Vodacom Problems: Slow Throughput, trying to Connect, DNS, High Latency

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// Cape Town CBD - right now


Pinging smtp.vodacom.co.za [196.11.146.148] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=32 time=737ms TTL=247
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=32 time=118ms TTL=247
Request timed out.
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=32 time=4045ms TTL=247
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=32 time=570ms TTL=247
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=32 time=181ms TTL=247
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=32 time=131ms TTL=247
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=32 time=330ms TTL=247
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=32 time=141ms TTL=247
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=32 time=231ms TTL=247
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=32 time=130ms TTL=247
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=32 time=3655ms TTL=247
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=32 time=3494ms TTL=247
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.

I am flying now Jones
 
First 128K 3282 msecs: Download speed = 39937 Bytes per sec, Approx = 332K bits per sec
Second 128K 3234 msecs: Download speed = 40529 Bytes per sec, Approx = 337K bits per sec
Third 128K 3125 msecs: Download speed = 41943 Bytes per sec, Approx = 349K bits per sec
Fourth 128K 2969 msecs: Download speed = 44147 Bytes per sec, Approx = 367K bits per sec

pe very good as well
 
ic said:
:confused:

I didn't know that packets were always the same size throughout the internet, I was under the impression that packet sizes varied throughout the internet and that this is why datagram fragmention occurs...
Click to expand...
Isn't it like 1500 or something for ethernet (most of the internet)? I would think that the network should be able to handle at least that much without considerable fragmentation but aparantly not. :rolleyes:

Stix, those 3 and 4 sec times doesn't look very good.

Wow the smileys are working right finally.
 
ic said:
I think you are referring to MTU and MSS, there is a 1492 limit for PPPoE, but that has very little if anything to do with HSDPA and 3G which AFAIK is not PPPoE.
Click to expand...
Don't know, was actually talking about ethernet which most of the internet is based on. Would just have thought that 1000 byte packets shouldn't make such a big difference in speed and fragmentation but apparantly Voda's systems work differently.

ping -t smtp.vodacom.co.za
Sent = 47, Received = 47, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Minimum = 447ms, Maximum = 3771ms, Average = 597ms

ping -t -l 9159 smtp.vodacom.co.za
Sent = 55, Received = 55, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Minimum = 656ms, Maximum = 972ms, Average = 817ms

Yup, not so good when people are using the network. Was better when I buyed my bundle but now it seems to be going down the drain. :rolleyes:
 
Prometheus said:
Don't know, was actually talking about ethernet which most of the internet is based on. Would just have thought that 1000 byte packets shouldn't make such a big difference in speed and fragmentation but apparantly Voda's systems work differently.
Click to expand...

How do you mean the Vodacom network works differently? How does it work and different to what?

MTU (maximum transferable unit) for Ethernet is 1514 bytes and became a 'standard' setting for many WAN connections as well. At some point it got rounded to 1500 bytes.

Minimum size is 64 bytes, not 32. If you do the propagation calculations on the 5-4-3 rule on CSMA/CD, you'll see where it came from.

MTU, (just like the TCP sliding window) should be set based on the QoS of the worst link and should also match the lowest MTU of the network elements in the path. Otherwise fragmentation at the datalink will occur.
 
Last edited:
3G problems?

I finally managed to get my phone connecting to the i-net last night using PPDB and it was doing wonders last night. The vodacom speed tests put it at 371kbps and the downloads were spot on at 40-41Kbps. Now I tried again this morning and woe is me :( max speed no 71kbps on vodacom speed test and downloads going at 5-8Kbps, Anyone know if someone blew something up in the New Germany area (in Durban)?
 
vodacom3g said:
How do you mean the Vodacom network works differently? How does it work and different to what?

MTU (maximum transferable unit) for Ethernet is 1514 bytes and became a 'standard' setting for many WAN connections as well. At some point it got rounded to 1500 bytes.

Minimum size is 64 bytes, not 32. If you do the propagation calculations on the 5-4-3 rule on CSMA/CD, you'll see where it came from.

MTU, (just like the TCP sliding window) should be set based on the QoS of the worst link and should also match the lowest MTU of the network elements in the path. Otherwise fragmentation at the datalink will occur.
Click to expand...
That is my point. The network should be able to handle a 1000 byte packet without fragmenting it into multiple packets unless they are not fragmented but something else is causing the delays. Remember this is Vodacom's own server. 32 is the default ping size, suppose it gets padded somewhere along the line to make up the minimum packet size.
Methias said:
I finally managed to get my phone connecting to the i-net last night using PPDB and it was doing wonders last night. The vodacom speed tests put it at 371kbps and the downloads were spot on at 40-41Kbps. Now I tried again this morning and woe is me :( max speed no 71kbps on vodacom speed test and downloads going at 5-8Kbps, Anyone know if someone blew something up in the New Germany area (in Durban)?
Click to expand...
It's waaaay faster at night than during the day and especially the morning.
 
Prometheus said:
That is my point. The network should be able to handle a 1000 byte packet without fragmenting it into multiple packets unless they are not fragmented but something else is causing the delays. Remember this is Vodacom's own server. 32 is the default ping size, suppose it gets padded somewhere along the line to make up the minimum packet size.
Click to expand...
Still don't get your point.

- What Vodacom server are you talking about?
- Where is the Vodacom network "different" as per your first statement? Different to what?
- Your comment:
The larger the packet size is the higher the latency seems to become which is really strange since 1000 bytes isn't even the size of a full packet.
Click to expand...
Physics dictate that larger packets will have higher latency. What is a 'full packet'?
 
:( Still getting obsenely slow speeds last night and horribly erratic latencies, Web pages were at times refusing to load and IRC wasn't connecting only to connect a short while later :(. Seems I have wasted a good few hundred bucks, thank goodness it was only a PPDB :(
 
fwiw:
Code: 
D:\>ping -t -l 64 smtp.vodacom.co.za
Pinging smtp.vodacom.co.za [196.11.146.148] with 64 bytes of data:
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=64 time=100ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=64 time=116ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=64 time=112ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=64 time=109ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=64 time=116ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=64 time=102ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=64 time=118ms TTL=252

Ping statistics for 196.11.146.148:
    Packets: Sent = 7, Received = 7, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 100ms, Maximum = 118ms, Average = 110ms
^C

D:\>ping -t -l 500 smtp.vodacom.co.za
Pinging smtp.vodacom.co.za [196.11.146.148] with 500 bytes of data:
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=500 time=180ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=500 time=196ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=500 time=192ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=500 time=338ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=500 time=175ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=500 time=181ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=500 time=338ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=500 time=195ms TTL=252

Ping statistics for 196.11.146.148:
    Packets: Sent = 8, Received = 8, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 175ms, Maximum = 338ms, Average = 224ms
^C

D:\>ping -t -l 1000 smtp.vodacom.co.za
Pinging smtp.vodacom.co.za [196.11.146.148] with 1000 bytes of data:
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1000 time=256ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1000 time=248ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1000 time=265ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1000 time=251ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1000 time=267ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1000 time=264ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1000 time=250ms TTL=252

Ping statistics for 196.11.146.148:
    Packets: Sent = 7, Received = 7, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 248ms, Maximum = 267ms, Average = 257ms
^C

D:\>ping -t -l 1500 smtp.vodacom.co.za
Pinging smtp.vodacom.co.za [196.11.146.148] with 1500 bytes of data:
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1500 time=448ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1500 time=385ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1500 time=321ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1500 time=491ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1500 time=337ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1500 time=334ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1500 time=320ms TTL=252
Reply from 196.11.146.148: bytes=1500 time=337ms TTL=252

Ping statistics for 196.11.146.148:
    Packets: Sent = 8, Received = 8, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 320ms, Maximum = 491ms, Average = 371ms
^C

So ... it's fine atm ... and the packet size makes a significant difference.
 
Last edited:
Very unstable in the Pta East area

I can hardly use the VC connection for more than one minute tonight.

The connection just dies on me and I have to disconnect an reconnect to carry on.

Very frustrating !!!!!!!!! :mad::mad::mad:
 
hi V3G

getting weird results here in Sasolburg - today

have a 3/5 Signal

since about yesterday morning :

-i'm getting severe packet loss.
-getting 619 errors
-connection gets dropped

-nothing on my side has changed

speed downloads go like this .....0->70kB >sticks at 70 for about 10sec then drops to 0 then comes back to 70kB then 0..

and while thats happening when dropping - i get packet loss (with a signal 3/5)

red pcmcia card

its the Sasolburg High Tower . can u maybe check thx
 
Also been having problems today, lost 3G connectivity totally, just not picking up a signal anymore and can't connect on GPRS with a PPDB, it just hangs. Can connect on contract though.
 
Hi V3G

Is the 3G stuff sick in places. Had a problem logging on to it about 5 days ago - 20 minutes on the phone to help desk, and it worked later.
Weekend - downloading 96MB from SAIX ftp - stopped at 76Mb - had to disconnect and try with download manager.
Now the 3G network (normally 3 to 4/5 signal) is not visible at all - Dersley, Springs.
 
dionb said:
Hi V3G

Is the 3G stuff sick in places. Had a problem logging on to it about 5 days ago - 20 minutes on the phone to help desk, and it worked later.
Weekend - downloading 96MB from SAIX ftp - stopped at 76Mb - had to disconnect and try with download manager.
Now the 3G network (normally 3 to 4/5 signal) is not visible at all - Dersley, Springs.
Click to expand...

3G Alive again here just before 21:00:)
(Noticed it off around 17:00 by the way).
 
Also got 619's around the same time, in Grahamstown. Eventually connected on about the twentieth attempt. Got disconnected now and can't get back on, continual 619's again.
 
ic said:
Received a p.m. from v3g saying that Vodacom is aware of major network problems and engineers are working on solving the problem(s).

Obviously v3g wasn't able to post this himself.
Click to expand...

Yes, on the day I want to take 3G on a Test Drive. Still trying to figure out if the "problems" I'm having is due to "Network Problems", My own Stupidity or Software/Hardware errors.
 
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