 ms   42 ms   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms  tbr1-cl4.sl9mo.ip.att.net [12.122.10.30]
12   42 ms   41 ms   41 ms   42 ms   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms  tbr2-cl6.dlstx.ip.att.net [12.122.10.90]
13   41 ms   41 ms   42 ms   41 ms   42 ms   41 ms   41 ms   42 ms  gar1-p370.dlrtx.ip.att.net [12.123.196.97]
14   *       *       *       *       *       *       *       *       [-]
15   41 ms   41 ms  261 ms   41 ms   41 ms   42 ms   41 ms   41 ms  border4.ge4-1-bbnet2.ext1.dal.pnap.net [216.52.191.94]
16   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms   55 ms   41 ms  colo4dallas-3.border4.ext1.dal.pnap.net [216.52.189.10]
17   82 ms   42 ms   41 ms   27 ms   28 ms   41 ms   41 ms   42 ms  [206.123.64.38]
18   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms   42 ms   41 ms   41 ms   42 ms   55 ms  [206.123.64.98]
19   68 ms   69 ms   69 ms   68 ms   69 ms   69 ms   69 ms   69 ms  argon.gamerslobby.net [206.123.111.42]

Ping statistics for argon.gamerslobby.net
Packets: Sent = 8, Received = 8, Lost = 0 (0.0%)
Round Trip Times: Minimum = 68ms, Maximum = 69ms, Average = 68ms

[FBFate]

THe ping for these arenas are the same i was getting in MA before changes were made and what i want back. the game is supposed to improve and evolve not decline and deevolve.
Target Name: N/A
         IP: 206.16.60.38
  Date/Time: 3/1/2006 8:21:30 PM

 1   *       *       *       [-]
 2   14 ms   14 ms    0 ms  ge-4-18-ur02.rockville.md.bad.comcast.net [68.87.136.77]
 3   14 ms    0 ms   14 ms  te-9-1-ur01.rockville.md.bad.comcast.net [68.87.129.153]
 4   13 ms   13 ms    0 ms  te-9-1-ur01.chillum.dc.bad.comcast.net [68.87.128.217]
 5   28 ms   13 ms   14 ms  te-9-1-ur01.michiganave.dc.bad.comcast.net [68.87.128.210]
 6   14 ms    0 ms    0 ms  te-9-1-ur01.benning.dc.bad.comcast.net [68.87.128.165]
 7   13 ms   14 ms   14 ms  te-7-2-ar01.capitolhghts.md.bad.comcast.net [68.87.128.174]
 8   14 ms    0 ms  192 ms  [68.87.16.165]
 9   14 ms   14 ms    0 ms  [12.118.122.9]
10   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms  tbr1-p010401.wswdc.ip.att.net [12.123.9.106]
11   42 ms   41 ms   41 ms  tbr1-cl4.sl9mo.ip.att.net [12.122.10.30]
12   41 ms   41 ms   41 ms  tbr2-cl6.dlstx.ip.att.net [12.122.10.90]
13   55 ms   42 ms   42 ms  gbr2-p100.dlstx.ip.att.net [12.122.12.82]
14   55 ms   54 ms   41 ms  gar1-p370.dlstx.ip.att.net [12.123.16.237]
15   28 ms   27 ms   41 ms  mdf1-gsr12-2-pos-7-0.dal1.attens.net [12.122.255.170]
16   55 ms  138 ms   41 ms  mdf1-bi8k-2-eth-1-1.dal1.attens.net [63.241.192.246]
17   42 ms   42 ms   41 ms  [206.16.60.38]

Ping statistics for 206.16.60.38
Packets: Sent = 3, Received = 3, Lost = 0 (0.0%)
Round Trip Times: Minimum = 41ms, Maximum = 42ms, Average = 41ms

[feem]

There does appear to be a routing issue, but I believe that it resides on the comcast network or between the comcast and ATT networks in your area.

In the first set of results and the second set of results alike, there is a noticable difference in ping between hops 9 and 10. This appears to be a transition point between ATT's border router for this circuit and their core network, as both hops 9 and 10 are owned by ATT. A 25-30ms jump like this is usually associated with geographic hops. Either there is something wrong with this particular peering session or the traffic is being misrouted out to a further destination and then back.

If it is a geographic hop, then it is being routed immediately back to Washington DC immediately afterwards. More likely, there is an issue with one of the peers. Escalating the issue to Comcast will allow them to contact AT&T and possibly work out this issue.

However, there seem to be two separate issues. Already discussed is the 25-30ms increase between hops 9 and 10. It is my belief that the later hop latency (as it is rather intermittent) is caused or compounded by flapping at earlier points in the trace.

Note that the 8th hop in the first trace reports one ping result as 54ms, and the second trace shows the same hop spiking to 192ms.

All previous hops on the comcast network also show variation between 0ms and 14ms, and the routing is rather inefficient to boot, bouncing the traffic back and forth between numerous points in Maryland and the DC Metro area before ever even clearing the Comcast network and heading to ATT.

Once again I believe that these issues earlier in the trace are causing the latency which is demonstrated on the later points in the trace.

Contacting Comcast's core NOC is a viable solution but difficult for those in the consumer market. You may want to dig around on broadbandreports.com for information on how to contact Comcast about routing issues on their network, or contact the technical contact listed in Comcast's whois information.

I hope that this has been helpful.