Crystal Web (NEW ISP) ADSL Feedback

[saa044]

Let's not forget that streaming requires consistent latency (not necessarily the lowest, but consistent) so they're adding additional latency into the mix, as well as another possible point of failure.

It's not always your ISP.

Agree, i am almost certain Unotelly for instance is also mostly working correct, I have tested Unotelly and Netflix on my 30KB/s uncapped mtn connection and it works great. Yes it plays 5 minutes and buffers for a minute and so. TBH I never had any issues regarding Unotelly, even when I trace sites not in their list it goes the default route as it does with the default DNS. A proper service like Unotelly only effect sites that they support, not touching the other sites not supported by them.

On a side note, a plugin like Hola unblocker effects everything.

 

[Sinbad]

UnoDNS isn't going to affect your routing at all.
All it does is proxies your netflix login session. Doesn't change routing.

 

[ToxicBunny]

By the way, for those of you with Mikrotiks or other advanced routers that allow you to do proper QoS, can get in touch with me and I'll see what I can do about a multiple account situation that allows you to chose what is shaped and what's not.

So you can grab some unshaped data and an uncapped account and setup the QoS yourself. Pricing is POA and will be more than the Fusion accounts in all lielihood, but it gives you that flexibility if you'd prefer to work with a single provider (us).

I may just take you up on this one once I get the Mikrotik up and running. (when it bloody gets delivered.. Durban UPS seem to be enjoy scanning it in and out of the Warehouse a few times atm)...

I actually am in the process of starting to redesign my entire home network and servers etc... so will give this some thought and see what is the best way for multiple accounts, if its necessary.

 

[Crystal Web]

I may just take you up on this one once I get the Mikrotik up and running. (when it bloody gets delivered.. Durban UPS seem to be enjoy scanning it in and out of the Warehouse a few times atm)...

I actually am in the process of starting to redesign my entire home network and servers etc... so will give this some thought and see what is the best way for multiple accounts, if its necessary.

Terms and conditions apply.

4 referral minimum required.

 

[waynehooper]

I use Gargoyle and have been tempted to go the Mikrotik route a few times. Have had one in the shopping cart a few times, but then chicken out when I remember the forum posts on the difficulties. Need to find someone in East London who knows their way around them (might even sweeten the deal by offering free accounting & tax advice).

By the way, for those of you with Mikrotiks or other advanced routers that allow you to do proper QoS

 

[saa044]

Terms and conditions apply.

4 referral minimum required.

I already got 4 or 5 people on Mikrotik, does that count?

 

[ToxicBunny]

Terms and conditions apply.

4 referral minimum required.

Yussie... thems some strict T&C's

 

[saa044]

I use Gargoyle and have been tempted to go the Mikrotik route a few times. Have had one in the shopping cart a few times, but then chicken out when I remember the forum posts on the difficulties. Need to find someone in East London who knows their way around them (might even sweeten the deal by offering free accounting & tax advice).

Scoop and Miro is local and from what I can see with the extra UPS charges cheaper. Plus some of us do have accounts with them, wink wink. If I am not mistaking both scoop and miro have shops in JHB, Durban and Cape Town and they also courier.

 

[sand_man]

Just an idea I had...

The problem most of us probably have with the fusion package is that the 100 gig unshaped uncapped part will be used during 0:00-06:00 for big downloads, but we don't want to use that unshaped cap during of-peak hours. In my case, we use about 8 to 12 gigs each day, and lets say 2- 6 gig is downloads that can be done during 0:00 and 06:00. This means that Within 8 days, I would have already used all of my 100gigs of unshaped data, of witch 50% could have been shaped/slow data.

Is is possible to split a ADSL subscription somehow? In stead of having just one ISP username and password, we have 2, with the one account functioning as the current fusion account, and the other one that's just active during 0:00 and 6:00.

I understand that its very difficult from your side to build in some function that will not use our unshapped data cap during of peak hours, but using 2 different accounts at the same time not solve this problem? I would even be happy to pay something extra each month, about R50 for a bolt-on option of some kind?

Yeah, what's required is a Crystal Hybrid capped/uncapped account. Something to motivate the highly profitable after hours traffic!!

So one account with 2 distinctively different characteristics...
Available for 2mb/4mb/10mb/20mb

Capped portion: 100gb/200gb/300gb cap according to individual needs. All usage between 6am-12am counts against that 100gb/200gb/300gb cap.

Uncapped portion: All usage between 12am-6am, unlimited, unshaped, unthrottled...

Pricing:
100gb 2mb R399-00
200gb 2mb R599-00
300gb 2mb R799-00

100gb 4mb R499-00
200gb 4mb R699-00
300gb 4mb R899-00

100gb 10mb R699-00
200gb 10mb R899-00
300gb 10mb R1099-00

100gb 20mb R999-00
200gb 20mb R1199-00
300gb 20mb R1399-00


I reckon this would be quite doable for both customer and ISP and at the same time deliver a high level of performance 24/7 with enough incentive for after hours heavy lifting and moderate peak hour usage without being constraining...

There already a number of accounts where usage is monitored and allocated to a peak/off peak/capped/uncapped IE Web Africa's double your data offer...

Cybersmarts nightrider accounts...

ETC ETC ETC

 

[saa044]

Yeah, what's required is a Crystal Hybrid capped/uncapped account. Something to motivate the highly profitable after hours traffic!!

So one account with 2 distinctively different characteristics...
Available for 2mb/4mb/10mb/20mb

Capped portion: 100gb/200gb/300gb cap according to individual needs. All usage between 6am-12am counts against that 100gb/200gb/300gb cap.

Uncapped portion: All usage between 12am-6am, unlimited, unshaped, unthrottled...

Pricing:
100gb 2mb R399-00
200gb 2mb R599-00
300gb 2mb R799-00

100gb 4mb R499-00
200gb 4mb R699-00
300gb 4mb R899-00

100gb 10mb R699-00
200gb 10mb R899-00
300gb 10mb R1099-00

100gb 20mb R999-00
200gb 20mb R1199-00
300gb 20mb R1399-00


I reckon this would be quite doable for both customer and ISP and at the same time deliver a high level of performance 24/7 with enough incentive for after hours heavy lifting and moderate peak hour usage without being constraining...

Uncapped?

 

[ToxicBunny]

Yeah, what's required is a Crystal Hybrid capped/uncapped account. Something to motivate the highly profitable after hours traffic!!

So one account with 2 distinctively different characteristics...
Available for 2mb/4mb/10mb/20mb

Capped portion: 100gb/200gb/300gb cap according to individual needs. All usage between 6am-12am counts against that 100gb/200gb/300gb cap.

Uncapped portion: All usage between 12am-6am, unlimited, unshaped, unthrottled...

Pricing:
100gb 2mb R399-00
200gb 2mb R599-00
300gb 2mb R799-00

100gb 4mb R499-00
200gb 4mb R699-00
300gb 4mb R899-00

100gb 10mb R699-00
200gb 10mb R899-00
300gb 10mb R1099-00

100gb 20mb R999-00
200gb 20mb R1199-00
300gb 20mb R1399-00


I reckon this would be quite doable for both customer and ISP and at the same time deliver a high level of performance 24/7 with enough incentive for after hours heavy lifting and moderate peak hour usage without being constraining...

There already a number of accounts where usage is monitored and allocated to a peak/off peak/capped/uncapped IE Web Africa's double your data offer...

Cybersmarts nightrider accounts...

ETC ETC ETC

I like the idea to a degree.. Not entirely sure the price would be where you think it is though.. i would guess maybe R100 more than what you've put down would be closer to the mark actually.

But whilst the 12am - 6am timeframe would theoretically by "unshaped".. I reckon the network performance would be not so great if everyone started jumping on that bandwagon.

 

[waynehooper]

The main factor that puts me off is the learning curve/time needed to set the routerboard up properly. With the bi-annual irp5 recons. starting soon and tax returns in full swing, I just do not have the time available to get into it properly. Will have to wait till later in the year (dec/jan) when I have more free time available.

Scoop and Miro is local and from what I can see with the extra UPS charges cheaper. Plus some of us do have accounts with them, wink wink. If I am not mistaking both scoop and miro have shops in JHB, Durban and Cape Town and they also courier.

 

[Crystal Web]

Yeah, what's required is a Crystal Hybrid capped/uncapped account. Something to motivate the highly profitable after hours traffic!!

So one account with 2 distinctively different characteristics...
Available for 2mb/4mb/10mb/20mb

Capped portion: 100gb/200gb/300gb cap according to individual needs. All usage between 6am-12am counts against that 100gb/200gb/300gb cap.

Uncapped portion: All usage between 12am-6am, unlimited, unshaped, unthrottled...

Pricing:
100gb 2mb R399-00
200gb 2mb R599-00
300gb 2mb R799-00

100gb 4mb R499-00
200gb 4mb R699-00
300gb 4mb R899-00

100gb 10mb R699-00
200gb 10mb R899-00
300gb 10mb R1099-00

100gb 20mb R999-00
200gb 20mb R1199-00
300gb 20mb R1399-00


I reckon this would be quite doable for both customer and ISP and at the same time deliver a high level of performance 24/7 with enough incentive for after hours heavy lifting and moderate peak hour usage without being constraining...

There already a number of accounts where usage is monitored and allocated to a peak/off peak/capped/uncapped IE Web Africa's double your data offer...

Cybersmarts nightrider accounts...

ETC ETC ETC

Appreciate the detailed input. As it stands, once you're on the uncapped side that midnight to 7am side is encouraged by the shaping. What we've done is just throw you guys some unshaped gigs essentially for free, so the current discussion is all about "how can we get more free stuff from the free stuff"

But it's good to have these discussions as it does shape what we'll be doing moving forward. It's resulted in some rather technical and on occasion heated debates internally, which are always fun.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Appreciate the detailed input. As it stands, once you're on the uncapped side that midnight to 7am side is encouraged by the shaping. What we've done is just throw you guys some unshaped gigs essentially for free, so the current discussion is all about "how can we get more free stuff from the free stuff"

But it's good to have these discussions as it does shape what we'll be doing moving forward. It's resulted in some rather technical and on occasion heated debates internally, which are always fun.

Does Gladys scream like a little girl when she gets upset?

 

[Crystal Web]

I like the idea to a degree.. Not entirely sure the price would be where you think it is though..

Correct.

i would guess maybe R100 more than what you've put down would be closer to the mark actually.

Probably a little more to be honest.

But whilst the 12am - 6am timeframe would theoretically by "unshaped".. I reckon the network performance would be not so great if everyone started jumping on that bandwagon.

And this is the balance we're trying to get right here. If every single massive download went off at midnight, it's going to increase contention, so while we won't shape it, you're going to get nailed on the contention side unless we then increase capacity for this period as well, in other words increase peak capacity load, in other words increase costs. Getting the balance right on the usage across times is what we believe we're going to achieve with this new fusion model - it balances night time and daytime usage really well, gives you unshaped goodness, lets you top up at the cheapest rates in the market, and gives great performance on everything else other than very big downloads in peak hours once you're shaped. It's truly the best of three worlds here for just about everyone - the third party being us who have to pay the piper down the line and keep the network operating smoothly.

 

[ToxicBunny]

Correct.



Probably a little more to be honest.



And this is the balance we're trying to get right here. If every single massive download went off at midnight, it's going to increase contention, so while we won't shape it, you're going to get nailed on the contention side unless we then increase capacity for this period as well, in other words increase peak capacity load, in other words increase costs. Getting the balance right on the usage across times is what we believe we're going to achieve with this new fusion model - it balances night time and daytime usage really well, gives you unshaped goodness, lets you top up at the cheapest rates in the market, and gives great performance on everything else other than very big downloads in peak hours once you're shaped. It's truly the best of three worlds here for just about everyone - the third party being us who have to pay the piper down the line and keep the network operating smoothly.

Yeah I thought even R100 extra might be a bit optimistic...

So far, tbh though, I've been more than suitably impressed with the network performance at all times.... and hell between 12am and 6am it positively flew considering my server managed to nail so damn much of it over a few days... which reminds me.. need to contact support just now so that i can "fix" the interwebs at home...

 

[Zyzzyva]

When are you finalizing the capped accounts? As good as the fusion accounts are, I'd rather swap the uncapped portion for more unshaped gigs thus enabling a consistent experience throughout the whole month. I don't want to be dreading the last ten days or so of every month knowing the experience will be marginally worse because I'm now on uncapped and not unshaped.

 

[saa044]

When are you finalizing the capped accounts? As good as the fusion accounts are, I'd rather swap the uncapped portion for more unshaped gigs thus enabling a consistent experience throughout the whole month. I don't want to be dreading the last ten days or so of every month knowing the experience will be marginally worse because I'm now on uncapped and not unshaped.

First test drive the new "car" before you decide.

 

[Crystal Web]

When are you finalizing the capped accounts? As good as the fusion accounts are, I'd rather swap the uncapped portion for more unshaped gigs thus enabling a consistent experience throughout the whole month. I don't want to be dreading the last ten days or so of every month knowing the experience will be marginally worse because I'm now on uncapped and not unshaped.

Do you need full speed nntp and p2p at all times?

We're going to introduce capped as well, but we've got some awesome ideas for that too. It's now a technical limitation that's preventing us from introducing it just yet.

 

[Aluroth]

Just a quick question, have no idea how ISP's work but maybe I could get an answer. Also I'm not attacking any product or anything, this is purely for interest sake. Why can some ISP's (Web Africa, Cyberweb, Vox) offer uncapped afterhours (12am-6am) and others don't? Do some ISP's buy bandwidth and other's buys cap, or are their shaped afterhours and other's are unshaped? This is purely for interest sake.