Advice needed

ejbengine

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As you might already know from my previous posts , I'm on the Classic 256k package.I've moaned about slow downloads etc.Right now I'm downloading the Fedora Code 5 ISO image from the UCT LEG mirror (ftp server) using Getright.I tested the same download from my connection at work and I was hitting 130-150KB, hence the problem isnt the ftp server.Here at home the highest I'm getting is 10KB(only occasionally...average is 5KB and that means it will take 15 days for the download to complete) which is not even half of the 32KB that I should get (assuming no contention).Phoning the Sentech help desk isnt helping.
Guys ,how would you deal with a situation like this?I just feel I've had enough.

:mad:
 
OK, single thread wget of the rescue CD, 1st mb or so
Code:
    0K .......... .......... ..........  0%    5.88 KB/s
   50K .......... .......... ..........  0%    4.83 KB/s
  100K .......... .......... ..........  0%    5.70 KB/s
  150K .......... .......... ..........  0%    1.51 KB/s
  200K .......... .......... ..........  0%    9.55 KB/s
  250K .......... .......... ..........  0%   10.39 KB/s
  300K .......... .......... ..........  0%    8.33 KB/s
  350K .......... .......... ..........  0%    5.87 KB/s
  400K .......... .......... ..........  0%   11.35 KB/s
  450K .......... .......... ..........  0%   18.39 KB/s
  500K .......... .......... ..........  0%   17.68 KB/s
  550K .......... .......... ..........  0%    7.03 KB/s
  600K .......... .......... ..........  0%   15.46 KB/s
  650K .......... .......... ..........  0%   24.25 KB/s
  700K .......... .......... ..........  0%   25.59 KB/s
  750K .......... .......... ..........  1%   21.05 KB/s
  800K .......... .......... ..........  1%   14.22 KB/s
  850K .......... .......... ..........  1%   29.90 KB/s
  900K .......... .......... ..........  1%   18.83 KB/s
  950K .......... .......... ..........  1%   31.06 KB/s
 1000K .......... .......... ..........  1%   22.38 KB/s
 1050K .......... .......... ..........  1%   11.00 KB/s
 1100K .......... .......... ..........  1%   10.49 KB/s
 1150K .......... .......... ..........  1%   13.97 KB/s
 
Just a tip here.
Speeds vary from server to server.
You may be downloading off a server that has a very small bandwidth which is often the case and cannot expect Sentech, Telkom or anyone else to give you good speeds in these cases.

To realistically test your speed, you need to download from a reputable server like AVG or Tucows for instance.
Test your speed by downloading from:
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/24/lng/us/tpl/v5
If that sucks, then there is a problem and needs investigation.

[Corridor gossip]
If you lodge a complaint, and someone gets dispatched to come see what your problem is, the first thing they are gonna do on your PC, is log onto the above url and if those speeds are acceptable, and depending on the time of day, you gonna dig deep into your piggybank to pay for the call.
My 2c worth...
 
ProAsm said:
Just a tip here.
Speeds vary from server to server.
You may be downloading off a server that has a very small bandwidth which is often the case and cannot expect Sentech, Telkom or anyone else to give you good speeds in these cases.

To realistically test your speed, you need to download from a reputable server like AVG or Tucows for instance.
Test your speed by downloading from:
http://free.grisoft.com/doc/24/lng/us/tpl/v5
If that sucks, then there is a problem and needs investigation.

[Corridor gossip]
If you lodge a complaint, and someone gets dispatched to come see what your problem is, the first thing they are gonna do on your PC, is log onto the above url and if those speeds are acceptable, and depending on the time of day, you gonna dig deep into your piggybank to pay for the call.
My 2c worth...

UCT has one of the biggest amounts of bandwidth in South Africa, nay, it HAS the biggest amount of bandwidth. As of last year (and assuming Sentech didn't increase it's international bandwidth pool from the last time I was with them) UCT has a bigger pipe overseas that all of the MyWireless users combined.

So I seriously doubt its the server.

And I seriously DO think it's Sentech.

Take this from someone who knows something about service providers and can (and have) an objective view point on these things, other than listening to employees of said provider.

All that being said, drop Sentech and get ADSL, at least you'll have constant speeds most of the time.
 
From the UCT server
Code:
Connecting to ftp.leg.uct.ac.za[137.158.228.85]:21... connected.
Logging in as anonymous ... Logged in!
==> SYST ... done.    ==> PWD ... done.
==> TYPE I ... done.  ==> CWD /pub/iso/Fedora/Core5/i386 ... done.
==> PORT ... done.    ==> RETR FC-5-i386-rescuecd.iso ... done.
Length: 79,122,432 (unauthoritative)

    0K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    4.04 KB/s
   50K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    2.36 KB/s
  100K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%   12.21 KB/s
  150K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    6.77 KB/s
  200K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    4.21 KB/s
  250K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%   12.50 KB/s
  300K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    4.16 KB/s
  350K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    4.86 KB/s
  400K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    3.70 KB/s
  450K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    6.60 KB/s
  500K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    1.76 KB/s
  550K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    7.60 KB/s
  600K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    4.19 KB/s
  650K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    8.16 KB/s
  700K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    9.17 KB/s
  750K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%    5.47 KB/s
  800K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%   21.63 KB/s
  850K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%   14.61 KB/s
  900K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%   15.09 KB/s
  950K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%   25.41 KB/s
 1000K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%    6.56 KB/s
 1050K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%    2.06 KB/s
 1100K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%    5.43 KB/s
 1150K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%   19.39 KB/s
 1200K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%   24.25 KB/s
 1250K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%   25.00 KB/s
 1300K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%   19.51 KB/s
 1350K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%   19.16 KB/s
 1400K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%   12.60 KB/s
 1450K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%   25.00 KB/s
 1500K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  2%   21.33 KB/s
 1550K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  2%   16.24 KB/s
 1600K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  2%   18.83 KB/s
 1650K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  2%    8.86 KB/s
 1700K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  2%    3.29 KB/s
 1750K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  2%   15.53 KB/s
 1800K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  2%    6.60 KB/s
 1850K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  2%    1.67 KB/s
 1900K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  2%    8.47 KB/s
 1950K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  2%   17.88 KB/s
 2000K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  2%   20.52 KB/s
 2050K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  2%   14.41 KB/s
 2100K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  2%    4.37 KB/s
From IS
Code:
Connecting to ftp.is.co.za[196.4.160.12]:21... connected.
Logging in as anonymous ... Logged in!
==> SYST ... done.    ==> PWD ... done.
==> TYPE I ... done.  ==> CWD /linux/distributions/fedora/linux/core/5/i386/iso ... done.
==> PORT ... done.    ==> RETR FC-5-i386-rescuecd.iso ... done.
Length: 79,122,432 (unauthoritative)

    0K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    9.30 KB/s
   50K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%   12.96 KB/s
  100K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    3.38 KB/s
  150K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%   10.22 KB/s
  200K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    5.28 KB/s
  250K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%   11.11 KB/s
  300K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%   12.08 KB/s
  350K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%   16.08 KB/s
  400K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%   15.17 KB/s
  450K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    4.51 KB/s
  500K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    4.22 KB/s
  550K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%   17.39 KB/s
  600K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%   10.16 KB/s
  650K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    7.18 KB/s
  700K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  0%    7.10 KB/s
  750K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%    3.73 KB/s
  800K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%    4.62 KB/s
  850K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%    2.32 KB/s
  900K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%    9.61 KB/s
  950K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%    3.04 KB/s
 1000K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%    5.69 KB/s
 1050K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%   14.89 KB/s
 1100K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%    9.41 KB/s
 1150K .......... .......... .......... .......... ..........  1%    4.65 KB/s

Conclusion : Both suck tonight :D
 
Last edited:
Take this from someone who knows something about service providers and can (and have) an objective view point on these things
Well I must say I'm pleased this guy has an 'objective view', emagine his reaction if he had an 'unobjective view' :)
 
ejbengine said:
..I'm on the Classic 256k package. <snip> .. the 32KB that I should get

I have to dispute your notion of 32KB(/s) (full tilt) DL on the 256k package. In my experience it's usually in the mid 20's that this account maxes out, as in literally 24-26KB/s. I get to see different accounts in action all over the place and this really is what I keep seeing.

While we're on the subject, a pal o' mine (a GOOD pal ;) ) has a 512k account and when that gets going full rate it runs at 40-50KB/s, sometimes into the mid 50's if conditions are particularly good.

And just to be thorough about it, the 128k accounts seem to max out at 14KB/s.

Of course YMMV, but these are my observations at various jobs I've worked at in the greater northern JHB area.

-bdt
 
bdt said:
I have to dispute your notion of 32KB(/s) (full tilt) DL on the 256k package. In my experience it's usually in the mid 20's that this account maxes out, as in literally 24-26KB/s. I get to see different accounts in action all over the place and this really is what I keep seeing.

While we're on the subject, a pal o' mine (a GOOD pal ;) ) has a 512k account and when that gets going full rate it runs at 40-50KB/s, sometimes into the mid 50's if conditions are particularly good.

And just to be thorough about it, the 128k accounts seem to max out at 14KB/s.

Of course YMMV, but these are my observations at various jobs I've worked at in the greater northern JHB area.

-bdt


Hmmm...I have indeed hit 32KB/s on several occasions , but not very often.In this case(the FC5 download) , I switched to the IS server and got a huge improvement, completed the FC5 download and have since upgraded my FC4 to FC5.
 
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