Why throttle upload speed?

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peejayw

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Topic # 9392 13-Sep-2006 07:57

Does anyone know why the uplink speed commonly offered by ISPs is considerably lower than download? Is it some technical reason or just TC being obstructive again?
I may be wrong but I would have thought that services like Skype with video would need or at least operate better, with a fast uplink or am I missing something?
Do WiMax services offer fast uplink?
Thanks

SilentOne

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Reply # 46001 13-Sep-2006 12:44

Skype etc do work better with higher upload speeds, thats a given.

I think the upload throttling is a means of very basic network management in terms of ensuring the current infrastructure doesn't pop a gasket so to speak.. that and probably a whole host of other technical reasons, also probably because its possibly cheaper as well, with regards to international data at least.

By the end of october there will be the availibility of unsrestricted up & down speeds on phone lines with whatever speeds your line can handle ....again, based mainly on distance from the cabinet or exchange your connected to.

So hold your breath until then and you'll see what your line can deliver :)

bradstewart

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Reply # 46006 13-Sep-2006 13:00

Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL) means that the upload and download speeds will never be the same.

From Wikipedia:

The distinguishing characteristic of ADSL over other forms of DSL is that the volume of data flow is greater in one direction than the other, i.e. it is asymmetric. Providers usually market ADSL as a service for people to connect to the Internet in a relatively passive mode: able to use the higher speed direction for the "download" from the Internet but not needing to run servers that would require bandwidth in the other direction.
There are both technical and marketing reasons why ADSL is in many places the most common type offered to home users. On the technical side, there is likely to be more crosstalk from other circuits at the DSLAM end (where the wires from many local loops are close together) than at the customer premises. Thus the upload signal is weakest at the noisiest part of the local loop, while the download signal is strongest at the noisiest part of the local loop. It therefore makes technical sense to have the DSLAM transmit at a higher bit rate than does the modem on the customer end. Since the typical home user in fact does prefer a higher download speed, the telephone companies chose to make a virtue out of necessity, hence ADSL.

Most people just do not need a higher upload speed. If you must have it then there are plans with 512kbps upload speeds available from ISPs

cokemaster

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Reply # 46011 13-Sep-2006 14:17

Higher uploads allow voip programs greater access. People may use them over being forced to use telcos tolls service. Everyone knows cheap toll calls promotes terrorism.

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sbiddle

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Reply # 46013 13-Sep-2006 14:38

cokemaster: Higher uploads allow voip programs greater access. People may use them over being forced to use telcos tolls service.

Everyone knows cheap toll calls promotes terrorism.

]

128kbps is sufficient for VoIP. Using u.law or a.law which is the ISDN voice codec is 64kbps + packet overhead (approx 87kbps total) in each direction. If you're using g.729 it's around 35kbps in each direction.

tonyhughes

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Reply # 46017 13-Sep-2006 15:34

peejayw: or just TC being obstructive again?

To avoid confusion, heres are a couple of the common abbreviations found on the messageboards here:

TC - Telstra Clear
TNZ - Telecom New Zealand (sometimes "Tcom")
VF - Vodafone New Zealand (sometimes "VFNZ")

jesseycy

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Reply # 46035 13-Sep-2006 18:33

128kbps upload is all right if you're just into gaming. Or surfing the web. Or sending the occasional email. Or even just VOIP... BUT, there are lots of things a puny 128 can't really handle... Examples:

#1: Sharing your photos onl;ine, about 2mb each, after a holiday by uploading to a photo website.
#2: Backups online of computers.
#3: Multimedia designing
#4: Voice calls with video (thru a webcam)...

And the cheapest 512kbps upload plan with a decent cap, is almost $75 (Worldnet, and just with 2Gb too!).. Quite a bit more hefty than 128kbps.

A good upload speed, taking into account that they do want to control it, would be 256k at least, preferably 512kbps.... Having upload just twice as fast as dialup isn't cool at all...

peejayw

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Reply # 46036 13-Sep-2006 18:43

Oops, sorry, I did mean Telecom so TNZ in future. I guess where we have a passive downloading of data then ADSL is fine but these days are we maybe sending large amounts of data as well? Photo-sharing with relatives, videcalls etc, its a 2-way street really.

Fraktul

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Reply # 46117 14-Sep-2006 10:35

In addition to the reasons above it also protects traditional leased lined and frame switched network offerings which are symmetric along with OO and PON (delivered over frame, sdsl, fiber).

inane

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Reply # 46130 14-Sep-2006 13:03

there is also the capping factor,

by introducing an upstream cap it limits the downstream.

its all to do with size of pipe versus speed of water comparisons.

Fraktul

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Reply # 46143 14-Sep-2006 14:07

Not really, this wouldnt come into play unless you were using:

TCP Stack with stupid window values
Abnormally small TCP PDUs.

Anyhow they have the ability to set both upstream and downstream independly so why on earth would you attempt to limit downstream in this way? I can think of a dozen easy way to engineer traffic to get around this.

barf

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Reply # 46173 14-Sep-2006 16:24

AFAIK, but please correct me if I'm wrong, the Alcatel and Conklin DSLAMs Telecom use support G.SHDSL (symmetric DSL) so why is that not on the pricing options? (or is it?)

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Fraktul

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Reply # 46177 14-Sep-2006 16:42

It is...for One Office.

Why would they want to wholesale it and further erode their higher margin service market.

simon14

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Reply # 46685 23-Sep-2006 16:00

jesseycy:

And the cheapest 512kbps upload plan with a decent cap, is almost $75 (Worldnet, and just with 2Gb too!).. Quite a bit more hefty than 128kbps.

Ah, no the cheapest 512kbps upload plan is on XNET for $69.95 with a 10GB cap...... plus free unlimited national data.