Exchange capacity affecting speed

Forums › 2degrees (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre, MyRepublic, 2talk and Vocus) › Exchange capacity affecting speed

corksta

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#112989 31-Dec-2012 19:42

I'm connected to the Takapuna exchange with Orcon. Over the last couple months our sync speed has dropped from about 17-18Mb/s to 13Mb/s. I did all the tests and so on to see if it was at my end, modem stats are good, wiring is good too, but nothing changed so I emailed them.

Their reply was that I'm on the fastest profile and they've been adding a lot of customers to the same exchange so speeds have deteriorated as a result and that's just the way it goes.

So does the total capacity of the exchange affect speed, or is it affected by the capacity of the individual company? For example, if Telecom and Vodafone have less customers than Orcon in this exchange and I swapped to one of them would speeds likely go back to where they were, or is the exchange potentially that full that switching companies wouldn't make a difference?

sbiddle

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#738974 31-Dec-2012 20:03

What speed is dropping - sync speed or speed test results?

Your sync speed won't change as a result of user numbers, but your speed test could. I would assume you're on a ULL connection there so changing companies to either Vodafone (who probably have their own ULL gear there) or any other provider using Chorus equipment would potentially see a change in speedtest results, but shouldn't see a change in DSL sync stats other than a small change as a result of the 6dB Orcon ULL vs 12dB Chorus SNR margin.

corksta

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#738975 31-Dec-2012 20:08

Both speeds are dropping. Sync rate has dropped, speed test results also dropped.

That's interesting, I made it clear my sync rate has dropped and is now consistently at 13Mb/s, and they said that's as a result of adding customers.

RunningMan

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#738976 31-Dec-2012 20:10

I wouldn't have thought the DSL sync speed would have dropped that much by adding extra customers.

One possibility is you are in a cabinetised area, but connected through to the exchange on Orcon ULL gear, resulting in midspan injection - this is unlikely though, given your initial sync rate of 18Mb/s (suggests you are either pretty close to the exchange, or connected to a cabinet).

Adding more customers (of any ISP) to an exchange or cabinet could possibly result in more noise on the lines, resulting in a lower sync speed for everyone, but that is still a significant drop over a couple of months.

joutei

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#738984 31-Dec-2012 20:40

sbiddle: What speed is dropping - sync speed or speed test results?

Your sync speed won't change as a result of user numbers, but your speed test could. I would assume you're on a ULL connection there so changing companies to either Vodafone (who probably have their own ULL gear there) or any other provider using Chorus equipment would potentially see a change in speedtest results, but shouldn't see a change in DSL sync stats other than a small change as a result of the 6dB Orcon ULL vs 12dB Chorus SNR margin.

My sync rate is 19223 down , 681 up .
My SNR Margin is 119 down, 118 up.

Does that seem right ?

sbiddle

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#739043 1-Jan-2013 08:46

joutei:
sbiddle: What speed is dropping - sync speed or speed test results?

Your sync speed won't change as a result of user numbers, but your speed test could. I would assume you're on a ULL connection there so changing companies to either Vodafone (who probably have their own ULL gear there) or any other provider using Chorus equipment would potentially see a change in speedtest results, but shouldn't see a change in DSL sync stats other than a small change as a result of the 6dB Orcon ULL vs 12dB Chorus SNR margin.

My sync rate is 19223 down , 681 up .
My SNR Margin is 119 down, 118 up.

Does that seem right ?

That shows you're running at a 12dB SNR, presumably on Chorus gear.

corksta

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#740203 4-Jan-2013 17:35

Ok so I wrote back to them to clarify that it was my sync speed that has dropped, with a corresponding drop in Internet speed. I asked them to clarify that customer numbers don't affect the sync speed.

Below is their abysmal response. I thought Orcon's support was NZ based. Either the person has no idea what I'm on about or is working to some sort of (poorly worded) script:

To answer yor question if your the numbers of customers will affect your Internet connection speed. (This is not what I asked).

Yes it will affect your broadband connection.

The bigger the number of people using broadband the big chance of getting

dropdown Internet connection or slow internet connection

Broadband Internet connection will slow when a lot of people using the Internet at the same time

A simple explanation:

Internet connection has 100% data and there are 2 people using the Internet at the same time

the 100% data will be divided into two. If the other one disconnect and stop using the internet

the connection the other one that is using the internet will get all the data with no traffic.

Thanks for contacting us.

I'll write back again and try to use more simple statements.

Not impressed though - personally, a poorly worded reply like this doesn't inspire confidence in their ability as a tech support person.

Dell

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mercutio

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#740335 5-Jan-2013 00:51

fwiw i've found that after a power outage my sync rates are 2 or 3 megabit higher, until i reset my modem, on a cabinet.

i think there is actually a drop in speed as more customers are connected, and that i'm getting higher sync rates because my modem boots faster than some others, but i don't really know how to compare with no other users connected :)

i've also curiously found a trend of sync rates getting slower over time, in multiple locations... you'd think if the lines are 20+ years old, then you shouldn't really notice connections getting worse, unless it's from higher uptake.

corksta

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#740393 5-Jan-2013 10:58

Orcon's response was simply to refer me to the terms and conditions about not guaranteeing speed, etc, etc.

Fantastic customer service.

I've been with Orcon a couple years, sync speeds have virtually never changed. Two months ago we lost phone and Internet for four days before it was repaired, it's since then that sync speed has been steadily dropping.

I find it disappointing/insulting that rather than try and help me understand why that may have happened or if it's somehow related I get a two line email referring me to their terms and conditions.

johnr

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#740396 5-Jan-2013 11:03

Not happy then change provider

mercutio

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#740401 5-Jan-2013 11:38

corksta: Orcon's response was simply to refer me to the terms and conditions about not guaranteeing speed, etc, etc.

Fantastic customer service.

I've been with Orcon a couple years, sync speeds have virtually never changed. Two months ago we lost phone and Internet for four days before it was repaired, it's since then that sync speed has been steadily dropping.

I find it disappointing/insulting that rather than try and help me understand why that may have happened or if it's somehow related I get a two line email referring me to their terms and conditions.

There's no competition for the last mile in NZ. The government has made steps to keep the status quo. You have a single provider running copper or fibre from you to the cabinet. And fibre from the cabinet to the ISP.

With local loop unbundling you can have a choice of ISP's at exchanges but not cabinets, and ISP's can have their own back haul from the exchange to them. But you're still relying on generally single fibre back from cabinet to exchange, and the copper or fibre from your house to the cabinet.

4 hour outages for cabinet issues, or 4 day outages for isolated issues are to be expected, and if you want to maintain internet connectivity you should invest in 3g backup, or a wireless ISP for secondary connectivity.

If the phone goes out as well, it should be much easier to get Chorus to investigate though, unless you're using naked DSL.