Speeds Again

[Ardua]

I am still confused. How can a line that has synched consistently at 8128 for the past 2 years with IdNet which was producing download speeds well in excess of 6000Kbps suddenly start suffering from violent speed swings. At 7pm last night, a BT SpeedTest was down at 682Kbps. I have spoken to Support and they believe that the problem is one of BT exchange capacity. The problem has got so bad that even using VOIP is a nightmare. My Router Stats are:

Connection 8128/448
Line Attenuation 19/4

Noise Margin  10/26

Thoughts/comments. Thanks

[Rik]

I think support are right. All the signs lately have been that BT are not investing in the 20CN network anymore.

[Ardua]

Thanks - I think. Would I do better by moving to an ISP such as Sky that uses LLU or are they likely to be having problems as well?

[Lance]

I think the only LLU providor worth moving to is Be/O2.

Moving to LLU would get round the problem of BT exchange congestion.

[Rik]

An LLU carrier only use the 'last mile' so wouldn't suffer from the same problem. However... IDNet will be able to move people onto the hostlink later this month, regardless of whether an exchange has been WBC-enabled. Whether it will get round this problem I don't know, as I haven't discovered the mechanics of the system yet. Meanwhile, I'd look at Be first, Sky if you have Sky TV.

[Sebby]

Thanks - I think. Would I do better by moving to an ISP such as Sky that uses LLU or are they likely to be having problems as well?

Sky LLU or O2/Be LLU would be better, I'd say.

[Ardua]

Thanks to everyone. I am not keen on moving as it is such a hassle changing e-mails etc. Although we do have Sky, I am not keen on putting all my eggs in one basket. Clearly, I have much to think about.

[Sebby]

Even if you don't move now, it's worth getting your own domain and slowly updating websites/friends/family with the new email, so eventually you're not forced to stay with an ISP.

[Rik]

The first thing I'd suggest is that you register a domain and get your email hosted somewhere independent of an ISP. I use 1&1 and it costs, iirc, about 69p/month, plus the domain (which I can't remember, but it's only a few pounds a year). That way, you not only have independence if you want to move ISP, but you also have two separate email channels, should there be problems with one, you can fallback to the other. Or what Sebby said.

[hairyman]

Hi

Yes I have used 1and1 ( 1and1.co.uk)  for years and have several domains,  .uk ones only cost about a fiver every two years and a basic email / hosting package just a few pence a month.

This means you can have  yourname@yourchoiceifavailable.co.uk or .me.uk or org.uk   etc etc. This give you "portable" email.

If you have Sky TV and a Sky LLU at the exchange that might be worth a try. I know despite the great service at Idnet , if O2 eventually came to my exchange ( we only have a currently congested CPW plus Orange urggh) I would move as it works very well on all the surrounding exchanges to mine. With LLUs you escape the speed sapping Ipprofiling system that the wierd folk at BT use.

Hairyman

[Colin Burns]

An LLU carrier only use the 'last mile' so wouldn't suffer from the same problem. However... IDNet will be able to move people onto the hostlink later this month, regardless of whether an exchange has been WBC-enabled. Whether it will get round this problem I don't know, as I haven't discovered the mechanics of the system yet. Meanwhile, I'd look at Be first, Sky if you have Sky TV.

i wouldnt think that when idnet can shove max customers onto the host link thingy (very technical term there)  its going to help prevent exchange congestion as we will still being using the same VPs from the exchange which if my limited sensible knowledge is right is where the problem lies.

[dujas]

From SamKnows:

IPStream Connect
There isn't much to say about IPStream Connect (the 21CN variant of IPStream). It uses the same backend infrastructure as the WBC products (including the MSIL), and therefore allows ISPs to maintain the newer WBC connections and the older IPStream connections on one product from BT.

[Colin Burns]

my faith is restored

[JD_LincsUK]

Thanks for the info on 1and1 - I just opened an e-mail/domain account with them. £8.99 per year for the domain and 69p a month for the e-mail, though at the moment there's a promotion giving the first 6 months at 29p/month.

Just a question on that, though - they offer a Norton Internet security package as part of the deal, which I refused as I'm sceptical of most of the payware security options out there.
Is that a good idea? I have used webmail for a few years (for free, after a previous ISP forgot to deactivate it!  ) and had no issues with security through it.

Are there any other issues to consider with a service like 1and1? (sorry - not meaning to hijack the thread, but as it was here I got the info from...).

Thanks
JD

[Ted]

Thanks for the info on 1and1 - I just opened an e-mail/domain account with them. £8.99 per year for the domain and 69p a month for the e-mail, though at the moment there's a promotion giving the first 6 months at 29p/month.

Just a question on that, though - they offer a Norton Internet security package as part of the deal, which I refused as I'm sceptical of most of the payware security options out there.
Is that a good idea? I have used webmail for a few years (for free, after a previous ISP forgot to deactivate it!   ) and had no issues with security through it.

Are there any other issues to consider with a service like 1and1? (sorry - not meaning to hijack the thread, but as it was here I got the info from...).

Thanks
JD

Hi JD and welcome.

I've had a 1&1 email account for around two years, never had one single problem. I wouldn't be without domain email now.

I don't use AV software so i couldn't really advise but many people here frown upon Norton products, I'm sure you'll get more opinions   Avast seems to be a popular choice among the "free" offerings for AV software.

Don't worry about the thread "hijacking" its become part and parcel of IDNetters, its pretty well laid back here. If need be,   will split it off to a new thread (it has been known)  

[Simon]

will split it off to a new thread (it has been known) 

Only if it involves food! 

  JD.

[JD_LincsUK]

Okay, thanks - I use Avast myself now, after too many false positives from AVG got the frustration meter too high.

Having had another look at the 1and1 set-up, I'm sure I won't need the Internet Security offered, anyway, as I have the mail fetched by Thunderbird and that is scanned automatically by Avast.

Don't know if I'll need it for my websapce, but I'll cross that bridge when I switch from my current adsl24 website host.

Chars
JD

[Ted]

Only if it involves food! 

  JD.

It might just be me? but i've noticed that the "food" related posts have diminished over the last few days, can't imagine why   

[Tacitus]

Are there any other issues to consider with a service like 1and1? (sorry - not meaning to hijack the thread, but as it

I'm late to this and not a  1 & 1 user - I use Clook, but assuming they like many/most other hosting cos use shared servers, the only problem I can see is that someone allows their domain to get hijacked and it takes the server and everyone else down with it.

This has happened to me, where someone on the same server was running a WordPress blog and failed to perform regular updates.  As a result they fell foul of the huge bug that was recently found and were duly hijacked, allowing someone to do DDOS attacks against the whole server, which included many other entirely innocent domains.  

It took some sorting out, but thanks to a good support desk at Clook and some excellent help from iDNet - try asking support in Bangalore to flush the DNS cache - it got sorted with no mail lost.

Of course it may never happen to you, but it is one of the downsides of using shared servers - others may not be as alert to security matters as you are yourself and, as a result, you get caught up in someone else's problem.

[Simon]

It might just be me? but i've noticed that the "food" related posts have diminished over the last few days, can't imagine why