Any word from employees about capacity issues?

[TrancerSteve]

Hi all..

Any word on when NTL will be upgrading their routers/backbones? This capacity problem during peak times is just unacceptable. Im aware there are some of you out there that don't experience any problems and get 10meg or close to it all the time.

But for me and quite a few others its doing my head in. My 10meg connection slows to a 2meg during connection during peak times. This isnt a local capacity problem. The prob is futher up with NTLs main routers me thinks. As when I download a file that is local to NTLs network (my webspace) I get 1200kb/s max speed!

Why isnt this getting fixed? Surely NTL can see this problem...

The network rebalancing thats appearing on the service page alot, anyone know exactly what is being done? My area (Goodmayes) hasnt come up as of yet..


Steve

[Chrysalis]

I think the rebalancing is jiggling modem's on upstream channels to keep them balanced and nothing more, I am guessing tho.

[handyman]

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

I think the rebalancing is jiggling modem's on upstream channels to keep them balanced and nothing more, I am guessing tho.

You would be correct.

[Rone]

"Why isnt this getting fixed? Surely NTL can see this problem..."

Because its going to cost money, thats even if they were interested.

Originally Posted by Rone

"Why isnt this getting fixed? Surely NTL can see this problem..."

Because its going to cost money, that's even if they were interested.

My bet is that all the money is tied up for the virgin buyout. Personaly i dont care what they do now i am just waiting for my exchange to go live for BE Unlimited and then its goodbye and thanks for all the fish..

And looking at this they are cutting it fine to do Warrington


Detail As part of the ongoing project to maintain and upgrade our Broadband network, there is a requirement to carry out maintenance and upgrades on components which may result in a loss of service for the duration.
The following work will be taking place during the week commencing Monday 20th March.
On the morning of Tuesday the 21st of March between midnight and 6 AM,
Network optimisation will result in a loss of service in the Leicester, Middlesborough, Stapleford, Kempston and surrounding areas.
Network updates will result in a loss of service in the Wearside, Orpington, Bromley, Leeds, Derby, Stockport and surrounding areas.
Network rebalancing across the country will result in a brief loss of service for all customers.
On the morning of Wednesday the 22nd of March between midnight and 6 AM,
Network optimisation will result in a loss of service in the Leicester, Pintail Road, Reading, Grantham, Stevenage, Papworth and surrounding areas.
Network updates will result in a loss of service in Orpington, Bromley, Leeds, Derby, Stockport, Northfields, Shepshed, Middlesborough, Stockton, Wearside and surrounding areas
On the morning of Thursday the 23rd of March between midnight and 6 AM,
Network optimisation will result in a loss of service in the Stoke, Leicester, Newark, Stevenage and surrounding areas.
Network updates will result in a loss of service in the Leeds, Derby, Stockport, Basford, Chesterfield, Clifton, Grantham, Grimsby and surrounding areas
On the morning of Friday the 24th of March between midnight and 6 AM,
Network updates will result in a loss of service in the Leeds, Derby, Stockport and surrounding areas.
We thank you for your understanding and apologise for any inconvenience these planned works may cause.

And to show why i am upset my speed on a 2 meg

Mon, 20 Mar 2006 18:53:15 GMT
1st 128K took 1219 ms = 107524 Bytes/sec = approx 895 kbits/sec
2nd 128K took 1141 ms = 114875 Bytes/sec = approx 956 kbits/sec
3rd 128K took 1015 ms = 129135 Bytes/sec = approx 1074 kbits/sec
4th 128K took 2563 ms = 51140 Bytes/sec = approx 425 kbits/sec

[IanUK]

Originally Posted by TrancerSteve

Hi all..

Any word on when NTL will be upgrading their routers/backbones? This capacity problem during peak times is just unacceptable. Im aware there are some of you out there that don't experience any problems and get 10meg or close to it all the time.

But for me and quite a few others its doing my head in. My 10meg connection slows to a 2meg during connection during peak times. This isnt a local capacity problem. The prob is futher up with NTLs main routers me thinks. As when I download a file that is local to NTLs network (my webspace) I get 1200kb/s max speed!

Why isnt this getting fixed? Surely NTL can see this problem...

The network rebalancing thats appearing on the service page alot, anyone know exactly what is being done? My area (Goodmayes) hasnt come up as of yet..


Steve

You probably go into the Seven Kings UBR like me
I get the same as you, UK sites are great full speed, but any peering involved and nine times out of ten its crapola time after about 3-4pm.

NTL know, but they don't care.
Whoever looks after the network needs to go on some courses to see how to do their job.

[Toto]

Originally Posted by TrancerSteve

Hi all..

Any word on when NTL will be upgrading their routers/backbones? This capacity problem during peak times is just unacceptable. Im aware there are some of you out there that don't experience any problems and get 10meg or close to it all the time.

But for me and quite a few others its doing my head in. My 10meg connection slows to a 2meg during connection during peak times.

Why isnt this getting fixed? Surely NTL can see this problem...

The network rebalancing thats appearing on the service page alot, anyone know exactly what is being done? My area (Goodmayes) hasnt come up as of yet..


Steve

I would imagine at some stage ntl will look at peak time traffic and put something in place, some ISP's already have such as PlusNet.

Originally Posted by Toto

I would imagine at some stage ntl will look at peak time traffic and put something in place, some ISP's already have such as PlusNet.

Well lets hope its sooner rather than later or they will start to lose customers.

[Rone]

Originally Posted by Bill C

Well lets hope its sooner rather than later or they will start to lose customers.

They already have.

[etccarmageddon]

Originally Posted by Bill C

Well lets hope its sooner rather than later or they will start to lose customers.

only a small number will leave, most customers wont have noticed their connections are slow (yet) - until word spreads via programs like watchdog or they find that their internet banking drags.

[Chrysalis]

Leicester must have been on the network status page 40+ times since last september for "network optimisation" and not once has my modem dropped during the maintenance which would indicate my ubr has recieved no upgrade or optimisation whatsoever since then.

Last night out of couriosity I did a speed test since I havent been using my connection much in the evenings, and I got 2mbit was at 6.30pm.

---------- Post added at 06:25 ---------- Previous post was at 06:23 ----------

Originally Posted by IanUK

You probably go into the Seven Kings UBR like me
I get the same as you, UK sites are great full speed, but any peering involved and nine times out of ten its crapola time after about 3-4pm.

NTL know, but they don't care.
Whoever looks after the network needs to go on some courses to see how to do their job.

Hard to point fingers, might well be they have reported problem got told to fix it without spending money hence we have all this static routing going on which is probably used to hide the true extenct of the problem.

Or you could be right and they are simply incompetant.

[Redwolf]

Why don't NTL admit there is a problem, apologise to their users and drop everyones speed back to 2 and 3 meg until they update all the services as neccesary. Yes it will hit them in the short term, some users will demand money off, some will leave. But in the end everyone will be happier because their internet connection will do what it's supposed to do. Seems to make sense to me, why push equipment upto 10meg when it obviously can't take it

I tried playing a game online last night and 1016 key packets in 15 mins, this made the game unplayable

Cheers

John

[Rone]

They wont backpeddle, are'nt they the fastest cable provider in the country?
Upto 10meg? Most of which you will never see, and the bit thats left for you is unreliable and slower than before.

[etccarmageddon]

they cant back peddle - the market is heading for 'max' speeds (see max dsl) - they have to move with the market.

[Redwolf]

Originally Posted by etccarmageddon

they cant back peddle - the market is heading for 'max' speeds (see max dsl) - they have to move with the market.

Yes but if their infrastructure can't cope with this struggle for maximum speed then they will only lose customers at the rate they are now, which seems to be rather quickly