What is Sentech's quoted Bandwidth?

[Wolfling]

Well the title says it all. I have looked on the Sentech website and dont see anything there.

What is the max bandwidth for a standard Sentech account. If possible a link to the official website, where it is quoted, would be good.

 

[Wolfling]

Ok found it myself :|

Now the next question. If it says I get a 128kbps, but my signal is only 17% what does it work out to? (128 x 17% = 21kbps?)

 

[bdt]

If it says I get a 128kbps, but my signal is only 17% what does it work out to? (128 x 17% = 21kbps?)

The signal strength percentage CAN (depending on how you use the service) have a direct effect on how much data you can push through the modem in a given unit period (let's say a month ..meaning 30 days). First off, your 17% is far from "only"; it's 4% down from 21%, which (nominally) means 100% signal quality on a connection - a long way away from the 6% at which it will still work, but be ..less.. than as enjoyable as your connection now.

Practically though: your 17% means you're pretty much made for http/downloading traffic. UPloading (mail with large attachments, ftp, P2P) will be a little short of ideal, but not to the point of being unusable or even really intrusively bad. However, should you decide you want to wring every last byte out in a given month, seeing as you're well off enough already an HGA solution shouldn't be too expensive either, and definitely would wring that last little bit that's now getting away from you. Whether it's worth the cost is entirely a value call on your part.

As to totals: depends on too many external factors, in LARGE part to do with international bandwidth available at any given time (local tends to perform pretty well) but a 128k/"Home" account running at full chat will happily hit 14kB/s ..yes, that's bytes, and may peak over that - I think I've seen people mention up to 20kB/s for a Home account. Then MyWi's party trick: if you fire up a P2P of your choice and do well, you can easily (SO easily) run up to- and through 10gig in a month's usage ..and if you do, depending on HOW you do, WHEN (in the month) you do, by how MUCH you do for how long, it make some time to hear from the support desk telling you to tone it down or pony up the extra R200/m to go up to a 256k/"Professional" account.

 

[brettwlewis]

I'm on MyWireless128 and rarely see downloads sitting consistently at over 8 k. Uploadwise, 4-5 k is acheiveable to local sites.

My (Smoothwall) router says I max'ed out at 10,2 k down and 3.5 k up today.

So for me the 128/64 numbers are a little optimistic. And I'm on 33% signal for what that's worth...

 

[bdt]

I'm on MyWireless128 and rarely see downloads sitting consistently at over 8 k. Uploadwise, 4-5 k is acheiveable to local sites.

My (Smoothwall) router says I max'ed out at 10,2 k down and 3.5 k up today.

So for me the 128/64 numbers are a little optimistic. And I'm on 33% signal for what that's worth...

Hrm: you're definitely being gypped here! I know from LOTS of seen-with-mine-own-eyes experience that a 128/Home account can definitely do better than that, specially at that signal level. What do you get if you plug your modem directly into your ('doze?) PC and run a multithreaded download manager? Also, where are you at - that may have some bearing on the situation.

 

[brettwlewis]

I haven't tried downloading with the modem connected directly to my XP PC - it's a long story. But I do use Free Download Manager, which does open multiple connections to servers. Still nothing much over 8 k.

I'm in Craighall Park connecting to Northcliff (60). Apparently I'm getting a "bounced" signal (the antenna there is pointing south-ish and I'm north-ish of the tower). But I can't make a consistent connection to any other tower. I can force a single connection to Rosebank by shielding my patch antenna, but when the modem reboots (read: power fauilure) it generally connects back onto Northcliff due to the strong signal from there. I have line of sight to Northcliff - not the same for Rosebank.

But speed doesn't really worry me - its the crap latencies that I'm seeing lately. Today its fine (international sites < 1000ms) but typically ping times have been up to 3000ms for sites like www.google.co.za. I've had a ticket open for close on 7 weeks now with Sentech Support, but I think they don't have the foggiest idea how to solve the problem. Supposedly their network / 2nd level guys are looking at it, but they've had it for close on a month with no movement or feedback on the ticket.

Frankly, I'm seriously thinking of moving to 384k ADSL next month - not only faster, with better latencies (I don't think I can do any worse) and cheaper too.

 

[cryptic1]

I'm on mywireless 128 & I see 14.4-14.6 on free download manager, my signal is very good & yeh I'm happy with my connection Got my modem at a fixed spot, a bit annoying with having the power cable always connected though - but I manage.

 

[cryptic1]

Oh Brettwlewis, do what I did (my trial & error lol) move ur modem around until u get a full signal i.e. on ur modem status monitor before u connect. U'll c the progress of ur signal as u move it around - connect when u find the sweet spot

 

[brettwlewis]

I've done the walk-around-the-house-finding-a-good-signal stunt, Cryptic1.

I ended up with a patch antenna mounted on a pole about 1m above my roof (I'm on a double storey).

But I'm done with Sentech (I've had a service ticket open for a month with no end in sight wrt international latency) - I'll be sending in my cancellation on Monday - I ordered ADSL yesterday.

Thanks for the suggestion tho'.

 

[bullfrog]

@brettwlewis: Don't cancel your wireless until you've gotten you're adsl installed. Rather spend a bit of extra money and have internet than wait for Telkom to install your line. They have been known to delay installations and have taken 2+ months to install dsl. So if you don't want to sit without internet for who know how long, then don't cancel until you have the lie

 

[cryptic1]

brettwlewis, try contacting Nowire to assist who will proly get someone out to u. Bullfrog's right, rather exhaust all avenues before cancelling.

 

[converge-it]

Bandwith through put and Signal Strengh

Now the next question. If it says I get a 128kbps, but my signal is only 17% what does it work out to? (128 x 17% = 21kbps?)

If logic serves me correctly, bandwidth through-put should not be linked to signal strengh, unless yao are getting a 1-10% Signal. Reason being is that the availible through-put from base station to modem should be able to operate at a theoretical 2Mbps. You would need to have marginal signal to have effect.

 

[ebow3d]

brettwlewis, try contacting Nowire to assist who will proly get someone out to u. Bullfrog's right, rather exhaust all avenues before cancelling.

No, personal experience tells me, Sentech will not sort out your problem, while you will spend many hours on the phone with them, while still paying your contract. Rather cancel first - this will take minumium 2 months. During that two months you can sort out adsl and have broadband internet. If you thought Telkom was bad, you clearly have not actually dealt with Sentech!
As for getting a NoWire expert, please... You will pay for a rep to come to your house with a loan modem. He'll then walk around your house and look for a signal.

 

[bdt]

As for getting a NoWire expert, please... You will pay for a rep to come to your house with a loan modem. He'll then walk around your house and look for a signal.

Some may do that, and really shouldn't be allowed out do do that. For my part, I dont' consider my arriving with ladder, GPS, Yagi antenna and laptop just "walking around a house looking for signal".

 

[ebow3d]

Some may do that, and really shouldn't be allowed out do do that. For my part, I dont' consider my arriving with ladder, GPS, Yagi antenna and laptop just "walking around a house looking for signal".

Unfortunately some do do that. So should customers actually pay for having to take a chance and hope that the rep coming to his/her house is actually going to do real work?

 

[bdt]

Unfortunately some do do that. So should customers actually pay for having to take a chance and hope that the rep coming to his/her house is actually going to do real work?

Much as I'd like to editorialise on this, I'm responsible for the business dealings of exactly ONE person: me. All and any chance-takers/charlatans/cheats/the kind of people that generate this kind of ill-will are sadly not something I can do a damn thing about.

Sadly the .za consumer is mostly a sheep; and you're welcome to interpret that in a number of ways, and the situation doesn't really get better. So, for my part I'll just do the best job I know how and leave it a that.

 

[ebow3d]

I don't dispute that you do your job properly. However, if a potential customer need a consultant out come to his/her site, will it always be you? Not likely, yet NoWire will be quick to send out that bill...
Is it really too much to expect a company to make sure that their staff actually do their job?

 

[bdt]

I don't dispute that you do your job properly.

nm, I wasn't taking that as a personal affront.

However, if a potential customer need a consultant out come to his/her site, will it always be you? Not likely, yet NoWire will be quick to send out that bill...

Quite ..it's more likely to NOT be me: I am but one guy, operating alone in Jozi, and not on their staff. That said, I do get leads from them from time to time, but it's not quite the same thing.

Is it really too much to expect a company to make sure that their staff actually do their job?

In an ideal world: no; in theory: one would hope not ...in practice: seems so. But, and this is an endemic problem for which the .za consumer is ENTIRELY responsible, it would seem so. However, every.single.day we get to bear the brunt of sub-par service ..and in the overwhelming majority of the time the .za consumer/sheeple won't do a damn thing about it beyond grousing to his nearest and dearest ...*shrug* I do my part but, again, I'm only me: I (mostly) make sure I don't get saddled with sub-par "service", everyone else can damn well do their bit too if they want things to improve! </rantlet>