Afrihost Business Uncapped Feedback

[Gatecrasher]

My own data.

All manual (from the command prompt) tests I've ever done on my line since 2009 have been perfect.

I use your tool and I get timeouts all over the place.

I've raised this many times before to make you aware of the problem but you say it works fine your side, and yet, 99% of results from the tool posted in these forums from various people have timeouts in them.

Interesting. But not scientific evidence since generally people posting tool results in the forum are experiencing problems. You would have to run the tools in parallel to the command line tools to provide evidence that the tool is "fixed". I really can't see any benefit to AH "fixing" their tool. I think they have enough real problems to deal with without adding imaginary ones.

 

[wingnut771]

Interesting. But not scientific evidence since generally people posting tool results in the forum are experiencing problems. You would have to run the tools in parallel to the command line tools to provide evidence that the tool is "fixed". I really can't see any benefit to AH "fixing" their tool. I think they have enough real problems to deal with without adding imaginary ones.

I was exaggerating when I said they've "fixed" their tool.

Doesn't change the fact that it's broken (IMO).

Please run Zertop's and then AH tool or visa versa and compare the results, assuming you don't have line problems, and I bet you'll get timeouts with the AH tool.

 

[AfriGuy]

I was exaggerating when I said they've "fixed" their tool.

Doesn't change the fact that it's broken (IMO).

Please run Zertop's and then AH tool or visa versa and compare the results, assuming you don't have line problems, and I bet you'll get timeouts with the AH tool.

Again, if you have problems on your account you're more than welcome to chat to me and paste your traceroute results however you'd like.
Until then, claiming x is broken is your opinion and shouldn't really be thrown around this thread.

 

[Azure Wrath]

http://speedtest.ookla.com/result/2543419404.png

2mb line :/

 

[diepeterpan]

We've run a fair amount of testing on our Business accounts in Cape Town and can't seem to replicate a lot of the slow down issues - now this is not to say that you guys are making this up, but in order to come to a resolution on this we need to look at all of the data individually before we look at the overall situation.

Thx AfriGuy, today things were much better and tonight it is perfect, let's hope it stays this.

 

[i.got~issues]

Also 2Mb ... :/

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/a/771030661

 

[cortexenslaver]

We definitely aren't shaping our Business accounts
Please drop me a PM with your account info - I'll take a look see if anything is up on the account.

Ummm.... not according to your support staff

I arrived home earlier on to find a response from your support staff to my ticket that has been open since the beginning of the month. Please bear in mind that I am on 10MB UNCAPPED BUSINESS!

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for your mail.

At the current time the IPC in Cape Town is at near full capacity, resulting in relatively heavy shaping on all Uncapped accounts for peer to peer torrent downloads. This shaping will take place during both peak and off peak times when necessary to ensure there is enough bandwidth capacity for all the users.

This problem is being sorted by the relevant people although i cannot give a specific time of when it will be fixed.

I apologies for the inconvenience.

Kind Regards

That is a load of s***... I am quite annoyed now... You need to learn to accept what we have ALL PROVEN time and time again....

ClientZone is stuffed - SORT IT OUT!
Shaping is EXTREME - SORT IT OUT!
Business Uncapped is being throttled AND shaped - STOP IT!!!!! SORT IT OUT!
Afrihost cannot service the existing client base ANYWHERE IN SA - STOP SELLING AND GIVING AWAY BANDWIDTH!!!!! SORT IT OUT!

 

[i.got~issues]

Ummm.... not according to your support staff

I arrived home earlier on to find a response from your support staff ro my ticket that has been open since the beginning of the month. Please bear in mind that I am on 10MB UNCAPPED BUSINESS!

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for your mail.

At the current time the IPC in Cape Town is at near full capacity, resulting in relatively heavy shaping on all Uncapped accounts for peer to peer torrent downloads. This shaping will take place during both peak and off peak times when necessary to ensure there is enough bandwidth capacity for all the users.

This problem is being sorted by the relevant people although i cannot give a specific time of when it will be fixed.

I apologies for the inconvenience.

Kind Regards

That is a load of s***... I am quite annoyed now... You need to learn to accept what we have ALL PROVEN time and time again....

ClientZone is stuffed - SORT IT OUT!
Shaping is EXTREME - SORT IT OUT!
Business Uncapped is being throttled AND shaped - STOP IT!!!!! SORT IT OUT!
Afrihost cannot service the existing client base ANYWHERE IN SA - STOP SELLING AND GIVING AWAY BANDWIDTH!!!!! SORT IT OUT!

So.. is there an IPC issue down south, as some forumites have alluded to, or not? Nothing anywhere on the Afrihost site hints at this. All green lights and nooooo problems.

Why would AH support respond as above?

I am close to cancelling.

 

[cortexenslaver]

Yeah... but don't you find it interesting that in his response, he is admitting that ALL UNCAPPED ACCOUNTS are being shaped?

To me that is an admission, no matter what Afrihost Reps say on this forum... or am I wrong???

 

[i.got~issues]

Yeah... but don't you find it interesting that in his response, he is admitting that ALL UNCAPPED ACCOUNTS are being shaped?

To me that is an admission, no matter what Afrihost Reps say on this forum... or am I wrong???

If I am being made to jump through hoops because of an IPC issue that is not being disclosed upfront... I will cancel immediately.
2xAfrihost accounts that are both wonky... 3xOther ISP accounts that do not do what the AH accounts do... tracerts and diagnostics ad nauseum...

 

[cortexenslaver]

If I am being made to jump through hoops because of an IPC issue that is not being disclosed upfront... I will cancel immediately.
2xAfrihost accounts that are both wonky... 3xOther ISP accounts that do not do what the AH accounts do... tracerts and diagnostics ad nauseum...

I hear you, bud.... been through the same myself for the last 3 weeks (everyday). And every time I push for a response, I get some NEW and different entry-level support guy giving me the same rehashed garbage, " ... please do some speed tests.... sorry to hear you are having problems, etc.... "

It cannot be this hard to admit that there is a problem! ALL the tests confirm this... Not only is there not enough capacity, constant shaping, Telkom IPC issues, unshaped account throttling, etc... but there is DEFINITELY a problem with the MTN Network and not all traffic, from all accounts is treated the same and routed the same. It appears this is the account priority at present:

1) Capped accounts for new clients with FREE double data, THEN
2) Capped accounts with fixed data, THEN
3) EVERYTHING ELSE ON THE MTN NETWORK, .................... THEN,
3) Uncapped Business (limited to a fraction of the speed whenever they feel like it, and unstable as hell - even on "real-time" services).......................... THEN,
4) Uncapped Standard (shaped 24hours a day at 12.5% and 6.5% - limited ALL the time on every protocol)

THE LAST TWO DESCRIPTIONS AMOUNTS TO BLATANT THROTTLING!

....BTW, Afrihost.... you do realise that you are in breach of contract/agreement we all signed up for????
I wonder if Afrihost would still be around if ALL of us LEAVE and get DOUBLE REFUNDS.... maybe that would light a fire under them?

Here is my reply that I emailed the support staff that sent the mail in my post above (#4907):

Good Evening,

With all due respect..... THIS IS NOT MY PROBLEM! THIS IS A BUSINESS UNCAPPED ACCOUNT!
There should be no shaping on this account AT ALL! This is why I pay a premium price for the service... your new capped accounts with free bandwidth give-aways don't seem to suffer from the same issues????? Surely, as a BUSINESS CLIENT, my account should have priority???? Even REAL-TIME SERVICES are pathetic on this account at all times of the day.

These excuses are not good enough... SORT IT OUT! I have asked for a physical port change at the exchange since the beginning of the month. Telling me that Telkom is "tending to it", is not good enough - AFRIHOST "supposedly manages my line... SO MANAGE! Don't make me micro-manage you. Also, your ClientZone doesn't work properly... not for me, and not for a lot of clients - on all types of accounts - FIX IT! Provide me with the service I have paid for (up-front, I might add), the service I enjoyed for 3 months without a hitch.

THAT IS ALL!

 

[Hunted]

My last 4 Speedtests throughout the day are below. Last one is at the top.

10Mbps line synching at 20Mbps

20.03.2014 10:21 PM SAST


20.03.2014 8:03 PM SAST


20.03.2014 6:12 PM SAST


20.03.2014 4:03 PM SAST


It appears that today is much better. The later the day the better it seems. Youtube streamed fine and pages loads quickly.

 

[eddief1]

Yeah... but don't you find it interesting that in his response, he is admitting that ALL UNCAPPED ACCOUNTS are being shaped?

To me that is an admission, no matter what Afrihost Reps say on this forum... or am I wrong???

What you expect to happen? When you don't have enough capacity you HAVE to shape. It's not the norm that business accounts are shaped...but at the moment it is a necessity.

 

[wingnut771]

What you expect to happen? When you don't have enough capacity you HAVE to shape. It's not the norm that business accounts are shaped...but at the moment it is a necessity.

That's fine. Get them to admit that.

 

[cortexenslaver]

What you expect to happen? When you don't have enough capacity you HAVE to shape. It's not the norm that business accounts are shaped...but at the moment it is a necessity.

....and again, I repeat, "I pay more so that it's NOT shaped".... If they need to shape, than they need to give me a discount! If they don't have enough bandwidth, then they need to put a hold on rolling out new packages, until such a time that they can actually provide the service they are selling.

It's not rocket science.... it's just poor network and business management on AH's side.

 

[i.got~issues]

What you expect to happen? When you don't have enough capacity you HAVE to shape. It's not the norm that business accounts are shaped...but at the moment it is a necessity.

Why the endless hoop jumps and tracerts and PM's and diagnostic tool results from us down-southers and all the re-assurances that there is no shaping and nothing is wrong and the network is green and just so full of Afri-awesomeness according to their website and representatives and technicians and engineers who cannot replicate these southern Western Cape issues?

Is there an IPC issue?
IS AH shaping business accounts due to capacity constraints?

If so, say so damnit!

 

[savage]

What you expect to happen? When you don't have enough capacity you HAVE to shape. It's not the norm that business accounts are shaped...but at the moment it is a necessity.

You shape other services, not the service where you GUARANTEE capacity!

 

[i.got~issues]

OMW ... Twitch is now playing on high without buffering on this AH Business account !

:wtf:

EDIT: Aaaw ... buffering now on high ... buffer-free on Medium.

This is the 1st time in about a month that Twitch has streamed buffer-free on medium.

Here is pathping thing for what it is worth;

C:\Windows\System32>pathping www.twitch.tv

Tracing route to cdn.justin.tv.c.footprint.net [192.221.115.254]
over a maximum of 30 hops:
  0  SUN
  1  H0M3nE11 [192.168.0.1]
  2  ipc-send-tb-3a.mtnbusiness.net [41.181.53.214]
  3  tb-dca-2.za--qux-a.za.mtnbusiness.net [41.181.184.28]
  4  compj-cpt-1.mtnns.net [196.44.18.2]
  5  ls-cr-2.uk--tb-cr-1.za.mtnns.net [196.44.31.113]
  6  am-cr-1.nl--ls-cr-2.uk-a.mtnns.net [196.44.31.183]
  7  am-tpr-1.nl--am-cr-1.nl-a.mtn.net [209.212.111.141]
  8  xe-4-1-0.edge5.Amsterdam1.Level3.net [212.72.41.89]
  9  vl-3603-ve-227.csw2.Amsterdam1.Level3.net [4.69.162.153]
 10  ae-58-223.ebr2.Amsterdam1.Level3.net [4.69.153.209]
 11  ae-48-48.ebr2.London1.Level3.net [4.69.143.82]
 12  ae-56-221.csw2.London1.Level3.net [4.69.153.130]
 13  ae-225-3601.edge3.London1.Level3.net [4.69.166.146]
 14     *        *        *
Computing statistics for 325 seconds...
            Source to Here   This Node/Link
Hop  RTT    Lost/Sent = Pct  Lost/Sent = Pct  Address
  0                                           SUN 
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  1    4ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  H0M3nE11 [192.168.0.1]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  2   26ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  ipc-send-tb-3a.mtnbusiness.net [41.181.53.214]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  3   24ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  tb-dca-2.za--qux-a.za.mtnbusiness.net [41.181.184.28]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  4   24ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  compj-cpt-1.mtnns.net [196.44.18.2]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  5  189ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  ls-cr-2--tb-cr-1.uk-b.mtnns.net [196.44.31.113]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  6  197ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  am-cr-1.nl--ls-cr-2.uk-a.mtnns.net [196.44.31.183]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  7  198ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  am-tpr-1.nl--am-cr-1.nl-a.mtn.net [209.212.111.141]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  8  176ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  xe-4-1-0.edge5.Amsterdam1.Level3.net [212.72.41.89]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
  9  175ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  vl-3603-ve-227.csw2.Amsterdam1.Level3.net [4.69.162.153]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
 10  175ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  ae-58-223.ebr2.Amsterdam1.Level3.net [4.69.153.209]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
 11  174ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  ae-48-48.ebr2.London1.Level3.net [4.69.143.82]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
 12  186ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  ae-56-221.csw2.London1.Level3.net [4.69.153.130]
                                0/ 100 =  0%   |
 13  176ms     0/ 100 =  0%     0/ 100 =  0%  ae-225-3601.edge3.London1.Level3.net [4.69.166.146]

Trace complete.

Also just for kicks, Zertop dignostics;

Local Tracert 

Tracing route to news24.co.za [41.86.110.143]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     4 ms     2 ms     9 ms  H0M3nE11 [192.168.0.1] 
  2    23 ms    19 ms    19 ms  ipc-recieve-tb-2a.mtnbusiness.net [41.181.54.86] 
  3    52 ms    19 ms    19 ms  tb-dca-2.za--qux-c.za.mtnbusiness.net [41.181.198.188] 
  4    30 ms    29 ms    29 ms  unc-cpt-1.mtnns.net [196.44.18.8] 
  5    29 ms    29 ms    28 ms  196.44.31.106 
  6    21 ms    29 ms    19 ms  nl-ha-2.za--rb-cr-1.za-a.mtnns.net [196.44.0.121] 
  7    19 ms    19 ms    29 ms  196-28-178-141.adsl.mweb.co.za [196.28.178.141] 
  8    27 ms    25 ms    23 ms  197-84-7-2.cpt.mweb.co.za [197.84.7.2] 
  9    26 ms    29 ms    19 ms  197-84-5-254.cpt.mweb.co.za [197.84.5.254] 
 10    24 ms    29 ms    25 ms  vp-02-14.bb.ctn.c27.za.net [196.28.178.70] 
 11    16 ms    23 ms    22 ms  gig5-2-cpt-opt-65-1.optinet.net [196.41.133.166] 
 12    21 ms    29 ms    39 ms  OPTI-CPT-N1-Hosting.optinet.net [197.84.196.6] 
 13    29 ms    29 ms    29 ms  197-84-208-146.cpt.mweb.co.za [197.84.208.146] 
 14    18 ms    29 ms    27 ms  41-86-110-143.mweb.co.za [41.86.110.143] 

Trace complete.
  
International Tracert 

Tracing route to thinkbroadband.com [80.249.99.130]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1     7 ms     9 ms     9 ms  H0M3nE11 [192.168.0.1] 
  2    16 ms    89 ms    29 ms  ipc-recieve-tb-1a.mtnbusiness.net [41.181.53.150] 
  3    24 ms    69 ms    19 ms  tb-dca-2.za--qux-a.za.mtnbusiness.net [41.181.184.28] 
  4    23 ms    29 ms    19 ms  unc-cpt-1.mtnns.net [196.44.18.8] 
  5    21 ms    19 ms    19 ms  196.44.31.106 
  6   161 ms   161 ms   169 ms  am-cr-1.am--lt-cr-1.uk-a.mtnns.net [196.44.31.221] 
  7   161 ms   159 ms   169 ms  ls-pr-1.uk--ls-cr-1.uk-a.mtn.net [209.212.111.83] 
  8   169 ms   169 ms   169 ms  linx-gw1.thn.ncuk.net [195.66.224.240] 
  9   167 ms   169 ms   169 ms  gi1-24-10-star1.core-rs2.thdo.ncuk.net [80.249.97.9] 
 10   164 ms   161 ms   168 ms  www.thinkbroadband.com [80.249.99.130] 

Trace complete.
  
International Speedtest 
Downloaded 10.0 megabytes in 52 seconds. (196.01 KB/s)
  
Local Speedtest 
Downloaded 8000.0 kilobytes in 40 seconds. (199.34 KB/s)
  
  
  
  
Test End Timestamp 
2014/03/21 13:50:34.25

And the Afrihost Tool

Ping Test:

ping 197.242.144.102

Request timeout for icmp_seq 1
Request timeout for icmp_seq 2
64 bytes from 197.242.144.102: icmp_req=3 ttl=59 time=44 ms
Request timeout for icmp_seq 4
64 bytes from 197.242.144.102: icmp_req=5 ttl=59 time=50 ms


ping 8.8.8.8

64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_req=1 ttl=45 time=181 ms
Request timeout for icmp_seq 2
64 bytes from 8.8.8.8: icmp_req=3 ttl=45 time=182 ms
Request timeout for icmp_seq 4
Request timeout for icmp_seq 5


Trace Test:

traceroute -n 197.242.144.102

  1	192.168.0.1       	6 ms      	
  2	41.181.53.1       	17 ms     	
  3	41.181.198.1      	18 ms     	
  4	196.44.31.1       	16 ms     	
  5	196.44.31.6       	57 ms     	
  6	196.44.0.2        	47 ms     	
  7	196.31.220.1      	43 ms     	
  8	196.31.220.2      	44 ms     	
  9	196.30.42.1       	50 ms     	
 10	197.242.144.1     	42 ms     	


traceroute -n 8.8.8.8

  1	41.181.53.2       	33 ms     	
  2	41.181.198.1      	19 ms     	
  3	196.44.18.2       	26 ms     	
  4	196.44.31.1       	24 ms     	
  5	196.44.31.6       	43 ms     	
  6	41.181.139.1      	45 ms     	
  7	72.14.194.7       	50 ms     	
  8	66.249.95.8       	187 ms    	
  9	Request timed out 	*         	


DNS Test:

nslookup www.afrihost.com

Name:	www.afrihost.com
Address: 197.242.144.102


nslookup www.google.com

Name:	www.google.com
Address: 173.194.34.81
Name:	www.google.com
Address: 173.194.34.82
Name:	www.google.com
Address: 173.194.34.84
Name:	www.google.com
Address: 173.194.34.80
Name:	www.google.com
Address: 173.194.34.83


nslookup thishouldfail.afrihost.com

** server can't find thisshouldfail.com: NXDOMAIN

 

[TheGrove]

Is it not more of a contention ratio issue than a shaping issue? you have a contention ratio of 5:1 (just an example) all five people are hammering the line and all complaining, now with the IPC shortage the contention ratio is upped 10:1 (just an example) now there is far less available bandwidth causing the slowness.

oversubscribed rather than shaping? So when Afriguy says there is no shaping he is 100% correct but it does not mean they are not oversubscribed.

Just a question, not sure if that is the case. You guys need to remember you are not paying for a 1:1 contention ratio account, you would pay a lot more for that.

 

[TheGrove]

You shape other services, not the service where you GUARANTEE capacity!

They may guarantee no shaping or throttling but I do not believe they they guarantee 4mbps of 1:1 bandwidth, we pay a large sum of money per 1:1 mbps bandwidth and I can promise you that you will not be willing to pay that for your 4mbps line.