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pk1209
05-11-2006, 15:18
Hi, I'm on 10mb and getting pathetic speeds from usenetserver. All day today it's hanging around 300kbps. I'm in south manchester and it's been awful for ages. All speeds test come out at 10mb fine. Is this just my traffic being shaped or are people having issues with the speed of usenetserver?

Munkee
05-11-2006, 19:02
same problem as yourself . But mostly 200kbps

Happens Alot to me during Weekends and weekday evening So I'm Guessing its purely down to traffic shaping

pk1209
05-11-2006, 19:50
do i get traffic shaped on 4mb?

Just been reading another thread, which lead me here:
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=26006

My Downstream Receive Power is -8.1, and my upstream is 61.0

I'm on the Ambit ETH/USB Combo Cable Modem

Are these numbers telling me my modem is borked?

homealone
05-11-2006, 20:09
do i get traffic shaped on 4mb?

Just been reading another thread, which lead me here:
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=26006

My Downstream Receive Power is -8.1, and my upstream is 61.0

I'm on the Ambit ETH/USB Combo Cable Modem

Are these numbers telling me my modem is borked?

you are on the absolute limit of the range for both readings, so it doesn't look good. It is usually the installation, not the modem, at fault when power levels are not optimal and a technician will probably have to tinker with the street box - to arrange that you have to ring them :)

pk1209
05-11-2006, 20:15
Well.. the guys who installed the thing did strike me as a couple of cowboys, the a) ripped the mac address sticker off my modem, which i gather you're not meant to do, and b) when they connected my phone they gave me the number of someone else living on my street.

So what do I do? Call NTL and just say, by modem Downstream Recieve and upstream numbers are poor?

homealone
05-11-2006, 20:39
Well.. the guys who installed the thing did strike me as a couple of cowboys, the a) ripped the mac address sticker off my modem, which i gather you're not meant to do, and b) when they connected my phone they gave me the number of someone else living on my street.

So what do I do? Call NTL and just say, by modem Downstream Receive and upstream numbers are poor?

this will sound bad, and I won't mind anyone disagreeing with my opinion, but, initially, I would 'play dumb' & just report slow speeds and not mention UseNet or signal levels - i.e. let the person on the phone do the diagnosis and don't try to 'lead' them, too much.

It may involve some seemingly fruitless tests, but I believe doing it this way has a better chance of having a problem escalated to the right place, when that is necessary.

- however, imo, don't accept you have to do a fresh install of Windows to sort any problems - if this happens, politely close the call & ring again later, when you may get better advice :)

pk1209
05-11-2006, 22:02
OK.. sounds like a fair plan.. If they ask me to re-install windows, I'll say: "well wouldn't you know it.. it was the last thing I did before picking up the phone to call you!"

Bill C
06-11-2006, 06:49
OK.. sounds like a fair plan.. If they ask me to re-install windows, I'll say: "well wouldn't you know it.. it was the last thing I did before picking up the phone to call you!"

:tu:

Thats what i said the last time i had to phone Tech Support.

mcmanic
06-11-2006, 09:46
just lately i found using usenetserver to be half my 4 meg speed from a round 5.00pm till midnight, but during the day the full speed, like right now. I'm sure its NTL and this traffic shaping, although it don't bother me as i just download what i want during the day now instead when everyone is at work

bigrich1976
06-11-2006, 11:03
HI all,

Not on usenetserver, However i KNOW NTL are traffic shaping me. are you guys using port 119 to connect to your newsgroup server? if so try changing it.....if i connect to astraweb on 119(standard NNTP port) i get a max of 300kbps, however changed it to a different port and it goes straight upto 1200kbps which is what expected of my 10mb connection.

See what alt ports you can use with usenetserver and try that, worked for me and i had exactly the same symptons as everyone else.;)

Munkee
06-11-2006, 16:58
Im using port 3128 and right now I'm down at 200k again . resorting to getting up early and getting my tv shows as it only takes 10 minutes . Yet if I do it when I get home , Its taking me over an hour

Don't even see the point in paying for the newsgroup at this rate, Sometimes I Think I would Rather just leave my comp on over night with some torrents :/

mcmanic
06-11-2006, 17:18
oh well its gone 5.00 and now with usenetserver its gone 150KB/s instead of near 450.

RXP
07-11-2006, 08:48
Yes it is traffic shaping. check out this thread (http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=33603169) for some glimpses of info.

Lee
07-11-2006, 13:21
As posted on the other thread I dont think it is traffic shaping. Try upping the number of connections and see if that helps.

pk1209
07-11-2006, 18:23
Yeah.. it's shaping, I removed the cable splitter (for stb and modem) and plugges directly into modem and my downstream receive level was -3.0 which is fine, but still going about 300kbps.

I've tried changing port, from 119, 23, 25 3128, and 8000, every one is shaped!!

Really, really frustrating.

PC_Arcade
07-11-2006, 18:44
Just been told the following by UNS :

Johnr: I believe that your isp, NTL, has been having serious network issues lately. We have had a number of speed complaints from NTL customers over the last week, and literally none from any other ISP. I have checked with another news service provider (newshosting) and they are also seeing speed complaints from ntl customers. Our engineering staff took a look at several ip blocks in NTL's network, and it appears that NTL is moving high traffic customers to a certain ip block within their network. This has the effect of severely limiting bandwith for those customers. I would recommend contacting NTL about this issue.

DESPITE the fact that I've just spent 45 minutes on the phone being lied to by NTL saying they do not shape or restrict newsgroup traffic.

pk1209
07-11-2006, 18:47
Oh well, that certainly sheds some light on it. So do those moved into this high traffic ip block have a chance to get out of it?

PC_Arcade
07-11-2006, 18:56
It's worth using test.usenetserver.com as well as the usual server to add another 10 threads, you still wont get full speed, but you'll be a damn sight closer ;)

As to whether we get out of the IP range NTL have decided to put us in, god knows, getting the truth out of NTL is a nightmare, I VERY much doubt they'll even admit we're in a "punishment" IP range, or even that such a thing exists.

It was quite funny listening to the guy @ NTL tell me "If you access newsgroups via ftp then you're dependant on their speed, so if usenetserver only have 1mb upload that's all you'll get as a download" roflmao - that gave me some indication of the technical level of some of their CS reps :lol:

pk1209
07-11-2006, 19:38
good tip on using both the test and live! your move NTL!

RXP
07-11-2006, 19:48
Just been told the following by UNS :



DESPITE the fact that I've just spent 45 minutes on the phone being lied to by NTL saying they do not shape or restrict newsgroup traffic.


EXACTLY.

Corresponds to what Newshosting have been saying. http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showthread.php?t=33603169

PC_Arcade
07-11-2006, 20:07
It's worth noting that NTL's own (utterly ****) usenet servers is uncapped (or at least seems to be in my experience)

In fact it looks like they've been MUCH more clever this time as traffic within the NTL network seems unaffected, but everything from outside is slowed down. Which is clever in the short term at least as it means NTL can shift the blame onto other providers (They told me earlier the problem lay with Telia).

mcmanic
07-11-2006, 22:52
my UNS has stopped altogether within the last hour

PC_Arcade
07-11-2006, 23:01
I finished the download I had started, but it was VERY slow going, it took me ~5 hours to download as opposed to ~1hour :(

Munkee
12-11-2006, 22:56
good tip on using both the test and live! your move NTL!

Sorry to ask you but was wondering Can you run both connections simultaneously in one Newsreader or do I need to open 2 seperate Apps .
I'm Using newsleecher 3.7 but when I Connect to both news. works fine but test. Is classed as connect on demand

pk1209
12-11-2006, 23:03
I'm using latest newsleecher beta, and i'm running both servers in one app, with all 20 connections running.

Munkee
12-11-2006, 23:22
figured it out , Had new's priority set to 2nd . When set to 1st they both Seem to work :)