[WXC/VFX] Data usage / accounting

Forums › One New Zealand (including Vodafone, WxC, Farmside) › [WXC/VFX] Data usage / accounting

RunningMan

8955 posts

Uber Geek

#86776 13-Jul-2011 13:39

Logged in to the Xnet account manager to look at data usage today - looks like there has been a recent change in the account manager data display. Previously, it broke down in to international / national /local - now it is just standard / local.

Problem is, it looks like all data is showing as standard (i.e. chargeable), with nothing as local (well, 100KB used yesteday, which I take to be VFX calls). Usually, I would expect some local data each day - at the very least, email traffic going in and out.

Anyone else seeing the same thing?

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8955 posts

Uber Geek

#492915 13-Jul-2011 15:19

Well, shortly after posting this, checking again, I am seeing some local data usage for today, but still only 100KB from yesterday, which seems very low.

I have also run a couple of speedtests (using the tool on Xnet's site, not speedtest.net), and it appears this data is being counted as standard (billable) data - I'm sure this was previously classed as local traffic.

RunningMan

8955 posts

Uber Geek

#493228 14-Jul-2011 09:51

Is anyone else also having trouble with the Firefox usage monitor plugin?

Mine is just showing the not connected icon, and the link from the knowledge base article to download the plugin now diverts back to the generic software download page, which has no link to the plugin.

Is anyone currently still using this plugin, and is it still supported?

RunningMan

8955 posts

Uber Geek

#496526 22-Jul-2011 08:56

I still seem to be seeing anomolies in the data usage accounting - they seem to have started about a week and half ago.

As an example, this morning I downloaded two system updates, the first about 91MB, the second about 47MB (total of about 138MB).

Logging in to account manager and checking the data usage before and after (and allowing time with no usage before and after to make sure it was up to date) shows a massive difference though.

Both the updates appear to have come from the Akamai server, so are counted as local traffic and not billable, however, the local traffic that is shown as used for this period of time is about 475MB - about three times the amount that I downloaded.

Naturally, I would expect there to be some overhead, so the amount shown by the usage meter would be fractionally higher than the actual size of the files downloaded, however, more than a 200% increase is out of that range!

Is anyone else experiencing something similar? I hope the billable traffic is not also being increased by 200% ;-)

Themunter

1 post

Wannabe Geek

#496621 22-Jul-2011 11:56

I think I've had a similar problem.

I am on the 'torrential' plan which apparently has been discontinued.

I have a scheduled task set up in windows to run steam so it can download my new games etc during the offpeak hours (2am-8am).

Downloaded a game a few mornings ago, looked at my usage monitor and was dismayed to find that I had 14+Gb peak data downloaded for which I would be charged. I am 100% sure that this download took place in the offpeak hours.

Have raised a ticket with XNet/WxC and they've since told me they have confirmed an issue with their accounting system.

Can't say I'm overly impressed...

RunningMan

8955 posts

Uber Geek

#496639 22-Jul-2011 12:42

Themunter: Have raised a ticket with XNet/WxC and they've since told me they have confirmed an issue with their accounting system.

Ah well, as long as they are aware there is an issue and are looking in to it. I haven't contacted the help desk, as it wasn't having any direct negative impact.

I'm going to keep an eye on it, and check if a similar thing is apparent for billable data - that would concern me far more!

Ragnor

8219 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#496759 22-Jul-2011 15:00

Frio from Xnet who posts on GP Forums works on the usage meter stuff, myabe drop him a message?

http://www.gpforums.co.nz/showthread.php?s=&threadid=310490&perpage=25&pagenumber=230#post8189519

RunningMan

8955 posts

Uber Geek

#497041 23-Jul-2011 10:33

Ragnor: Frio from Xnet who posts on GP Forums works on the usage meter stuff, myabe drop him a message?

http://www.gpforums.co.nz/showthread.php?s=&threadid=310490&perpage=25&pagenumber=230#post8189519

Thanks Ragnor, I have not signed up to GP, but there is some very informative reading in that thread.

As Frio mentions, I suspect there may be some issues with the IP ranges in the accounting system - for example speedtests from the Xnet page are being counted as billable data, whereas they were classed as local up until very recently (In fact, I think using speedtest.net to the Xnet server was also classed as local).

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Free professional, reference and technical white papers (affiliate link).

frio

80 posts

Master Geek

#497586 25-Jul-2011 13:21

We've verified the IP ranges that are local today, and they're the same as ever excepting one thing - speedtests aren't local anymore. We've got some new tools in place, including the ability to leave local traffic as "unthrottled" even when your account is throttled (so VFX, email and other services remain unaffected if you go over your cap). Unfortunately, that means that you could be capped - and the speedtest would still show as full speed. Given that speedtests are one of the indicators customers use to tell if they're throttled or not, we figured it'd be better to change it (especially since its a negligible amount of data).

That decision may be examined, of course :).

As to the FF Usage Monitor, best to consider it dead for now - we'll brew up a decent long-term solution shortly.

RunningMan

8955 posts

Uber Geek

#497621 25-Jul-2011 14:18

Thanks for the update Frio - as always it's refreshing to see WxC staff taking the time to follow up on issues through GZ even though it is not an official support channel.

My personal opinion is that speedtest data to/from the locally hosted server should be classed as local (unbillable) traffic, as it is both a useful diagnostic tool, and being that it is part of the www.xnet.co.nz site, the expectation is that it is local traffic (there's no indication on the site that you are essentially leaving the local site).

If people want to use speedtest to confirm if they have been throttled, then you can use speedtest.net and select a non-local server.

As for the Firefox usage monitor - it would be very helpful to have some sort of similar platform independant replacement. Logging in to account manager just to check data usage is a PITA, and the usage monitor application is no good for those of us who don't run Windows on every machine. I don't want to have to run speedtests, using up my data, just to check how much data I've used ;-)

Again, thanks for the update.

RunningMan

8955 posts

Uber Geek

#498512 27-Jul-2011 14:05

Well, I hit the data cap today, slightly unexpectedly.

Not a huge issue, but the throttled speed I am seeing is far less than it used to be. Previously you could get a throughput of between 6 and 7kB/s when throttled, now it is varying between 2 and 4kB/s. That's about half what it used to be - is the throttled speed now only 32kb/s? I'm finding some web sites are now timing out, where previously they would have just been (painfully) slow to load.

AllenG

441 posts

Ultimate Geek

#498677 27-Jul-2011 20:30

Hi.

There appear to have been some major infrastructure changes at Xnet during a planned system wide outage on night of 12th June.

The Route to the Xnet servers has changed and some people including myself have reported increased evening latency. Here http://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=65&topicid=86729

As per this thread Traffic accounting has changed. The Xnet usage monitor tool is also changed, and based on the post from Frio saying that they can selectively throttle traffic and comments on other threads I suspect that Xnet have migrated all their users over to EUBA?

Xnet have advised that they are still looking into the increased evening latency and will post any updates to the above thread. It would be nice if Xnet would advise just exactly what changed on 12/7? and what other changes have occurred to services such as Frio alludes to. Are we now on some flavour of EUBA?

Regards Allen.

RunningMan

8955 posts

Uber Geek

#498689 27-Jul-2011 20:59

Hi Allen,

I expect that what I'm seeing is related to the recent network changes, however don't think it is directly related to the issue you are seeing (I've been following that thread!).

Have a quick read of this thread - I'm Auckland based, and it looks as though we went to EUBA a while back, with very good improvments, certainly none of the latency you are having. Right now, I'm seeing ping times of about 12-13ms to northnet.net.nz.

With the changes to the throttleing though, I'm finding even sites like TradeMe are timing out, whereas previously when it was throttled, everything would work, as long as you didn't mind waiting.

AllenG

441 posts

Ultimate Geek

#498696 27-Jul-2011 21:08

RunningMan: Hi Allen,

Right now, I'm seeing ping times of about 12-13ms to northnet.net.nz.

Thanks for that. Is this with interleaving on or off?

Allen.

RunningMan

8955 posts

Uber Geek

#498706 27-Jul-2011 21:26

AllenG: Is this with interleaving on or off?

Allen.

Interleaving on.

Just tried the ping again for you - still around 13ms.

AllenG

441 posts

Ultimate Geek

#498707 27-Jul-2011 21:26

I believe that by default interleaving is off on EUBA. Not sure about customers who are migrated en-masse
Mines 47ms. about as good as it ever gets.
I'm in New Plymouth.

Allen.

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