Ping plotter, advice please Options

[Bargod]

So, I've got some guys from the cable company coming over this afternoon, the result of my call about high ping since changing from Comcast to Time Warner. I ran ping plotter last nite and see that I'm getting lots of packet loss in steps 2, 3, and 4, mostly. At time up to 60%, but there is always some. Currently it's 15% in step 2, 15% in step 3 and 50% in step 4. These are all my local cable company.
How should I go about explaining this to the guys and not get the run around like I did form the IT guy when I called earlier in the week? I know just enough about this stuff to be dangerous.
Thanks in advance.

Here are some samples:

Target Name: N/A
IP: 8.9.4.77
Date/Time: 3/2/2007 12:02:39 PM to 3/2/2007 12:02:58 PM

Hop Sent Err PL% Min Max Avg Host Name / [IP]
1 20 0 0.0 7 28 10 cpe-76-184-16-1.tx.res.rr.com [76.184.16.1]
2 20 1 5.0 7 10 7 [70.125.216.17]
3 19 4 21.1 7 24 9 [70.125.217.8]
4 20 7 35.0 7 23 10 gig2-0-0.dllatxl3-rtr1.texas.rr.com [24.93.37.97]
5 9 0 0.0 13 14 13 gig2-2-0.hstqtxl3-rtr1.texas.rr.com [72.179.205.14]
6 9 0 0.0 13 22 15 te-2-4.car1.Houston1.Level3.net [4.79.88.25]
7 20 0 0.0 14 197 39 ae-11-11.car2.Houston1.Level3.net [4.69.132.234]
8 20 0 0.0 50 69 56 ae-5-5.ebr1.Atlanta2.Level3.net [4.69.132.238]
9 20 0 0.0 50 80 57 ae-1-100.ebr2.Atlanta2.Level3.net [4.69.132.34]
10 20 0 0.0 69 84 74 ae-3.ebr2.Chicago1.Level3.net [4.69.132.73]
11 20 0 0.0 69 192 83 ae-24-56.car4.Chicago1.Level3.net [4.68.101.168]
12 20 0 0.0 69 85 71 [4.79.66.146]
13 20 0 0.0 69 87 72 [8.9.4.77]

Target Name: N/A
IP: 8.9.4.77
Date/Time: 3/2/2007 12:04:24 PM to 3/2/2007 12:04:43 PM

Hop Sent Err PL% Min Max Avg Host Name / [IP]
1 20 0 0.0 7 12 8 cpe-76-184-16-1.tx.res.rr.com [76.184.16.1]
2 20 0 0.0 7 11 7 [70.125.216.17]
3 20 8 40.0 7 60 12 [70.125.217.8]
4 20 4 20.0 7 26 10 gig2-0-0.dllatxl3-rtr1.texas.rr.com [24.93.37.97]
5 9 0 0.0 13 75 20 gig2-2-0.hstqtxl3-rtr1.texas.rr.com [72.179.205.14]
6 8 0 0.0 13 17 14 te-2-3.car1.Houston1.Level3.net [4.79.88.29]
7 20 0 0.0 13 20 14 ae-11-11.car2.Houston1.Level3.net [4.69.132.234]
8 20 0 0.0 50 65 55 ae-5-5.ebr1.Atlanta2.Level3.net [4.69.132.238]
9 20 0 0.0 50 92 57 ae-1-100.ebr2.Atlanta2.Level3.net [4.69.132.34]
10 20 0 0.0 70 100 77 ae-3.ebr2.Chicago1.Level3.net [4.69.132.73]
11 20 0 0.0 70 73 70 ae-24-56.car4.Chicago1.Level3.net [4.68.101.168]
12 20 0 0.0 70 88 72 [4.79.66.146]
13 20 0 0.0 69 88 71 [8.9.4.77]

Target Name: N/A
IP: 8.9.4.77
Date/Time: 3/2/2007 12:05:05 PM to 3/2/2007 12:05:24 PM

Hop Sent Err PL% Min Max Avg Host Name / [IP]
1 20 0 0.0 7 26 9 cpe-76-184-16-1.tx.res.rr.com [76.184.16.1]
2 20 0 0.0 7 10 7 [70.125.216.17]
3 20 4 20.0 7 12 8 [70.125.217.8]
4 20 9 45.0 7 11 8 gig2-0-0.dllatxl3-rtr1.texas.rr.com [24.93.37.97]
5 11 0 0.0 14 19 15 gig2-2-0.hstqtxl3-rtr1.texas.rr.com [72.179.205.14]
6 8 0 0.0 13 116 46 [4.79.88.21]
7 20 0 0.0 13 196 47 ae-11-11.car2.Houston1.Level3.net [4.69.132.234]
8 20 0 0.0 50 72 58 ae-5-5.ebr1.Atlanta2.Level3.net [4.69.132.238]
9 20 0 0.0 51 73 58 ae-1-100.ebr2.Atlanta2.Level3.net [4.69.132.34]
10 20 0 0.0 70 84 75 ae-3.ebr2.Chicago1.Level3.net [4.69.132.73]
11 20 0 0.0 70 76 71 ae-24-56.car4.Chicago1.Level3.net [4.68.101.168]
12 20 0 0.0 70 92 73 [4.79.66.146]
13 20 0 0.0 69 73 70 [8.9.4.77]

[)--S@B0T-->]

Well BG, sad fact is that most of the "Technical Support" folks are former telemarketers that burned out and now work for your cable company.

They have a book in front of them that includes a troubleshooting tree (does this fix the problem? yes - you're done; NO- try this...etc.) and when all else fails they bump you up two or three "Tiers" until you might talk to the guy who knows something.........maybe.

Until then they will blame it on everything under the sun and you, sir, are gonna baffle the Hell outa them with your packet loss info. (Sorry, I'm not a pessimest, I'm a realist) Been where you're sitting a coupla times.

I hope you find that guy. I found him once! He worked for Adelphia a few years back. I hope he works for your company now.

It's definitely in their network - somewhere. Key is finding the guy that can find that problem.

Good luck with that!

This post has been edited by )--S@B0T-->: 03/02/07 3:00pm