Should I expect any packet loss?

steve_smith · 17-07-2004, 13:55

Hi all,

Phoned NTL last night because my connection died completely yet again (in BH12 postcode area of Poole).

They said (as I already knew) that there was a problem with the UBR I connect through and that the fault would be reported.

Had a phone call this morning to say it should now all be fixed.

Although it's true that I have a working internet connection (at least I can get an IP address, which I couldn't last night), I am still seeing what I would consider to be a fair amount of packet loss (which has been going on since May

)

For example, pinging the DNS server (194.168.4.100) just now, got 8% packet loss. Pinging www.ntlworld.com, 5% packet loss, and so on. This is using ethernet with my laptop connected directly to the cable modem.

My friends on ADSL get slightly longer response times than me, but they get absolutely no packet loss.

Just wondered whether the NTL network is different to ADSL, and one should expect packet loss. I doubt this is the case, but I thought I would just check before complaining yet again...

Steve.

td444 · 17-07-2004, 13:56

You shouldnt get packet loss full stop. No firewalls enabled whatsoever? Some crappy software based one's can cause packetloss. If not its time to hammer the phone.

steve_smith · 17-07-2004, 14:00

I usually run though either a Linux firewall (Smoothwall) or a Wirless router.

However, for this testing I'm using a laptop directly connected to the modem with only the "built-in" Windows XP firewall enabled...

My upload is also shot :-( Although download is fine, and has been since the problem first started months ago.

Cheers,

Steve.

td444 · 17-07-2004, 14:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by steve_smith

I usually run though either a Linux firewall (Smoothwall) or a Wirless router.

However, for this testing I'm using a laptop directly connected to the modem with only the "built-in" Windows XP firewall enabled...

My upload is also shot :-( Although download is fine, and has been since the problem first started months ago.

Cheers,

Steve.

This sounds awfully familiar to when I first got NTL cable broadband... your best bet is to call them up or nag nicely one of the NTL engineers who might be able to do something.

andymonks · 19-07-2004, 18:39

aparently the connection in the BH12 area is gonna be like this for 4 to 5 weeks acording to technical support. grrrr.... probably gonna have to move to asdl.. i know 2 people in the area who allready have

andrew_wallasey · 19-07-2004, 18:53

No packet loss when I usually am on my NTL broadband but I do get a lot better response times compared with when I had ADSL.

Ignition · 19-07-2004, 21:13

Grand total of absolutely bugger all the 'centralised' engineers can do about this I'm afraid.

Customers in this area may experience intermitting service and/or packet loss, this is due to a local fault, engineers are aware, etc.

steve_smith · 19-07-2004, 21:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by andymonks

aparently the connection in the BH12 area is gonna be like this for 4 to 5 weeks acording to technical support. grrrr.... probably gonna have to move to asdl.. i know 2 people in the area who allready have

Oh joy... After I last complained on Friday, a guy from NTL phoned me on Saturday morning to tell me it had all been fixed

I phoned back tech. support, because at that time I had no connection at all, and they couldn't understand why I had been told it was fixed because as far as they were concerned there were a number of problems in our area that were outstanding.

We already swapped our analogue phone line from NTL to BT in preparation to go for ADSL. However, the BT engineer who came out to put the line in warned us that we are right at the end of the reach of ADSL, and not to expect much. So there's no guarantee that moving to ADSL would be any better for our particular part of BH12 (Alderney). For a start, I was considering moving to 1Mbit, which BT certainly can't supply us. We were told the most we could expect was 512k download, and the fact we were so far from the exchange would hit upload (which would sometimes be significantly less than 256k).

As for it being like this for another 4 to 5 weeks, it's already been like it (for me at least) since the beginning of May

I have phoned and phoned and phoned technical support over and over again, who every time insisted that there was no area problem. This was until a helpful user of this forum had a look for me and assured me the problem was with the UBR.

If it's working like it is right now most of the time (approx 5% packet loss, mainly pants upload but good download), the I can live with it for another month or so.

After all, I've already put up with it for 3 months, and I do like the way cable operates (when it works), and the fact I get an ethernet connection without having to buy an ADSL router and lots of other extras like microfilters.

Steve.