Streaming on one.nz becoming unwatchable... will a VPN on the router help?

Forums › Online streaming services › Streaming on one.nz becoming unwatchable... will a VPN on the router help?

Treehouse22

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#311819 16-Feb-2024 16:37

I have searched for the answer on this site but have not located it.

In recent months our streaming on all services for TV shows (on-demand, apple, prime etc) has become unwatchable in the evening. They work fine in the off periods.

I am with one.nz on fibre and the TV is LAN-connected (not WiFi).

Internet speed tests show it being slowish at these times. I can get 250Mbps middle of the day and only ~10Mbps 8pm.

Will changing ISP help or should I look at a router with a VPN onboard? I am unsure if the VPN option will actually help the streaming throttling - if this is what is happening.

Thanks

wellygary

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#3196510 16-Feb-2024 17:00

VPN is unlikely to help,,

Sounds like network congestion, raise a ticket with One, you shouldn't be getting speeds like that (10Mb/s) on Fibre...

Lias

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#3196513 16-Feb-2024 17:09

Are you on UFB Fibre or are you on One's HFC network (The old cable network, marketed as Fibre X before they got slapped by the comcom).

HFC was pretty notorious for peak hour congestion.

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coffeebaron

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#3196522 16-Feb-2024 18:26

Are you using One NZ DNS or something else? Stock router or something else?

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Linux

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#3196540 16-Feb-2024 21:27

Are you sure you are on Fibre and not HFC?

BlakJak

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#3196548 16-Feb-2024 21:47

wellygary:
VPN is unlikely to help,,

Sounds like network congestion, raise a ticket with One, you shouldn't be getting speeds like that (10Mb/s) on Fibre...

Funny how we post to public forums before we ask our service provider why we're not getting the service we ask for... ???

If you can only get 10Mbit off a speedtest why would you assume you'd get any more than 10Mbit to the other end of whatever VPN service your router would link to?

Complain to your ISP, ask them for support resolving the issue, this is part of what you pay them for.

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Behodar

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#3196549 16-Feb-2024 21:57

BlakJak: Funny how we post to public forums before we ask our service provider why we're not getting the service we ask for...

To be fair, you can often get a quicker response from a forum. "You forgot to set the doohickey to mode B", and the problem's fixed in 20 minutes.

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coffeebaron

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#3196551 16-Feb-2024 22:09

Check for a faulty Ethernet cable too.

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Handle9

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#3196605 16-Feb-2024 23:19

Behodar:
BlakJak: Funny how we post to public forums before we ask our service provider why we're not getting the service we ask for...

To be fair, you can often get a quicker response from a forum. "You forgot to set the doohickey to mode B", and the problem's fixed in 20 minutes.

Some people don’t have 3 hours in their day to sit on hold…

Treehouse22

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#3196670 17-Feb-2024 08:22

Thanks for everyone's responses. All good stuff. And for the record I have tried to engage one.nz but frankly it was a hopeless task, it sounds like I will have to try and escalate to get some cut though the terrible support.

Linux

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#3196672 17-Feb-2024 08:25

What about answering the questionn above?

cyril7

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#3196673 17-Feb-2024 08:37

Hi Rob, @Treehouse22 as per Linuxs question can you clarify what services you are on, the difference between UFB and one HFC may be key, the latter has 50-100x the contention ratio of UFB, so more likely to suffer at peak time

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JimmyH

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#3196676 17-Feb-2024 09:16

First, try direct connecting your streaming device or a laptop to the router and play a stream, with another ethernet cable. Just to make sure the issue isn't at your end with your wifi or a dodgy cable.

If it's not at your end, call them and say you want to cancel.

In my experience you will then be transferred to their retention team, who will be trying to retain you as a customer and much more focussed on having someone diagnose and fix your problem rather than fobbing you off than regular help desk. If you are unfortunate enough on the HFC they mis-sold as faux fibre then they will also be much less inclined to mess you around to keep you on it (where the margins are better) rather than switch you to proper fibre, as they won't want to lose you as a customer entirely.

If they can't/won't solve the issues, then switch to another provider.

Unfortunately, one.nz (AKA Vodafone, or Telstraclear or Paradise, or iHug, or whatever they are calling themselves this week) have terrible customer service.

BlakJak

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#3196838 17-Feb-2024 16:09

Handle9:
Behodar:
BlakJak: Funny how we post to public forums before we ask our service provider why we're not getting the service we ask for...

To be fair, you can often get a quicker response from a forum. "You forgot to set the doohickey to mode B", and the problem's fixed in 20 minutes.

Some people don’t have 3 hours in their day to sit on hold…

Then you need to select a better service provider.

OneNZ and it's previous guises have been regarded as terrible from a support/service period for years, the only way this will change is if people vote with their feet.

We have LLU in place to ensure we can choose from competitive options, the troubleshooting steps outlined in the OP clearly suggest ISP congestion that only the ISP can resolve.

Perhaps it's my overly simple mind but surely he product should do what it's designed to do,or you engage with the vendor to resolve, or you find an alternative.

Certainly a long time since the days of Paradise persistently winning awards for their service, that's for sure.

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Treehouse22

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#3197893 20-Feb-2024 13:40

So.... I have resolved my issues by changing ISPs...... and killing off any future business dealings with One.NZ, what a nightmare. After multiple dealing with one.nz I saw a smal ISP called Select Solutions who happened to be local to me. https://selectsolutions.co.nz/ but they do the whole country.

I can't speak highly enough of them, I was up and running in 4 hours of asking an initial question - and immediately have seen a significant improvement.

On the other hand, disconnection from one.nz was painful and took 30 minutes, on my request to cancel they came straight back and offered an upgrade of speed!! I was on 300Mbps and only getting 10% of that! Finally, on the confirmation of the disconnection, they offered me a $200 credit to stay.

The next challenge will be moving mobile connections ... groan 😢

BlakJak

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#3197898 20-Feb-2024 13:49

Good man!! This is what I expected. Scrambling to retain your business but basically having failed to retain it.
Smaller ISP's with local operations, people you can actually talk to when you have issues - winners at the end of the day.

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