ADSL speed

[rpm]

Hi there folks

I am regularly testing my connection speed, and the results vary dramatically. During daytime I usually get between 10 kbits/s and 20 kits/s, a few times slower than a normal 56 kbits/s modem connection! In the early hours of the morning, usually around 3 am to 7 am, the speed jumps to around 300 kbits/s. This is still not the desired 512 kbits/s, but more in the region what one would expect from an ADSL connection.

The change is a factor of up to 30. Unacceptable. It is like driving at 120 km/h on the highway, but then having to slow down to about 3 km/h during daytime. The reason for this is simply the poor International bandwidth made available to ADSL users. We need to put pressure on Telkom to make a substantial improvement here.

Please perform a speed test and post your result. After we have gathered enough information we will take this information and demands to Telkom and let you know about their reply.

Regards,

RPM


RPM
[email protected]

 

[peterj]

Hi there

It is now 3:34 pm. My speed is 9 kbits/s (

Three times slowr than an old 33.6 modem!!

Hope you guys can do something...

Peter

 

[aels]

i am currently on a DSL connection in the UK and my speed test is : 317.64 kbits/sec ( i am upgrading to a 1Mb though )

I really hope telkom gets their arse into gear as I will soon be returning to SA and was thinking of getting ADSL ??

 

[kb]

20h30

your speed is

75.99 kbits/sec

not what I paid for

 

[kalied]

elo my view ,

You must take in consideration the servers your accessing ? It does not really matter how fast you are if the server you downloading/viewing are slow or international bandwith is hogged .. 56k/idsn/dsl is going to crawl. The only real solution is more int bandwith.

cherio

 

[syntaX1]

I have a question:

I'm busy downloading the trial for Adobe Photoshop Album from the Adobe site. Now, how is anyone who's capped and downloading at 9 kbits/s supposed to download this 134mb trial? Would that not amount to 416 hours to download a simple trial? Do you think that could be done before I get disconnected after my 24h and my IP changes?

 

[Revix]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">The only real solution is more int bandwith.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote"> &lt;- no kalied

There is enough int. bandwidth, we are just sorry sods being thrown on a crap slow server. Tell me why my friend (whose on 128k isdn) d/l at 15.4k/sec ALWAYS from ANYWHERE? There might be a slight problem...but why can't i get 55k/sec (when i'm uncapped) from www.tucows.com.... (more like 3k/sec) and he gets +-15k?

The Answer -&gt; We are on a stupid slowass server! or it's running all 4000 users on a old 486 b0x with 16mb ram running windows 2000...whatcha think?

=TT=

 

[syntaX1]

Dear Telkom,

I've just used 134 MB (141,492,712 bytes) time TWO from my precious 3gb cap in a futile attempt to download Adobe Photoshop Album. Twice I've experienced CRC errors in the file. Please may I have my bandwidth back?

Kind regards,

syntaX

 

[paf]

Syntax, consider yourself lucky - 9k/s is blistering speed comparaed to what I get. Once I get thrown on that wonderful 165.165.2.x network I'm screwed. For example, I'm trying to upgrade one of my PC's to IE6 - that's a pathetic 10MB file - not a chance. I'm monitoring my throughput with perfmon. Note: the measurements are in bytes not kb!
Average: 167 bytes/sec
Maximum: 4195 bytes/sec
Result: without fail, the download will abort after downloading less than 100KB - the message being "The internet or the site are likely busy".
And it makes absolutely no difference whether I do this at 3pm or 3am.
I've logged a call with Telkom - but as we all know, they couldn't care less.

 

[syntaX1]

I keep thinking to myself: Wouldn't it be amazing if I or someone could develop a local cache or xDSL users, if the files we request aren't on the cache, we then use our own bw to dl the file (and somehow update the cache). But, all of this is already in place, why the hell can't we use the damn cache that's sitting locally in the first place?

 

[mithrandi]

If you're doing HTTP traffic, you're automatically using the transparent web cache whether you like it or not. If you're not doing HTTP traffic... it's called local p2p networks

mithrandi

 

[Karnaugh]

people should just learn to use the local mirrors

 

[syntaX1]

I think Telkom must have missed some p2p applications, my p2p-ftp which I use to upload/download my websites and databases is clocked in at over 2gb a month has still not yet been affected. My p2p-webcasts which I require for my online training have been affected, so now I am forced to miss these and download them using my trusty p2p-ftp.

When I asked Telkom support about my webcast training, they say that it's not a supported application. WTF is a supported application?? It's hindering me from furthering my education. Perhaps Telcom is also now taking a cut in the profit made from books? I do feel sorry for those who have paid for online training and cannot access their live broadcasts due to Telkom's 'prioritization'.

I'm still trying to figure out how to use local mirrors with these transfers I do, but I'm working on it. ;-)

 

[rpm]

Hi Syntax

You can include me as one of those struggling with online education due to this service. During the day I simply cannot access my studies, and hence I have to work during the night and early morning.

As for your 36 hour day, who do we have to see about this to have it changed? I agree that we have had 24 for long enough now

Regards,

RPM


RPM
[email protected]

 

[superjuice]

I am sick and tired of this government monoply which is called telecommunications... I am an IT savvy internet user and I surf the web a lot. I do my fair share of downloading but not once since I've had my ADSL service have I reached my 3GB cap, so my bandwidth usage during the day is mostly, surfing, email. At night it would be some limited downloads (software updates, downloads etc.) and occasional online gaming. For example today my total usage is 2 597 208 188.

So the 3GB cap doesn't really bother me in that respect but the principle of a cap bothers me. My brother is immigrating to America, San Diego specifically, and he has been making enquiries about ADSL in the States. I know comparing our pathetic and monopolised telecommunications infrastructre to the leading 1st world country in terms of IT and Telecommunications related services is not really fair it's interesting to just compare nontheless and see where we stand.

He applied for a 768kb/s and 256kb/s (Upload and download respectively) ADSL service and was given a monthly cost of $35.99.
NO Setup fees, NO cap, GURANTEED bandwidth and a static IP, 10 Email addresses, and 10MB web space. They also supply the ethernet modem/router free of charge.

Now lets relate that to Rand terms: $35.99 x 7.34 (28/3/03 @ 14:28)= R264.17. Now lets see what we actually pay if we were to go with Telkom ISP with the ProLog Plus Business package, using a Telkom supplied Ethernet router:

ADSL Monthly rental: R 800-00
ADSL Line Installation charge: R 404-00
Marconi ADSL POTS Ethernet modem: R 1998-96
Telkom ISP service charge (Prolog): R 239-00

So initially you pay: R 3441-96 (First month, hardware and installation.

Equivalent in USA (but more features as listed above): R264.17

So in America I can get approximately 13 months ADSL @ 768kb/s and 256kb/s (Upload and download respectively) with NO cap, GURANTEED bandwidth and a static IP, 10 Email addresses, and 10MB web space.

Go figure...

But that doesn't even irritate me either. What REALLY irritates me is a intermittent service. I have about 20% downtime in a 8 hour work day. I have placed 23 fault reports in the last 18 working days and Telkom's testing techies in Cape Town know my cell no and name of by heart. I'm actually on a first name basis with most of them. The response EVERY time: We have tested you line and everything is fine sir. THEN WHY DO I HAVE 20% F***ing DWONTIME YOU W***ERS?

Secondly, I ran the speed test this morning @ 8:13. Speed: 307.45kb/s
Today @ 14:37. Speed: 50.161kb/s. Now: 15:04 Speed: 41.51 kbits/sec

This is absolutely unacceptable. I'm not asking for America's 1st World infrastructure. I just want consistency and transparency. If there are problems tell us. If they can't afford to roll out ADSL, then they should have never offered it.

 

[Jerrek]

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by superjuice</i>
<br />He applied for a 768kb/s and 256kb/s (Upload and download respectively) ADSL service and was given a monthly cost of $35.99.
NO Setup fees, NO cap, GURANTEED bandwidth and a static IP, 10 Email addresses, and 10MB web space. They also supply the ethernet modem/router free of charge.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">He is being robbed. That much money should get him 1.5 Mbps or more.

 

[superjuice]

Where can he get 1.5MB/s for that price, please send me links...

That just strengthens my case...

 

[Jerrek]

Tell him to look around. Go to http://www.broadbandreports.com/ and search for providers in his area. I entered a sample ZIP code from San Diego, 91910, and got a few results back...

- Pacific Bell offers 1.5 Mbps / 128 Kbps DSL for $30 a month.

- Southwestern Bell offers 1.5 Mbps / 128 Kbps DSL for $35 a month.

- Cox offers 3 Mbps down and 256 Kbps up for $35 or more a month. (Cable)


I'm sure there are others. You just gotta look around.

 

[superjuice]

I spoke to him last night and he said he had indeed found a cheaper service with more bandwidth. But if you take my equations and use the info you put on now it just makes things a lot more sad for us here... [V]

 

[ItalicBold]

Yes we as a small business also recieve about 20% down time, this realy isnt acceptable during working hours, this is without hitting the cap.