Host Unreachable - International link issues?

[Waansin]

So, 22:00 on 18 July and my connection to a particular server just dies. Its past midnight now and I cannot reach any international sites.

I tracert'ed some popular international sites with the same result for each:
---------------
Tracing route to www.l.google.com [66.249.87.104]
1 * * * Request timed out.
2 947 ms 996 ms 1001 ms 196-11-245-214.mtn.co.za [196.11.245.214]
3 1001 ms 788 ms 1014 ms 196-11-245-1.mtn.co.za [196.11.245.1]
4 771 ms 1013 ms 1019 ms 196-11-241-2.mtn.co.za [196.11.241.2]
5 641 ms 838 ms 1001 ms 196-11-241-6.mtn.co.za [196.11.241.6]
6 1001 ms 996 ms 1000 ms rb-ad-1--mtn-rb-1-a.mtnns.net [196.44.8.210]
7 761 ms 548 ms 1008 ms rb-ad-1--rb-ha-1-a.mtnns.net [196.44.8.70]
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 rb-ad-1--rb-ha-1-a.mtnns.net [196.44.8.70] reports: Destination net unreachable.
----------------

Local sites are fine.

My problems are:

1. Was this some kind of maintenance issue that MTN could have warned us about?
2. If this is a network (internet) problem then how can they inform us, their data customers, of problems and tentative solution times.

I would greatly appreciate a MTN support website that would:

• List cell towers that are going to be have maintenance (cell id and general location)
• List possible service disruptions
• Mention service delivery failures with times and dates, location, and resolution
• Allow customers to log internet problems

I can imagine that most customer issues would be PEBCAK, however, there are times that the user is right and there are legitimate problems.

P.S. I had no network problems when I tried the other 3G network and I also tried different cellphones on 3G and GSM. So it isn't my hardware or settings.

Regards

[Sig_sys_7]

Had the same issues too.
Only rectified around 7PM... I believe there is a point where you can log problems... Although I wouldn't bother, as they ignore them flat out.

[Waansin]

It seems as though there were (or currently are) glitches in the internet service delivery. I had never experienced these issues before and now there are occasional bursts of data with which I have to contend. Maybe more 3G users and EDGE/GPRS users are putting strain on the network infrastructure?

If the cellular network operators want to be ISPs then I do hope they learn how to deliver a good and consistent service. Data does not have the same requirements as voice and not everyone just surfs the web. Some of us require high availability through our data connections. I hope that these issues are only a cause for concern as the operators learn how to be ISPs.

Here's to wishful thinking....

[MTN083]

Hi

Looking at the date that you experienced the problems - I take it that it was last week sunday night (17/08/2005)? from what I heard, there was a upstream ISP problem with links running through Portugal connecting Africa to Europe.

Hope this answers your question.

Regards,

[Sig_sys_7]

And the other times?