The Interweb
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<p>That's shite speeds JC, must be frustrating.</p>
<p>Now I don't really want to defend Spark but there are a few things you need to take into consideration.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Firstly the package you will have signed up to will have stated that it was 'Best Efforts' and that the experience will differ for different customers depending on a lot of factors. So you can't really complain that they aren't providing what you agreed to. You will get the same result from whatever ISP you are with, but first thing you should do is make sure you change plan and stop handing them money for nothing.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Your problem is your distance to a node. Normally this is because you may be on the outskirts of a town or the town has expanded but not quite enough to warrant another cabinet or exchange. Sometimes it's just bad luck. A cabinet has a certain radius (around 2k) where ADSL2+ will work. If you are even closer then you can go VDSL. The price for a wholesale connection is set by the Commerce Commission and doesn't take into account speed of connection. (well it does but it is written as old dial up speeds which you certainly wouldn't want to enforce). Anything above this is 'free' improvements invested in and rolled out by Chorus. They get no extra money for improving their service, which is really stupid.</p>
<p>So while Chorus have put in Fibre to cabinets improving speeds massively to around 80% of connections, there are some where it simply doesn't make any sense to, especially in areas that the govt has put on the fibre to the home plan. For example, I get good VDSL but aren't on the Fibre plans yet so that will have to make do. At some time soon you will overtake me, but until then are stuck on crap.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It would be great if b/band at high speed was considered a right but it is a utility and no different to something like water. If you buy a property beyond the council's water mains then you have to sort yourself out.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>I agree with you that it is shit that you have to pay the same amount for a crap connection as someone on ADSL2+ but it is the govt (through the Commerce Commission) that forces that situation, not the infrastructure company or the ISP.</p> -
<p><img src="http://www.speedtest.net/result/3995249502.png" alt="3995249502.png"></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lost about 25Mb from last week, and upload has gone up. But at least it's working (I didn't want to miss out on the pretty picture phase of the thread).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Great info on this topic, as usual. Thanks Crucial, very interesting reading.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Kirwan" data-cid="465849" data-time="1418933769">
<div>
<p><img src="http://www.speedtest.net/result/3995249502.png" alt="3995249502.png"></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Lost about 25Mb from last week, and upload has gone up. But at least it's working (I didn't want to miss out on the pretty picture phase of the thread).</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Great info on this topic, as usual. Thanks Crucial, very interesting reading.</p>
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<p> </p>
<p>I would have expected to see higher than that Kirwan. I gather Orcon fixed you up after your Geekzone post? Did you see this post in the same forum ( <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=82&topicid=159721'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=82&topicid=159721</a> ) . Seems to be issues around the time of your install. </p> -
<p>Yeah, I saw that. It wasn't related to my issues. I'm usually up around 88-93Mb-ish. This is my last day of work before going on holiday, so if it's still like that when I get back I'll go down that support rabbit hole again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Their support is 1 million times better than Vodafone's though. Had to call them twice about the last house, and was on hold for 90mins and 80mins. I even complained on Faceboook (had nothing else to do...)</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Kirwan" data-cid="465860" data-time="1418936595">
<div>
<p>Oh, and I did get help from geekzone, but he didn't (as far as I know) pull any strings. He confirmed that the helpdesk had followed all the right diagnostic/resolution steps.</p>
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</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>Geekzone is a fairly well respected forum in the industry though. Very knowledgeable folk and well moderated. You will probably have noticed that many of the techies that post there are happy to be open (with employer consent) about where they work and will often try and directly help.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=135&topicid=136800'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=135&topicid=136800</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nick, this is probably a good thread for you to read Starts with a clear explanation from Chorus on speeds attained etc. As far as I know, the shear capacity from the Cabinets minimises the effect you are talking about. Fibre doesn't have the same distance issues as copper. Light continues at the speed of light etc. Aggregation issues with copper are more to do with the amount a cabinet can process from light to electric. If the network is all copper then the problems are simply signal strength.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There will be aggregation slowdowns at fibre cabs I guess but with no conversion necessary you are simply talking about how much light a mirror can handle.</p> -
<p>and a good explanation of how GPON works (Passive Optical Network). Use the tabs on the page for the full story</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www3.alcatel-lucent.com/technology/gpon/#tabAnchor3'>http://www3.alcatel-lucent.com/technology/gpon/#tabAnchor3</a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="465865" data-time="1418940304">
<div>
<p>Geekzone is a fairly well respected forum in the industry though. Very knowledgeable folk and well moderated. You will probably have noticed that many of the techies that post there are happy to be open (with employer consent) about where they work and will often try and directly help.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=135&topicid=136800'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=135&topicid=136800</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nick, this is probably a good thread for you to read Starts with a clear explanation from Chorus on speeds attained etc. As far as I know, the shear capacity from the Cabinets minimises the effect you are talking about. Fibre doesn't have the same distance issues as copper. Light continues at the speed of light etc. Aggregation issues with copper are more to do with the amount a cabinet can process from light to electric. If the network is all copper then the problems are simply signal strength.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There will be aggregation slowdowns at fibre cabs I guess but with no conversion necessary you are simply talking about how much light a mirror can handle.</p>
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</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>Yep, it's an incredibly useful resource. The guy that replied to me was an Orcon employee, which is great as the helpdesk is offshore, and as nice as they are having local help has benefits.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Fixed an issue getting onto my VPN for work from past threads on there, an issue I'd never have solved on my own.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="465865" data-time="1418940304">
<div>
<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=135&topicid=136800'>http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=135&topicid=136800</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nick, this is probably a good thread for you to read Starts with a clear explanation from Chorus on speeds attained etc. As far as I know, the shear capacity from the Cabinets minimises the effect you are talking about. Fibre doesn't have the same distance issues as copper. Light continues at the speed of light etc. Aggregation issues with copper are more to do with the amount a cabinet can process from light to electric. If the network is all copper then the problems are simply signal strength.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There will be aggregation slowdowns at fibre cabs I guess but with no conversion necessary you are simply talking about how much light a mirror can handle.</p>
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</blockquote>
<p> </p>
<p>Figures.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Here with the new estates that are getting hooked up on fibre, they actually have bans on roof-mounted TV aerials because everything is delivered through glass - phone, TV, fax, internet of course.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Even though we're talking light, there are still hardware junctions along the way that need to process it, and they still have to route and manage requests through even if it is as really high speeds. Its not a single strand of glass connecting me all the way to my ISP after all.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="465883" data-time="1418950723"><p>Figures.<br><br>
Here with the new estates that are getting hooked up on fibre, they actually have bans on roof-mounted TV aerials because everything is delivered through glass - phone, TV, fax, internet of course.<br><br>
Even though we're talking light, there are still hardware junctions along the way that need to process it, and they still have to route and manage requests through even if it is as really high speeds. Its not a single strand of glass connecting me all the way to my ISP after all.</p></blockquote>
That geekzone link explains the expected losses from the theoretical speed. <br>
I find it really funny though that you are concerned about possible losses of a magnitude that pales into insignificance when compared to your current service -
<p>How about this then. Broadband, apparently:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a class="bbc_url" href="http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/4002406137"><img src="http://www.speedtest.net/result/4002406137.png" alt="4002406137.png"></a></p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Crucial" data-cid="466011" data-time="1419102327">
<div>
<p>That geekzone link explains the expected losses from the theoretical speed.<br>
I find it really funny though that you are concerned about possible losses of a magnitude that pales into insignificance when compared to your current service</p>
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<p> </p>
<p>I'm a dreamer.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="JC" data-cid="466098" data-time="1419203133">
<div>
<p>How about this then. Broadband, apparently:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a class="bbc_url" href="http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/4002406137"><img src="http://www.speedtest.net/result/4002406137.png" alt="4002406137.png"></a></p>
</div>
</blockquote>
<p>Whereabouts are you JC? Somewhere up the Napier-Taupo road? That's crazy slow.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="JC" data-cid="466098" data-time="1419203133">
<div>
<p>How about this then. Broadband, apparently:</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a class="bbc_url" href="http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/4002406137"><img src="http://www.speedtest.net/result/4002406137.png" alt="4002406137.png"></a></p>
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<p> </p>
<p>That's unreasonable. It should rate worse than F surely?</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Nepia" data-cid="466154" data-time="1419235918">
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<p>Whereabouts are you JC? Somewhere up the Napier-Taupo road? That's crazy slow.</p>
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</blockquote>
<p>No, Taradale! It's not exactly the sticks is it?</p> -
<p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/riAEHlU.png" alt="riAEHlU.png"></p>
<p> </p>
<p>In theory I have a gigabit connection, but it's limited by the building's interal 100mbit network.</p> -
<p>Oh you poor thing...</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img src="http://www.reactiongifs.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/finger.gif" alt="finger.gif"></p> -
<p>You'd think so wouldn't you? But nope. Guppy Road.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='https://www.google.co.nz/maps/@-39.5364687,176.8590208,3a,75y,105.75h,74.07t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1srE4lBBnLWxu4b-kFeG4frA!2e0!6m1!1e1'>https://www.google.co.nz/maps/@-39.5364687,176.8590208,3a,75y,105.75h,74.07t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1srE4lBBnLWxu4b-kFeG4frA!2e0!6m1!1e1</a></p>
<p> </p>
<p>I guess the internet connection is the same one the house had when it was built 100 years ago. The modem is made of cast iron and lead, and it only works properly once the steam builds up to a decent working pressure.</p>