Internet Lag

[adamsgotowned]

I wasnt sure wether or not to post this in the gaming section, but it also is noticable in my normal internet.

Around 3 or 4 days ago i was playing a game online and noticed that i had started to have these random lags for about 15-20 seconds. At first my internet will run fine and i think it wont start but it does. From here it will lag, then work fine, then lag, then work fine, and so on (i tried other games and the same thing happened). I figured it was just going to go away for the first day and a half or so, but its becoming really annoying. So does anyone have any solutions/suggestions or something i can at least try to fix it?

I run on a Cable modem and have never really experienced this before now.

[Allan]

Open task manager to the PROCESSES tab and sort on the cpu column with highest usage at the top (double-click the "cpu" title). Next time there's a lag see if something is eating the cpu cycles.

[Aegis]

Really basic questions.

Is there a router involved?  Have you rebooted the cable modem, and the router, if you have one?

Do you run directly from the computer to the cable modem?  If you can do this, does it make a difference in performance.

[macdad-]

Perhaps the server of that online game is the problem not you.

Also it depends upon how long the Network Adaptor has been running, sometimes after a while of recieving quite alot of packets, you may get some lag.

[adamsgotowned]

alright thanks for all the answers.

So far out of the things you have said ive done the following already,
1. rebooted modem (unplugged for 15 seconds, oonly did once though)
2. processes have been checked only thing running other then it thats takin cpu up is system idle process (i check that alot)

The servers is a good idea but i ask around on CS source and no one else experiences it ( i play on reliable servers) and the mmo i play no one else i know experiences it.

For the Router question, we have our house wired where our modem is in our basement and idk how our it guy did it but it was when our house was built (not long ago). all i know is im plugged into the wall directly no wireless is involved.

Also, for the network adaptor running alot, i have restarted my computer a few times since this occured so i think it reset the packets. Maybe i am complete wrong and  got the packets wrong. If so explain please.

[macdad-]

The problem may be in the connection between your ISP and the CS server.

If none of the other players are experiencing the lag then the connection may be fuzzy.

[adamsgotowned]

As i was saying though i experience it in all servers i play on, and not only in CS.
Im really annoyed by this thing at the moment. It kicks in at the worst possible times!

[Aegis]

There must be a router or switch somewhere which handles all the ethernet cables in the house.  I'd reboot the router, too.

[dahlarbear]

2. processes have been checked only thing running other then it thats takin cpu up is system idle process (i check that alot)

Try the "task manager" tool Microsoft should have provided (and which they finally acquired with the purchase of SysInternals):  Process Explorer.

Download and unzip "Process Explorer".  Double-click on "procexp.exe" to run. 

Add "Context Switch Delta" to the display.  From top menu bar of Process Explorer select "View" -> "Set Columns..." -> "Process Performance" tab -> check box "Context Switch Delta" -> click "OK" button at bottom to accept.

Now on Process Explorer display, left click column heading "Context Switch Delta" and drag it (reposition) next to "CPU" column.

Bring up the "System Information" display.  From top menu bar of Process Explorer select "View" -> "System Information".

Let system run awhile.  See if you can coorelate the lags to any significant CPU or Context Switch Delta usage on the Process Explorer display.  Also look at the "graphs" (CPU Usage and I/O Bytes) on the "System Information" window for "peaks" at the same intervals as the lags occur.  If you mouse over those peaks, it should tell you what process was using largest amount of resource during the peak.