Server Ping Spikes

[Ketchup]

I have been googling my ass off and scouring the web and the only thing i can seem to find is that it has something to do with my rates.

down: 30,000kbps
up: 2,500kbps

maxupdaterate 100
minupdaterate 100
maxcmdrate 100
mincmdrate 100
minrate 5000
maxrate 14000

I had the maxrate set to 30,000 yesterday, and when I hit around 12~ clients connected, everyone would get a big ping spike. So after reading more than I care to read, I determined that most likely the cause was the Maxrate.

From the formulas i've been able to find for counterstrike-source, the Maxrate is the maximum data transfer rate from server to client (in bytes).
So 30,000 x 12 = 360kbytes, and this is the theoretical limit for my up bandwidth.

I have not been able to test whether lowering maxrate to 14,000 has made any significant improvements, but I believe it should solve my 11 man limit.

I am posting this to get your opinion or any suggestions on ways to improve the quality and stability of my dedicated server. I also have no desire whatsoever to lower the mincmd or minupdate rates to anything lower than 100 for the simple reason that there are STILL people that just have no idea how to type cl_updaterate in console, not to mention it just seems smoother to me. Also I would like to keep the tickrate at 100 if at all possible, even if that means lowering my slots to 10. I will run another stress test somtime tonight and fill it up again to see how things go, but in the mean time I am looking forward to your thoughts.

(fyi, its running at 100tic 500fps)

[dualcore1289]

The ping spike is caused by not enough bandwidth available. To help, try enabling fast download, lower tickrate, lower slots, or hell just go rent a server

[pengy]

What is your ISP?

[Ketchup]

Comcast, my speeds look almost identical to dualcore1289's.
I'm in server now trying to populate it, I think my maxrate was a little to high causing it to peak with 12ish people, but i won't know for sure till i fill it up.

[dualcore1289]

Comcast is shared internet, so depending on who all around you has comcast and who all is on at that time, depends on what speeds you get. If you want to host a lag free/ping spike free server, it is recommended for you to rent a server/colocate a server. Therefor you have the resources available to host the server. If you do not want to go that route, try lowering the maxrate, tickrate, and enable fastdl, this will help with the ping spikes.

[pengy]

Also, most speed tests lie, as they get comcasts powerboost speed, testmy.net gets you the real speed.

[Ketchup]

Well i mentioned in my first post that i'm not interested in lowering ticrate or any of my other rates besides sv_maxrate.
Also, i ended up getting 1.7mb up from that testmy.net, which is what i used to estimate the maxrate i would need.
If testmy.net is the real deal, why are you using a speedtest.net link in your sig? *ponder*

I was hoping for some good ideas, or people that would take the time to actually read my post, but unfortunately all i got was "go rent a server, or lower the tickrate" which i clearly don't want to do.(read first post again).

Either way, lowering my maxrate to 14,000 did the trick and now i'm running 15/18 100tic 100update 100cmd @ 500fps with zero lag.

EDIT.
Thanks for the "help" >.>
EDIT2.
The one peice of helpful advice i saw was "enable fastdl" which seems to help, everything else you mentioned was covered in the OP.

[pengy]

Because tesymy.net is only in texas, my datacenter does not have powerboost. Also testmy.net doesnt post pictures. If you lower sv_max rate people wont be getting all 100 packets a second to them, which is why you lower the tickrate.

[dualcore1289]

Yes the fast download helps significantly. Also goodluck with it!

[Ketchup]

Update:
I thought it might work, and it did. My maxrate was to high originally, and lowering it to 14000 fixed all ping spike issues.
I came up with 14000 by dividing my estimate of max KByte/s upload (280) by 18 (max players) which equals 15.5~. I lowered it to 14000 for good measure.

At 15 people the server experienced a bit of choke getting up to around 40 at most, so i lowered the mincmd and minupdate rates to 33, and choke went away.

End result:

Advertised 6mbit/1mbit cable internet connection (realistically getting more like 30mbit down and 2.5mbit up, but i guess its because i live in a sparsely populated area) running--

100tick
sv_mincmdrate 33
sv_maxcmdrate 100
sv_minupdaterate 33
sv_maxupdaterate 100
sv_minrate 5000
sv_maxrate 14000

NO ping spikes, NO lag of any kind except for client-side ping around 100 because they're >1000 miles away.
2 was the highest choke i saw with 15 in server.



P.S. thanks for the fast download tip dualcore1289, i can't be for sure but i believe it helped.

EDIT: yes i know it says ECO rotation and its on office, they wanted office... sue me=P

[pengy]

You would not see any choke as the server is on your computer... also the tickrate is 33 not 100 because you don't have enough bandwidth to provide 100 updates a second to each client, which is why the server runs at 33 tick.

[Ketchup]

the server is running at 100tick, thanks.
I have it set in the shortcut to srcds.exe
The rates themselves i lowered to 33 to improve choke, and yes i do see choke on this connect (my ping is 20.)

[pengy]

Even if you DO set it in the startup line, it wont be forced, unless you set the minupdaterate and mincmdrate to 100. The server does not run at a tick rate, it receives updates at a tickrate, the performance of the server is by the FPS and tickrate combined, because the server calculates the world 512 times a second, the server only recieves 33 updates a second from the client, which is not 100 tick. Just letting you know.

[Ketchup]

Well thats all fine, and i'm inclined to agree with you. However, i DO see noticable choke when forcing 100 rates in server. (no noticable ping spikes, just choke) I'll test more later today, but i think i'd rather run it with loosened rates than high choke.