Massive ping/latency spikes on new WiFi 7 router

[JamesG94]

Hello,

I've recently migrated from BT and have just installed my equipment for my Full Fibre 900 line. Our download/upload speeds are great and consistent, but whenever a video buffers I get massive ping spikes. This is a repeatable, reliable thing that I can demonstrate: start pinging 8.8.8.8, open a new tab, play a youtube video and the ping will spike to 2000ms+. This happens whenever a video buffers too.

We have a WiFi 7  router plugged into the ONT downstairs, and I'm using an ethernet connection into the Wifi Smart booster upstairs.

I've tried to disable the 2.4gz and 6hz band and see if only using 5ghz will be more reliable, but the booster refuses to pair when only the 5ghz band is available. Turning on the 6ghz band immediately connects the booster, but the above issue persists.

Can anyone advise me on further steps? I'm trying to use the connection for gaming which is impossible when it has massive spikes every 10-20 seconds.

Another, easier to see example of the spikes happening over a 5 minute period:

[JamesG94]

Worth mentioning that I'm unable to use an ethernet connection directly into the router due to the shape of the house, my WFH station and personal PC is upstairs and the router is downstairs, we cannot run an ethernet cable across the house unfortunately.

[JimM11]

@JamesG94 It takes time for your pictures to be released for viewing, and you do have far from an ideal situation hardware wise for what you are trying to achieve, did you ever have success in the operation with other specific hardware. Does not matter wether you are plugged in  by ethernet or not, you are still relying on the Smart Wireless device to transmit to the EE Pro router over the wireless backhaul and as i do not use any off those specific devices do believe that the 6Ghz band is required for the backhaul to allow them both to work, matter of fact that ALL bands are required so better not switch any off  at present. 

You need to give more detail on specifics of your installation, position of router to the position of the smart wireless, distance from each other / number of floors etc. And if your previous worked fine with BT then put it all back on.

[JamesG94]

The previous installation with BT was far from fine, we had their 900 full fibre package and for 5-6 hours a day we got 20mbps and 500 ping on all devices, ethernet direct to the router or wifi. After 2 openreach engineers came out and ran a single test they recommended we just migrate to EE with the brand new hardware and hopefully that resolves it.

I've not purchased any aftermarket hardware, just the default kit sent from the provider(s).

Right now we have these 2 bits of kit running: https://ee.co.uk/broadband/wifi-7

Our router is installed directly next to the ONT mounted on the wall, in a really awkward spot in the corner of the house. I'm upstairs next to the booster wired in, direct distance around 4 meters at most. We live in a 2 floor house.

The bands were turned off at the recommendation of an EE helpdesk agent, I've switched them back on and the issue persists.

[JimM11]

@JamesG94 To establish if this is a wireless or a router/fibre issue, and really such a short distance between both, then you are going to require to start from the beginning of it all. Choice is move your PC down to the router temp and connect via Ethernet to the back of the Pro and do test to see if it all works. Second would be to roughly over estimate how long off a cable you would need to get from the EE Pro router to the PC upstairs, say at a guess 15 Meter's would be long enough, buy a cable and place on a temp basis between the two and test that way. 

You could also and this would be required, switch of all wireless devices, and only have the Router, Smart wireless and the PC connected, so just 3 devices and try that way, ping 8.8.8.8 -n 300 from a cmd prompt will do approx 5 minute test and see what the max is on that test.  

[JimM11]

@JamesG94 The results below for a direct to router wireless connected about 4 Metres away same level the 234ms was only ONE response after about 4.30 minutes into the test. All devices on as i KNOW how my wireless behaves device wise.

Ping statistics for 8.8.8.8:
Packets: Sent = 300, Received = 300, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 15ms, Maximum = 234ms, Average = 19ms

2nd example is below direct to my Asus router on wired backhaul to the EE router, copied also a little were ping spiked, probably the wife doing her you tube video and the only high was about 38ms somewhere. 

Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=17ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=80ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=89ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=97ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=17ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=17ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=17ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=17ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=17ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=17ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=16ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=17ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=18ms TTL=116
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=16ms TTL=116

Ping statistics for 8.8.8.8:
Packets: Sent = 300, Received = 300, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 15ms, Maximum = 97ms, Average = 17ms

[JamesG94]

I'd genuinely love to have my PC wired in directly but unfortunately the ONT is in a cupboard at the back of the kitchen, it's not really viable. I'll buy a long cable to test but that wouldn't be a permemant solution, I'd prefer to wire it through the floor but we live in rented accommodation.

For 3 years we had a flawless connection over wifi, max 20 ping when wired into the Smart Hub Disc. I know it's very much possible to have a stable connection, our walls haven't gotten thicker etc. I worked from home and have used that quality of connection for years, its only in the last 6 months it's massively degraded to the point of frustration.

Here are the results of my ping test:

Ping statistics for 8.8.8.8:
Packets: Sent = 300, Received = 300, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 9ms, Maximum = 3713ms, Average = 48ms

Spikes to 3-4000 ping makes this unusable for gaming, it's fine for watching streamed video because you don't notice the jitters.

If this kind of quality had always been in place I wouldn't be complaining but we've gone from a solid, stable, high quality connection to extremely sporadic this year.

[JamesG94]

Spiking to 80ms would be fine for me, this isn't:

Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=11ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=11ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=11ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=12ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=15ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=13ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=1802ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=12ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=11ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=12ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=11ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=16ms TTL=117
Reply from 8.8.8.8: bytes=32 time=10ms TTL=117

[JimM11]

@JamesG94 That is what i was trying to get at and you said that the BT system was crap, so prior to the point where it was good, what did you have then, it takes only ONE bad wireless device to jump in and disrupt the whole process, and give you a massive latency ping spike. With trying to game as you are, it may be worth trying a Powerline device between your Router and Gaming unit and leaving all the other devices to get on with it, or you need to track on what is causing the potential interupt to the signal. If as you say you were good for so long on a previous time, then would be looking what is causing the issue, and until you start at one device only then you may never know.

[JimM11]

@JamesG94 Try the cloudflare test below it may possibly help to see if it is an down or up error.

https://speed.cloudflare.com/