We're continuing to test and troubleshoot here. Hopefully we can make more adjustments to improve overall performance.
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Afrihost New Network Feedback
- Thread starter AfriMan
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We're continuing to test and troubleshoot here. Hopefully we can make more adjustments to improve overall performance.
The timeouts are not necessarily packet loss, it could be that the network kit gives low priority to ICMP pings and might not respond if the router is busy. You might see more accurate results using MTR or tests run over time.
There were some issues we picked up with Facebook, which seemed to be mostly around how traffic was being routed, but we'll have to investigate further to see if the cause was on our side or how they manage traffic through CDN's.
We definitely don't prioritise ICMP or use proxy's or any other method to make speedtests or traceroutes look better. We want clients to be able to run effective testing and troubleshooting so we can be more effective in improving their experience. Skewing the tests would ultimately hamper our support efforts.
We're not seeing consistent load on our IPC, so we do believe that we have sufficient capacity. These issues seem to be related more to routing and content networking, which we're busy trying to work out with the CDN providers and our upstream providers, etc.
Everyday at 22:00 streaming performance drops drastically
I'm watching a stream and the latency jumps from an already HIGH latency of 15 seconds all the way to 24 seconds, after a lot of buffering.
Really do not feel like posting tests everyday as this happens so much.
That's odd though, because by 10pm the load on the network is usually dramatically tapering off.
Are you talking about seconds or milliseconds here? If you're talking about seconds, then it sounds like it's a problem either way and we need to see where this latency is coming from
I think we need to investigate further, cos that is different to the experiences we have testing in CT, JHB and DBN. International is generally good for me, and we're also peering at the most optimal point at NAPAfrica for cached international content and best route overseas. The more we can identify potential issues through testing that our network team can either monitor or recreate, then we can make the network better and better.
I know it's a pain to submit tests, but these are definitely appreciated and do translate into hard results when we can use them to make informed changes.
kamikazi
Well-Known Member
I'm sorry that this happened, this is generally not the case at all.
With Telkom's new Holding Pool system, the process can complete in a matter of hours, but delays in moving the line into the holding pool generally cause delays. We do our best to push from our side for this to happen.
I'd be happy to look into this for you, though I see you've said you've already cancelled everything. Since you've already gone through the hard part, I'd be grateful if we could chat about how we can turn this experience around
Problem is I don't know what is going on, there is zero communication from Afrihost's side wrt the migration. The only communication that has been occurring is when I logged a support ticket through the Clientzone to make an enquiry and to relay my concerns that we would like to minimise any possible downtime since this would affect my wife's consultancy work. Afrihost subsequently promised to push the migration through quickly once I let them know ASAP once the line has gone in the holding pool which I have done. My line has been on PENDING status through the entire process. Why can't this be more transparent? Why would your company make promises if they don't mean anything... Should I make contingency plans in case my ISP don't keep their end of the bargain? Is this how you earn customers trust? Disappointed
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Dianysis
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PM inbound.
I understand your disappointment here, and I do think there is always room to improve communication.
If you are happy to PM me, let me find out what is happening and get this squared away ASAP
Igor III
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I guess you could be right, how would one then explain in game latency that sits around 1745ms ?
Or are you in agreement with the advice I received from AH Support, regarding the sudden high latency issues and packet loss I am experiencing of late?
This is the reply I got, after noting that in game latency is ~ 1.7K ms
Quote:
"If the server is based in the UK, those milliseconds are fine.
Intermittent problems of this kind can be particularly difficult to resolve because if it's just a simple Configuration issue, you tend to get consistency, even if that consistency manifests itself in poor results.
We hope that by using this process of elimination we are able to find the cause of the Intermittent Connectivity issue you are experiencing.
a.) Please disconnect all equipment from the router: including wireless printers, tablets, cell phones, gaming devices etc..
b.) Disable the wireless completely on the router and connect directly with cable to your PC. (Test with just one PC connected directly to the cable) Leave only the router connected for an hour. If that is stable begin to add on 1 device every 30 minutes to see which device is causing the disconnection.
1. Router/Modem
If the front-facing LED lights are solid and flashing green, in general terms this means that the device is working well. If it flashes Red, please contact us for further diagnostics.
Here are three ways to test your router so as to verify if it is functioning well :
1.1. Take the router to the store at which you purchased it, and ask them to test it for you (there is no fee for this).
1.2. Swap your current router with a router which is known to be functioning properly.
1.3 Take your router to a family member/friends home and test it there.
It is also important to check your micro filters by:
2. Filters
Ensure that all filters have not been accidentally moved or disconnected. Filters generally don't need replacement, however to test them, disconnect the
phone lines one at a time to see if the problem persists. If so, replace the filter/s.
Unplugging everything from your telephone line and connect your router directly to your master telephone socket .
If this rectifies the problem, then something which you had unplugged, was the cause. Find it by reconnecting your devices systematically and checking for problems after each one.
If this doesn't fix the problem, try another micro filter.
3. Weather
If your intermittent ADSL connectivity began shortly after poor weather (heavy rains, hail, etc).
If normal wear and tear corroded, or weather damaged the wiring is suspected, you may want to check for dilapidated telephone wires in the exposed areas outside of your home.
4.Hardware
Viruses, Trojans and operating system updates can change the configuration of your operating system.
You can download Super Anti Spyware( there is a free version available). Install it on the PC , perform an update and then a complete scan on the PC’s to remove viruses) .
5. Frequency emitting devices.
A high tech alarm system, electric fencing, cordless phones ,wireless devices or any other frequency emitting device which may be near your network can cause intermittent connectivity. Change the frequency of these devices if you suspect this."
PS: I wanted to burst out laughing when I read the reply to my fault log, as I have seen this exact same generic "copy and paste" reply last year when AH's service went downhill (before AH admitted they had a problem and introduced the POC and later the new network).
Sadly I realised that the AH Support member honestly believed that the generic response was helpful to my problem, so I ended up crying.
Please note that I do not log/report the occasional lag spike/problem immediately when it occurs. I normally live with it for a week or two. Only when it consistently repeats itself do I seek assistance. Judging by the posts on this thread of late, I am convinced that I am not the only one experiencing problem with the service provided by AH.
Is it honestly AH's opinion that the root cause is indeed on my end (e.g. my router, my PC, my Telkom ADSL connection, etc)?
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kamikazi
Well-Known Member
I understand your disappointment here, and I do think there is always room to improve communication.
If you are happy to PM me, let me find out what is happening and get this squared away ASAP
Many thanks Afriman for the assistance with escalating the issue and especially also to Nkosi from Afrihost Critical Care for sorting out the migration and line speed this morning. The quick turnaround to get everything sorted has really made my day!
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I hate to throw a fellow team member under the bus but I do think sometimes we try to swat a fly with a shotgun. the possible causes of latency can literally be anywhere along the chain, but systematic troubleshooting will show you exactly where that link in the chain is. A traceroute and speedtest are always a great place to start, but I think this predefined reply is designed to eliminate as much possible interference on the client side before they potentially colour the tests that come through.
Igor III
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I do get the "generic" replies, but ......... even via this forum have I pasted the results of so many tests AH requested of me (a mere search against my user name will reflect the results), yet ...... here I am, an AH client with definite AH service related problems (imo anyways).
As you are aware, I have even conducted the same tests requested of me (using the exact same equipment), but merely switching ISP's and the results are different.
How much longer will AH remain in the denial stage, before AH investigate the problem on their end. I am pretty confident that by now I have ruled out the possibility that the root cause is without a doubt not on my end.
Towards the end of last year, when I experienced exactly the same phenomenon, I was handed over to the CC team, shortly after that, the symptoms disappeared after more and more AH clients logged similar experiences and the case was closed. Which leaves me with the impression that AH remains in denial for a few months on negative client experiences and continually claim that it is caused by everything outside of AH control. After a very long time, when clients persistently log these issues, will AH eventually look internally for a root cause and hopefully provide a solution.
Alternately, please provide me with some more hoops to jump through, so that a solution can be found for this problem (mainly because it is most certainly taking the "joy" out of my internet experience).
Kind regards
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We definitely investigate on our side and try to replicate the results we get. I think it's also reasonable to understand that once we make major changes to address a problem, previous tests have little or no value anymore and we need to run fresh test to see if the same issue occurs or if new artefacts may arise.
I know that some significant changes were made in light of the reports late last week and over the weekend, so we'd definitely like people who had a problem over that time to retest and report back.
Igor III
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So my question remains the same - what test do you want me to run to convince you that I do have an issue?
Yesterday I ran ping tests and trace route tests, after confirming packet loss with ping plotter. I even posted a screenshot of in-game latency to an european server, reflecting the ~1.7K ping.
As noted, the reply I got on these tests is that "If the server is based in the UK, those milliseconds are fine."
Somehow, I believe that 1.7K ms to anywhere on this planet is "not" fine.
Yesterday I ran ping tests and trace route tests, after confirming packet loss with ping plotter. I even posted a screenshot of in-game latency to an european server, reflecting the ~1.7K ping.
As noted, the reply I got on these tests is that "If the server is based in the UK, those milliseconds are fine."
Somehow, I believe that 1.7K ms to anywhere on this planet is "not" fine.
Can you please run the same tests again, now that the changes have been put into effect, and then mail them to me on [email protected] along with your contact details and I'll make sure we work with you to find the cause of the issue.
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