[WXC/VFX] Xnet now shaping torrent use (at least) to 1mbit/sec

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › [WXC/VFX] Xnet now shaping torrent use (at least) to 1mbit/sec

Talkiet

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#29372 5-Jan-2009 10:56

Over the last couple of weeks I have had periods where torrents that should be fast have been going at a dead flat 1mbit on Xnet. In fact, whenever this occurs, the same torrents on my Go Large connection fly along at 400+ KBPS (4ish mbit).

I have had the helpdesk deny that Xnet do any torrent or p2p shaping, but it's blindingly obvious that it's happening, and I have had unofficial reports that shaping is happening.

I just want to know from Xnet if this 1mbit torrent limit is a test, or if it's essentially a permanent feature now. I don't DL stuff all day long, but when I do DL something, I want it fast. I am on the Pay per GB plan and 1mbit/sec for torrent use (if a permanent solution) isn't good enough for me...

Please don't just tell me to switch providers - that's _EXACTLY_ why I want to know if this is a permanent change, because if it is - I will switch.

I don't appreciate being lied to by their helpdesk (twice), although this is presumably a case of deliberately keeping their helpdesk staff in the dark rather than asking the HD staff to lie.

Also, please don't insult my intelligence by suggesting this isn't protocol aware traffic shaping - there are MANY indicators that it is in fact torrent aware shaping and I can't be bothered to list them all here. It may however not be applied to their entire userbase.

So if you definitely are NOT getting a 1mbit/sec limit on torrents - I would be interested to hear.

Oh, there is a minor caveat to the shaping, ipv6 peers aren't included in the 1mbit limit - so if any IPv6 peers connect, the throughput from those peers is added to the 1mbit limit. Additionally there appears to be at least one block of IPs in Sweden that for some reason are excluded from the shaper as well (!!!)

Cheers -N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

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#187464 5-Jan-2009 11:22

I dont have and problems during the day, speeds on my torrents sometimes go up to and over 1mb/s but obviously after 12am - 8am things slow down, well speeds are just crap. So my guess is, well atleast Im not having my speed shapped for p2p. Im on naked dsl though.

euanandrews

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#187469 5-Jan-2009 11:49

Are you still going on about this?

Your a smart fulla, you know whats happening...accept it or move on.

Its just the same ol same ol that everyone has heard a thousand times with these guys, and to be honest, we get tired of it.

I used to say lots of good things about xnet, but not no longer...they are no different to the rest.

You could say they got gready, or were sloppy and unprepared, or maybe they just dont care...it all dosent really matter as that fact remains their service is now poor and there has been little communication through their helpdesk or official annoucements, and what there has been has not told the whole true story.

'Change ISP'

There, I said it.

Talkiet

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#187475 5-Jan-2009 12:15

Read what I wrote. I want to know if this is permanent or at least likely to be a long term solution - or if this is just something they are playing with.

Which one of these two options it is will dictate whether or not it's worth me switching to someone else.

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

nate

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#187478 5-Jan-2009 12:24

Talkiet: Over the last couple of weeks I have had periods where torrents that should be fast have been going at a dead flat 1mbit on Xnet. In fact, whenever this occurs, the same torrents on my Go Large connection fly along at 400+ KBPS (4ish mbit)

If you are getting a specific speed on XNet, and not on a different provider, I think you can answer your own question on what is really happening.

Ragnor

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#187482 5-Jan-2009 12:36

Have you checked whether multi segemented/connection http or ftp downloads are affected by this 1Mbit limit or is it just torrents?

Talkiet

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#187501 5-Jan-2009 13:17

Ragnor: Have you checked whether multi segemented/connection http or ftp downloads are affected by this 1Mbit limit or is it just torrents?

Yes of course I have... There's heaps of headroom when the torrents are limited to 1mbit..

N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Ragnor

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#187601 5-Jan-2009 17:28

I wouldn't be suprised they are they are indeed stealth trialling some torrent shaping on heavy users, are you using >50GB per month?

You could always change to Orcon, oh wait they shape p2p also!
You could always change to Slingshot, oh wait they shape p2p also!

That pretty much leaves Telecom if you use under 40gb per month, or Telstra if you can manage your usage in 10gb packs that you get charged for even if you don't use all of it.

Ah NZ internetz

Wise

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Talkiet

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#187605 5-Jan-2009 17:50

Ragnor: I wouldn't be suprised they are they are indeed stealth trialling some torrent shaping on heavy users, are you using >50GB per month?

You could always change to Orcon, oh wait they shape p2p also!
You could always change to Slingshot, oh wait they shape p2p also!

That pretty much leaves Telecom if you use under 40gb per month, or Telstra if you can manage your usage in 10gb packs that you get charged for even if you don't use all of it.

Ah NZ internetz

Well, yes I do use more than 50GB / month. I was unaware that on a pay per GB plan the ISPs wanted to punish users for downloading more... Huh... Must be this crazy new maths I have heard about.

Telecom are actually best if you are going to use up to 60GB and their overage above that isn't terrible at $3/GB either.

The other two providers you mention openly acknowledge they shape P2P and that's what irks me most about Xnet at the moment - they are officially denying that they are doing any shaping while they are blatantly at least trialling this.

My god, imagine the outcry if Telecom put a 1mbit torrent shaper on their pay per use plans!

Anyway - I've just switched to another provider so hopefully in a few days I'll be experiencing a whole new set of problems :-)

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Ragnor

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#187608 5-Jan-2009 18:04

Xnet's communication skills went MIA at the start of 2008, from best community communication in 2007 to worst in 2008 onwards imo...

jermsie

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#187664 5-Jan-2009 23:10

I sure hope they are going to implement P2P shaping. Can totally understand if they decide to go down that track.

– J

bender

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#187667 5-Jan-2009 23:41

Right now (11pm) I just completed a torrent which averaged 917kB/s transfer speeds, and have another running at about 250kB/s at the moment... so there doesn't appear to be any shaping. Generally you wouldn't shape per user anyway - it's very CPU intensive to do so as you have to track all the connections. Normally if you want to manage traffic in high volumes you'd prioritise, and if one protocol (e.g. torrents) is a major hog on bandwidth, cap the total available bandwidth for all users on that protocol.

euanandrews

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#187681 6-Jan-2009 01:45

Ragnor: Xnet's communication skills went MIA at the start of 2008, from best community communication in 2007 to worst in 2008 onwards imo...

Second that.

Ever since they realised they made a huge mistake with the torrent plan.

If they had just fronted up, said 'hey, we made a mistake...this is what we need to do to fix it...', they would have been a lot better off. I would have stayed myself, had they just been honest and keeped me in the communication loop...I would have just changed over to pay-per-meg...but no.

Oh well...their loss.

TameIti

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#187694 6-Jan-2009 08:03

In the last few days I've never seen a torrent go over 120kB/s. It's not my line as I can http stuff from america quicker than that.

jesseycy

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#187714 6-Jan-2009 09:18

And yes, as a Torrent user, I can sorta confirm this as well....

Task Scheduler started BT after 2am, and checking them at 7am, they were all running at a total speed below 120KB/s.

Which isn't too bad, really... That's like a ~400mb file every hour. Would be good enough to get about 2-3 (1 hour) TV episodes per day. Which also, interestingly equates to about 65-70GB per month, just below the 75GB limit!

xlinknz

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#187716 6-Jan-2009 09:22

Ragnor: Xnet's communication skills went MIA at the start of 2008, from best community communication in 2007 to worst in 2008 onwards imo...

I also concur.

It is very frustrating especially with the most recent mail issues. I set myself a threshold to leave but they fortunately fixed the email in side my timeframe I set myself t leave. I was hoping for an email [to all customers] with sincere apologies and that they still valued me as a loyal customer, I guess they just don't care ?

ps: I only p2p occasionally but I did notice a download I was doing last night was surprisingly slow I'll keep and eye on it.

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