Telkom Internet Capped/Uncapped User Feedback (Pt2)

[ranger]

Ok, ok, ranger is back, but his return from hiatus doesn't improve anything by a long shot.
There are lingering issues which I feel need to be addressed.
A)Have the usage thresholds been tweaked, because I seem to move the bar a lot faster these days with the same usage patterns?
B)Will the fix, scheduled to be implemented on Wednesday address the issue, where the internet simply does not work in the evenings, i.e. 5 PM to 11 PM?
C)Steaming performance, buffering when streaming at 144p is just not on (although this could be due to B) this needs to be addressed as well.

Anyone else have anything to add?

A) No. The usage threshold for the products has not changed in about 11 months. But the speeds did. We did not change 1Mbps uncapped users on tibasicuncapped to be on tiadvanceduncapped, we changed the speed of tibasicuncapped to 2Mbps. We didn't rule out the possibility of increasing the thresholds, but wanted to see the impact first. I think you can agree that we probably can't increase the thresholds (see your questions (B) and (C).
B)That is the intention, and it seems to have resulted in a significant improvement in Gauteng. I am doing some testing (scripted at 30-minute intervals) to confirm.
C)See (B)

 

[ranger]

So how does this solve my problem? Basically what you are saying, is that it is better that I leave.

Your data requirements or habits seem to not be compatible with the product you are using. The options would seem to be:
1)Change your usage pattern, e.g. tey and schedule more of ypir downloads beteen 00h00 and 06h00
2)Upgrade to our 4Mbps home uncapped product or 2Mbps Business premium product
3) Consider a different provider

 

[ranger]

ranger - I find it tough to believe throttling is to blame in most situations.

Where did I claim it was? I only asked ambroseg1 what his status was as he said he was being throttled 24x7, which can only be thr case if he is on power user status.

Please re-read the rest of my first post in this thread, your issues should be fixed or at least much improved by Wednesday.

The same cannot be said for Afrihost capped account which is running like a dream.

You can't compare capped to uncapped. The input costs vs. revenue on capped are much more predictable, meaning it Is much easier to maintain both experience and profitability.

 

[ranger]

Lots of us make heavy use of youtube which videos I assume is cached locally. So for you to say cost price for uncapped happens at a usage of 40GB (200GB/5) is not truthful.

Fully-utilised IPC at big volumes alone costs more than R3/GB. Many uncapped users run torrents 24x7, and encrypted torrents are about 95% international traffic and can't be cached.

Regarding the price not including staff I think that Telkom Internet customers will attest that Telkom Internet support staff is significantly worse than any other ISP so I would expect additional value in bandwidth or it would not make sense to stay.

I can't personally do anything about the support staff, but their inability to perform their job function (IMHO due to restructuring just over a year ago) puts more load on our teams (meaning we spend time doing first level support that should be spent on things like the changes we are doing now).

 

[Romito]

Currently maxing my line on an update from Sammobile. Sitting between 470KB/s - 535KB/s. Whatever they did, it's working because I could never get over 200KB/s on a Sunday afternoon.

 

[Willie Trombone]

Telkom uncapped testing streaming to BBC iPlayer:

 

[ProfA]

Your data requirements or habits seem to not be compatible with the product you are using. The options would seem to be:
1)Change your usage pattern, e.g. tey and schedule more of ypir downloads beteen 00h00 and 06h00
2)Upgrade to our 4Mbps home uncapped product or 2Mbps Business premium product
3) Consider a different provider

So to sum it up....leave and go somewhere else. We only want users who download 10GB on a 10MB line using our product.

 

[ranger]

So to sum it up....leave and go somewhere else. We only want users who download 10GB on a 10MB line using our product.

Exaggeration much? You've apparently done 200GB on a 2Mbps product.

 

[skimread]

Many uncapped users run torrents 24x7, and encrypted torrents are about 95% international traffic and can't be cached.

If torrents are such a drag in cost and IPC capacity why not put all your focus to either throttle it or block it entirely.
I don't use torrents and I for one wouldn't mind it if was blocked if that would improve my performance from being negatively influenced like has been during weekday evenings.
I get set to "managed" status as an abuser using 100GB per month based on cached content like youtube videos which is more unfair than those who use encrypted torrents for the same usage

Surely from a business sense in cost saving it would be to block torrents that run 24/7 downloading and uploading.

 

[subxero]

If torrents are such a drag in cost and IPC capacity why not put all your focus to either throttle it or block it entirely.
I don't use torrents and I for one wouldn't mind it if was blocked if that would improve my performance from being negatively influenced like has been during weekday evenings.
I get set to "managed" status as an abuser using 100GB per month based on cached content like youtube videos which is more unfair than those who use encrypted torrents for the same usage

Surely from a business sense in cost saving it would be to block torrents that run 24/7 downloading and uploading.

Now that I agree with. Torrents are the scourge of the internet. Then offer people who simply 'have to' use torrents a torrent friendly account at a higher premium so that they pay for the wasted bandwidth torrenting is known for.

 

[MickZA]

Now that I agree with. Torrents are the scourge of the internet. Then offer people who simply 'have to' use torrents a torrent friendly account at a higher premium so that they pay for the wasted bandwidth torrenting is known for.

Wondering what other people are doing on the Internet? More likely than not they’re watching something on Netflix (NFLX) or YouTube (GOOG). Measured by bytes, the two sites now make up more than half of Internet traffic in the U.S, according to Sandvine’s latest Global Internet Phenomena Report pdf) using data from September.

source: http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-11/netflix-and-youtube-dominate-online-video-dot-can-amazon-catch-up

 

[Hectic]

Interesting reading Mick.

 

[shanezn]

Now that I agree with. Torrents are the scourge of the internet. Then offer people who simply 'have to' use torrents a torrent friendly account at a higher premium so that they pay for the wasted bandwidth torrenting is known for.

100% Agreed.

 

[giggity]

The problem with blocking torrents is that they aren't always easy to identify on a network. There are other P2P services, like gaming as far as I know, which can easily be classed in the same category as torrents, resulting in lag for gamers, rather than what should be low-latency and maximum priority (this would lose Telkom a LOT of their customers).

I wouldn't mind having torrents entirely blacklisted, if possible without effecting other P2P, but there would be workarounds in just a matter of hours knowing torrenters.

 

[skimread]

It 7:30 Monday and I'm getting my usual bad speeds. So the change reported by Ranger that was done Friday morning in Gauteng hasn't change my bad evening HTTP download speeds.

 

[Taranis]

Throttled finally Seems 100Gig is about the top end of the 2meg uncapped scale.

 

[ranger]

It 7:30 Monday and I'm getting my usual bad speeds. So the change reported by Ranger that was done Friday morning in Gauteng hasn't change my bad evening HTTP download speeds.

International seems to have slowed around 14h00 (not sure what caused this yet), while local seems to have slowed down since 19h00.

We will review the results tomorrow and again before the change window and possibly do some adjustments in Gauteng as well as implementing in the other regions.

 

[Taranis]

Exaggeration much? You've apparently done 200GB on a 2Mbps product.

I've done just over 100 and I'm badly throttled. I checked the usage indicator and I am half way between NORMAL USER and POWER USER.

I thought only POWER USER got the treatment????

This past week online gaming has been shocking on Telkom only, making the threshold around 85Gb for 2Mb uncapped. That's piss poor if you ask me!

(CT User)

 

[ranger]

I've done just over 100 and I'm badly throttled. I checked the usage indicator and I am half way between NORMAL USER and POWER USER.

I thought only POWER USER got the treatment????

This past week online gaming has been shocking on Telkom only, making the threshold around 85Gb for 2Mb uncapped. That's piss poor if you ask me!

(CT User)

No, we are aware of experience issues for home uncapped accounts which we plan to address on Tuesday night / Wednesday morning for the Cape Town and Durban sites, based on testing following a change in Gauteng on Friday.

Gaming should not be affected as badly. What game?

 

[reactor_sa]

I've seen improved speed since Friday / Saturday. Done close on 300gb this month, including torrent usage. Still in the green, haven't passed the M on normal yet. Queue 90% of downloads from 12 till 9.