Downloading Ubuntu updates

DrJohnZoidberg

DrJohnZoidberg

Honorary Master
Joined
Jul 24, 2006
Messages
28,077
Reaction score
7,578
Location
Table View
Hi all,

I did a speedtest on both the vodacom and normal speedtest site and get approx 400kB/s download speed. However, I am trying to do my ubuntu updates and it just crawls. It starts out quick and eventually just comes to a standstill. These are local servers so I don't see why it should differ so much from my speedtest ratings. Has anybody else experienced this issue? If so, please let me know if there is something I can do to fix it - its driving me insane!

Here is my speedtest result:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/902144205.png

This is for the local Cape Town server.
 
You don't say what ISP because IS is throttling like crazy. I am experiencing the same thing with Afrihost uncapped AND Axxess prepaid.
 
I have done ubuntu updates lots of times with Voda 3G, and it was always relatively quick. Never had this problem...but I have never changed my servers to the local ones...so I think mine always downloads from the international ones. Not sure. :-)
 
ocleroux said:
I have done ubuntu updates lots of times with Voda 3G, and it was always relatively quick. Never had this problem...but I have never changed my servers to the local ones...so I think mine always downloads from the international ones. Not sure. :-)
Click to expand...
I think since Vodacom don't distinguish between local and international bandwidth and since they don't peer other ISPs on JINX and CINX there's probably no reason not to specify the "Main Server" in Software Sources.
 
Thanks for the responses. My problem is very strange - as soon as it hits about 3MB of the download it just slows down completely. So what I have to do is run my updates from the console and as soon as it starts to slow down I just cancel and then restart it, it then resumes the download where it stopped and goes at lightning speed again for a while (I hit 699kB/s at one stage). This is obviously not ideal as I have to keep on cancelling and restarting.

Does anybody else experience this slowdown? Its as if it is being throttled as soon as you reach a certain speed, but its being throttled down to a speed where it's just not functional anymore.
 
timvdwest said:
My problem is very strange - as soon as it hits about 3MB of the download it just slows down completely. So what I have to do is run my updates from the console and as soon as it starts to slow down I just cancel and then restart it, it then resumes the download where it stopped and goes at lightning speed again for a while (I hit 699kB/s at one stage).
Click to expand...
That sounds like some kind of traffic shaper. IIRC apt-get uses a persistent connection - ie one TCP session for all the downloads. I'm guessing VC are doing something weird with the traffic.

PS @ginggs and others... even if your ISP doesn't peer at JINX - za.archive.ubuntu.com is still the best server to use ;)
 
I avoid doing Ubuntu updates on Vodacom 3G, but I'm going to give this a try as soon as there's a decent sized update available for me.
edit: I see kernel 2.6.32-24 is out, will try tonight.
timvdwest said:
I've tried using all the local ones, and the main server too. All the same.
Click to expand...
Just another thing, how is your Ubuntu machine connected to Vodacom 3G? Do you have a USB modem plugged directly into the Ubuntu machine or your machine connected via ethernet to another gateway / router?
 
Last edited:
ambo said:
That sounds like some kind of traffic shaper. IIRC apt-get uses a persistent connection - ie one TCP session for all the downloads. I'm guessing VC are doing something weird with the traffic.
Click to expand...
I sometimes see concurrent connections when using update-manager.
Vodacom shaping? That is interesting.
ambo said:
PS @ginggs and others... even if your ISP doesn't peer at JINX - za.archive.ubuntu.com is still the best server to use ;)
Click to expand...
Why do you say that?
I'm using ubuntu.mirror.ac.za, is that the same server?
 
ginggs said:
I'm using ubuntu.mirror.ac.za, is that the same server?
Click to expand...
yeah - two IPs on the same server. Occasionally za.archive.ubuntu.com is redirected elsewhere during maintenance but the TENET mirror is the default target.
 
ginggs said:
I avoid doing Ubuntu updates on Vodacom 3G, but I'm going to give this a try as soon as there's a decent sized update available for me.
edit: I see kernel 2.6.32-24 is out, will try tonight.

Just another thing, how is your Ubuntu machine connected to Vodacom 3G? Do you have a USB modem plugged directly into the Ubuntu machine or your machine connected via ethernet to another gateway / router?
Click to expand...

Its just a dongle connected straight to the pc. This is really bugging the hell out of me - normal downloads are fine as I just tested downloading an ubuntu ISO from the server I'm using for updates. Its a constant-ish 400kB/s. Must be an issue with the update manager.
 
timvdwest said:
Its just a dongle connected straight to the pc.
Click to expand...
Me too. There were about 45MB of updates tonight including the new kernel, but I was getting around 6Mbps so it finished downloading in less than a minute, didn't notice a problem.
 
ginggs said:
Me too. There were about 45MB of updates tonight including the new kernel, but I was getting around 6Mbps so it finished downloading in less than a minute, didn't notice a problem.
Click to expand...

Night Owl promotion keeping you up? ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X