Downloads failing on multiple devices, multiple platforms, wired and wireless

Question

I'm having issues downloading files/installing software across a variety of platforms/services.

I'm a Virgin Media UK customer and they're having outtages at the moment due to Covid-19, I get that, that's new, those are complete outtages that last minutes, but are then resolved quickly.

But for months before hand, I've been struggling to download large files or get installers to work.

Downloading files in both Chrome and Firefox quite often fail, and I have to restart them multiple times to get them to work.

It took ages to install Red Dead Redemption 2 (something like 150Gb) because the download would fail, and I'd have to manually hit retry. Small fails usually end up downloading first time, they don't have time to get cut off!

I've got the same issue with software from the Microsoft Store, it starts downloading, but fails after a while, and I have to hit restart.

Chrome/Firefox I have to do the whole thing again, at least with software installers/stores it usually picks up where it's left off.

Generally streaming video/music is ok, I'm assuming this is because it buffers so any very small outtages or interference get cancelled out. I might have an issue getting something to start playing, but after bashing retry enough times it'll generally play a film/episode all the way through (again, this makes me think buffering is compensating for any gaps)

Web browsing is usually ok, as web pages generally load in a few seconds, but some pages seem to hang, then a refresh and they load straight away.

I'm experiencing all kinds of intermittent connection on the following devices - Custom build Windows 10 PC with a USB wireless adapter - DELL Windows 10 Laptop with a built in Wireless adapter - Ubuntu Desktop with a Usb wireless adapter - iPad/iPhone/Nokia Android

I do have an Xbox One which is wired, and I've not noticed as many problems with that until recently, so maybe that's the outtages, but it's hard to tell as the Xbox automatically retries software downloads when it's "off" so it usually sorts itself out.

I've used a WiFi analyzer to see if it's the channels from the router, I've changed channels a few times and it seems to help initially but the same thing happens again later (and if I look at the analyzer the best/worst channels have often swapped around)

I've not moved the router, or introduced anything electrical around it.

So I'm at a loss as to what to do next... I feel like this is the router's fault, something's dropping a connection momentarily or interfering with it, but I don't know what else to try. So does any one have any recommedations on what to do to find out what is causing downloads to fail?

Happy to provide any techincal logs/dumps/screenshots but I don't know what to look at!

Answer 1

To expand on the idea from @spikey_richie, try running this windows batch script. Run it from a wired connection and a separate wireless computer. That should help isolate the problem.

@echo off

set host=8.8.4.4
set logfile=logfile.log

for /f "tokens=*" %%A in ('ping %host% -n 1 ') do (echo %%A>>%logfile% && GOTO Ping)

:Ping
for /f "tokens=* skip=2" %%A in ('ping %host% -n 1 ') do (
        echo %date% %time:~0,2%:%time:~3,2%:%time:~6,2% %%A>>%logfile%
        echo %date% %time:~0,2%:%time:~3,2%:%time:~6,2% %%A
        timeout 1 >NUL 
        GOTO Ping
    )

Output will look like this...

06/05/2020 11:22:24 Reply from 8.8.4.4: bytes=32 time=21ms TTL=55