Orcon user, inquiry about my results from M-Lab (NDT) and speedtest.net

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Orcon user, inquiry about my results from M-Lab (NDT) and speedtest.net

GlowyHoein

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#94610 14-Dec-2011 23:52

Hi all, been using Orcon for a long time out of Auckland in the Epsom suburb. After reading that Orcon is supposedly the fastest ISP in NZ with an average of about 5Mb/s, I was thoroughly surprised that my maximum download speed only reached 1.58Mb/s.

I'm wondering if speeds of 1Mb/s is normal among orcon users if the average is supposedly 5Mb/s.

If Orcon's internet speed should not be this slow, if you could help guide me to run the appropriate tests and nail down the problem I would be very grateful. Thanks in advance :)

Results from NDT
The theoretical network limit is 0.59 Mbps
The NDT server has a 85.0 KByte buffer which limits the throughput to 3.12 Mbps
Your PC/Workstation has a 151.0 KByte buffer which limits the throughput to 2.75 Mbps
The network based flow control limits the throughput to 1.21 Mbps

Client Data reports link is 'T1',
Client Acks report link is 'T1'
Server Data reports link is 'OC-12',
Server Acks report link is 'T1'

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#558109 14-Dec-2011 23:55

Can you post the line stats from your modem?

Have you done an isolation test?

John

GlowyHoein

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#558111 15-Dec-2011 00:09

Thanks for the quick reply, here is what I believe to be a line test.

--- System Information ---
Vendor: Linksys
ModelName: WAG160Nv2
Firmware Version: A2.00.20 , 2010-06-30T21:05:56
GUI Version: A2.00.20_007
Boot Version: 1.0.37-5.4
Hardware Version: 0.01

--- DSL Information ---
DSL Driver Version: AnnexA version - A2pB023k.d21d
DSL VPI/VCI:         0/100
DSL Status:          Showtime
DSL Mode:            ADSL2+
DSL Channel:
DSL Upstream Rate:   1020 Kbps
DSL Downstream Rate: 1867 Kbps

                      Down         up
DSL Noise Margin:     6.2 dB      10.4 dB
DSL Attenuation:     49.5 dB      27.6 dB
DSL Transmit Power:   0.0 dBm     12.8 dBm

--- Wireless Information ---
Wireless Driver Version: 1.3.1.174
Wireless Tools Version: 28
Wireless Status: Enabled
Wireless Wide Channel: 11
Wireless Standard Channel: 13- 2.472GHZ
Wireless SSID: Yowie

--- Dynamic Information ---
LAN Mac Address: 00:22:6B:F8:37:80
WAN Mac Address: 00:22:6B:F8:37:82
Wireless Mac Address: 00:22:6B:F8:37:81

---

My router is a WAG160Nv2, so I have no modem. I have no splitters, all my phones are only plugged into electrical sockets. The closest to an isolation test I can do is plug in my lap top directly to the router without using wireless. Even when I do this, the speed does not change by a significant amount.

sbiddle

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#558118 15-Dec-2011 05:54

To save save everybody including myself repeating what is already discussed in probably 20+ threads on here over the last few months I suggest you just read my blog post discussing the likely cause of issue. You can also search through all the other forum threads on here if you want to learn about other peoples experiences.

http://www.geekzone.co.nz/sbiddle/7872

GlowyHoein

15 posts

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#558155 15-Dec-2011 09:32

Read your blog post, very informative except the link to the map is broken so I can't check what my speed should be.

But seeing as my noise margin is 6.2dB, yet I have a huge attenuation of 49.5, should I ring in customer support?

sbiddle

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#558176 15-Dec-2011 09:47

GlowyHoein: Read your blog post, very informative except the link to the map is broken so I can't check what my speed should be.

But seeing as my noise margin is 6.2dB, yet I have a huge attenuation of 49.5, should I ring in customer support?

The map is broken because Chorus now own the network post structural separation (1st Dec) so it's on the Chorus website.

GlowyHoein

15 posts

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#558179 15-Dec-2011 09:50

Just double checking my comprehension before I call orcon, if I'm in the light blue zone, then I have UFB and should have speeds greater than 2Mb/s?

bameron

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#558185 15-Dec-2011 09:55

The map you are after is here: http://www.chorus.co.nz/service-availability-tool

The light blue zone indicates current/future UFB zones - however we have not released our fibre plans as yet so this is not relevant to you. The speeds you get is totally dependent on things like the distance from the exchange, the quality of your physical line etc. Best bet would be to give us a ring and run through the possibilities and see if we can lodge a fault.

Cheers,

Cam

Quic Broadband

Move to New Zealand's best fibre broadband service (affiliate link). Free setup code: R587125ERQ6VE. Note that to use Quic Broadband you must be comfortable with configuring your own router.

GlowyHoein

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#558191 15-Dec-2011 10:01

Thank you, I'm capable of VDSL2 and ADSL2+, will call customer support soon.

Problex

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#558403 15-Dec-2011 18:20

I am also having major issues with my orcon connection, have talked to 4 different people in their technical department about my problems and nothing reasonable has been done to solve my issues

My connection at the moment is as follows:

downstream: 690
upstream: 900

SNR Margin down: 6 up: 10dB
Line Attenuation down: 50 up: 31dB

The connection has been like this for over a month now, previous to this our downstream was around 2000kbps which was not too bad but now we cannot even stream videos on youtube.

On around Monday i received this email:

New broadband and telephone equipment has been installed in your area.
This work has been carried out in order to shorten the length of the copper line that broadband and telephone services are delivered over. Unfortunately, as we have found after investigation you are now getting interference on your line which is causing slower speeds than normal. To rectify this we will move you off of our equipment in the exchange onto the new equipment in the local cabinet.

Which seemed fine and i was happy that something was finally being done to fix the problem but yesterday i received an email saying this:

We've tried to contact you a couple of times however we don't seem to be able to contact you. This email is to let you know that, due to the plan that you are on now, the same plan on the new equipment in the exchange will cost an additional $11 for a total monthly base cost of $81.

They want to charge me an extra $11 a month to fix a problem that is not my responsibility?????
How is this fair!
I have asked a few technicians at work (as i am a telecommunication technician for a company called Transworks), they all said that charging me extra is ridiculous as the issue lies either with Chorus or Orcon.

I am honestly considering moving back to Vodafone as their customer service was top notch (no waiting on phones for 20min or more with them).

Any assistance???

richms

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#558407 15-Dec-2011 18:33

The problem is solely orcons, they should have never sold you onto a LLU plan when they had full knowledge of the cabinet going in and when it would happen.

Greedy telcos value short term higher profits of the unbundled plan against really annoying customers by having the connection turn to crap and stuff you around for weeks to resolve it only to then put you onto the plan you should have been on in the first place.

IMO, change ISP and if you are in contract tell them where to stick it, their fault they cant deliver what they said they could.

Richard rich.ms

sbiddle

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#558421 15-Dec-2011 19:16

Problex:They want to charge me an extra $11 a month to fix a problem that is not my responsibility?????
How is this fair!
I have asked a few technicians at work (as i am a telecommunication technician for a company called Transworks), they all said that charging me extra is ridiculous as the issue lies either with Chorus or Orcon.

The "issue" as such is a complex one. Orcon installed you on a ULL connection knowing the exact footprint of the cabinetisation project. Some ISP's chose to not install any customer on a ULL connection that would ultimately be cabinetised, some such as Orcon chose to install ULL connections to customers who would ultimately be cabinetised, despite warnings that potentially every single one of these customers would receive sub standard performance once the cabinet was installed.

The rates charged for a wholesale connection, and ULL copper access costs are all regulated pricing set by the Commerce Commission. Orcon offered cheaper internet pricing by undercutting wholesale connections with cheaper ULL connections, but now that you're being moved back to a wholesale connection they're paying substancially more for your connection, so have decided to past those costs on as they are too great to absorb.

There are potentially 1000's of Orcon customers in Auckland facing the exact same issue as you.

skippyy

23 posts

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#561460 25-Dec-2011 22:35

I am receiving the same performance issues as the OP. I have contacted Orcon pre-Christmas and they had a Chorus tech "attempt" to migrate me from an LLU connection to the nearest cabinet. I say "attempted" because my connection has deteriorated more than before this "migration" and from some advice from users on GPForums, it seems that I've been put on a cabinet however I'm not on a DSLAM port at the exchange, and the cabinet is acting as a "repeater" (and hence the further quality degradation.

Just for reference, current stats are:

Operation Data Upstream Downstream
Noise Margin 13 dB 11 dB
Attenuation 26 dB 47 dB

Current sync rate is 1097kbps/953kbps - not sure on "attainable" rate as the Orcon Genius doesn't seem to provide this information.

I haven't had any successful correspondance with Orcon since the 19th (understandable with Christmas and the holiday period), however are there any Orcon employees that can assist me with this issue ASAP/off email? The support provided via email seems to be very shortsighted and don't seem to understand the issue that I'm having, perhaps someone who has read directly into this issue and dealt with other customers with the same problem can be more helpful :)

sbiddle

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#561485 26-Dec-2011 07:34

skippyy: I am receiving the same performance issues as the OP. I have contacted Orcon pre-Christmas and they had a Chorus tech "attempt" to migrate me from an LLU connection to the nearest cabinet. I say "attempted" because my connection has deteriorated more than before this "migration" and from some advice from users on GPForums, it seems that I've been put on a cabinet however I'm not on a DSLAM port at the exchange, and the cabinet is acting as a "repeater" (and hence the further quality degradation.

Just for reference, current stats are:

Operation Data Upstream Downstream
Noise Margin 13 dB 11 dB
Attenuation 26 dB 47 dB

Current sync rate is 1097kbps/953kbps - not sure on "attainable" rate as the Orcon Genius doesn't seem to provide this information.

I haven't had any successful correspondance with Orcon since the 19th (understandable with Christmas and the holiday period), however are there any Orcon employees that can assist me with this issue ASAP/off email? The support provided via email seems to be very shortsighted and don't seem to understand the issue that I'm having, perhaps someone who has read directly into this issue and dealt with other customers with the same problem can be more helpful :)

A cabinet does not act as "repeater" - this comment makes absolutely no sence. If you're connected to a cabinet your DSL will be provided from the ISAM in that cabinet, not the exchange.

Your noise margin does however show that you're no longer on a ULL connection as these are all 6dB.

Your poor attenuation really only suggests two things a) You have poor internal house wiring issues and need to install a master filter or b) You've actually been hooked to to a port in the exchange rather than the cabinet as the cabinet may have not been fully cut over. If this is the case when Chorus migrate all users to the cabinet this issue will be resolved.

skippyy

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#561528 26-Dec-2011 13:25

Hi sbiddle,

Thanks for the reply. The "repeater" comment was part of advice from one of several people, so disregard that if it's completely nonsense. Re: internal wiring etc, why is it that this has only started exactly after my area got cabinetised? I understand the midpoint injection issue and this sounds like the problem I am having, however the timing of all the issues (the initial massive drop in sync rate when I was still on LLU), and after the "migration", it became worse (went from 2mbit/860k sync way down to 800k/860k).

I've just had a reply from Orcon today and I don't really know where to go from here - I don't know what is classed as a problem for them, whether 1mbit is acceptable for ADSL(2) speeds or not, but going by their logic - if the service works, there's no problem? Is it time to change providers?

Hello Kris,

I have had a look at your broadband issues and can see usage for your services.

I have performed a line test on the connection and there does not seem to be any suspicious records or issues on your connection.

Can you please advise if you are getting any further slow speed issues and let me know so I can have a further look for you.

Thanks for contacting us.

The Team@Orcon

Houston we have a problem.

I understand what you are saying sbiddle and I don't intend to sound like a broken record, but Orcon can't seem to identify that there is an issue, so how do I go about proving that there is one? I've given them screenshots of the Genius modem pages containing sync rates, countlesss speedtests, yet they can't see any problem on their end? Do I really need to spend $$ on a master filter just to eliminate that potential option?

Will this ever end :P

cheers,

skippy

sbiddle

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#561558 26-Dec-2011 16:08

There are a number of reasons this could be occuring but ultimately your ISP is the only person who can do anything for you.

Without knowing your address, date of cabinetisation, whether the ISAM in this cabinet has been cut over (if it's a recent install), and state of your wiring there is very little help that can be offered.

That high attenuation figure can only exist for two reasons, and both are listed above, and as I expalained above if your cabinet is only a very recent install and the ISAM hasn't been cut over then you're possibly on a port in the exchange, and will no doubt be migrated across along with every other user on that cabinet. The actual process of a cabinet going live does result in degraded performance for a period of time as the MPF's are cut over to the cabinet, but xDSL is still provided from the exchange.

have you done the obvious first of all like performing at least a basic isolation test in your home?

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