Help Diagnosing Ongoing Network Issues

[FlanZarianick]

Lately I have been having network and other odd slowdowns. What collection tools can I get installed to see what the problem is? I can't tell if it is DNS, QoS, bad router, or other issues.

A bit about my network:

TWC Roadrunner cable to a Motorola Surfboard 6141

Ooma Telo (I tried connecting the router first and there were VoIP dropouts and bad quality when it wasn't dropped, so I moved it back to direct connect to modem)

Netgear WNDR4500 (N900) providing routing and WiFi

Wired directly to the WNDR4500 are my home media devices: PS3, Roku, TiVo

Upstairs office is connected to WNDR4500 via DLink 500 Powerline adapter. That is where my NAS and Plex servers are, providing media for the whole house. Plex is a VMware Fusion VM and there is plenty of host resources available to set up a Linux VM or VMware appliance for monitoring up there.

Plex and DLNA streaming appear to be perfectly fine, as does Netflix, et al. from Roku and PS3.

WiFi (iOS or Mac) can be slow or stopped at times. Never disconnected, though. Wired can feel like it's slow, but far less often and I don't know if it is just me thinking it is slow. (Where "slow" can be either responsiveness/latency or throughput)

I tried swapping out DNS servers with Google and OpenDNS with no appreciable improvement.

What can I do/install on the network to see what the problem is? I tried Nagios and it needs SNMP, which the Netgear does not provide. Is there some set of Windows or Linux utilities I can constantly run to see packet drops vs. DNS requests vs. hardware downtime? I can do this with enterprise tools, but not with consumer level hardware.

I have some DD-WRT-able Linksys routers if that helps, but they are not 802.11n.

I hope I'm not trying to kill a fly with a sledgehammer.

[Lesteraction]

What can I do or install on the network to determine the issue? I gave Nagios a try, but it requires SNMP, which the Netgear does not offer. Is there a collection of Windows or Linux applications I can run on a continuous basis to monitor packet drops, DNS inquiries, and hardware downtime? I'm able to accomplish this using business software, but not with hardware designed for

[ElaineOsborne]

Lately I have been having network and other odd slowdowns. What collection tools can I get installed to see what the problem is? I can't tell if it is DNS, QoS, bad router, or other issues.

A bit about my network:

TWC Roadrunner cable to a Motorola Surfboard 6141

Ooma Telo (I tried connecting the router first and there were VoIP dropouts and bad quality when it wasn't dropped, so I moved it back to direct connect to modem)

Netgear WNDR4500 (N900) providing routing and WiFi

Wired directly to the WNDR4500 are my home media devices: PS3, Roku, TiVo

Upstairs office is connected to WNDR4500 via DLink 500 Powerline adapter. That is where my NAS and Plex servers are, providing media for the whole house. Plex is a VMware Fusion VM and there is plenty of host resources available to set up a Linux VM or VMware appliance for monitoring up there.

Plex and DLNA streaming appear to be perfectly fine, as does Netflix, et al. from Roku and PS3.

WiFi (iOS or Mac) can be slow or stopped at times. Never disconnected, though. Wired can feel like it's slow, but far less often and I don't know if it is just me thinking it is slow. (Where "slow" can be either responsiveness/latency or throughput)

I tried swapping out DNS servers with Google and OpenDNS with no appreciable improvement.

What can I do/install on the network to see what the problem is? I tried Nagios and it needs SNMP, which the Netgear does not provide. Is there some set of Windows or Linux utilities I can constantly run to see packet drops vs. DNS requests vs. hardware downtime? I can do this with enterprise tools, but not with consumer level hardware.

I have some DD-WRT-able Linksys routers if that helps, but they are not 802.11n.

I hope I'm not trying to kill a fly with a sledgehammer.

Here are some suggestions:

Ping and Traceroute: Use the built-in ping and traceroute commands in Windows or Linux to check the latency and packet loss between your computer and different destinations on the network, such as your router, DNS servers, or external websites. High latency or packet loss could indicate network issues.

Wireshark: Install Wireshark on your computer to capture and analyze network traffic. Wireshark allows you to inspect packets and identify any anomalies, such as excessive DNS requests, dropped packets, or unusual traffic patterns.

Performance Monitoring: Use tools like Windows Performance Monitor or Linux's built-in monitoring tools (e.g., top, sar, iostat) to monitor the performance of your network devices, such as the router, modem, and powerline adapters. Keep an eye on CPU usage, memory usage, and network interface statistics to spot any bottlenecks or abnormalities.

Netalyzr: Run a diagnostic test using Netalyzr from the International Computer Science Institute. Netalyzr examines various aspects of your network connection, including DNS resolution, bufferbloat, network buffering, and more, providing detailed analysis and suggestions for improvement.

Router Firmware: If your router supports it, consider flashing it with third-party firmware like DD-WRT or OpenWrt. These firmware options often offer additional features, including more robust monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities.

Network Monitoring Tools: If you have a spare computer or server, you can set up network monitoring tools like Zabbix, Nagios (if SNMP is available), or PRTG Network Monitor (offers a free version) to continuously monitor the performance of your network devices, detect outages, and analyze traffic patterns.

ISP Assistance: If you've exhausted the troubleshooting steps on your end and are still experiencing issues, it may be worth contacting your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for assistance. They may be able to perform diagnostics on their end or provide guidance on resolving the problem.

[brendagray]

To troubleshoot the network and diagnose the issues you're experiencing, there are several collection tools and utilities you can consider using. Here are a few options:

Ping and Traceroute: Ping and Traceroute are built-in network diagnostic tools available on both Windows and Linux. Ping can help you check the responsiveness and latency of network devices, while Traceroute can trace the route taken by packets and identify any delays or packet drops along the way. You can run these commands from a command prompt or terminal.

Wireshark: Wireshark is a powerful network protocol analyzer that allows you to capture and analyze network traffic. It can help you inspect packets, identify potential issues, and determine if there are any packet drops, DNS requests, or other abnormalities. Wireshark is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux.

Smokeping: Smokeping is a network monitoring tool that measures network latency and packet loss using ICMP ping requests. It provides continuous monitoring and generates graphical reports, allowing you to identify patterns of network degradation over time. Smokeping runs on Linux and can be installed on a server or VM.

SNMP-based monitoring tools: While your Netgear router may not support SNMP, you can still monitor other network devices that do support it. For example, you can install SNMP monitoring tools like Cacti or Zabbix on a Linux machine or a VM to collect SNMP data from compatible devices, such as your Ooma Telo or DLink Powerline adapter.