Poor performance in the last few weeks

Forums › Vocus (including Slingshot, Orcon, Flip, Stuff Fibre and CallPlus) › Poor performance in the last few weeks

MaxineN

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#280403 12-Dec-2020 20:31

As per this post https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=49&topicid=280400&page_no=1#2620647

I've noticed a drop in speed regardless of what time it is. And tonight I've noticed that my speeds outside of Vocus' network is just terrible.

This is just an example of poor international connectivity(US steam servers, obviously using NZ steam servers I get exactly 165mbps).

Using my gaming desktop which is hardwired and am using the supplied NF18AC to test(normally I use my ASUS RT68U) and 1 PC to rule out any other devices sapping it away.

When I joined almost 3 months ago. I was getting this.

What's happened here?

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'That VDSL Cat'
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#2620715 12-Dec-2020 21:49

Steampipe downloads can be far more heavy than you actually are expecting.

take for example your download, it's averaging 77.1Mbit or 9.6MB/s while your disk itself is already writing 25.7MB/s

often the decompression is pretty hefty.

Depending on what the game is etc, it might come straight off akamai and thus likely doesn't even exit vocus's network or you might end up going back to one of the Valve main servers..

Not saying you aren't seeing an issue, just that there are plausible explanations :)

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

MaxineN

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#2620728 12-Dec-2020 22:10

hio77:

Steampipe downloads can be far more heavy than you actually are expecting.

take for example your download, it's averaging 77.1Mbit or 9.6MB/s while your disk itself is already writing 25.7MB/s

often the decompression is pretty hefty.

Depending on what the game is etc, it might come straight off akamai and thus likely doesn't even exit vocus's network or you might end up going back to one of the Valve main servers..

Not saying you aren't seeing an issue, just that there are plausible explanations :)

I agree with the possible explanation however some key notes.

I am writing to an NVMe drive. Steam is barely touching my Ryzen 5 2600.

Obviously if I choose NZ I'm pulling straight from Vocus so this game in particular is coming from Vocus caching(which again isn't the 220mbps I was getting previously when I first was with them) but if I choose US I get the example image in my OP.

michaelmurfy

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#2620746 13-Dec-2020 01:44

See this post: https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=49&topicid=280400&page_no=1#2620745

I was like you - achieving incredibly slow speeds on Steam and there is no reason my PC would be running slow. I use NVMe, have a high end Ryzen build etc.

Running that command at the bottom of that post actually fixed most of my issues. This is running to a NZ steam cache:

I'm not saying this is your issue - but worth a shot?

MaxineN

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#2620750 13-Dec-2020 07:26

michaelmurfy:

See this post: https://www.geekzone.co.nz/forums.asp?forumid=49&topicid=280400&page_no=1#2620745

I was like you - achieving incredibly slow speeds on Steam and there is no reason my PC would be running slow. I use NVMe, have a high end Ryzen build etc.

Running that command at the bottom of that post actually fixed most of my issues. This is running to a NZ steam cache:

I'm not saying this is your issue - but worth a shot?

OK this is AN answer of sorts but this isn't the real answer. This helped A LOT but this still doesn't explain losing roughly 40mbps within a few weeks. I can now hit a peak of 170mbps to most places outside of Vocus' network.

MaxineN

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#2626052 23-Dec-2020 21:49

So after another week it still started to tank below 150mbps. After 4 calls only 2 reps gave great information and said that it could be an enable issue but due to enable being enable they wanted to rule out the modem(had already swapped back to the orcon NF18AC but did not fix this and I don't know HOW many times I had to repeat this).

Also had another rep that was extremely rude about this and tried to shout over.

Not hopeful.

michaelmurfy

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#2626145 24-Dec-2020 02:06

You may need to run the above command again if it is the common "fast to your closest Speedtest server, slow to everywhere else" issue. Windows has been resetting the value for me a few times lately.

You can also try this: https://www.speedguide.net/downloads.php however ensure you backup your network settings with it beforehand then do the following:

There are other adjustments you can make to fine-tune things but I am not going to dive into it. This is @hio77's expertise. Setting this as "optimal" and using the default values is good enough for most people.

Again, I highly doubt the problem is actually with your ISP. Microsoft or a driver vendor have been totally mucking up networking settings for a bunch of users lately.

MaxineN

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#2626163 24-Dec-2020 07:18

I tested with an arch linux home server and that was the result at the time of posting. It really is not my end.

I will try the above anyway but I legitimately think it won't do a difference as mosts of my tests are done with Linux not my desktop since last week because of those odd issues.

UncleFungus

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#2638603 20-Jan-2021 09:48

Are you still getting issues with speed test directly to the nearest vocus server?

This is what I currently get to Slingshot on my 200/100 connection. I'm in Christchurch

I used to get 220Mbps. This is on multiple PCs all with ethernet connections. Even tried connecting one of them directly to the router and disconnecting everything else and disabling wifi. Everything has been restarted multiple times.

I've raised it with Slingshot but no luck so far.

MaxineN

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#2638607 20-Jan-2021 09:53

Yes I still get that in or out of the network. Literally have the same problem.

michaelmurfy

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#2638613 20-Jan-2021 10:19

I've just done a reinstall of Windows 10 and was back to having speed issues with it. The problems are not with your ISP or network, it is with Windows I'm afraid.

After much troubleshooting I've found these to be the best settings:

This does appear to reset every time the network drivers are updated - they're just really bad currently. Don't expect to get the fastest speed.

If you've got an onboard Realtek NIC then you're better to purchase an Intel NIC and disable your on-board Ethernet. This is what my next step is.

Lastly, Speedtest is not a true measure of your actual internet speed. Doing the above nets me over 100MB/sec download on Steam and "fast enough" upload.

MaxineN

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#2638631 20-Jan-2021 10:57

On arch on an Intel nic from my home server
https://www.speedtest.net/result/10778814969.png
Its not the hardware

UncleFungus

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#2638678 20-Jan-2021 11:11

I easily get 1Gbps speeds across my own network (copying large files to a nvme SSD) and most of my PCs have Intel based onboard Gigabit LAN.

michaelmurfy - I have a 200Mbps plan, which itself is an artificial limit. I'm only getting 150Mbps to 170MBps and I do not believe for a second that any of my hardware (aside from possibly the router itself), or windows is the bottleneck here.

PC Specs:

i7 9700k with Intel LAN

i5 9600k with Intel LAN

i7 4790k with Intel LAN

i5 4550 with Realtek LAN

They all show exactly the same results if run at the same time. During the busy times of the day it is 150Mbps, otherwise it can go up to 170Mbps. It stinks of throttling or contention. Lets see if Vocus or Enable will admit to it

michaelmurfy

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#2638689 20-Jan-2021 11:29

@UncleFungus I'm fully betting the problem is on your end or there isn't a problem at all. There is NO throttling on any NZ ISP. What router are you using and also have you tested by booting one of the PC's with an Intel NIC into Linux and testing via that? Have you tested multiple Speedtest servers? Have you ensured you have no other devices connected while doing testing?

UncleFungus

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#2638691 20-Jan-2021 11:37

I have disabled wireless and plugged a PC directly in to the router, with nothing else connected to it (not even the landline).

I can copy between 2 PCs (with one plugged directly in to the router and one on a switch) at a full 1Gbps.

I have tried multiple speedtest servers and download sites. The only thing that changes is the ping.

I am not sure it isn't the router itself and I'm fairly sure it's a steaming pile of junk. However I currently have no way of testing this.

I might believe it was windows if I was trying to max a 1Gbps internet connection however this is just 200Mbps. I can try a linux test.

michaelmurfy

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#2638715 20-Jan-2021 12:44

@UncleFungus And what router are you using?

Local connectivity doesn't matter - I could max out my Gigabit Ethernet but would only get ~60-180Mbit elsewhere. Things that do matter are hardware and software.

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