Packet loss

What is packet loss?

Everything online is cut into packets. If a packet is dropped, the sender may retransmit it, which is how web pages and downloads recover, though more slowly. Real-time traffic such as a voice call usually cannot wait, so the missing piece becomes a gap. The IETF's RFC 7680 defines a standard way to measure one-way packet loss, as the fraction of packets that do not arrive within a time limit.

You see it as a stalled page that finishes after a pause, a call that clips words, or a video that drops to low resolution.

What causes it on a fixed wireless connection?

The usual suspects are a weak or partly blocked radio path, interference on the radio channel, a bad cable or connector, an overloaded router, and Wi-Fi trouble inside the house. A bad Ethernet cable between the power injector and the router is a common and cheap cause. Heavy use by a camera or backup can crowd out other traffic and cause drops at the router, so the fix there is at home, not at the tower.

High Desert does not publish a packet loss figure for its service, so do not expect a printed number. Your own tests are the evidence.

How do I check it and what then?

Run a ping for a few minutes from a computer wired to the router, and read the summary line, which counts packets sent and received. Repeat at an evening hour. Zero loss on a wired test points toward Wi-Fi inside the home. Steady loss on a wired test points toward the link or the cable.

Check that cables are seated and not damaged, restart equipment in order using this restart guide, and look at the lights described under power injector lights. If loss continues, call 775-575-9593 and give the times and results. A technician decides whether the path needs a visit.