Buffering spikes at exactly the same time every day — ISP issue?

[MaryLogin]

Hi everyone! Starting this thread to discuss the topic and hear from others with similar experiences. Happy to answer questions and share more details if needed.

 

[BrianFix]

Same-time-every-day pattern is almost always ISP congestion.

 

[DaveStreamer]

My spikes happen at 7-9PM every day. Very predictable.

 

[BufferBuster]

That's peak hours in the US. Classic ISP network saturation.

 

[PaulHD]

How do I document this to complain to my ISP?

 

[Frank_Tech]

Run automatic speed tests every 30 minutes all day for a week. Many router apps do this.

 

[mark_wifi]

Which router has built-in speed logging?

 

[NickCable]

Asus routers have AI Protection that logs this. Also third-party firmware like DD-WRT.

 

[DianaTV]

Documented 8 days of speed data showing 40% drop between 7-9PM.

 

[HD_Harold]

Take that data to your ISP. They have to acknowledge it.

 

[mark_wifi]

ISP offered me a 'business' plan with priority traffic. Costs more but no peak congestion.

 

[RyanBuffer]

That's a frustrating upsell from a problem they created.

 

[JosephHD]

Alternatively: try a different DNS (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1). Sometimes helps with CDN routing.

 

[CarlaStream]

DNS change didn't fix the speed but it did improve latency to streaming servers.

 

[PaulHD]

Thanks for the data collection advice. Building my case for ISP complaint.