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I had been experiencing some latency spikes with my internet for about a day. After having an ISP tech come and confirm that there were no problems on their end, I tried pinging my router (Airport Express). This is what I saw (log posted below, not enough rep to show my graph).
Somehow, the ping time to my router (from just 5 feet away) was creating a sawtooth wave. Performing a factory reset did not fix the problem, and an Apple tech ultimately just replaced the device. The problem is gone, but now I'm really curious about what could have been going on. Has anyone seen behavior like this before? Here's a full ping log for reference:
(EDIT: I believe this is unrelated to the "Buffer Bloat" problems that carry similar symptoms. I am able to reproduce the problem when the router is not connected to the internet. I strongly believe this is not a duplicate question as it is unrelated to my ISP, which is the core of the answer in the linked question.)
PING 10.0.1.1 (10.0.1.1): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=0 ttl=255 time=73.326 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=1 ttl=255 time=120.442 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=2 ttl=255 time=168.057 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=3 ttl=255 time=211.952 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=4 ttl=255 time=1.071 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=5 ttl=255 time=1.102 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=6 ttl=255 time=1.133 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=7 ttl=255 time=1.098 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=8 ttl=255 time=1.202 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=9 ttl=255 time=3.075 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=10 ttl=255 time=4.314 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=11 ttl=255 time=52.340 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=12 ttl=255 time=98.328 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=13 ttl=255 time=145.725 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=14 ttl=255 time=192.306 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=15 ttl=255 time=1.322 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=16 ttl=255 time=1.158 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=17 ttl=255 time=1.131 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=18 ttl=255 time=18.096 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=19 ttl=255 time=1.130 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=20 ttl=255 time=1.040 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=21 ttl=255 time=1.136 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=22 ttl=255 time=33.145 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=23 ttl=255 time=80.273 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=24 ttl=255 time=126.750 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=25 ttl=255 time=171.643 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=26 ttl=255 time=215.126 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=27 ttl=255 time=1.140 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=28 ttl=255 time=1.239 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=29 ttl=255 time=1.178 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=30 ttl=255 time=1.090 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=31 ttl=255 time=1.160 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=32 ttl=255 time=1.333 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=33 ttl=255 time=10.550 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=34 ttl=255 time=55.832 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=35 ttl=255 time=101.375 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=36 ttl=255 time=147.032 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=37 ttl=255 time=193.163 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=38 ttl=255 time=1.137 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=39 ttl=255 time=1.109 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=40 ttl=255 time=1.045 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=41 ttl=255 time=1.133 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=42 ttl=255 time=6.681 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=43 ttl=255 time=19.093 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=44 ttl=255 time=1.132 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=45 ttl=255 time=52.848 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=46 ttl=255 time=83.774 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=47 ttl=255 time=127.273 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=48 ttl=255 time=171.757 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=49 ttl=255 time=219.219 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=50 ttl=255 time=1.133 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=51 ttl=255 time=17.985 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=52 ttl=255 time=1.167 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=53 ttl=255 time=1.799 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=54 ttl=255 time=1.145 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=55 ttl=255 time=1.201 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=56 ttl=255 time=9.702 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=57 ttl=255 time=60.177 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=58 ttl=255 time=104.721 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=59 ttl=255 time=151.101 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=60 ttl=255 time=194.599 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=61 ttl=255 time=1.097 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=62 ttl=255 time=1.222 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=63 ttl=255 time=1.008 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=64 ttl=255 time=1.032 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=65 ttl=255 time=1.127 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=66 ttl=255 time=1.111 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=67 ttl=255 time=13.147 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=68 ttl=255 time=43.988 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=69 ttl=255 time=90.388 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=70 ttl=255 time=137.661 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=71 ttl=255 time=183.365 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=72 ttl=255 time=1.202 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=73 ttl=255 time=1.119 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=74 ttl=255 time=1.107 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=75 ttl=255 time=28.675 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=76 ttl=255 time=1.235 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=77 ttl=255 time=1.892 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=78 ttl=255 time=1.521 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=79 ttl=255 time=26.785 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=80 ttl=255 time=73.599 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=81 ttl=255 time=119.051 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=82 ttl=255 time=166.061 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=83 ttl=255 time=211.415 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=84 ttl=255 time=1.131 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=85 ttl=255 time=1.164 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=86 ttl=255 time=1.118 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=87 ttl=255 time=1.173 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=88 ttl=255 time=1.043 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=89 ttl=255 time=1.080 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=90 ttl=255 time=8.285 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=91 ttl=255 time=52.001 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=92 ttl=255 time=100.054 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=93 ttl=255 time=146.326 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=94 ttl=255 time=194.628 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=95 ttl=255 time=1.099 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=96 ttl=255 time=1.136 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=97 ttl=255 time=1.529 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=98 ttl=255 time=1.304 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=99 ttl=255 time=10.176 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=100 ttl=255 time=1.356 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=101 ttl=255 time=1.032 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=102 ttl=255 time=45.241 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=103 ttl=255 time=95.921 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=104 ttl=255 time=140.944 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=105 ttl=255 time=206.081 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=106 ttl=255 time=1.162 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=107 ttl=255 time=4.226 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=108 ttl=255 time=20.158 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=109 ttl=255 time=1.094 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=110 ttl=255 time=1.198 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=111 ttl=255 time=4.516 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=112 ttl=255 time=1.269 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=113 ttl=255 time=35.106 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=114 ttl=255 time=83.162 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=115 ttl=255 time=124.009 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=116 ttl=255 time=174.926 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=117 ttl=255 time=215.831 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=118 ttl=255 time=1.164 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=119 ttl=255 time=1.560 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=120 ttl=255 time=1.119 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=121 ttl=255 time=1.353 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=122 ttl=255 time=1.086 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=123 ttl=255 time=1.088 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=124 ttl=255 time=10.519 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=125 ttl=255 time=58.219 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=126 ttl=255 time=104.353 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=127 ttl=255 time=148.034 ms
64 bytes from 10.0.1.1: icmp_seq=128 ttl=255 time=194.194 ms
--- 10.0.1.1 ping statistics ---
129 packets transmitted, 129 packets received, 0.0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 1.008/52.600/219.219/70.207 ms
Jacob
Posted 2015-04-24T04:18:13.137
Reputation: 53
1Without access to the device, this would be speculation, ultimately opinion, and so off topic. – Paul – 2015-04-24T05:35:57.363
@Paul I was more curious if this behavior is indicative of some type of known problem that can happen with home wireless routers. – Jacob – 2015-04-24T05:37:44.257
I've had some issues with my airport express card on the 5ghz range. Not sure what's going on, but switching to the 2.4Ghz fixes the problem immediately. Also, there could be some other traffic on the same frequency band (from a neighbor's house, etc.) that is interfering and such – Russell Uhl – 2015-04-24T16:13:55.063
Even with the edit. There literally is no way for us to do anything except speculate. It sounds like the device was simply defective. – Ramhound – 2015-04-28T13:58:28.103