[April 2006] Current 3G problems - Feedback Please

[SoftDev]

Hi all,

I have been connected today for more than 4 hours and have not experienced any more "downlink stop" problems. I have also during left the laptop running during this 4 hours without doing any work. When I then ping google, I get an immediate response.

Once again thanks to V3G and all the people whom helped to resolve this problem.

SoftDev

 

[Big Kriss]

Aaah,got ya..thanks J.

 

[zoot]

I'm back in Cape Town and so far, my link has not terminated unexpectedly, though throughput over the link has not paused for more than 10 minutes at a time. I will give further feedback at a later stage.

It's now 16:25 and I've been on-line for 5.5 hrs, with mail client checking mail every 30 min. All good.

 

[vodacom3g]

After reading the thread about getting the new card for free, I rushed out to get one - hoping it would solve some of these lost downlink problem.

But unfortunately it just became worse, and even more, it seems as if the performance of everything degraded if I compare it to this morning.

Hope it is just temporary. Will try 155 to see if they can resolve the problem

Brand new Option Globe Trotter 3G+, staying connected (downlink )approximately only 1 minute.

Max speed seen so far with this card 58kB/s comparable to the old 3g speed, only less reliable

Are you being disconnected or is it the downlink stop problem?, i,e, you stay connected but no data in the downlink? Your profile was changed....

How many bars on the dash and what profile are you using?

I've also been disconnected a few (~5) times over the last 2 days but I'm in a 1-bar area and use a 3G-only profile, so I expect this.

On 3G, you probably got around 40KB/s....

 

[SJB]

Are you being disconnected or is it the downlink stop problem?, i,e, you stay connected but no data in the downlink? Your profile was changed....

How many bars on the dash and what profile are you using?

I've also been disconnected a few (~5) times over the last 2 days but I'm in a 1-bar area and use a 3G-only profile, so I expect this.

On 3G, you probably got around 40KB/s....

Sorry for the typo's - difficult to keep sane with all the disconnects... Sorry the down link gets lost and then requires a manual disconnect-reconnect.

Profile - Seems like a hot topic, it was also the first question from 155. 3G Only with Auto DNS. Also tried 3G only with Manual DNS. Most recently even tried the CSD profile at only 9600B/s!

Any ideas. Firmware is 3.15 and latest VMC from website. Note - I did not unintall/reinstall the VMC when installing the new card. Can that be it? (VMC did recognise it correctly when creating the new profile for the new card after first giving me a dreaded screan dump blue screen...)

 

[SJB]

Downgrade to HSDPA

As indicated above I have upgraded by old Novatel 3G card to the new Option HSDPA card on Saturday, hoping to get some better reliability.

Unfortunately things got a lot worse - it is now totally unusable - requiring regular disconnect-reconnect operations every couple a seconds. (previously it was minutes).

After calling 155 again today I came to the conclusion that a workable solution is the following:

Select GPRS only. Although you are only doing 56kbps, you maintain the connection in order to get some work done!

Thus, in the last month I have downgraded from my old stable 3G connection of 384kbps to HSDPA but is only useable as GPRS with 56kbps.

155 indicated that this is a general fault on the network with no indication when my (and other's) problems will be resolved....

This is by first real BIG disappointment with my V3G connection since joining last year. I just hope it will be resolved soon...

 

[vodacom3g]

sjb, we need to fix this.

The downlink lost problem stopped (if you'll pardon the wordplay) for most subs but yours seem to have increased.

I did have all your contact details but unfortunately must keep on clearing out my inbox....

Won't you please PM me all your contact details (again) and I'll forward to the regional guys to come and see what's up with your connection.

I'm not buying the 'general network problem' bit, unless they're referring to the Telkom saga, but this is not your problem.

Actually, do you have a 082, 072 or 076 3G number?

 

[Gunny]

Hi V3g I'm having a bit of a weird one seems very intermittent. I'll be working no prob and then get no data coming back all of a sudden been watching it for a while. I'll be sending requests and not getting answers, while this happens the lights on the data card do there double flash thing. Wait a while (about 1 to 2 min) and i get a rush of incoming data and the card happily goes back to its triple flash thing. I never got probs like this with my plain 3G card (had nova and option) and I'm still in the same location I was connected all weekend in Vanderbijl except for the downtime on Sat morning but at home I'm getting ready to pull whats left of my hair out.

Help plz...

 

[vodacom3g]

Hi V3g I'm having a bit of a weird one seems very intermittent. I'll be working no prob and then get no data coming back all of a sudden been watching it for a while. I'll be sending requests and not getting answers, while this happens the lights on the data card do there double flash thing. Wait a while (about 1 to 2 min) and i get a rush of incoming data and the card happily goes back to its triple flash thing. I never got probs like this with my plain 3G card (had nova and option) and I'm still in the same location I was connected all weekend in Vanderbijl except for the downtime on Sat morning but at home I'm getting ready to pull whats left of my hair out.

Help plz...

I really though we licked this downlink stop issue, but then not all sub profiles have been updated yet. It's running in batches and will complete over the next day or so. I had *most* of the forumites' done first.

What are the first 5 digits of yor 3G number? As in 082-99x-xxxx.

 

[Gunny]

What are the first 5 digits of yor 3G number? As in 082-99x-xxxx.

I have PMed the full number thx V3g

 

[ettubrute]

If 3G just disconnects (prolly losing signal! ) but the profile is 3G preferred, but GPRS also possible, isn't the card supposed to switch to GPRS when the 3G signal disappears? Cause it doesn't, it just drops the connection!

 

[vodacom3g]

I have PMed the full number thx V3g

Got it, thanks. Your number should have been done. I've asked the guys to doublecheck.

 

[ettubrute]

Another funny: every now and again, the connection jumps from 1 to 4 bars... but while the 4 bars are active, I can not do anything!

 

[ettubrute]

Good one ic. Don't have to install it though, since I have it!

 

[ettubrute]

As for the LEDs (Novatel card): Normally, with 1 or 2 bars, constant blue... when bars jump, stays blue... when I unplug the external arial, green... When the connection drops, blue flashing twice.

 

[Harley79]

anyone having issues today? just been in claremont, and had some isssues, mainly stability of throughput, and now back in CPT CBD and same thing. Extremely frustrating. v3g, have the guys done any changes on these stations? Cause if they have it broke them

 

[Gunny]

I'm still having downlink problems :\ speed is awesome when it works properly tho

 

[Tallies]

Connection speed in Waterkloof Ridge is VERY slow, pages only download 50% then you have to wait a minute or longer for the rest.
(This is not the throughput stalling problem!)

Using Option HSDPA - 3G Only profile.

 

[ettubrute]

Same here in Centurion this afternoon. Seems a little better now, though!

 

[Tallies]

Back Again!

Seems the problem has been fixed, getting 981 kbps from Telkom speedtest!

Man, HSDPA is nice when it is rocking!

Suggestion (V3G?): How about setting up a speedtest site on the Vodacom network, so we can measure the downlink directly (more or less) instead of having to go through to Telkom or other sites (with associated bandwidth reductions!)?