Only GPRS speeds on EDGE towers (Stellenbosch)

A

ajax

Executive Member
Joined
Oct 29, 2003
Messages
6,176
Reaction score
577
Location
Stellenbosch
I've tested the Papegaaiberg tower (channel 31) as well as the Golf Course tower (channel 53) and both only give full GPRS speed. I downloaded 4 files simultaneously and used a stopwatch to time 500 kB. For both towers it took 48 seconds yielding a speed of 80kbps. My signal strength was at least 5dB better than full bar for both towers.

My 6680 shows the towers support EDGE and I checked that I got 4 timeslots while downloading, so what's going on? :confused:
 
ajax said:
I've tested the Papegaaiberg tower (channel 31) as well as the Golf Course tower (channel 53) and both only give full GPRS speed. I downloaded 4 files simultaneously and used a stopwatch to time 500 kB. For both towers it took 48 seconds yielding a speed of 80kbps. My signal strength was at least 5dB better than full bar for both towers.

My 6680 shows the towers support EDGE and I checked that I got 4 timeslots while downloading, so what's going on? :confused:
Click to expand...

Not to sure, maybe a backhaul issue?

If you want, make contact with me and I can get the local guys to test with you.
 
vodacom3g said:
Not to sure, maybe a backhaul issue?
Click to expand...
I dunno, 3G absolutely rocks from the Golf Course tower. Can't see why EDGE would be slow then?

Anywayz, I will pm you.
 
Strangely I have seen the same thing with the MTN towers here next to the Golf Course in Technopark in Stellenbosch. It is also EDGE capable, but I cant get more than normal GPRS speeds.
 
This is very reminiscent of Telkon's tactic of providing broadband at less than normal speed and heavily capped. Vodacon = same stable = same horse !?
 
If you can make video calls, does it means 3G is available?
reason why I am asking is cause @home (Idas Valley STB) we can make video calls, but internet speed are pretty slow. I'll say not much faster than dailup.
 
johandutoit2000 said:
Strangely I have seen the same thing with the MTN towers here next to the Golf Course in Technopark in Stellenbosch. It is also EDGE capable, but I cant get more than normal GPRS speeds.
Click to expand...

All MTN's towers in Stellenbosch just says "Stellenbosch". Do you have the channel number perhaps? Saves me from driving up to the tower to check. I would like to test.
 
piranha786 said:
If you can make video calls, does it means 3G is available?
reason why I am asking is cause @home (Idas Valley STB) we can make video calls, but internet speed are pretty slow. I'll say not much faster than dailup.
Click to expand...

Yes, video calls can only be made on 3G.
Are you sure you are on a 3G connection when you use the internet?
 
piranha786 said:
how will I know, besides thats its feels faster?
Click to expand...
Your phone should (AFAIK) say 3G next to the bars for the signal strength when it is connected to 3G.
 
ajax said:
Your phone should (AFAIK) say 3G next to the bars for the signal strength when it is connected to 3G.
Click to expand...


If it was a nokia yes, not samsung.
Good that it is not My phone. that phone always shows 3G
 
piranha786 said:
If it was a nokia yes, not samsung.
Good that it is not My phone. that phone always shows 3G
Click to expand...

Ok, here's an idea (don't laugh): Compare the audible interference on a FM radio or pc speakers next to the phone when you are making video calls compared to when you are on the internet busy downloading. I've found that 3G signals (due to the higher frequency I think) causes a lot less interference than GSM.

It is a bit trickey as the phone's output power is sometimes adjusted lower if there is sufficient signal, so run the tests when you start the call or start downloading.

EDIT: Two more slow EDGE towers:
Channel 33, Stellenbosch 3, also gives only about 80 kbps although the signal hovers at around 1 below full bar but should still give better speed than that. Then channel 51, Coetzenburg, gives only 32 kbps on the Telkom local speed test (tested 2x with an hour between tests), also crawling on simultaneous downloads.

How come 3G works as advertised but EDGE not? Is the 3G network on a different system/link?
 
Last edited:
How will I know if I'm connected to EDGE vs GPRS? I've got a 6680 with Celltrak and Netmonitor.
 
biometrics said:
How will I know if I'm connected to EDGE vs GPRS? I've got a 6680 with Celltrak and Netmonitor.
Click to expand...
Menu 6.12 of the netmonitor shows "EGPRS support". If the value is 1, it is an EDGE enabled tower. If 0, then not.
 
I dont have the channel number. I am sitting in Technopark and it shows STELLENBOSCH half the time and YELLOW BROADBAND the other half. I have a Nokia 6220 and it is EDGE capable.
 
Can you guys test again?

Some of the towers in the area were turbocharged last night to increase the throughput. Papagaaiberg being one of them. Others include Coetzenburg, Distell, Eikestad, Drostdy, Koopmanskloof, Lanzerac, Merriman, Neelsie, Nietvoorbij and STB_TEchnopark.

Some of the others including the Golf Course must still be done.
 
Last edited:
vodacom3g said:
Can you guys test again?

Some of the towers in the area were turbocharged last night to increase the throughput. Papagaaiberg being one of them. Others include Coetzenburg, Distell, Eikestad, Drostdy, Koopmanskloof, Lanzerac, Merriman, Neelsie, Nietvoorbij and STB_TEchnopark.

Some of the others including the Golf Course must still be done.
Click to expand...
Ok, did some testing. Here's the results

Papegaaiberg, channel 31, signal strength -67 dBm:
Telkom speed test: 126.4 kbps
4 simultaneous file downloads, 500 kByte down in 20 seconds -> 200 kbps

Stellenbosch Golf Course, channel 44, signal strength -77 dBm:
Telkom speed test: 127 kbps
4 simultaneous file downloads, 500 kByte down in 20 seconds -> 200 kbps

Coetzenburg, channel 51, signal strength -73 dBm:
Telkom speed test: 61 kbps
4 simultaneous file downloads, 500 kByte down in 65 seconds -> 61 kbps

Stellenbosch 3, channel 33, signal strength -90 dBm:
Telkom speed test: 73.7 kbps
4 simultaneous file downloads, 500 kByte down in 63 seconds -> 63 kbps

Good performance on Papegaaiberg and the Golf Course, but not good on the other 2. On Coetzenburg especially during the 4 file downloads the throughput stops and starts. There would be short bursts of up to 15kByte/sec or so and then nothing for a while. My phone still indicates all of the towers tested as EDGE towers.

Another question, why does the speed test show lower speeds compared to using a stopwatch while downloading files?
 
Where are you loading the 4 files from? Might be a bottleneck further upstream.

How far are you from Coetzenburg? You might be on a lower coding scheme du to distance/interference issues.

Can you test the golf course again? Sounds like it was upgraded yesterday. Oh, just saw you probably tested the new CS already.

Thanks for the info, by the way. The radio guys appreciated it!
 
vodacom3g said:
Where are you loading the 4 files from? Might be a bottleneck further upstream.

How far are you from Coetzenburg? You might be on a lower coding scheme du to distance/interference issues.

Can you test the golf course again? Sounds like it was upgraded yesterday. Oh, just saw you probably tested the new CS already.

Thanks for the info, by the way. The radio guys appreciated it!
Click to expand...

The files I get from various places, one is Openoffice from SAIX, the other is Windows XP Service pack 2, dunno from where, and the others is from my company's website in Germany.

I am about 2 km from Coetzenburg. My phone doesn't seem to indicate the Coding scheme if it is on EDGE. On GPRS towers it shows the CS - it varies from 1 to 4.
What I may do this weekend is drive up to the 2 "guilty" towers with my laptop and run the tests again.

Any idea why the Telkom test shows lower speeds compared to downloading files? I have not noticed this "phenomenon" so much on 3G. Usually get above 330 kbps on 3G on the Telkom test.
 
ajax said:
The files I get from various places, one is Openoffice from SAIX, the other is Windows XP Service pack 2, dunno from where, and the others is from my company's website in Germany.

I am about 2 km from Coetzenburg. My phone doesn't seem to indicate the Coding scheme if it is on EDGE. On GPRS towers it shows the CS - it varies from 1 to 4.
What I may do this weekend is drive up to the 2 "guilty" towers with my laptop and run the tests again.

Any idea why the Telkom test shows lower speeds compared to downloading files? I have not noticed this "phenomenon" so much on 3G. Usually get above 330 kbps on 3G on the Telkom test.
Click to expand...

Might be the way they calculate the throughput. I'll test it.

Nothing beats a stopwatch. I've seen speed test programs that slow the pc clock down, so it would count more bytes in a specific time period, thus showing a faster speed.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X