Switched to 2degrees in Hamiton, slower than dial-up?

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WholeHog

19 posts

Geek

#89968 12-Sep-2011 19:28

I certainly don't want to seem like i coming on here just to moan etc, i want help must be doing something wrong surely?

I have an iPhone4 which i use a lot and also use at home for main internet tethered so i get through about 6-7gb a month in usage. I had been on Telecom XT and to be honest had no issues with it, just looked at new 2degrees mobile broadband in town and thought it would be cheaper etc.

So Saturday i switched to 2degrees AND brought my 027 number with me as its on stationary etc. They switched me over in less than hour at the weekend i was well impressed. And first impressions instantly on 2deg was "hmm, only got 1bar of signal!", never-mind it worked and i was online either way (changed APN etc on phone of course).

Now i done a few speedtests on Sunday and got about 2.3/0.7Mbps which is far slower than my old XT at 6-7Mbps but that said it was fast enough and cheaper so i was cool with it.

But all day today i had 4-5min waits for browser pages to load, many failing with time-outs and it was just un-useable at all. Then to add insult to injury when i popped out to shops (anglesea street CBD) i got a message saying i was out of MBB zone and would now be charged national rate!? Yet i was smack bang in middle of city and there 3g zone? An hour later still in town i could still get anything but vodafone and same "out of MBB area" message, still walking in CBD of Hamilton.

Back home i got 2degrees back up, still with only the 1bar mind and did another 2-3 tests the fastest came out as 0.08/0.57Mbps !! Dial-up is faster no?

https://cdn.geekzone.co.nz/imagessubs/bloga2969bf8f36d0953bb359e1f5c65a205.jpg
(yes utorrent is open but nothing up or down on it)

Really worried as a) my iPhone is my link to world both mobile and at home and b) went to trouble to move my number over and spent $80 on data pack and now i an hardly use internet..

Surely there new network isnt that bad? dial-up bad? Where am i going wrong, any others in the Tron have similar speeds etc or is it just me?

Thanks all

EDIT: Should add i live in centre of city by the river, opposite the CBD

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965 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 73

#520136 12-Sep-2011 19:41

That does sound odd. Can't comment regarding Hamilton. They are still testing where I am in Tauranga and my speeds have be good on the 2degrees network.

vita

68 posts

Master Geek

#520137 12-Sep-2011 19:46

Something to try is manually setting it onto 2Degrees - Im unfamiliar with the Iphone, but I understand it can be quite dominant in the connections it makes.
You shouldn't loose network, perhaps drop down to 2GE when the 3G isnt quite strong enough.
But it may provide you with a more consistent "in zone" service

-Im sure POB from 2DegreesCare will be in here asking for some finer details, but this would be one thing that can help.

If you want to prevent "casual rate" national data charges when having it on automatic network, ensure to lock national data from use. (Lock to 233) although it should have locked when you brought the first MBB zone data pack.

WholeHog

19 posts

Geek

#520139 12-Sep-2011 19:48

Thanks gents, yes i think i have it set now to 2degrees only (it wasn't before lunchtime today). And the sim came with 100mb national so assuming that's why its not locked but think i take your tip and lock it just in case thanks.

DjShadow

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Subscriber

#520145 12-Sep-2011 20:09

There is a huge speed difference between "vodafone roaming" and "2degrees" direct connection, I did a speed test on my iphone 4 a few days after the network was unlocked and managed to max the speed in both directions...might be worth doing it in a month or so as they are now advertising their mobile broadband here

2degreesCare

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2degrees

#520373 13-Sep-2011 11:56

We're aware of some areas within the CBD where signal is weaker, we're aware of them and working on it. Can you let me know where exactly this is happening, street name and no?

Please can you PM your 2° number too.

Cheers and thanks

^POB

Talkiet

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#520395 13-Sep-2011 12:23

WholeHog: did another 2-3 tests the fastest came out as 0.08/0.57Mbps !! Dial-up is faster no?

No

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

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WholeHog

19 posts

Geek

#520396 13-Sep-2011 12:23

With the upmost respect it is far far worse than "weaker signal" in some areas!
Again today i cant even get a 3g signal at all, using vodafone right now and last few hours! getting message popups saying (lost network)?
And i have yet to ever get more than 2bars anywhere in Hamilton? Ok some places i work everyday, (speeds are an average of 3 readings using speedtest):

Stanley St, Claudelands 0.10/0.52Mbps
221 Tristram Street 0.24/0.78Mbps
59 Clarence St 5.49/1.7Mbps (got lucky, sat here now stuck on vodafone same place!)
1 Victoria St 1.10/0.59Mbps
Claudelands Event Centre 0.18/0.37Mbps
Garden Place (centre CBD) 1.17/0.67Mbps

Its almost like your signal is really badly intermittant, as Clarence street i cant get 2deg at all right now or since 9am, yet 8am this morning i got those speeds above? For Hamilton now meant to be covered by 2deg why cant i get more than 2bars anywhere in city and rarely faster than dialup, and error after error all day syaing "network lost".

Sadly 48hrs in, i am this close to demanding a full refund and going back to Telecom, double the cost but A1 speed and signal everywhere..

Hope you can help :-(

PS: PM sent

n4

959 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 74

#520413 13-Sep-2011 12:51

Are you sure you're holding it right? :-)

Seriously, tried rebooting the phone? I would say your experience is not the typical one in Hamilton, so it is most likley particular to your setup/device.

Samsung Note20 Ultra, on 2degrees

Stan

929 posts

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Inactive user

#520438 13-Sep-2011 13:26

https://www.speedtest.net/result/1479889630.png

In 2 degrees store using a netbook.

Pop in if you have time and I can take alook at your phone.

2 Degrees store
509 Victoria Street

SteveON

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#520441 13-Sep-2011 13:27

Talkiet:
WholeHog: did another 2-3 tests the fastest came out as 0.08/0.57Mbps !! Dial-up is faster no?

No

Cheers - N

It never ceases to amaze me that people think this is how slow dial up was. try 0.045Mbps... That's 10x the speed!

WholeHog

19 posts

Geek

#520448 13-Sep-2011 13:35

Ddid the topic really need two people posting about dial-up speed? I think some people take "geek" to far eh.. I think everyone else understood my point.

Anyhow, Stan, thanks i hadnt even known Hamilton had any 2degrees shops yet, oops i shall try and pop in yes, but really cant see how its the iPhone, happy to be corrected, but surely short of putting a sim card in and changing APN/MMS setup theres nothing else to it is there?

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Talkiet

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#520453 13-Sep-2011 13:41

WholeHog: Ddid the topic really need two people posting about dial-up speed? I think some people take "geek" to far eh.. I think everyone else understood my point.

Anyhow, Stan, thanks i hadnt even known Hamilton had any 2degrees shops yet, oops i shall try and pop in yes, but really cant see how its the iPhone, happy to be corrected, but surely short of putting a sim card in and changing APN/MMS setup theres nothing else to it is there?

You've actually done a good job of describing the issue and have clearly tried a lot of different locations etc and provided some good data points.... While I understand your frustration though, it's misleading to suggest it's slower than dialup when it's not. Granted, you were only out by 100% (80kbps observed vs 40ish kbps for decent dialup throughput) when others that misuse the term are out by factors of 10 or more sometimes!

Accuracy in descriptions is one of the keys to getting issues resolved. I'd have let "approaching dialup speeds" or "near dialup speeds" go - it still gets across the message and isn't wrong.

I bought a Ferrari and expect it to go really fast, but I can't get it above 60kmh! That's slower than WALKING PACE!

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Stan

929 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 183
Inactive user

#520470 13-Sep-2011 14:08

WholeHog: Ddid the topic really need two people posting about dial-up speed? I think some people take "geek" to far eh.. I think everyone else understood my point.

Anyhow, Stan, thanks i hadnt even known Hamilton had any 2degrees shops yet, oops i shall try and pop in yes, but really cant see how its the iPhone, happy to be corrected, but surely short of putting a sim card in and changing APN/MMS setup theres nothing else to it is there?

Try searching for networks and switching manually to 2 degrees 3g.
In the mean time I will do some testing on my HTC desire in some of the locations above.

SteveON

1916 posts

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#520488 13-Sep-2011 14:51

Talkiet:
WholeHog: Ddid the topic really need two people posting about dial-up speed? I think some people take "geek" to far eh.. I think everyone else understood my point.

Anyhow, Stan, thanks i hadnt even known Hamilton had any 2degrees shops yet, oops i shall try and pop in yes, but really cant see how its the iPhone, happy to be corrected, but surely short of putting a sim card in and changing APN/MMS setup theres nothing else to it is there?

You've actually done a good job of describing the issue and have clearly tried a lot of different locations etc and provided some good data points.... While I understand your frustration though, it's misleading to suggest it's slower than dialup when it's not. Granted, you were only out by 100% (80kbps observed vs 40ish kbps for decent dialup throughput) when others that misuse the term are out by factors of 10 or more sometimes!

Accuracy in descriptions is one of the keys to getting issues resolved. I'd have let "approaching dialup speeds" or "near dialup speeds" go - it still gets across the message and isn't wrong.

I bought a Ferrari and expect it to go really fast, but I can't get it above 60kmh! That's slower than WALKING PACE!

Cheers - N

+1

Kind of like the guy on TV on Target who was complaining that 256kbs was like dial up. For starters dial up is analog and 3g/broadband is digital and actually connects a lot faster.

jonb

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#520498 13-Sep-2011 15:05

Welcome to pedant's corner. At least he got the M uppercase and not lowercase..

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