VF Cable/Fixed BB slow peformance - especially downloads from UK

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Stix

81 posts

Master Geek

#142584 18-Mar-2014 08:26

Hi - while I am posting re VF fixed broadband issues, I have noticed an ongoing degrading of downloads speed on the VF fixed broadband service here in Christchurch. I have been a long time user of the former TCL HFC cable in-home service that used to work particularly well. Since purchase sppeds on the HFC have gone South. and example is downloads from London server have consistently sit at 230-240 kb/ sec, or slower via the TCL DNS.These were often up to 600Kb/sec in TCL days at off peak UK times!
My guess is throttling or shaping at VF gateway and or over subscription on international links, more customers VF ex IHUg and TCL share same pipe? General surfing to NZ sites web is also often slow and Skype runs like a pig at times too.

The overall value of my naked cable service is becoming much less attractive with VF these days, pay $65 for 40GB when the current VF 12 month offer is $85 for phone/perks, VDSL BB and 80GB of data. Overall performance, mediocre VF customer service and getting really poor value in data allowance on HFC is making a switch of ISP more likely. Not much reason to stay on VF HFC now, Snap VDSL or Fibre looks much bettter these days?!

Do any other in-home HFC users think the same way?

MikeHales

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#1007838 18-Mar-2014 08:29

Hiya

If you would like to report the issues to us by email or post them in the Vodafone Community (if you don't want to call), we'd much rather solve a connection speed issue than lose you!

Cheers

m

freitasm

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#1007844 18-Mar-2014 08:43

Are you connected via WiFi to your router?

What router is it?

Stix

81 posts

Master Geek

#1007846 18-Mar-2014 08:45

Thanks for your response.

I'll wait for feedback before I call in, I have been through my issues with VF techs in past and are invariably not at my end. VPN bi-pas of your DNS to access net via Sydney, can often help which points to NZ servers and network as well.as this

My other comment re VF Naked HFC in-home package value could go to your marketing team if you like, as unattractive data allowances etc are not a network issue.

Regards

MikeHales

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#1007847 18-Mar-2014 08:46

OK, thanks for the feedback.

Stix

81 posts

Master Geek

#1007861 18-Mar-2014 08:56

I connect via ethernet and also over WIFI - use 2 routers primary one is a TP Link Model No. TL-WR1043N (Wireless 300 and Gigabit) as well as a D-link.

Speed issues occur in all configurations access methods.

My speed test speeds and ping are always good, I think it is just a generic level of poor decreasing performance on VF or over-subscription, international 3rd party transit links/services used by VF, peering etc (internet engineering).

I haved friends switch out of VF to Snap and they are pleased with the outcomes.

freitasm

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#1007879 18-Mar-2014 09:22

Interesting, because I use VF cable and see no problems lately - these are apparent during proxy outages but more like completely unable to access some international links rather than slowness.

andar

67 posts

Master Geek

#1007898 18-Mar-2014 09:52

I have suspicions of similar issues and I am on the cable in Christchurch.

Over the last couple of of months I have noticed regular slowness on some evenings while trying to watch netflix, amazon or similar. This usually shows up as either my vpn dropping its connection or the video streaming repeatedly stopping and buffering.

When I start debugging I usually start by browsing NZ sites (not over the vpn) and if ok look at some overseas sites. Often the NZ sites are ok but overseas ones are not reachable or very slow, but there have been times where NZ sites are also slow.

Sometimes it will come right after a while, other times I give up and next morning everything is working well again. As for the proxy outages...I have had enough of them.

At this point I would gladly change to another service but I require a desent upstream speed for work. My only other option is adsl (too far from cabinet for vdsl) and that simply won't cut it.

So, as Jim Carey stated:

"So what I'm gonna do is piss and moan like an impotent jerk and then bend over and take it up the tailpipe."

Sharesies

Trade NZ and US shares and funds with Sharesies (affiliate link).

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#1007905 18-Mar-2014 10:01

I'm on VF cable 50/2Mbps in Wellington, and use bolehVPN (mostly London and US West coast proxies).
I currently have had none of the issues that you describe, and usually get the full advertised bandwidth on or off VPN.
Is this a local ChCh issue?

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shrub

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#1007922 18-Mar-2014 10:23

I got a sbox in Germany and im getting 150kb/s max drops to 50kb/s at times right now last week it was 600kb/s so yea i believe there is a routing issue to Europe. USA and AUS is maxing my line speed 5.2mb/s.

Edit: is it normal for UK traffic to go via AUS-HK-UK? i thought it all went AUS-US-UK

Stix

81 posts

Master Geek

#1008314 18-Mar-2014 18:53

Hi All - Thanks for the replies. As suspected I think we are experiencing international network issues to Europe especially. Andar like you I also now have this frustrating issue where my Witopia UK VPN tunnel/sessions are being disconnected especially at peak times, worse over last month or so. This is particularly annoying as the video continues to download but corrupts, so bang goes 600Kb to 1 Gig of my data plan in one hit. I now avoid downloading at peak times.

My take on this is:
Chch seems to be bad with latency and slow speeds, but International traffic should be impacted for all users routing via the Auckland VF gateway? I assume that these issues have become more prominent as more people download or stream Netflix, Hulu and BBC video etc and the pipes are not upgraded to match the traffic. Maybe VF are class of service routing limiting video now? Also VF's use of varying quality international B-Width aggegrators/carriers from hubs in US and Europe will no doubt impact as well. In TCL days Telstra's Reach int'l network was an overall better performer to major routes methinks. Connecting via Australian server proves this point.

I am hoping that a switch Snap may fix this for a while anyway, but we all suffer from being a long way from USA and Europe here in NZ linked via one route on Southern Cross.... Finger crossed anyway.
Cheers

Stix

81 posts

Master Geek

#1008316 18-Mar-2014 18:59

Shrub - re routes in my experience UK and Europe IP traffic from NZ usually transits up Southern Cross to Hawaii and on to LA then across USA to East Coast/NYC and then over to UK. Europe routing via London or similiar in UK. Accordingly Traffic would not normally go across to Oz on Tasman 2 and then to Europe.
Trace route will normally confirm the hops...
Regards