Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem - Page 9

Ashover · 05-10-2004, 12:19

Well, whatever they did last night has made no difference!

Web-Junkie · 05-10-2004, 12:48

I concur to a point, it still pauses a lot during the upload, but i'm seeing more data actually being uploaded. I did manage to upload a 1mb test file to both my Webmail and Briefcase just now, but a 5mb file still won't upload.

I also believe this better upload happened BEFORE they did anything last night as yesterday afternoon I was able to upload a 1mb file to my Briefcase first go, whereas Sunday I couldn't even upload a 0.5mb file unless I tried about 5-6 times.

Web-Junkie · 06-10-2004, 03:04

Well, well! I know its just after 3 in the morning when this post was made, but my upload is back to normal (for how long I don't know). Just uploaded a 5mb file, twice, to my briefcase and no problem, apart from a few pauses but the upload completed!

Also tried a 3 file multiple upload (1mb, 2.5mb and 1.2mb) via Yahoo briefcase and those too uploaded

Damn! If they've fixed the problem, who we gonna bitch at now? And does it only work early in the morning?

Web-Junkie · 06-10-2004, 12:48

Well, it's now 12:42 and the upload is still working, but it's more sporadic now (lot's more people using the bandwidth?). Some pauses of 10+ seconds while uploading a 5mb file to my Yahoo briefcase adding about another minute onto the upload time over the time it took early this morning and one upload just stopped and never completed, my briefcase was empty.

Test ftp upload of the same 5mb file to my NTL homepage was far worse, hell of a lot of pauses making the file stop at 62% and cause Error: 451, deleting the file and trying again produced a similar result stopping at 26% this time, Error: 451 again. I know NTL have 'resume' enabled and I could have just started where it failed, but this shouldn't be needed within NTL's own network. Same thing trying a 1mb file! The fact I couldn't upload the file in one go indicates a dysmal failure of NTL's ftp upload!

Looks like some piece of hardware is being overloaded during the day or if they just reset the router or whatever, it still needs tweaking?

Things are definitely moving in the right direction, although the pessimist in me thinks this may be as good as it gets!

Ashover, are things any better for you and THE RIFLE?

Ashover · 06-10-2004, 17:17

No, nothing has changed. I'll email a contact to see if I can find out what is happening.

Web-Junkie · 06-10-2004, 19:24

Sorry to hear that Ashover

That may mean they just haven't yet fixed the part of the network you're connected to? Let's hope they DO fix it!!

I'm keeping an eye on my upload just in case it goes belly up again. Good luck with the e-mail.

Web-Junkie · 09-10-2004, 21:27

Any news on your connection Ashover?

My upload is still working and has stabilised now. Have successfully uploaded files to Yahoo, Hotmail, NTL webmail, NTL FTP and Usenet, so it looks like the problem has been fixed, at least for me! Well done NTL! Just hope it's been fixed for everyone else in my area.

steve_smith · 10-10-2004, 11:10

Still have my localised problem down in Poole. Complained and complained at all levels last week. Engineer came out Friday, admitted they had seen loads of problems in our area recently, and that NTL's upstream was poor (don't know whether he was refering to our area, or the whole country). He said I'm certainly not the only one with this complaint.

Said he would go and tweak something in the cabinet and then ring me *next week* to see how things were going. In fact, unless I misunderstood him, he was more or less saying he would wait 7 days before doing anything else

I'm not quite sure why this is... had he come back to see me after tweaking the cabinet, I could have told him within 30 seconds that it still wasn't working.

NTL need to remember that you can have self-install ADSL ordered and working within 7 days...

Steve.

DeadKenny · 10-10-2004, 13:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve_smith

NTL need to remember that you can have self-install ADSL ordered and working within 7 days...

Indeed, looks like that's how long mine's taking. Should be activated by Wednesday

However, getting a BT line is not so simple. It took a month to get mine reconnected

. Though it was BT's reconnection delay that was the reason I went with NTL (then CableTel) in the first place. They quoted 3 weeks when I moved into a new house, so I said "stuff it I'll go with CableTel instead"...

*biggest* mistake of my life.

It may take a while for a BT appointment but they do a proper job. The shoddy work of the NTL installer when I moved house was a major cause of all the hassles I've had.

steve_smith · 10-10-2004, 18:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadKenny

However, getting a BT line is not so simple. It took a month to get mine reconnected

.

Thinking that NTL might not ever get round to fixing my problem, I had already changed back to BT analogue line a couple of months ago. So that bit is all sorted.

Probably going to sign up for ADSL tomorrow. I'm on the 750k NTL cable modem service. Thinking of going 512k down/256k up on ADSL. So far as I can see, if I don't mind dropping the download speed a bit, I actually get twice as much upload as NTL. Any other negatives or positives associated with changing from cable modem to ADSL?

Steve.

Ignition · 10-10-2004, 19:31

Want to give me an IP address Steve so can investigate, unless you are leaving whichever way in which case don't worry about it.

DeadKenny · 10-10-2004, 21:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve_smith

Probably going to sign up for ADSL tomorrow. I'm on the 750k NTL cable modem service. Thinking of going 512k down/256k up on ADSL. So far as I can see, if I don't mind dropping the download speed a bit, I actually get twice as much upload as NTL. Any other negatives or positives associated with changing from cable modem to ADSL?

Yeah, 256 up on 512 is a big bonus. So much cheaper than paying ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£38 for 1.5mbps with NTL just to get 256 up !!!

Downsides are contention at peak times (though there are often slow-down times with NTL too), limits due to line length or quality, and that you have to buy your own modem (though with NTL you are paying for it in rental effectively, even long after you've basically paid for it).

On the plus-side... flexibility, better package with some ISPs (static IPs, web space with PHP/CGI/MySQL support, unlimited download options, no transparent proxies etc), price, speed (if you have a good line, but especially the upstream), choice, and above all else customer service.

Potentially you also have reliability as far as the line itself goes. Once BT have okayed it, you shouldn't really have any signal level issues, at least not on the scale you get with NTL, and one complaint to BT and they'll be out almost next day and fix it (especially if you say your phone isn't working).

The major problem with NTL (beyond CS) is they don't test the lines they install. I would be happier if they just tested it and admitted they can't deliver cable to my house, in the same way that BT do. At least then I could have looked elsewhere instead of suffer problems all the time I've had it.

Also, ADSL is evolving. There's ADSL2/2+ round the corner, and even NTL are expanding their coverage by using ADSL rather than rolling out new cable networks (the latter of which they admit is more expensive). Cable is stagnant.

steve_smith · 11-10-2004, 08:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ignition

Want to give me an IP address Steve so can investigate, unless you are leaving whichever way in which case don't worry about it.

OK, have done. I need to make a decision on it this week some time, but if you can do anything to help, it would be much appreciated.

Steve.

steve_smith · 11-10-2004, 08:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeadKenny

Downsides are contention at peak times (though there are often slow-down times with NTL too), limits due to line length or quality, and that you have to buy your own modem (though with NTL you are paying for it in rental effectively, even long after you've basically paid for it).

If I change, I'm going for Zen. They are slightly more pricey than other providers, but my experience of them has been excellent. We have set up two remote sites at work with 512k and 1Mbit connections (the standard home account, not the lower contention business service). Never have any problems, and never seen any drop off in performance. 3 of my colleagues at work who use them for their home internet connections have had the same good experience.

Like you say, also get a static IP which will be useful.

Steve.

Ashover · 11-10-2004, 19:25

Hi Web-Junkie, sorry for the delay in replying, just back from a long weekend in Barcelona. Things seem to be OK now, but rest assured I will be keeping a close eye on it.