Vodacom throttling image quality on 3G?

[Maeve]

Here I am minding my own business coding a nice little html newsletter, when all of a sudden all my web based images look really pixelated and horrible. Obviously I freaked out and checked every possible answer, until I found this thread:

http://www.adamphones.com/forum/3g-data-cards/186-image-throttling-vodafone-expresscard.html

I've heard, and experienced, vodacom throttling my connection before, but never messing with what I see when the page finally loads.

Has anybody else experienced this? Or have I been hiding under a rock and this is a common thing?

 

[marine1]

Why would they do that? I mean the more data used the better for Voda. Sorry I do not think they would do this but maybe wrong.

 

[ginggs]

Here I am minding my own business coding a nice little html newsletter, when all of a sudden all my web based images look really pixelated and horrible. Obviously I freaked out and checked every possible answer, until I found this thread:

http://www.adamphones.com/forum/3g-data-cards/186-image-throttling-vodafone-expresscard.html

I've heard, and experienced, vodacom throttling my connection before, but never messing with what I see when the page finally loads.

Has anybody else experienced this? Or have I been hiding under a rock and this is a common thing?

Sometimes when installing Vodacom Mobile Connect or Vodacom Mobile Broadband I have seen it want to install an optional component to "optimize" images.
Try installing the software again and don't check this option, or download and install the latest version.

 

[Maeve]

@marine1 that's what I thought, but the instructions on the link I posted seemed to fix my problem for now, and to be honest I wouldn't put it past vodacom to do silly things like this - I do chow a ton of bandwidth a month for my job.

@ginggs thanks I'll try get the IT guys to re-install the software and see if it fixes it.

 

[fM1DRKbzkFqwA]

Vodacom is now indeed messing with sites. Check if websites have bmi.js loaded, if they have "hit shift+a" in tooltips, and connect to 1.2.3.4 or 1.1.1.4

(this stuff breaks non-html stuff, and some keystroke-dependent web apps, but hey, it's vodacom)

 

[Mr.CookieMonster]

Vodacom....

 

[fM1DRKbzkFqwA]

Easiest workaround: https everywhere

 

[jannievanzyl]

Here I am minding my own business coding a nice little html newsletter, when all of a sudden all my web based images look really pixelated and horrible. Obviously I freaked out and checked every possible answer, until I found this thread:

http://www.adamphones.com/forum/3g-data-cards/186-image-throttling-vodafone-expresscard.html

I've heard, and experienced, vodacom throttling my connection before, but never messing with what I see when the page finally loads.

Has anybody else experienced this? Or have I been hiding under a rock and this is a common thing?

On what device is this? Your phone or your PC via modem?

 

[fM1DRKbzkFqwA]

(not the original poster)

pc via modem and pc via phone so far. vodacom sims, but no vodacom software for either. started yesterday or two days ago.

may depend on user agent.

 

[dbouwer]

I'm also having the same problem, and it's on all my 3G connected devices. 3G dongle on Ubuntu laptop, ipad, iphone and wifi+3G dongle at home!!

And on a iPad/iphone there is no option to press shift+r.

Retina displays with low quality images really suck!

This started yesterday, could not understand why my uploaded images to photobucket and photostand looked so bad. Only noticed the press shift+r and shift+a popup this morning.

Vodacom please fix this!

 

[Keeper]

Yes, Vodacom is indeed compressing images, I've noticed it even on files I upload!

This really blows, luckily I'm moving away from vodacrap at the end of the month ...

 

[Hummercellc]

Me's points and laugh, then port to 8ta or Cell C....

 

[johanvz]

I'm also experiencing this since today. Phoned 155 and taking it up on twitter with @vodacom111 but they are denying compressing anything. Unfortunately I am not using my sim in a vodafone device and not keen on installing that software.

 

[fM1DRKbzkFqwA]

They are denying it? Would they like a copy of their bmi.js? A network dump? The bit of html they inject in every site? A list of websites that it breaks? A list of software that it breaks? (not every http client is a browser)

 

[johanvz]

Yep, see here: https://twitter.com/johanvanzijl/status/215475400132927488 it might be that their support guys are not aware of this yet. dunno...

 

[fM1DRKbzkFqwA]

More likely it's a piece of 2007 software that got accidentally re-enabled.

Google "vodafone bmi greasemonkey"

 

[MeercatMilker]

I'm having the exact same issue and it's really frustrating me. I see someone already reported this on hello peter, but I think we all should complain: http://www.hellopeter.com/vodacom/complaints/website-image-compression-827942

 

[VC-1]

I do not experience any of these problems via my Vodacom 3g connection using "Unrestricted APN" on a Notebook with embedded modem using HP Connect Manager application.

 

[jannievanzyl]

They are denying it? Would they like a copy of their bmi.js? A network dump? The bit of html they inject in every site? A list of websites that it breaks? A list of software that it breaks? (not every http client is a browser)

Slow down to a panic

No one is denying anything. I know exactly what's up. Gve me 48 hours.

 

[MeercatMilker]

Slow down to a panic

No one is denying anything. I know exactly what's up. Gve me 48 hours.

Jannie, jy het 48 uur voor ek die trekker vat en die Vodacom torings begin omstoot. Roep hulle op die radio of ek breek hulle!

Dammit, I can't even add smilies to this post or the following appears... now I'm really die moer in: Shift+R improves the quality of this image. Shift+A improves the quality of all images on this page.