Slow Vodafone Unlimited - UltraFast HFC Max connection

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beatnink

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#303299 30-Jan-2023 15:24

Kia ora Geekzone whanau. We have our broadband via Vodafone Unlimited - UltraFast HFC Max (the old Saturn cable network here in Wellington region). It has been good for a long time. However, for a week or so we've been noticing network issues with for example streaming videos from our laptop to our TV but also from my Ethernet connected work laptop and Linux PC. I did the Ookla speed test and it confirmed that the speed was down around 120 Mbps when in theory it should be up to 800 Mbps. I tried to do an online chat with Vodafone support but that got reset a couple of times, probably because of issues with my network connection rather than on their side. I did call them and quickly got put through to a very helpful professional technical support person who advised various steps. E.g

Restart the router (which I had already tried). No improvement.
Power off the modem and router, wait 20 minutes, then turn on the modem and then the router. This improved the speed from 120 to around 280-300 Mbps.
Switched the ethernet cable to the router from port 1 to port 2 on the modem. No further improvement.
Tried a different ethernet cable on the modem. No further improvement.

So questions to you, good folk. Is it reasonable to expect 800 Mbps speed or even anything over 500 Mbps on this HFC cable network? Would I be better off switching to Fibre?

Nga mihi nui / much appreciated

Ron

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#3029703 30-Jan-2023 16:18

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antoniosk

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#3029710 30-Jan-2023 16:53

Have you called Vodafone for help?

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RunningMan

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#3029715 30-Jan-2023 17:15

antoniosk: Have you called Vodafone for help?

beatnink: I tried to do an online chat with Vodafone support but that got reset a couple of times, probably because of issues with my network connection rather than on their side. I did call them and quickly got put through to a very helpful professional technical support person who advised various steps.

MaxineN

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#3029717 30-Jan-2023 17:22

They should be seeing close to 700-900 via Ethernet. WiFi speeds, vary depending on what they have.

I've tried reaching out but I won't double up unless OP wants me to do a dive into things.

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Hammerer

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#3029743 30-Jan-2023 18:28

beatnink:

Is it reasonable to expect 800 Mbps speed or even anything over 500 Mbps on this HFC cable network? Would I be better off switching to Fibre?

i think it is reasonable. Fibre is attractive and probably more stable but that will cost me a lot more and I don’t need it.

I’m using the SamKnows whitebox and that generally reports peak speeds of 900+ Mbps particularly during the peak periods in the evening. The average has been above 600 Mbps for a couple of years since before I got the free tp-link wifi boxes.

P.S. those speeds are cabled and measured at the router. Our Wifi boxes are cabled and not using mesh wifi so the last speed test I did from a wifi client was over 600 Mbps.

Newtown

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#3029882 31-Jan-2023 10:10

Call VF again to get a technician sent out to troubleshoot. I'm also on cable, and getting good speeds. I wouldn't jump on fibre just yet as cable is pretty cost effective with comparable speeds.

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beatnink

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#3030277 1-Feb-2023 12:33

Thanks for replies. After initial troubleshooting advice and not seeing much of an improvement, I have not heard back from the technician who helped me. Good suggestion to get back to VF and get them to send our an engineer. Thanks.

Hammerer

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#3030590 2-Feb-2023 07:16

You didn’t mention checking the coax cable connection to the modem. I was just reminded that we had a problem that had a similar impact years ago when the coax connector just needed to be screw tight.

By the way, I just checked our latest SamKnows report and we’re getting averaging 914 Mbps.

shk292

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#3030668 2-Feb-2023 08:45

Isn't it worth getting fibre while the installation is still free? Presumably they would leave the VF cable there so you could switch back if you wanted to

MaxineN

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#3030669 2-Feb-2023 08:50

shk292:

Isn't it worth getting fibre while the installation is still free? Presumably they would leave the VF cable there so you could switch back if you wanted to

Yep, it's left there unless you request for it to be removed specifically.

We get very sad when we see the TC4400 up for sale on Trademe, that too should also be left at the property as well that it was installed it. Otherwise it causes delays.

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beatnink

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#3030697 2-Feb-2023 09:37

Good suggestion to check the coax cable connection. As for the question why not to switch to fibre? I've had that HFC connection for years and up until recently it has worked well. And it is cheaper than Fibre. So keen to resolve this recent performance issue with the HFC connection before I look at switching to fibre (which is all installed and ready to go).

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phantomdb

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#3031015 2-Feb-2023 16:54

additionally what is the condition of the coax good/crushed think of coax like a hose if you crush the hose the water slows down, with coax it will make signal to noise vary and causing the HFC network to resend data again thus causing a slow down. that's a basic overview, additionally has the coax been pulled out from the screw connectors and put back? Have you brought a different coax lead to EXTEND the run, this will cause issues on the network (I had this one time and had the Network Guy from Downer test the COAX for a comparison to the Offered patch lead (Coax) and it tested to spec, not saying every cable WILL or SHOULD i just got lucky. have you spilled anything into the HFC modem?

Plenty of things to consider

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Rickles

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#3031329 3-Feb-2023 15:27

I'm in Wellington and been on HFC since 2010 (T/C) and Max for about 4 years?

Download has been consistently 950+mbps.

One glitch couple of years ago was water and/or rust in external cable box ... Voda/Downer tech replaced and waterproofed. Been fine ever since.

TheMightyKiwipeso

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#3067900 25-Apr-2023 16:34

beatnink:

Kia ora Geekzone whanau. We have our broadband via Vodafone Unlimited - UltraFast HFC Max (the old Saturn cable network here in Wellington region). It has been good for a long time. However, for a week or so we've been noticing network issues with for example streaming videos from our laptop to our TV but also from my Ethernet connected work laptop and Linux PC. I did the Ookla speed test and it confirmed that the speed was down around 120 Mbps when in theory it should be up to 800 Mbps. I tried to do an online chat with Vodafone support but that got reset a couple of times, probably because of issues with my network connection rather than on their side. I did call them and quickly got put through to a very helpful professional technical support person who advised various steps. E.g

Restart the router (which I had already tried). No improvement.
Power off the modem and router, wait 20 minutes, then turn on the modem and then the router. This improved the speed from 120 to around 280-300 Mbps.
Switched the ethernet cable to the router from port 1 to port 2 on the modem. No further improvement.
Tried a different ethernet cable on the modem. No further improvement.

So questions to you, good folk. Is it reasonable to expect 800 Mbps speed or even anything over 500 Mbps on this HFC cable network? Would I be better off switching to Fibre?

Nga mihi nui / much appreciated

Ron

When I had FibreX max, I was getting usually 900 MB down if only the iMac on the network by ethernet, and about 700 MB down if on WiFi with the MB Air and other devices also on the network.

Note that the supplied router is worth what you paid for it, and you would be best off getting a third party router like Asus.

If you have a large section, get an Asus ROG router. [note that Asus have trend micro antivirus built in the firmware, along with high capacity wifi models also.]

ajw

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#3067904 25-Apr-2023 17:20

I've had Vodafone cable for years and still get 700 to 900 down and 100 up. When very occasionally it plays up a tech comes out and replaces the connector on the outside box down the street from my house.