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Satch

1985 posts

Uber Geek


#143014 1-Apr-2014 08:55
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Hi,

I'm hoping one of the Orcon team here could help me with an issue we've been experiencing since moving from the 80GB plan to the unlimited plan on UFB. I am reluctant to go via the Orcon helpdesk as I doubt level 1 support will be able to help beyond the usual rebooting the router and ONT (which we have done), and other basic level diagnostics.

My girlfriend works from home. She is a software developer for a company based in the UK. In order to access their environment she logs into it via their VPN using Cisco Systems VPN Client Version 5.0.07.0440.

While on the 80GB plan, things were slow as can be expected (I guess?). Loading local web pages such as Stuff.co.nz, using Spotify, Gmail etc was slow but manageable. But ever since we switched over to the unlimited plan, her VPN connection has become almost unusable. The VPN connection itself is much slower (transferring files back and forth, running her code for testing etc), surfing the internet incredibly slow, and things like Spotify fail to work now while she is on VPN. She works normal NZ business hours, so most of her experience is during the day and not evenings.

Off VPN things are also noticeably slower, but by a marginal amount, and I expected this given the unlimited plan is on a different bandwidth pool.

My question is, is there any obvious reason for her VPN to be much slower on the unlimited plan? Is the unlimited bandwidth pool set up differently to the capped bandwidth pool making her VPN much slower? Are there any basic tests we could do to troubleshoot the problem if it might be at our end?

Any help would be appreciated. The reason we switched to the unlimited plan was because we've recently got Netflix, and didn't want to worry about our data usage.

Note: we are using UnoTelly as our DNS service, but this is configured at each device and not on the router. The laptop she uses is not configured to use Netflix or UnoTelly.


Cheers.

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FlameBeard
344 posts

Ultimate Geek

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  #1016343 1-Apr-2014 09:01
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You need to raise a ticket, PM one of us on here with that ticket number, but ideally you should go through the help desk, that way they rule out the tier 1 troubleshooting etc etc so we don't have to. Again this forum isn't a replacement for the support structure that is in place. In any case raise a ticket, then we can jump on it.




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FireEngine
1223 posts

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  #1016344 1-Apr-2014 09:01
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So:

Switch to Orcon DNS and then let us know if any change
Run a speedtest to speedtest.orcon.net.nz and post the results
Log a support ticket via our website
PM me the support ticket and your account number or username

Slow UFB is not normal or expected, the Unlimited Plans have no different setup than our other pools - but your using another DNS server could possibly be causing all your issues so we need to rule that out.




Regards FireEngine


Satch

1985 posts

Uber Geek


  #1016388 1-Apr-2014 09:51
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Hi FireEngine,

Orcon DNS's of 121.98.0.1 and 121.98.0.2 now selected.
Speedtest to speedtest.orcon.net.nz gave 608ms ping, 0.49Mbps down, and 0.28Mbps up while on VPN
Speedtest to a UK server gave 308ms ping, 0.34Mbps down, and 0.20Mbps up while on VPN

Support ticket logged.  PM about to be sent to you.  Thanks in advance for your help.


Cheers.



FireEngine
1223 posts

Uber Geek

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  #1016412 1-Apr-2014 10:24
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Satch: Hi FireEngine,

Orcon DNS's of 121.98.0.1 and 121.98.0.2 now selected.
Speedtest to speedtest.orcon.net.nz gave 608ms ping, 0.49Mbps down, and 0.28Mbps up while on VPN
Speedtest to a UK server gave 308ms ping, 0.34Mbps down, and 0.20Mbps up while on VPN

Support ticket logged.  PM about to be sent to you.  Thanks in advance for your help.


Cheers.


Hi - where is the VPN to? Have you got local traffic excluded from the VPN or is ALL your traffic routing out through the VPN? Best way is what is your speed like without the VPN? Rerun the tests off-VPN please, I'll check the support ticket you have logged but the support team will want exactly that, Orcon DNS and off-VPN...




Regards FireEngine


Satch

1985 posts

Uber Geek


  #1016419 1-Apr-2014 10:47
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FireEngine:
Satch: Hi FireEngine,

Orcon DNS's of 121.98.0.1 and 121.98.0.2 now selected.
Speedtest to speedtest.orcon.net.nz gave 608ms ping, 0.49Mbps down, and 0.28Mbps up while on VPN
Speedtest to a UK server gave 308ms ping, 0.34Mbps down, and 0.20Mbps up while on VPN

Support ticket logged.  PM about to be sent to you.  Thanks in advance for your help.


Cheers.


Hi - where is the VPN to? Have you got local traffic excluded from the VPN or is ALL your traffic routing out through the VPN? Best way is what is your speed like without the VPN? Rerun the tests off-VPN please, I'll check the support ticket you have logged but the support team will want exactly that, Orcon DNS and off-VPN...


Hi,

Off VPN we are getting around the 27Mbps up and 9Mbps down.  It is only on VPN that she is getting the speeds posted above.  I've changed her DNS settings on her PC to 121.98.0.1 and 2 - is that what you meant?

VPN is to a company called Ladbrokes in the UK.

I don't think local traffic is excluded from the VPN but that is not really the point of my issue.  While speeds off VPN are good, my issue is that while on VPN things are running much slower since we went to the unlimited plan compared to when we were on the 80GB plan.  I know Orcon will not support any issues with the VPN itself, but I would like to determine why the switch in Orcon plans give very different results if the two bandwidth pools carry the same settings.


 

Cheers.

FireEngine
1223 posts

Uber Geek

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  #1016553 1-Apr-2014 13:35
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Satch:
FireEngine:
Satch: Hi FireEngine,

Orcon DNS's of 121.98.0.1 and 121.98.0.2 now selected.
Speedtest to speedtest.orcon.net.nz gave 608ms ping, 0.49Mbps down, and 0.28Mbps up while on VPN
Speedtest to a UK server gave 308ms ping, 0.34Mbps down, and 0.20Mbps up while on VPN

Support ticket logged.  PM about to be sent to you.  Thanks in advance for your help.


Cheers.


Hi - where is the VPN to? Have you got local traffic excluded from the VPN or is ALL your traffic routing out through the VPN? Best way is what is your speed like without the VPN? Rerun the tests off-VPN please, I'll check the support ticket you have logged but the support team will want exactly that, Orcon DNS and off-VPN...


Hi,

Off VPN we are getting around the 27Mbps up and 9Mbps down.  It is only on VPN that she is getting the speeds posted above.  I've changed her DNS settings on her PC to 121.98.0.1 and 2 - is that what you meant?

VPN is to a company called Ladbrokes in the UK.

I don't think local traffic is excluded from the VPN but that is not really the point of my issue.  While speeds off VPN are good, my issue is that while on VPN things are running much slower since we went to the unlimited plan compared to when we were on the 80GB plan.  I know Orcon will not support any issues with the VPN itself, but I would like to determine why the switch in Orcon plans give very different results if the two bandwidth pools carry the same settings.


Cheers.


The only difference between the two plans is you would have got an ip address from a different pool - whether the Labrokes VPN or your custom DNS server setup influenced speeds differently based on the different ip address I can't say but the two pools are equivalent from a bandwidth/speed point of view. Running a speedtest to an Orcon server in Auckland using a VPN to the UK while using a US DNS server will give unpredictable and variable results at the very least.

e.g. by setting the DNS server in the laptop to Orcon then her DNS traffic to get to a UK website may be traversing up to the UK, back to the Orcon DNS server (and in reverse), then the web traffic will be requested from the UK server....




Regards FireEngine


Satch

1985 posts

Uber Geek


  #1016576 1-Apr-2014 14:03
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FireEngine: Running a speedtest to an Orcon server in Auckland using a VPN to the UK while using a US DNS server will give unpredictable and variable results at the very least.

e.g. by setting the DNS server in the laptop to Orcon then her DNS traffic to get to a UK website may be traversing up to the UK, back to the Orcon DNS server (and in reverse), then the web traffic will be requested from the UK server....


Sorry, I thought I made it clear in my original email that I did not have her laptop set to a US DNS server.  The only devices in my house that I have set to the UnoTelly DNS service are my HTPC, two of my three smart TVs, my iPad, and her iPad.

I raised this with Orcon as the speeds she was experiencing pre and post plan change were noticeably different when we made no config changes at our end.

These are probably questions for the non Orcon guys here (although if the Orcon guys have any ideas, please feel free to chip in):

     

  1. How do you configure a VPN connection so local traffic bypasses the VPN connection?  Can this be done locally, or does it have to be done at the VPN end?
  2. Which DNS servers is my girlfriend best to use if connecting to her UK VPN?


Orcon guys - I appreciate your help to date even I if I don't yet have a resolution.  I realise that there are a lot of external factors at play here, but I am really only comparing the pre and post plan change situation where nothing else has changed to her setup or VPN.

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