Spark 4G Wireless Broadband Download Speed Choked.

Forums › Spark New Zealand (including Skinny and BigPipe) › Spark 4G Wireless Broadband Download Speed Choked.

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Rizzrack

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#3189756 2-Feb-2024 22:19

@DS248

Hey, thanks for your reply, I did see your post when I did my research but thought surely not here as well. To be honest the level of detail you are able to explain it in your post goes over my head 😅.

And I agree, what you are showing with your test looks identical to mine.

The way my speed goes when I establish a speed test connection or start a download, is sometimes there is a initial burst of speed for a couple of sections, then the connection seems to stagger or cut and the speed slowly drops to the 1-3Mbps realm.

once the connection speed drops it tends to stay that way unless rarely it might pick up for a second or two then stagger back.

Is that the same as what you are experincing?

Thanks for your info, hope we can get this sorted. Looking at my neighbours no wonders why everyone is hook on starlink despite being next to the tower 😢

Cheers.

DS248

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#3189909 3-Feb-2024 14:25

Rizzrack:

...

The way my speed goes when I establish a speed test connection or start a download, is sometimes there is a initial burst of speed for a couple of sections, then the connection seems to stagger or cut and the speed slowly drops to the 1-3Mbps realm.

once the connection speed drops it tends to stay that way unless rarely it might pick up for a second or two then stagger back.

Is that the same as what you are experincing?

...

@Rizzrack

Sounds more like what we were experiencing for the first year when we had very frequent dropouts. You can see those in some of the network traffic plots beneath the speedtest results I posted in the other thread; eg. a burst of activity (not necessarily at a high rate), then network traffic falls to zero, sometimes recovering before the end of the download test.

Since mid-Dec when they disabled the faulty antenna segment, we get *much* fewer complete dropouts. Still some but now very rare to observe one during the ~15 seconds it takes to do the download speed test. Whereas previously the dropouts were so frequent it was common to observe them during the 15 secs of a download speed test (highlighting just how frequent the dropouts were).

What we now see is just low DL speeds - still variable but as above very rare to see a complete dropout. But also now rare to see a peak DL rate above about 50 Mbps at any stage during the test. Reason for this is that our signal now comes from the main antenna sector which is not designed to cover our area (or something along those lines - I don't know the full technical details either); ie. as I understand it we are now picking up the fringes of the main signal, hence our much lower peak DL rate. But at least it is more stable, or rather only rarely get complete dropouts.

If you are getting peak speeds in the 70 - 80+ Mbps realm, then the connection seems to stagger then it sounds like our initial situation with multiple complete dropouts. As a non-educated guess sounds like a faulty antenna segment ...?

Incidentally, approximately where are you located? We are just outside the northern boundary of the Auckland urban area.

I recommend you get NetGraph, which is what I used to produce the network throughput plots. That gives you a record of the instantaneous internet speeds throughout the duration of the download (& upload) tests. NetGraph is free, with no ads and very simple to use. No installation required. Just run the exe and keep it running while doing your speed tests. That will give you a much clearer picture of what is occurring during the tests. That is, rather than just the single number you get from from the DL speed test, it will show how the DL rate varied over the time of the test.

That way you will quickly be able to see if you are getting complete dropouts during the speed tests. Will give you a clearer picture of the problem you are experiencing.

For convenience, I size the NetGraph and SpeedTest screens to match up so I can easily capture images of the results. Once setup, the NetGraph screen will retain its shape and size so you only need to set those once. It will restart with the same shape and size each time you start the program.

Below is an image of the NetGraph screen partway through a DL test. The plot scrolls from L > R. The DL rate shown at the left of the image is the current instantaneous rate. The right shows the rate at the start of the test. I normally wait until the end of the UL test before capturing the image.

Rizzrack

11 posts

Geek

#3190241 4-Feb-2024 11:19

@Rizzrack

Sounds more like what we were experiencing for the first year when we had very frequent dropouts. You can see those in some of the network traffic plots beneath the speedtest results I posted in the other thread; eg. a burst of activity (not necessarily at a high rate), then network traffic falls to zero, sometimes recovering before the end of the download test.

Since mid-Dec when they disabled the faulty antenna segment, we get *much* fewer complete dropouts. Still some but now very rare to observe one during the ~15 seconds it takes to do the download speed test. Whereas previously the dropouts were so frequent it was common to observe them during the 15 secs of a download speed test (highlighting just how frequent the dropouts were).

What we now see is just low DL speeds - still variable but as above very rare to see a complete dropout. But also now rare to see a peak DL rate above about 50 Mbps at any stage during the test. Reason for this is that our signal now comes from the main antenna sector which is not designed to cover our area (or something along those lines - I don't know the full technical details either); ie. as I understand it we are now picking up the fringes of the main signal, hence our much lower peak DL rate. But at least it is more stable, or rather only rarely get complete dropouts.

If you are getting peak speeds in the 70 - 80+ Mbps realm, then the connection seems to stagger then it sounds like our initial situation with multiple complete dropouts. As a non-educated guess sounds like a faulty antenna segment ...?

Incidentally, approximately where are you located? We are just outside the northern boundary of the Auckland urban area.

I recommend you get NetGraph, which is what I used to produce the network throughput plots. That gives you a record of the instantaneous internet speeds throughout the duration of the download (& upload) tests. NetGraph is free, with no ads and very simple to use. No installation required. Just run the exe and keep it running while doing your speed tests. That will give you a much clearer picture of what is occurring during the tests. That is, rather than just the single number you get from from the DL speed test, it will show how the DL rate varied over the time of the test.

That way you will quickly be able to see if you are getting complete dropouts during the speed tests. Will give you a clearer picture of the problem you are experiencing.

For convenience, I size the NetGraph and SpeedTest screens to match up so I can easily capture images of the results. Once setup, the NetGraph screen will retain its shape and size so you only need to set those once. It will restart with the same shape and size each time you start the program.

Below is an image of the NetGraph screen partway through a DL test. The plot scrolls from L > R. The DL rate shown at the left of the image is the current instantaneous rate. The right shows the rate at the start of the test. I normally wait until the end of the UL test before capturing the image.

Thanks for that, im in the Redhill-Taupaki area, I do seem to get good times where a speedtest would show me with good connection speed but that is very rate. Will look into the software.

I'll keep you updated if there are any progress here.

Rizzrack

11 posts

Geek

#3192824 9-Feb-2024 10:37

@DS248

Hey mate, quick question and an update from my end...

How were you able to escalate enough in spark to get it looked at properly?

Still got the staggerd 1-3Mbps download..

I called Spark frontline last weekend to open a ticket, and followed through their script of trouble shooting steps to with no luck.

I was told to get my modem replaced which I did on Sunday but didnt solve any of the issues so I called them back on Monday. (Also had to call back because they didnt switch the sim information around).

During the follow up call on Monday, I again went through all of the same trouble shooting steps (off and on, factory reset, speedtest, spark app test), and was told that my case will be escalated to tier 2 and I would get a call back with an update on Wednesday.

Come today I have not received a call so I called them back, they suddenly have "no records" of my past calls and cases apart from my call to them about swapping the SIM ID around after my replacement.

I explained my situation up until now and as well can you open another escalated ticket to get it looked at. The rep i spoke to today went off script and accused me of lying that ive called before so I can try get an escalated ticket??

Then told me because there is no record, I have to do all of their trouble shooting again before she can do anything for me.

I've requested her line manager but will get another "call back" in 24h.

I've got work and dont have an hour to go through the same steps everyday sadly. @gajan has been very helpful but I understand his capacity to act here is limited.

Faults happen but the hoops and steps I need to go through with the normal support channels is a bit ridiculous.

DS248

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#3192840 9-Feb-2024 11:48

@Rizzrack

All that is exactly the same process we went through. New modem (zero difference), hopeless calls with front line staff, multiple failed attempts to get problem escalated, several times having to go back to step 1 in follow up calls ... Plus at times very long time to get through. Shockingly poor service trying to work through front line staff ... Of course it all failed because (at least in our case) it was a cell tower hardware fault. All documented in my other thread that you said you read.

I recommend you do the documentation I suggested.

You need to establish if your problem is due simply to low but continuous download speeds (our current 'work around' situation) or to complete drop outs of the download signal. If the latter, it could well be a cell tower issue that requires a tech on site to check out.

You need something like NetGraph to record your network throughput to establish if you are having complete drop outs. I found NetGraph very easy to use for that. Suggest you use a fully wired connection for the tests though to avoid any WiFi related questions.

It you are having complete drop outs, it would also probably help if you obtain the SamKnows equipment (Google search). That can be quite powerful when dealing with Spark as SamKnows is linked in with the Commerce Commission. The Spark techs are familiar with it. See my other tread.

I won't detail exactly how I went about getting my case escalated as it is not ideal nor should be necessary. But I allude to it in my other thread. Would have hoped @gajan could get the issue escalated for you.

But note that I had done a lot of documentation of the issue before attempting my non-standard escalation.

BarTender

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#3193119 10-Feb-2024 10:13

So I wonder if this is related to an issue I had with my MIL with her Wireless Broadband setup. She is urban living in a retirement village and didn't need UFB as she only needs a phone line and hardly uses over 40GB a month so the $45 VoIP WBB plan is perfect for her. When she got it with the Smart Modem she was having frequent dropouts on her VoIP line as I think she was on a marginal cell area between two different sites.

As an ex-Spark staffer who helped build the WBB stack I may have had an old Huawei B315 router. When I swapped out the Smart Model with the B315 her experience has been rock solid ever since.

I was going to investigate the underlying issue with the CPE guy I know who is still at Spark but ran out of time / had other things come up preventing me spending more time on it.

What might be worth doing is if you are using a Smart Modem try getting an old Spark model B315 like these:

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/computers/networking-modems/wireless-networking/routers/listing/4552173436

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/marketplace/computers/networking-modems/modems/listing/4551935309

Importantly it should / must be a Spark model not a Skinny one as the firmware build is different. You can quickly tell the difference by the SSID on the wireless will start with SPARK-.. vs SKINNY-...

"If it were me" I would buy the above B315s off trademe to try out, see if the experience is any different.

The only known issue I had with the B315's are:

The 32 device limit where it fails to issue a new IP for the 33rd device. A reboot fixes this
The wireless coverage from the box is rubbish so I recommend getting an external AP and just turning off the built in AP. Anything more than 20 devices it just falls over.

But my MIL has had no problems with her VoIP line over WBB with the B315 for almost 18 months now, and she is on the phone all the time so I would quickly know if things were going wrong.

gajan

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#3193193 10-Feb-2024 12:44

FYI - I am working with the OP on this issue - appreciate the comments from others, but these are not related issues here, and is not the same as a previously related issue reported by @DS248

My comments and remarks are not necessarily of my employer.

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Rizzrack

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#3199032 23-Feb-2024 12:09

Since last night, I can report that my issue has been fixed. @gajan has been working with me helping find a fix over the past couple of weeks.

I was up notified that teams were sent out to the tower and some changes/fixes were made there.

As of now, I now can keep a stable connected and maintain solid connection speed.

Thank you so much for your help on this. Much appreciated.

If I'm running a sustained download connection, speed is usually around 130-140Mbps, short downloads I am consistantly getting over 200 off peak.

boosacnoodle

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#3199157 23-Feb-2024 14:17

Amazing, do we know what to look out for (in case others see this issue in future) and what the fix was?

hio77

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#3199179 23-Feb-2024 15:40

Rizzrack:

I did go through the list on broadbandmap a while ago and it seems wireless providers I contacted seem to all be running through the local 4G network anyway (maybe different carrier/cell tower though) so i think there is no real advantage there (and almost 4 times the cost of the spark wbb plan with their tower being 500m LoS).

There was an awesome local WISP guy I think his name was James who sets up a network that mainly services Bethells Beach, we did want to go with him but turns out we are slightly out of his coverage area.

Yeah based on your location, would be just a bit outside of his coverage area.

James has a solid network, When he was first getting started managed to get a relay and new site or two deployed to service my parents - tower now serves a bit more than that :)

He's network is an interesting one, as with the terrain it's rather hard to have large counts of customers on a sector for efficiency and backhaul capacity.

Family still does a good job at hitting the numbers, but i'd say it pushes a tad less now.

Been awhile since i've caught up with James, good to see he's still growing.

Chorus recently announced further DSLAM and some gpon rural deployments, along with the RCG tower going down at the beach he's certainly got pressure to keep things running top-notch.

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Rizzrack

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#3200357 26-Feb-2024 23:16

boosacnoodle:

Amazing, do we know what to look out for (in case others see this issue in future) and what the fix was?

Well the issue I had was described in the previous posts. I have been going back and forth but mostly it was the people on the spark end (not frontline) doing their things. I was notified that a technical team went out to my local tower and replaced a node? Any more than that you'll have to ask the experts. 😀

hio77:

Yeah based on your location, would be just a bit outside of his coverage area.

James has a solid network, When he was first getting started managed to get a relay and new site or two deployed to service my parents - tower now serves a bit more than that :)

He's network is an interesting one, as with the terrain it's rather hard to have large counts of customers on a sector for efficiency and backhaul capacity.

Family still does a good job at hitting the numbers, but i'd say it pushes a tad less now.

Been awhile since i've caught up with James, good to see he's still growing.

Chorus recently announced further DSLAM and some gpon rural deployments, along with the RCG tower going down at the beach he's certainly got pressure to keep things running top-notch.

I got in touch with James a few days ago while my issue was still persisting (I was getting desperate). He is currently upgrading his network and would look at expanding his coverage after that. Seems to be quite busy so sounds like its hopefully going well for him.

Definitely not easy getting coverage for everyone in the northern parts of the Waitaks.

But I see also that Chorus has also announed fibre coverage extension for Waitakere Township.

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