Remote work networking fails when latency spikes under load.
Bandwidth is rarely the issue. Latency is the real killer.
This is bufferbloat. Unmanaged queues in your router fill up with massive packets. This destroys VoIP and SSH traffic.
As a Lead Technician managing deployments across Berkshire IT Services, I see this daily. Gigabit connections feel like dial-up during Zoom calls. Unmanaged ISP buffers are the culprit.
The Diagnostic
Stop using standard speed tests. Measure ICMP ping variance while the connection is 100% saturated.
# Saturated Ping Test
ping 8.8.8.8 -t
Watch your baseline 12ms ping. If it spikes to 300ms during an upload, your router is buffering. Hard. Read the Bufferbloat Project documentation to understand the mathematics behind this failure.
The Solution: Smart Queue Management
Throw the ISP hardware in the bin.
Deploy a gateway that supports fq_codel or CAKE. Cap the connection speed artificially at 95% of its maximum throughput. This stops the ISP buffers from ever filling up. Queue management shifts to your gateway. Traffic is prioritized properly.
Fighting structural interference too? Read my playbook on Wi-Fi Dead Zones in Victorian-Era Homes.
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