Same time each night remains consistent throughout the day.
Same time each night remains consistent throughout the day.
I've observed consistent network lag around 9:10–9:30 PM for the past few weeks. During that window, online activities like games, streaming, and Discord all experience a brief slowdown lasting about ten seconds before returning to normal. Since I’m still connected, it seems like an ISP-related issue—possibly updates or IP renewals happening at that time. You might want to check your router logs or contact your provider to see if any maintenance is scheduled during those hours. Adjusting the timing of your online sessions could help avoid the disruption. Let me know if you need guidance on troubleshooting steps!
I've already attempted this. Restarted the router and completely unplugged/plugged it back in. Tested various ports on the router, replaced the Ethernet cable, but the problem persists. I might contact the ISP later tonight—it's always a frustrating experience with the first-tier tech support lines.
You mean you want to clarify what you're talking about when you say 'lag'? Are you referring to delays or limited data speed? If it's the first one, share your ISP details and run the command during the period you specified to show a rise in response time. The output will display metrics like bytes sent, time taken, and TTL. An increase in these values suggests latency issues. If bandwidth is affected, try a speed tester such as https://speed.cloudflare.com/ to check performance before, during, and after the event. This test can also reveal packet loss.
It would be unfeasible for me to conduct a speed test while participating, since I wouldn’t be able to access any sites. Lag refers to the issue where, during this 10-second window each day from 9:10 to 9:30 pm local time, I experience 80-100% packet loss. I’ve tested a comparable command at that moment and observed pings timing out at 80-100% for roughly 10 seconds before gradually returning to zero loss until the next event, which typically occurs about 24 hours later.
What happened at your end three weeks ago when this began? Did you verify if your ISP made any adjustments then? What time does your system schedule to look for updates? Are there any connected "smart" devices sending alerts? Is the IP lease period from your ISP longer than 24 hours, typically ranging from a week to a month? If you have a home network with other gadgets, what is the IP lease duration on your local network?
Are you sure there isn't a system performing a backup at the moment?
I share the thoughts of @jmwhite33—there seems to be an external factor you haven't mentioned yet. Based on your symptoms, it might not be directly tied to your ISP or IP lease management, but rather to your local networking gear or a client device affecting your system. During this period, can you reach your gateway IP? How about other nearby devices? Is it possible to connect to your router at this time? If yes, does the log show any details about client activity? Is this problem consistent across all your devices or limited to your PC?