Slowest ADSL ever?

JHB Faulty DSLAM/exchange (Slowest ADSL ever?)

This is one for the record books. My 384kb ADSL connection has been _fine_ for the last 6 months. I wouldn't go so far as to say "perfect". But the last 2 days I would have been better off with a 56kb modem.

Speedtest.net to the Cape Town server has given me following results (I can't post the image because that never loaded):

Down: 150kbs
Up: 2kbs
Ping: 107ms

BUT - The upload section of the test takes about 5 minutes to start. At least.

My router is happy that it's connected, and my SNR and attenuation aren't too bad (well the same as always):

Downstream Upstream
SNR Margin: 36.0 24.0 db
Line Attenuation: 47.5 28.0 db
Data Rate: 384 128 kbps

If anyone is still interested, the following tracert's and pings show what I'm experiencing (I can browse - sometimes, but it feels like I wait 3 minutes for any initial data to return to me. There is no hope for Ajax-y sites like Gmail):

-----------------
TraceRt's (the 192.168.x.x and 10.0.x.x hops are my internal network: Linksys wireless router, then Telkom 5120G):

C:\Documents and Settings\Temp>tracert www.24-7online.co.za

Tracing route to www.24-7online.co.za [196.26.229.72]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.1.254
2 2 ms 2 ms 2 ms 10.0.0.2
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 * 29 ms 30 ms 196.43.18.9
5 * * * Request timed out.
6 * * * Request timed out.
7 * * * Request timed out.
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 52 ms 51 ms 49 ms 168.209.100.74
10 * * * Request timed out.
11 58 ms 56 ms 58 ms fwct24x7online.ctnonsite.hosting.co.za [196.36.152.90]
12 * * * Request timed out.
13 * * * Request timed out.
14 * * * Request timed out.
15 * * * Request timed out.
16 70 ms 64 ms 61 ms smtp.24-7online.co.za [196.26.229.72]
17 63 ms 75 ms 61 ms smtp.24-7online.co.za [196.26.229.72]

Trace complete.

C:\Documents and Settings\Temp>tracert www.24-7online.co.za

Tracing route to www.24-7online.co.za [196.26.229.72]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.1.254
2 3 ms 2 ms 2 ms 10.0.0.2
3 29 ms 28 ms 26 ms dsl-xxx-xxx-xx.telkomadsl.co.za [xx.xxx.xxx.x]
4 * * 27 ms 196.43.18.9
5 * * 27 ms 196.43.25.138
6 30 ms 28 ms 30 ms internet-solutions-gw.telkom-ipnet.co.za [196.25
.127.182]
7 29 ms * * 168.209.86.165
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 49 ms 49 ms * 168.209.6.252
11 * 57 ms 57 ms fwct24x7online.ctnonsite.hosting.co.za [196.36.1
52.90]
12 * * * Request timed out.
13 ^C
C:\Documents and Settings\Temp>tracert www.google.co.za

Tracing route to www.l.google.com [64.233.183.103]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.168.1.254
2 3 ms 7 ms 2 ms 10.0.0.2
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 * 27 ms 29 ms 196.43.33.185
5 28 ms 26 ms 29 ms 196.43.33.185
6 30 ms 30 ms 28 ms 196.43.33.2
7 28 ms 30 ms 28 ms 196.43.33.5
8 * * * Request timed out.
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 357 ms 409 ms 358 ms 72.14.238.244
11 336 ms 331 ms * 216.239.43.91
12 * * * Request timed out.
13 * 328 ms * 72.14.233.83
14 * * * Request timed out.
15 340 ms 339 ms 339 ms nf-in-f103.google.com [64.233.183.103]

Trace complete.

-----------------
Pings (30% - 40% loss):

Pinging www.l.google.com [64.233.183.99] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 64.233.183.99: bytes=32 time=351ms TTL=239
...
Request timed out.
...

Ping statistics for 64.233.183.99:
Packets: Sent = 19, Received = 13, Lost = 6 (31% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 349ms, Maximum = 376ms, Average = 354ms

Pinging www.telkom.co.za [198.54.202.4] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 198.54.202.4: bytes=32 time=49ms TTL=250
Request timed out.
...
Ping statistics for 198.54.202.4:
Packets: Sent = 21, Received = 12, Lost = 9 (42% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 48ms, Maximum = 116ms, Average = 59ms

-----------------

My situation is true on two different ISP's - namely Switched-on and Cybersmart, so I'm coming to the unhappy conclusion that I need to try and explain all of the above to Telkom over the phone tomorrow.

*sigh*

Ah well - All of you 4mbs people with your lovely Speedtest.net results be grateful.

Cheers,
Neil

hmm, having the same problem, lots of packet loss over the last 2 days... im also 384.. seems they've messed with something?

Are you guys by any chance using RouteSentry?

nope, just connecting PPPOE, this happened to me the other day, and then the day after everything was fine again...

Ping statistics for 196.25.1.200: (www.saix.net)

Packets: Sent = 24, Received = 15, Lost = 9 (37% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 62ms, Maximum = 62ms, Average = 62ms


some pings from www.google.com

Ping statistics for 64.233.169.103:
Packets: Sent = 10, Received = 4, Lost = 6 (60% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 1428ms, Maximum = 4219ms, Average = 2653ms

ThatCat, im feeling you, i have a feeling if you ask to be upgraded to 512 tomorrow, ur connection will be fine, its quite the coincidence that this is happening to us on 384 connections? i seriously think something was fiddled with, but its hard to explain that to a consultant...

Thanks Insaniac. It's more than a little irritating, as I'm sure you know. And yes - there could well be a ratty smell to all this. Are you back to normal yet? Mine is still unusable (took me about 10 minutes to post this reply).

By the way Feo, also plain old PPPOE.

It so annoying how my normal reaction is to just "wait and see if it goes away". I guess it's just far less painful than holding for 45 minutes to speak to somebody who is going to ask me to restart my router.

i agree 100%, i actually sit here hoping it will get better, but i waited 40 mins trying to get through, and i refused to wait longer.. i really think 384 is not right at the moment, someone needs to be notified

where abouts are you ThatCat? im jhb rivonia/woodmead area...

I gave up on the speed test last night. Got up and down at about 90kbps but eventually gave up on ever getting the results screen to load. Some sites are "ok" others are a complete nightmare. This is on 384 too.

This is very weird then - 3 of us, all 384 connections!

I'm in Paulshof/Sandton. That's close enough to Rivonia... I don't know what exchange I connect to though!

Well I'll be phoning Telkom this morning, _and_ telling them that I'm not the only one with the issue!

I had the same thing.
Telkom came and "reset" the DSLAM.

Downloads at full speed, uploads timed out and ran at like 1k/s

telkom... eish

hey guys.

I seem to be having the SAME problem, since Tuesday evening (10/07)... also 384k line and in Sunninghill area.

I started with telkom - they say the line is fine, the data transfer issue should be taken up with my ISP (Webafrica). I called them, they said there was absolutely no problem with my account, but my IP seemed to be resetting every 5 minutes and that I should call Telkom about this.

So this morning I AGAIN called Telkom, who 'tested' the line and claim everything to be fine. I called the house to see if the connection was any better, and after about a minute the line cut out and the call died. So it seems as though there is a physical line problem, although this comes and goes.

Have any of you had any better luck resolving this issue?

OK People.

STEP 1:
when Telskommel tells you to speak to your ISP, ask for the telkom guest account.
Log in with that and do a speed test on Telkom site.
Nip that feeble excuse in the butt.

hey guys, just got off the phone with telkom for about the fifth time, we have a faulty dslam/ exchange

We are also having the same problem here in Alberton, but ours is a business 4 mbps ADSL connection.

At the moment I have my 3G card plugged in so that I can actually get onto the internet... otherwise it just drops the line every few seconds!

My 512 connection at home (1 block away) seems to be fine though.

Weird!

Hey guys,

I've also been having the same problem here in Rivonia. As far as I'm aware, I.m connected to the Benmore Exchange

Same problem here
My isp is Telkom
Im in the Nelspruit area

Hey Guybrush - sorry to hear you have the same problem, but glad that Telkom seems to be admitting there's a fault.

What else did they say? Are they looking into it?

ThatCat said:

Hey Guybrush - sorry to hear you have the same problem, but glad that Telkom seems to be admitting there's a fault.

What else did they say? Are they looking into it?

Click to expand...

Mmm, for the life of me I can't remember...doh... the call centre guy said something about them fixing the dslam or exchange and when thats sorted out my problem would be fixed. Here's hoping.

LOL, are u telling me for 3 days of me phoning and being told its my problem on my side, they finally figured it out this morning YET ITS STILL NOT FIXED??? IS THIS A JOKE?!?!?!?!?!?!?

for the record, ive changed to 512 from 384 as of now... im not sure if its kicked in, my modem is saying down 512 and up 256, just wanna know if this means its kicked in? i cant tell via tests because well my net is still buggered, infact more then ever..