[Merged] NTL Increasing BB Speeds Late Summer 2004

[ian@huth]

Originally Posted by Mick

IMO, I do not think ntl's BB network, at the current time could cope with the new speeds, thus probably why ntl have delayed the speed increases, its better to get the network sorted first than to launch the speeds now and watch the broadband network grind to a halt.

How much impact do you think the new speeds will have on the network?

Most users will just continue to do what they are already doing.

Most users do not want to download the entire internet but the ones that are trying to do so may find that they are dealt with more severely for breach of the AUP.

[PC_Arcade]

Originally Posted by Mick

IMO, I do not think ntl's BB network, at the current time could cope with the new speeds, thus probably why ntl have delayed the speed increases, its better to get the network sorted first than to launch the speeds now and watch the broadband network grind to a halt.

Well in that case I'll do my bit to help by dropping all of my usage from their network. If they can't cope, I'll switch to someone who can

In all honesty this probably has as much to do with just being fed up with 2nd rate service / products from NTL as it does a minimal price increase on BB, but I get the feeling that someone at NTL is laughing at their customers what with Interactive TV that isn't, Digital TV with less channels at a higher price, BB 1/2 the speed of their competitors at the same (ish) price but with a ridiculous and ill advised "suggested usage cap" and the fact that I was told when I took these services that they worked :lol:

As I asked earlier does anyone know if I have to give notice in writing or is the Phone OK?

Originally Posted by PC_Arcade

As I asked earlier does anyone know if I have to give notice in writing or is the Phone OK?

You need to give 30 days notice by writing.

[PC_Arcade]

Originally Posted by Mick

You need to give 30 days notice by writing.

Fair enough, thanks for letting me know

[td444]

Originally Posted by Mick

IMO, I do not think ntl's BB network, at the current time could cope with the new speeds, thus probably why ntl have delayed the speed increases, its better to get the network sorted first than to launch the speeds now and watch the broadband network grind to a halt.

And what are your opinions based on? Not defending NTL here, but your stabbing them without any evidence. My actual 1mbit NTL line is better (in latency and general performance) than my ADSL Nildram line.

And if the core network is so buggered, why I am, and so many others getting low latency to gaming servers? Low latency represents core routers NOT overloaded. High latency represents your overloaded theory.

Its only certain area's that are overloaded, and NTL are doing something about it. Took them 5 weeks for my area, all is good now, and I even got a refund for the time it was pants.

I dont mind rants, its just rants that are made on thin air that waste space and give people wrong impressions.

Originally Posted by td444

And what are your opinions based on? Not defending NTL here, but your stabbing them without any evidence. My actual 1mbit NTL line is better (in latency and general performance) than my ADSL Nildram line.

And if the core network is so buggered, why I am, and so many others getting low latency to gaming servers? Low latency represents core routers NOT overloaded. High latency represents your overloaded theory.

Its only certain area's that are overloaded, and NTL are doing something about it. Took them 5 weeks for my area, all is good now, and I even got a refund for the time it was pants.

I dont mind rants, its just rants that are made on thin air that waste space and give people wrong impressions.

Well said and to the point.

[DeadKenny]

Originally Posted by BBKing

Oo pem...

Lecture on the difference between data storage and data transmission. Storage is always measured in bytes (=8 bits). Multiple bytes are measure up in exact powers of two (kByte is 1024 for instance).

Transmission is always always always measured in bits. Just because IE reports your transfer speed in bytes doesn't mean you should listen to it, it's measuring transfer of a file, rather than a transmission of data.

Network professionals measure everything in bits, and a kilo is a kilo, as in 1000, as in a kilometer. Properly, in other words :P

Strictly speaking, no matter if it's bits or Bytes, a kilo is 1000 and mega is 1,000,000 according to the scientific standards for units of measurement, but not everyone uses the prefixes correctly.

Storage manufacturers (hard disc and flash memory in particular. but not RAM), in the same way as network engineers, actually use the IEEE standard for the kilo/mega unit of measurement where, for example, 1MB = 1,000,000 bytes. However operating systems and memory manufacturers (as in RAM) use the 1024 multiples (including for measuring storage). This is where a lot of quoted storage and the reported storage causes confusion (not counting space for formatting).

On a side note, because of the confusion with the kilo/mega prefix having been used incorrectly for years, there are new prefixes the IEC approved (though it's yet to be adopted by other standards bodies)...

one kibibit 1 Kibit = 2^10 bit = 1024 bit
one kilobit 1 kbit = 10^3 bit = 1000 bit
one mebibyte 1 MiB = 2^20 B = 1 048 576 B
one megabyte 1 MB = 10^6 B = 1 000 000 B
one gibibyte 1 GiB = 2^30 B = 1 073 741 824 B
one gigabyte 1 GB = 10^9 B = 1 000 000 000 B


taken from...
http://physics.nist.gov/cuu/Units/binary.html

Originally Posted by BBKing

Oo pem...

Lecture on the difference between data storage and data transmission.

<snip>

.

While that may all be true, the fact is that NTL & TW seem to use a factor of 1024 for download speed.

My 1 meg is set to 1024000 - on the 600k service I believe they are set to 614400 (perhaps someone could check for me).

Oddly, they do seem to use 1000 for upstream - so mine is set to 256000.

Check the TW site - the simple fact is they quote it as 750k.

[Chris W]

Originally Posted by Pem

While that may all be true, the fact is that NTL & TW seem to use a factor of 1024 for download speed.

My 1 meg is set to 1024000 - on the 600k service I believe they are set to 614400 (perhaps someone could check for me).

Oddly, they do seem to use 1000 for upstream - so mine is set to 256000.

Check the TW site - the simple fact is they quote it as 750k.

ntl upload speeds are factors of 1000 eg 64000, 128000, 256000, as are the 150k and 600k downloads... for some reason the 1mb is 1024000... don't ask me why but that is just the way it is

<shrug> I'm pretty sure mine used to be 614400 when I was on the silver level but that's a long time ago now so I can't be certain. I know the upload was a factor of 1000.

Still - we will see in 'late summer' what ntl set in the new configs.

[Chrysalis]

ntl's network is far from over loaded, its a regional problem to do with ubr's and local networks.

[tkiely]

Originally Posted by Mick

You need to give 30 days notice by writing.

No you don't! just one phone call does it all.

Then they call you back and beg you to stay.

just say NO!

[Florence]

Originally Posted by td444

And what are your opinions based on? Not defending NTL here, but your stabbing them without any evidence. My actual 1mbit NTL line is better (in latency and general performance) than my ADSL Nildram line.

And if the core network is so buggered, why I am, and so many others getting low latency to gaming servers? Low latency represents core routers NOT overloaded. High latency represents your overloaded theory.

Its only certain area's that are overloaded, and NTL are doing something about it. Took them 5 weeks for my area, all is good now, and I even got a refund for the time it was pants.

I dont mind rants, its just rants that are made on thin air that waste space and give people wrong impressions.

Then you was lucky I used to have a good connection... used is the word here. I contact them and get told there is nothing wrong. I use the chatroom and an NTL employee finds I do have problems he called it dunkeh syndrome as a member using that name had the same problem first and it took NTL ages to sort it out. The problem is the loss isn't all the time but when you seem to need it most. My son has now given up playing CS due to the irractic pings I get. On one forum with games I ping higher than some on NTLs 600K while I connected at 1mb.

If and until they admit that some are having severe problems they will offer nothing in return..
If I was just downloading all the time it perhaps isn't as noticeable...

I sat for 15 mins watching the downstream and it was up and down like a yoyo every few secs.

Downstream Receive Power Level : 0.3 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 33.4 dB
would jump to anything upto -0.3 dBmV and the SNR would jump around just as much and on another day it woud be more stable.

[Ignition]

Originally Posted by Kits

I use the chatroom and an NTL employee finds I do have problems he called it dunkeh syndrome as a member using that name had the same problem first and it took NTL ages to sort it out.

On one forum with games I ping higher than some on NTLs 600K while I connected at 1mb.

I sat for 15 mins watching the downstream and it was up and down like a yoyo every few secs.

Downstream Receive Power Level : 0.3 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 33.4 dB
would jump to anything upto -0.3 dBmV and the SNR would jump around just as much and on another day it woud be more stable.

OK :p

You don't have Dunkeh syndrome - his issues were on the upstream path, yours apparently are on the downstream one - your upstream is solid as you like from what I've seen of it.

It's something pretty local to you, to be honest I suspect it's the cable connecting modem to outlet, you described it as getting hot which makes me think it's not insulated properly.

Think you mean Power varied between +3dB and -3dB ?

See above though, methinks it's that coax if it's getting hot as you describe, that or modem, have you followed my suggestion and gotten a service call? Hopefully they'll get it fixed fairly easily as the fault, while unusual, is IMHO not a major one, apart from the effect it has.

Oh and 1Mbit does not give lower pings by default than 600k, how wide the pipe is and latency of data are two different things

Originally Posted by tkiely

No you don't! just one phone call does it all.

Then they call you back and beg you to stay.

just say NO!

I would strongly advise still sending notice in writing and sending it by recorded delivery.