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

Status
Not open for further replies.
Neither, I think you're seeing a specific situation where the HSDPA resources are fully utilised and you get the R99 resource. You'll be attached on HSDPA but will get 3G speeds.

I had the same a lot yesterday. Some bugger in my neighborhood is hogging HSDPA! (Used to be me....)

PM me your data number and physical address. I'll check up.

There are patches for this already rolling out into the network.
 
vodacom3g said:
Neither, I think you're seeing a specific situation where the HSDPA resources are fully utilised and you get the R99 resource. You'll be attached on HSDPA but will get 3G speeds.

I had the same a lot yesterday. Some bugger in my neighborhood is hogging HSDPA! (Used to be me....)

PM me your data number and physical address. I'll check up.

There are patches for this already rolling out into the network.
Click to expand...

PM sent:)
 
I'm a little confused, voda this morning was relatively quick and most of the afternoon for that matter, returning constantly around the 90KBps on sentech speed test and a little exaggerated 210KBps on vodacom speed test and i mean consistently until around 5.30pm then the speeds dropped off to around 20KBps on sentech although vodacoms speed tests was still returning 210KBps or there abouts.

Trying to download wm6.0 for htc proved a nightmare (62mb) as did downloading radio 1.43 (6.67mb) with the connection being timed out on a number of occassions. I think the download speeds were around 3KBps nevermind the 210KBps that vodacoms speed test was returning.

anyhow the plot thickens. I decided to put my mtn sim into the E220, just for a laugh and attempted to download the very same 6.67mb file and not only did it but at the average speed of around 125KBps!!! That wasn't the result I was expecting considering traditionally in this area voda is much more effecient a product then mtn which is the reason I went with a voda data bundle.

Furthermore I should add that with the mtn card in the E220 the sentech speed tests still only returned figures of around25KBps but in reality the speed is much closer to 120KBps....

anyhow thought I would share my 2 cents worth, I'm sure there are explanations for everything that has occurred...

btw have had no luck what so ever upgrading wm5.0 to wm6.0... black satin no problem, also couldn't upgrade radio 1.38 (current) to 1.43... anyhow leaf should have that rom upgrade available locally before the end of the month
 
ic said:
I have been itching to ask, and simply cannot contain my curiosity anymore, of all the speed & bandwidth tests available on the net, why the morbid fascination with Sentech's speed test? - does Sentech host some website or service that you're testing access to? - if not then what is the point of testing a peering link route between Vodacom and Sentech?
Click to expand...

We need to use (at least) 3 speed tests to see where the bottlenecks occur.

1) Firstly always use the Vodacom speed test. This shows the 'Vodacom' portion of the network, from your tower to just before we break out to SAIX.

2) Then we need a local test site as close as possible to the international links from SAIX. Is the Telkom speed test still up. This will show any congestion on the links between VC and SAIX.

3) Then we need 1 or more international sites, maybe one in the US and one in the UK. This will show international congestion.

By doing the above tests in sequence, you can clearly see where the problem lies, or at least starts.
 
ic said:
Exactly, but my point is that there is unlikely to be any point in using Sentech's speed test unless one wants to test specific bandwidth between Vodacom and Sentech, or perhaps more correctly a peering link between Telkodemonopolies-SAIX and Sentech - unless there is something that terminates on Sentech's network that is giving problems, and since Sentech is somewhat inept, I doubt that there is anything of interest to anyone that terminates on Sentech's network. Likewise there is little point in running an iBurst SA speed test from a different network - there could be slow peering links inbetween - unless something useful actually terminates on the other network.

Obviously [3] should be targetted as close to an intended destination host as possible, IOW if one is trying to download something from Australia, and one experiences problems with the download, there is no point in doing a speed test in the UK or the USA, obviously if the download is from a host in country X, then one should always perform a speed test to a host that is also in country X, it's not exact, but it gives a better indication when the route followed is likely to be mostly the same.
Click to expand...

Agree.

Let's build up a list of test sites with their locations and make it part of the FAQ. It's pretty important to use a test site that can respond at full bandwidth.

I'll start: http://speed.vodacom.co.za :D
 
ic said:
Well, there is rpm's list: http://mybroadband.co.za/general/speedtests.htm - just ignore the iBurst and Sentech speed tests unless actually connecting from one of those networks.
Click to expand...

I think we should do it more extensively, at least include the route to the server. And post it in a structured way to test.

What would the best test be after speed.vodacom.co.za? The Telkom one I suspect?
 
Ok, now I am getting annoyed. I have effectively been bounced on and off about 30 times in the last 10 minutes. All international sites are dead. This can not be a capacity issue as it's 1:30am.

Does anyone know if a VC PCMCIA card will work with MTN? I am really starting to stress. They guy I recommended the VC PPDB's to is getting back late next week from Cape Town and needs a working internet connection.
 
vodacom3g said:
And I did pass it on and made a big stink, so I know the guys are looking into it. Will see what update I can get today.
Click to expand...

It would be nice if customer care could connect these separate incidents, instead of treating each one as a once off. I reported it to customer care as well, after a day got a reply asking for more info. I sent that off to them, after another day, got a reply saying that I haven't given them enough information so they won't investigate.

Part of the problem is that each time you reply, it goes back into the general support pool, and takes a day to be answered as though it's a new issue - there aren't any tracking numbers or anything attached to the mail.
 
vodacom3g said:
Some changes were made last night. Let me know if it's better.
Click to expand...

Mine still wouldn't connect last night (the 9th), but did this morning, so I'm still experiencing the same problem. Will check again this evening, though.
 
Cathryn said:
Mine still wouldn't connect last night (the 9th), but did this morning, so I'm still experiencing the same problem. Will check again this evening, though.
Click to expand...
Same here. I managed to connect once at 6pm after about 5 tries.

Other than that it was "GPRS Authentication Failed" all the way.
 
which speed test to use

ic said:
I have been itching to ask, and simply cannot contain my curiosity anymore, of all the speed & bandwidth tests available on the net, why the morbid fascination with Sentech's speed test? - does Sentech host some website or service that you're testing access to? - if not then what is the point of testing a peering link route between Vodacom and Sentech?
Click to expand...

I use the sentech speed test because I understand how it works, or at least I think I do, no other reason. When doing the test one is effectively down loading a 512kb file and the time taken equals the net down load speed, seems fairly simple. I would assume the test simulates file down loading which is primarily what we using the net for. I found the link at myadsl and have been using it since...

I have used other speed tests in the past but find them congested and over elaborate!

ibursts speed test is another favourite of mine but from my desktop I'm unable to activate this test because I'm missing some or other component (add on i think).

In any event I understand and appreciate that to test voda one should do the vodacom speed test followed by a local and an international but for me the ultimate and most accurate speed test and the one I most frequently rely on is a simple right click and save file and the speeds that file is being down loaded at are surely ones down load speeds.

I havent been able to use the telkom adsl speed test for probably over a year now but is that just me? or is that test down together with the rest of telkoms infrastructure?
 
Speeds here in Waterfall / Linkhills are so cronic today I can't even do a speed test after about 20 mins it was reading 11/12 on download
 
My VC 3G/HSDPA connection in Hennopspark Centurion has been very poor for the last three days. I battle to get access to my gmail (and other sites abroad) - and must disconnect and reconnect many times in succession to get any use out of the service. It often seems as if the "download channel" is "dead" with only the upload light blinking to indicate data transfer. Extremely frustrating.
 
sandmanm34 said:
I use the sentech speed test because I understand how it works, or at least I think I do, no other reason. When doing the test one is effectively down loading a 512kb file and the time taken equals the net down load speed, seems fairly simple. I would assume the test simulates file down loading which is primarily what we using the net for. I found the link at myadsl and have been using it since...

I have used other speed tests in the past but find them congested and over elaborate!

ibursts speed test is another favourite of mine but from my desktop I'm unable to activate this test because I'm missing some or other component (add on i think).

In any event I understand and appreciate that to test voda one should do the vodacom speed test followed by a local and an international but for me the ultimate and most accurate speed test and the one I most frequently rely on is a simple right click and save file and the speeds that file is being down loaded at are surely ones down load speeds.

I havent been able to use the telkom adsl speed test for probably over a year now but is that just me? or is that test down together with the rest of telkoms infrastructure?
Click to expand...

The point ic is making is that you must try and visualise the route your connection is taking when you do a test. If a test is not in the 'line' you are using the results are not very meaningful.

Rather try and test down the path you normally work. For example Vodacom->SAIX->International.

I'll try and get some sample test sites for us today.
 
Trafeye said:
My VC 3G/HSDPA connection in Hennopspark Centurion has been very poor for the last three days. I battle to get access to my gmail (and other sites abroad) - and must disconnect and reconnect many times in succession to get any use out of the service. It often seems as if the "download channel" is "dead" with only the upload light blinking to indicate data transfer. Extremely frustrating.
Click to expand...

We saw that and have found the culprit. Work is being done tonight to resolve some of this congestion in your area (Pta, north of Pta and KZN). Please test first thing tomorrow and let us know.

The Cape (E/W) should be much better now, can we get some feedback on data throughput in the Cape area?

Midrand, Gauteng area still awaiting some stuff that will only happen first thing next week.

How is the pre-paid connection problem? We made changes that should resolve this.
 
vodacom3g said:
The Cape (E/W) should be much better now, can we get some feedback on data throughput in the Cape area?
Click to expand...

Much better thanks, lost 3G connectivity totally last night and GPRS was barely working but its been perfect so far today. :)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X