High latency possibly stopping TV box streaming

[hawaye]

Since renewing with TalkTalk in March 2025, I seem to have been plagued with problems running the TV box. It's a BT-badged Humax DTR-T4000. Most times I want to use a TV player (iPlayer, ITVX, etc.) the player shows the buffering wheel, then stops and shows a message saying there's a problem with the Internet. A typical OOKLA speed test shows download speed is 45-55 Mbps but there is a hefty latency when loaded. I've seen up to 1800ms when loaded and never less than 900ms. The Humax connects through a Powerline Ethernet connection. I also have a long Ethernet cable to check the Powerline plugs are OK. No change in behaviour. The Internet tells me that loaded latency shouldn't be more than 200ms. Perhaps someone could comment on this?

I complained about this and was sent a Vantiva box to replace the Humax. It behaves exactly the same as the Humax box. It also has an Ethernet connection. When it stops I check the speed and the latency and the speed is 45-55 but the latency under load is always over 1300ms. So I'm back using the Humax.

On Monday 28/07/25 there was no Internet connection at all and I phoned for help and went through the router reboot, then reset to factory procedure. About an hour after starting the call, the router showed it was connected but there was still no Internet. Eventually things started working again. 

This morning my phone showed being connected, but no Internet. Restarted the router and I have Internet again. I wanted to run a TalkTalk speed test but it shows Monday's case still open so no speed test. I complained on chat to an agent about the no Internet issue and still a large latency reading from OOKLA speed test this morning, but they  were fixed on it being a WiFi problem, despite being told the TV box ran on Ethernet. The agent also told me the case had been removed, but it hasn't yet.

As a last resort, I turn to the Community. Firstly, I need the outstanding case removed so I can run a TalkTalk speed test if necessary, and secondly I need to be able to get a TV box running reliably again. The Humax box has worked well in the past few years with TalkTalk TV. Speed has rarely been a problem, but I believe that the loaded latency figure is way too high. 

Sorry about the long post.

[hawaye]

Since re-contracting, iplayer, itvx, ch4, ch 5.

We are trying to follow a series on itvx. It stopped 3 or 4 times per episode last night. Stop=full shutdown and reboot of the player. And then it doesn't always start again. It was never remotely like this before.

[kanya-TT]

Thank you, which player is not working? 

Kanya

[hawaye]

Yes I'm home.

[kanya-TT]

Hey there, @hawaye. Please tell us if you home, we'd like to run test for you. 

Kanya

[hawaye]

Hi @amahle-TT. It's been a week since you posted. Have you anything to tell me? We still can't use a player from TalkTalk TV.

[hawaye]

Hi Amahle. Thanks for reaching out. I confirm I'm messaging from home.

[amahle-TT]

Hi there @hawaye, I will look into this for you. Please confirm if you are messaging us from home, thanks.

[hawaye]

Many thanks to Keith and the rest of the team for your efforts so far. I'll await developments.

[KeithFrench]

Hi @hawaye 

Doing a tracert to domain.com was only a syntax example. I am surprised that worked!

However, the important ones are proving a problem beyond the TalkTalk network further into the internet. This will need to be passed over to the TalkTalk Networks team, which I will ask the team on here now, to do for you.

[kanya-TT]

Do you have any active monitoring for life threatening health reasons which is solely dependant upon your TalkTalk Broadband or Telephone line?

For example a care alarm, lifeline, health pendant or fall detector.

Kanya

[hawaye]

tracert attached

[KeithFrench]

That's unlikely to cause you a problem at that length. What about the trace route?

[hawaye]

Cable is 10m. 

[kanya-TT]

Okay we can run checks till 6 pm for you. Kanya

[KeithFrench]

How long is the cable, though?

Trace route

If you are using a Windows PC, from the command prompt enter:-

tracert domain.com

Substitute domain.com with something like channel5.com or itv.com etc

Let the tracert run its course until you are returned to the normal prompt; it will take a short while to run, depending on how much latency you are encountering at the time.

If it is some other device, then yes, you may need a trace route app for it.

[hawaye]

And the cable. It's got no markings on it so I can't tell what CAT it is. The plugs are metal-sheathed and the transparent plastic shows 4 wires connected.

I don't know anything about tracert. Is it an app?

[hawaye]

No, all devices connected to the router stop working when the Internet stops. It's not restricted to Ethernet-connected devices.

There are 2 issues.

1. Ongoing poor performance from the existing TV box, which only has Ethernet ability. And poor performance from the recently supplied TalkTalk box which could connect on WiFi and Ethernet. It was the same on WiFi and Ethernet.

2. Since Monday, routers have occasionally shown steady connection lights, but no devices have been able to access anything on the Internet.

[hawaye]

Hi Kanya. I'm  at home and free right now until 3:30pm. 

[kanya-TT]

Hey there, @hawaye. We will need to run checks for you. Kindly advise when you are free and at home.

Kanya

[KeithFrench]

Just to recap then, this only happens from Ethernet-connected TV boxes over different routers. Betyween the TV box & router, you use a long Ethernet cable to prove that the normal Power Lines adapters are OK. How long is this cable & what Cat rating (5e, 6 etc) does it have? Can you do a tracert from a wired device connected to the same Ethernet port to whichever player's websites that have the problem? Perhaps this is a network issue?