[WXC/VFX] Goodbye xnet, hello Slingshot

Forums › One NZ (including Farmside) › [WXC/VFX] Goodbye xnet, hello Slingshot

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sbiddle

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#171013 14-Oct-2008 07:47

hachi:
sbiddle:
DjShadow: Thing is, if everyone goes to Slingshot to get free overnight Data, won't they have the same problem? (then xnet gets faster with everyone jumping over)

When all the torrent users are disconnected when section 92a is introduced then every ISP will get faster!

You do raise a very valid issue, from following threads on here over the past few years it certainly seems to be the case as people switch between ISP's. You have to remember that it can take as few as 50 - 100 hardcore torrent users to flood an entire ISP, that's not a lot of people to jump ship and move the problem elsewhere.

You're happy about section 92a? That's unusual.

Where did I say I was happy with it?

I disagree with it but the reality is there is probably very little chance of section 92a being modified. At present only WxC take any notice of the take down notices and it seems that virtually all other ISP's apparently just ignoring them.

If what I've heard is corrent there are actually a significant number of these received by all NZ ISP's on a weekly basis. If that is the case then there are going to be torrent users who very quickly find themselves with with no internet access come Feb 28th 2009 if they are connecting to trackers or peers that are being monitored. ISP's will have no real choice but to act on these and it won't be a 2 (or is it 3?) strikes you're out situation like WxC at present.

hellonearthisman

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#171017 14-Oct-2008 08:22

http://hothardware.com/News/Russian-Firm-Uses-NVIDIA-GPUs-To-Crack-WPA-WPA2/

Quote: the Russians figured out how to do it or that WiFi networks are effectively now completely insecure. ElcomSoft claims they can "recover" WPA and WPA2 encypted passwords using any NVIDIA-based graphics subsystem in a workstation, desktop or even a notebook, to crack WPA encyption over 100 times fastest than with a standard CPU.

So what about the false positives? Like mentioned above?

What about avatars of copyright figures? Could that give the geekzone three strikes?The law as it's written is bugged and they should have listened to their sub-committee,

Ragnor

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#171033 14-Oct-2008 10:40

Xnet to slingshot = Out of the frying pan into the fire, imo.

I wouldn't be getting into any ISP with a 12 month contract at the moment with VDSL around the corner.

euanandrews

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#171036 14-Oct-2008 10:55

sbiddle:
TheBartender: Paradise (TelstraClear) provided the most reliable speeds out of the lot...but did have issues with regularly disconnecting, but this was years and years ago...but there charges are to high.

But therein lies the problem. Speed and low price are mutually exclusive. If you want 10Mbps torrent downloads 24/7 (something thast is easily done on TCL cable) you have to realise you won't be getting the same rates you pay on a torrent plan for it.

TCL's pricing isn't expensive compared to other naked ADLS plans in the market - infact their cable prices increased a few months ago because they were actually quite a lot cheaper than the naked ADSL offersings but they can't compete with the free data caps that Xnet and Slingshot are offering. When these 2 ISP's however get bogged down with traffic management issues it really is a case of deciding whether you want to pay a premium for a rock solid high speed broadband connection or not.

Yeah this I know...

I would be quite happy with a lower speed, say 3-5MB, if it meant more quota at a lower price, and a stable consistant connection...but nobody really offers this, it always either 256kbps, or FS.

I certainly don't expect the best of everything for bugga all cash, that not realistic...I am willing to compromise some speed for quota, but not QOS.

hachi

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#171101 14-Oct-2008 17:03

sbiddle:
hachi:
sbiddle:
DjShadow: Thing is, if everyone goes to Slingshot to get free overnight Data, won't they have the same problem? (then xnet gets faster with everyone jumping over)

When all the torrent users are disconnected when section 92a is introduced then every ISP will get faster!

You do raise a very valid issue, from following threads on here over the past few years it certainly seems to be the case as people switch between ISP's. You have to remember that it can take as few as 50 - 100 hardcore torrent users to flood an entire ISP, that's not a lot of people to jump ship and move the problem elsewhere.

You're happy about section 92a? That's unusual.

Where did I say I was happy with it?

I disagree with it but the reality is there is probably very little chance of section 92a being modified. At present only WxC take any notice of the take down notices and it seems that virtually all other ISP's apparently just ignoring them.

If what I've heard is corrent there are actually a significant number of these received by all NZ ISP's on a weekly basis. If that is the case then there are going to be torrent users who very quickly find themselves with with no internet access come Feb 28th 2009 if they are connecting to trackers or peers that are being monitored. ISP's will have no real choice but to act on these and it won't be a 2 (or is it 3?) strikes you're out situation like WxC at present.

Ah, sorry, I misinterpreted the smiley face. Connecting it with 92a rather than losing torrenters/increasing bandwidth.

And if that's the case with ISP getting complaints weekly, I may uninstall BitTorrent (noting this is not an admission of guilt).

However, what about all the YouTube users that view copywrited material?

I wonder how ISPs really will react to this, because it just seems like Judith Tizard getting on her soap box and screaming her head off about an issue that all it really effects is the bottom line of the RIANZ. It's silly to use Sione's Wedding as an example of a flop because of piracy because

a) Maybe it just sucked, and
b) From what I heard, the pirated copies were being sold at markets, rather than being downloaded. Everyone knows New Zealand isn't a hugely easy market to make it big on, from inside anyway. The addition just seems so extreme.

Baboon

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#171189 15-Oct-2008 00:00

DjShadow: Yeah the torrent plan in my eyes is just xnet saying ok here is all our capacity that we can afford on current pricing, feel free to fight over it but least it for the lite users during daylight hours

The trouble is that network performance turns to custard well before 12am IME! After about 8pm tonight I've been unable to watch You Tube videos without pausing them for ten minutes while they download :-(

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euanandrews

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#171333 15-Oct-2008 17:59

My first expereinces with Slingshot are not leaving a great impression in my mind...I have to admit...

I signed up via the net for the FS/128 - data package (15GB) @ $50 monthly...no worrys there.

Then I received a phone call...an automated message, asking if I was Euan Andrews....ok, yes to that, pressed '1'...
It said my tolls had been transferred to slingshot???
WTF???

I ignored it for now, thinking it must be a mistake, as I never signed up for the tolls...

The next day (today), my xnet connection dies....ok, must be finally disconnected and Slingshot being hooked up...thats all good...

Thought I would call them to check...

I am guessing there system recognises the incoming phone number and matches it to the accounts, as I got another automated message saying I have an important message...ok....read that...

The message was to say that there is a delay connecting my broadband connection!

Hmmm....

I then selected the other options after that message to speak to a CSR about my connection and enquire about the tolls message, but I was told no customer service representive was available, and to call back during business hours, or leave a message after the beep!

This was at 2.15pm!

Ok....so as I did not want to leave a message...I wanted to speak to a real live human being...I immediatley called back, and got another automated 'important message'....this time was to confirm that my tolls had been changed to slingshot again!

Arghhhhh!

I despise automated messages....4 phones calls and not 1 real person.

After selecting some options, I finally got through to a real person...
Firstly I questioned the tolls...
I got them to check/verify that I signed up for the data package, not tolls, which they confirmed...so they said....

We will make an exception, and forgoe the $25 early disconnection fee

WTF!
Like they are doing me a favour!
For disconnecting a service I never signed up for or wanted.

So anyway...

I am now on Slingshot, but thats not a great start.
I do not appreciate talking to an automated message everytime
And making a boo boo right from the start with the tolls, then making like they are doing me the favour not charging a disconnection fee, leaves a poor impression in my mind.

Time will tell

t92300

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#171360 15-Oct-2008 20:42

Not so great customer service is one of the reasons that I wouldnt go back to slingshot and by your expierence it sounds like its got worse.

With xnet i havent had any problem contacting them, by email or phone(not that i have had to contact them much).

Snowflake an image unoffical php XNet Usage Meter even works with cell phones
Backing up the internet nightly...

bradi

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#171361 15-Oct-2008 21:03

lol, you joined Slingshot... what do you expect from a technology company that names itself after a (at least) 1000 year old weapon...

Now Xnet there's a 31st century name if ever I heard one...

:P

"This post is sponsored by the Kiwi's for reliable broadband with no leechers".

DUDE ITS A JOKE... ALL THE ISPS ARE THE SAME... THEY ALL HAVE THE ODD CRAP CSR AND THEY ALL HAVE THEIR PROBLEMS.

Don't forget that it's all about PROFIT. No seriously, it is... yep no bull. WOW!

Itr0nic

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#171366 15-Oct-2008 21:47

im having the same issue im not to sure if ill go and where ill go im on FLOOD plan at xnet my speeds are getting worse by the day
they use to be really go i can do anything now apart from surfing net and even that takes ages

Twitter @Kiwi_Tj | Raptr purekiwi

hellonearthisman

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#171403 16-Oct-2008 07:46

TheBartender will you be joining the Slinshot forum? One of their friendly new admins works in at the helpdesk (a manager) and I think he would value your feedback.

As for Slow speeds, I noticed they started at the same time as Slingshot joined Telecoms new Enhanced Unbundled Bitstream Access (EUBA) I wonder if this has been expaned to Xnet and Orcon as their speeds have also been going through this slowdown. I wonder if it's a move to make the EUBA look like a better product.

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Ragnor

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#171455 16-Oct-2008 10:39

I doubt local backhaul and hand over is that much of a problem if it was only certain exchanges and areas would be affected not everyone. The problems are to do with ISP's international bandwidth, peak time active users and p2p traffic imo.

rphenix

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#171528 16-Oct-2008 14:21

You couldnt pay me to move to slingshot. If the speed is fast now, it soon wont be. Slingshot support yeah right...

Also Italk might be cheap but certainly not as reliable as VFX/DVX.

But yep everyone who downloads heaps keep moving to slingshot :)

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