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Question

Extremely high ping and low download speed spikes.

Mar 22, 2016 5:45PM PDT

Windows 7 Professional
AMD FX-8350
AMD Radeon R9 270x

For about a month now, my computer has been having extreme lag spikes. My speedtest will go from 30 ping and 20 mbps download speed to about 350 ping and 2 mbps download speed. The spike lasts anywhere from a minute to 30 minutes. I usually notice it when I'm gaming, as it severely impedes anything online, but I also notice it when I'm on streaming services. It happens across devices. It is not a problem with the modem because I recently replaced the modem and the issue persisted. I have run many MSE, Malwarebytes, and Adwcleaner scans and there is nothing. I have tried calling my ISP (Centurylink) and they say there is no issue. Any advice or ideas would be greatly appreciated. It's extremely frustrating not being able to play online games because of the risk of my high ping screwing over any teammates.

Another issue I am having, which may or may not be related, is a csrss.exe program having I/O reads in the millions. The number only increases, however, when I move my mouse. Otherwise, it is static.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
(NT) To clarify, csrss.exe is only found in C:\Windows.
Mar 22, 2016 5:56PM PDT
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Answer
A few months back I traced one like that to a failing drive.
Mar 22, 2016 6:13PM PDT

It was another Seagate. In the news so I pause here.

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(NT) The ping or the csrss.exe?
Mar 22, 2016 6:17PM PDT
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The machine was performing poorly overall.
Mar 22, 2016 7:09PM PDT

It was hard to diagnose as you would see ping times jump around as well as long read times. Now that we've seen this too many times we know to check the HDD health.

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Answer
It happens across devices.
Mar 22, 2016 6:35PM PDT

What does that mean?
Is this a wireless setup?

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Happens on phone and laptop too.
Mar 22, 2016 6:39PM PDT

My computer is wired.

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Test
Mar 22, 2016 7:06PM PDT

Can you turn off the router and wire your machine straight to the modem?
Test.

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Answer
sounds like a trojan calling home
Mar 22, 2016 6:37PM PDT

but it could be any program making regular internet access for some reason. Run netstat program and keep records of what's happening and when this happens again, mark the time shown on computer and then check the record or log for that time and see what connections were made.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netstat

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What can I really do with the information netstat gives me?
Mar 22, 2016 6:48PM PDT

Also, I've run security programs and they don't find anything.

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it will show you what was open at the time
Mar 22, 2016 6:56PM PDT

the ports, the connections, and then if you see one particular IP address or port opened, then you can track it down to find out what might be causing this. To track IP addresses, use arin.net, or some are overseas and need to use ripe net or another region tracking site.

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found some things..
Mar 22, 2016 7:40PM PDT

connected to a lot of IP's from a few places I'm not sure about:
Cloudflare
Akamai Technologies
Qwest Communications Company
Edgecast Networks

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cloudfare
Mar 22, 2016 7:57PM PDT
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CloudFlare

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nginx

Are you running a home server?! Also a trojan infection is a type of server which tips off a site you are online and allows one to enter your computer and download data from it. The difference being a trojan server and access is controlled by someone else than you.

Akamai Technologies


CNET uses them for advertising placements. Many other sites do too. Also they do tracking by cookies.

Qwest Communications Company

Part of internet background and also an ISP.


Edgecast Networks
Used with VOIP and other GSM capable devices like cellphones. May come from an android program too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_Data_Rates_for_GSM_Evolution
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Home server
Mar 22, 2016 8:03PM PDT

First off, thank you for being helpful.

I don't know what you mean by home server. My family just has a few computers and phones etc that connect to our modem and that should be it.

I'm getting a lot of things under "Foreign Address" and im looking up a lot of the IP's and I can't really find anything sketchy. Just random services also like "Fastly" and "AC Nielson". Not really sure what to do.

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Really don't think it's a trojan
Mar 22, 2016 8:23PM PDT

I've scanned with MSE, Malwarebytes, Adwcleaner, and Avast (which also scanned the network). Nothing was found. If a trojan is still there I don't know what to do.

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happening across two devices
Mar 22, 2016 8:47PM PDT

Is the phone going through wifi direct to the router? You can have the laptop off and use the phone? If so, then it doesn't seem to be the devices, but something in the router/modem setup.