Speeds on 4mbps?

[Lycanthrope]

Thanks, gambithunt

Telkom phoned me about an hour ago and "reset" my line at the exchange in the hopes that it would make a difference - it didn't. I was given the usual explanation that Telkom's ADSL is provided at 1mpbs "up to 4mbps" and that - and this is the bit that nearly had me in stitches - "you won't see much of a difference between 1mbps and 4mbps." I just responded saying, "Perhaps, but forgive me if I can't help but feel as though there's a significant difference between downloading at 100KB/s and 350KB/s." I also told them that I don't have any problems synchronising at 4096/512, and that it was just my latency and speed which are giving me trouble.

My latency also hasn't changed - it's still at 100ms locally. I asked the gent if he could have someone test the line (the copper, specifically) and check the exchange to make certain that everything's connected properly and that there's no rust or anything interfering with it. He said he'll e-mail his manager who will e-mail the technician.

I still have a sneaking suspicion it's this router - what with it constantly screaming at me in a high-pitched yell. Regardless, I'd rather be certain of what the problem is.

 

[Karyn]

Reply

Where to start

I ordered a simple little pc fan.

I received confirmation of the order saying that delivery would be 5 - 7 days.

3 weeks later I had not received anything nor heard anything from you. I emailed your support and got a reply from Pona telling me that only just then she had emailed your suppliers and they had no idea on the eta of the fan I ordered.

I then had no replies or feedback for a week.

Then almost a month later I email again and this time Ornella gets back to me telling me your suppliers do not have stock, ONE WHOLE MONTH LATER.

I asked for a refund which took another two weeks.

lol, it took over a month to conclude something that should have taken less than a week and if you do not have stock of a particular item why do you allow people to order it and pay for it on your site. Why does it take over a month to realise that the supplier had no stock? I ordered from you because of the convenience of having the product in less than a week without the hassle of having to go to the shops myself. As we can all see, I did nothing but cause myself hassle.

Apart from that every time I de-register from your spam mail I get a confirmation that it will not longer be sent to me, only to receive it again and again.

Rant over and I'm sorry for kinda hijacking this thread.

Hi again,

I just wrote such a long reply that I got logged out and it was never posted! Sorry about that.

Thank you for your feedback. You should have been contacted the next day of your order due to the stock not being available. Do you perhaps have an order number so that I can look into why there was no contact made as that is unacceptable? Online shopping is convenient if done correctly by the online retailer and that is why this kind of feedback is very important to me.

One of our challenges as a company is the fact that we don't as a rule keep stock and therefore rely on our suppliers to send their stock lists through on a regular basis. We have managed to get some of them on board but there are a few that we are battling with.

Another way that we are trying to limit these kinds of issues is to buy in a bit of stock of our top selling items. Our feedback has been phenomenal but we have had to start small as we do not currently have the premises to support a lot of stock. This will come in the future.

As for the newsletters, what sometimes does happen is that multiple email addresses have been subscribed and you may have unsubscribed from the one but still receiving mailers to the other one. What we have also found is that sometimes other email addresses are being diverted to 'your' email address. Please could you send through all of the recent newsletters that you received from us to my email address [email protected]. This way I can look into this and sort it out for you.

Kind Regards,
Karyn

 

[gambithunt]

Hi again,

I just wrote such a long reply that I got logged out and it was never posted! Sorry about that.

Thank you for your feedback. You should have been contacted the next day of your order due to the stock not being available. Do you perhaps have an order number so that I can look into why there was no contact made as that is unacceptable? Online shopping is convenient if done correctly by the online retailer and that is why this kind of feedback is very important to me.

One of our challenges as a company is the fact that we don't as a rule keep stock and therefore rely on our suppliers to send their stock lists through on a regular basis. We have managed to get some of them on board but there are a few that we are battling with.

Another way that we are trying to limit these kinds of issues is to buy in a bit of stock of our top selling items. Our feedback has been phenomenal but we have had to start small as we do not currently have the premises to support a lot of stock. This will come in the future.

As for the newsletters, what sometimes does happen is that multiple email addresses have been subscribed and you may have unsubscribed from the one but still receiving mailers to the other one. What we have also found is that sometimes other email addresses are being diverted to 'your' email address. Please could you send through all of the recent newsletters that you received from us to my email address [email protected]. This way I can look into this and sort it out for you.

Kind Regards,
Karyn

Its great that you are trying to make an effort to improve things, but alas, my experience was so bad that I don't think I'll ever come back.

Having to rely on suppliers is risky in your business where time is everything. If you have managed to get the full support of some that will definitely help but one epic fail deal like mine can loose you a customer and gain you a bad rep as I'm sure everyone reading this will be discouraged from buying from you.

I only registered one email with you and it is to that email that your adverts consistently pop into even though I've opted not to receive then many times.

Advice from me would be to not offer 100's and 100's of products with the promise of a 4-7 day delieverly because no one cares if you supplier lost it, burned it, ran out of stock. blah, blah... Your customers will blame you for not informing them of the monsoon that has just flash flooded your supplier, resulting in monstrous delays which would delay their order to 2009.

Good luck and I hope you improve things for future customers

 

[Karyn]

Reply

Its great that you are trying to make an effort to improve things, but alas, my experience was so bad that I don't think I'll ever come back.

Having to rely on suppliers is risky in your business where time is everything. If you have managed to get the full support of some that will definitely help but one epic fail deal like mine can loose you a customer and gain you a bad rep as I'm sure everyone reading this will be discouraged from buying from you.

I only registered one email with you and it is to that email that your adverts consistently pop into even though I've opted not to receive then many times.

Advice from me would be to not offer 100's and 100's of products with the promise of a 4-7 day delieverly because no one cares if you supplier lost it, burned it, ran out of stock. blah, blah... Your customers will blame you for not informing them of the monsoon that has just flash flooded your supplier, resulting in monstrous delays which would delay their order to 2009.

Good luck and I hope you improve things for future customers

HI gambithunt,

I am sorry that you feel that way but thank you for your feedback
Please don't forget to forward your newseltters to me so that I can look into why your unsubscribing is not working.

Thanks and have a lovely weekend.

Kind Regards,
Karyn

 

[Dazzla]

Its great that you are trying to make an effort to improve things, but alas, my experience was so bad that I don't think I'll ever come back.

Having to rely on suppliers is risky in your business where time is everything. If you have managed to get the full support of some that will definitely help but one epic fail deal like mine can loose you a customer and gain you a bad rep as I'm sure everyone reading this will be discouraged from buying from you.

I only registered one email with you and it is to that email that your adverts consistently pop into even though I've opted not to receive then many times.

Advice from me would be to not offer 100's and 100's of products with the promise of a 4-7 day delieverly because no one cares if you supplier lost it, burned it, ran out of stock. blah, blah... Your customers will blame you for not informing them of the monsoon that has just flash flooded your supplier, resulting in monstrous delays which would delay their order to 2009.

Good luck and I hope you improve things for future customers

I had the same issues with digital planet and with sybaritic. I just cant understand why they dont inform us immediately that to obtain stock for a particular item we paid for is going to take weeks to longer than a month but instead keep us waiting without even informong us.I cancelled both orders I had with both sites and ask for full refund.Becarefull with Sybaritic as well even though they have a system in place were they confirm stock before you pay but if there is a delay they just as bad or even worse than digital planet.I will never buy from sybaritic again because they also have a really bad attitude towards customers when a problem arises.

 

[Lycanthrope]

I had the same issues with digital planet and with sybaritic. I just cant understand why they dont inform us immediately that to obtain stock for a particular item we paid for is going to take weeks to longer than a month but instead keep us waiting without even informong us.I cancelled both orders I had with both sites and ask for full refund.Becarefull with Sybaritic as well even though they have a system in place were they confirm stock before you pay but if there is a delay they just as bad or even worse than digital planet.I will never buy from sybaritic again because they also have a really bad attitude towards customers when a problem arises.

As a regular customer of Sybaritic, I'm well aware that they contact the suppliers first to make sure that you can get your items, and how long it will take, before they request payment and give you the banking details. Best part is that every order I've made with them has been delivered within two days on Economy after payment cleared.

Also, I've had really good service from them. Last month I spent R6,000 on a new chassis, motherboard and PSU, but had already previously ordered a PSU that I didn't want any more, so asked them to cancel it. It went smoothly, was cancelled and didn't have a problem. I found them to be incredibly professional and polite

*huggles Sybaritic* I have much love for this company.

As I said - Take2 & Sybaritic are two companies that I'll happily spend my money with simply based on their levels of service, communication and professionalism. I usually stick with them because if Take2 doesn't have it, or can't find it, Sybaritic will.

One thing in Sybaritic's forums which made me smile was one complaint found here.

Motherboard was replaced, graphics card no fault was found. While we do regret the delay from our suppliers, the customer didn't mention that we also covered all costs of collection and returning.

From what I've experienced with Sybaritic is that they always go out of their way. Heh... When I got my new compie parts I had more bubblewrap to play with than I knew what to do with (I'm a bubblewrap addict) They take great care with their packaging and your goods.

There, I'm done advertising I don't blame companies when things take a while longer to arrive - I understand that it's all dependant on their suppliers. However, I get peeved to no extent when I spend money with a company and get my things and they're damaged or completely not as advertised.

 

[Dazzla]

As a regular customer of Sybaritic, I'm well aware that they contact the suppliers first to make sure that you can get your items, and how long it will take, before they request payment and give you the banking details. Best part is that every order I've made with them has been delivered within two days on Economy after payment cleared.

Also, I've had really good service from them. Last month I spent R6,000 on a new chassis, motherboard and PSU, but had already previously ordered a PSU that I didn't want any more, so asked them to cancel it. It went smoothly, was cancelled and didn't have a problem. I found them to be incredibly professional and polite

*huggles Sybaritic* I have much love for this company.

As I said - Take2 & Sybaritic are two companies that I'll happily spend my money with simply based on their levels of service, communication and professionalism. I usually stick with them because if Take2 doesn't have it, or can't find it, Sybaritic will.

One thing in Sybaritic's forums which made me smile was one complaint found here.


From what I've experienced with Sybaritic is that they always go out of their way. Heh... When I got my new compie parts I had more bubblewrap to play with than I knew what to do with (I'm a bubblewrap addict) They take great care with their packaging and your goods.

There, I'm done advertising I don't blame companies when things take a while longer to arrive - I understand that it's all dependant on their suppliers. However, I get peeved to no extent when I spend money with a company and get my things and they're damaged or completely not as advertised.

Take 2 is awesome, however with sybaritic I dont agree 100% with you. I did not like the way in which they handled my issue however small it might have been, its as simply as that and with one mistake they lost a customer without even realising it, before that I would have not given a second thought about ordering from them but I have to think twice now.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Take 2 is awesome, however with sybaritic I dont agree 100% with you. I did not like the way in which they handled my issue however small it might have been, its as simply as that and with one mistake they lost a customer without even realising it, before that I would have not given a second thought about ordering from them but I have to think twice now.

Feel free to PM me the details of what happened, if you like. Or post it here. I'd prefer to know what I could expect if something does go awry. All that I understand so far, from what you said, is that there was a delay?

 

[Karyn]

Reply to Dazzla

I had the same issues with digital planet and with sybaritic. I just cant understand why they dont inform us immediately that to obtain stock for a particular item we paid for is going to take weeks to longer than a month but instead keep us waiting without even informong us.I cancelled both orders I had with both sites and ask for full refund.Becarefull with Sybaritic as well even though they have a system in place were they confirm stock before you pay but if there is a delay they just as bad or even worse than digital planet.I will never buy from sybaritic again because they also have a really bad attitude towards customers when a problem arises.

Hi Dazzla,

This is not good to hear as I know for a fact that all of our customers are informed. I am very worried to hear that now 2 customers weren't informed of their item being out of stock. Please send me your order number so that I can look into this as this is NOT the service that I will accept.

Kind Regards,
Karyn

 

[Dazzla]

Hi Dazzla,

This is not good to hear as I know for a fact that all of our customers are informed. I am very worried to hear that now 2 customers weren't informed of their item being out of stock. Please send me your order number so that I can look into this as this is NOT the service that I will accept.

Kind Regards,
Karyn

Thanks but its been sorted out a while ago.
You guys are improving though.

 

[fz1]

So Lycanthrope, did getting a new modem/router solve the problem?

 

[Lycanthrope]

So Lycanthrope, did getting a new modem/router solve the problem?

*stares* I swear there's a global conspiracy out there to get me

As irony would have it, I get the router - the one you suggested - tomorrow It shipped today

 

[fz1]

lol, what great timing on my part then Good luck. Make sure to report back here whether it did the trick or not (I'm hoping it does... )

 

[Lycanthrope]

Just got it, set it up.

Connection Speed
Downstream: 2176kbps
Upstream: 512kbps

Line attenuation
Downstream: 54.0 db
Upstream: 30.0 db

Noise Margin
Downstream: 10.3 db
Upstream: 13.0 db

*blink* Funny, the cruddy combi said it was synching at 4096... I'm wondering if I should start with the calls again -.-'

I love the router though. On a speed test pings have dropped by about 10-20ms for me. But, of course, speed still remains an issue. I'll fiddle around and see if there are any changes. But at least it's given me some certainty that this line is about as barked up as the ANCYL.

 

[Lycanthrope]

lol

Removed the filter that came with it, things are a lot clearer now

Connection Speed
Down: 4096 (Phew)
Up: 512

Line Attenuation
Down: 10.0
Up: 7.5

Noise Margin
Down: 28.1
Up: 14.0

Still the same though T.T

 

[fz1]

Awww, snap! So a new router did not fix it? That just plain sucks. Let's go through the motions again:

1. Get RouterStats so you can monitor your line statistics over a longer period (once you've configured it, leave it running the background to graph your line stats). Also, there's a telnet feature in it with support for the DG834GT. Enable that. See what additional statistics are reported there (e.g. CRC errors, etc.) and paste them here (after running the line for a while, after a couple of speed tests, etc.)

2. Have you upgraded the firmware on the unit to the latest?

3. Let's try a different speed test. Give http://www.speed.io a go. Let's see what you get for the connections/min benchmark (and what your ratings are, e.g. "Good", "Excellent" or whatever) - take a screenshot of the speed test results (the button they provide doesn't give us the ratings values)

4. Disconnect everything from the line except the modem if you can. Let's just rule that out...

 

[Lycanthrope]

1 - Will run it and see.

2 - Uhuh Did that the moment I got it ^.^

3 -
On IS:

Results from http://www.speed.io
(Copied on 2008-09-12 15:11:26)
Download: 1379 Kbit/s
Upload : 385 kbit/s
Connects : 1920 conn/min
Ping: 34 ms

SAIX:

Results from http://www.speed.io
(Copied on 2008-09-12 15:18:50)
Download: 1379 Kbit/s
Upload : 412 kbit/s
Connects : 2554 conn/min
Ping: 22 ms

Both had "excellent" on all counts.

4 - Tried that numerous times. Like the techie said - problem's not from my end. At least my latency's definitely dropped.

As for the download speeds, they'll probably be up again tonight - during the day it's not exactly "woot."

 

[warwickw]

Exactly the same speed from either Cape Town or JHB test sites, pretty good for mid afternoon test.

http://speed.io/pics/1117/0400/speed.io.png

 

[Lycanthrope]

*cries*

 

[fz1]

Steady, Lycanthrope, steady! Let's take a look at what RouterStats has to say. If it's all good, then your line certainly is 'clean'. We now know your router is not the issue either. What would be left is your computer (or network card)... Wanna throw that off a balcony too?