Google Maps doesn't work with NTL Broadband?

capistrano

Can other NTL Broadband users use Google Maps?

I have noticed that I have a good connection for most ordinary surfing. But when I access Google Maps, my connection drops temporarily. This site sems to use AJAX technology to continuously communicate between the browser and the server. I suspect that NTL are doing something to stop this because it is completely repeatable.

For example, here is the output from a ping to maps.google.co,uk when I try to access http://maps.google.co.uk/ in a browser. When I load this page all of a sudden the request times out. This lasts for what appears to be pretty much exacty 60 seconds and then I can get replies again. But I can’t use the site properly.

$ ping -t maps.google.co.uk

Pinging maps.l.google.com [66.249.93.147] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=57ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=41ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=38ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=37ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=58ms TTL=244
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=37ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=39ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=55ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=78ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=52ms TTL=244

I see the same pattern when I try to remotely access a powered on PC at home over the internet using the IP address assigned by NTL broadband.

BTW I am in D7.

CiaranC

Nothing to do with NTL, works fine on all my machines

capistrano

Hmmm. Perhaps my modem is getting a bit dodgy.

I've done some more investigation and it seems that my connection disappears whenever there is a constant stream of traffic. I have now also noticed that it also happens when I am downloading a torrent using Azureus - not something I do too often.

I've been with NTL for nearly two years and all this used to work fine.

Freddie59

capistrano wrote:

Can other NTL Broadband users use Google Maps?

I have noticed that I have a good connection for most ordinary surfing. But when I access Google Maps, my connection drops temporarily. This site sems to use AJAX technology to continuously communicate between the browser and the server. I suspect that NTL are doing something to stop this because it is completely repeatable.

For example, here is the output from a ping to maps.google.co,uk when I try to access http://maps.google.co.uk/ in a browser. When I load this page all of a sudden the request times out. This lasts for what appears to be pretty much exacty 60 seconds and then I can get replies again. But I can’t use the site properly.

$ ping -t maps.google.co.uk

Pinging maps.l.google.com [66.249.93.147] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=57ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=41ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=38ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=37ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=58ms TTL=244
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Request timed out.
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=37ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=39ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=55ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=78ms TTL=244
Reply from 66.249.93.147: bytes=32 time=52ms TTL=244

I see the same pattern when I try to remotely access a powered on PC at home over the internet using the IP address assigned by NTL broadband.

BTW I am in D7.

No problem in Waterford. Thanks for the link. Excellent service.:D

fatherdougalmag

capistrano wrote:

Hmmm. Perhaps my modem is getting a bit dodgy.

I've done some more investigation and it seems that my connection disappears whenever there is a constant stream of traffic. I have now also noticed that it also happens when I am downloading a torrent using Azureus - not something I do too often.

I've been with NTL for nearly two years and all this used to work fine.

Welcome to the magical mystery world of the NTL disconnect I, too, first encountered this when using BitTorrent and when trying to remotely access my home PC from work with LogMeIn.

If you've been following the NTL upgrade thread there are a few people with this problem and there doesn't seem to be any clear root cause. I had the same problems as you with a 120 (silver) modem on the 3Mbps service. The modem would reboot after full-duplex communication (i.e. concurrent transmit and receive). I got it exchanged for a 250 modem now the problem is that the modem doesn't reboot - it just stays dead until you power it off-on.

I had an engineer out and all he could do was check signal strength. Didn't make any difference. Then I determined that if I took my VoIP router off the network and connected the modem directly to my wireless router the problem went away. The VoIP router was in the same rats nest of cables as the modem whereas my wireless router is in a different room with about 20 feet of ethernet cable between it and the VoIP router. So I thought there might have been something up with the cable but I tried different ones and it made no difference.

So then I moved the VoIP router into the other room and it didn't make a difference. Finally, I put the VoIP router behind my wireless router (instead of in front of it) and I haven't had a disconnect since.

capistrano

Interesting. At least I know I'm not the only one seeing this. It gives me some ammunition when talking to NTL - and the description of when it happens, full-duplex communication, nicely describes the problem.

Funnily enough I also have a VoIP router in my setup but it's already behind my wireless router; and I get the disconnect even when I connect my laptop directly into the NTL modem (an ntl:home 120 model).

fatherdougalmag

Sounds like a modem upgrade will do the trick. As soon as you mention you have the 120 modem they'll arrange an engineer visit to replace it. With any luck, that should be the end of your problems.

capistrano

Well, after waiting in vain for a week for NTL to reply to my support email, I finally phoned them.

Of course, I had to go through the usual rigmarole of rebooting my PC and modem before they passed me on to broadband support who immediately said that a lot of people with the ntl:home 120 modem have experienced problems since the upgrade. So they're replacing the modem next Tuesday.

Hopefully, this will sort me out.

capistrano

Just to complete the thread...

NTL replaced my 120 model with a new 250 type modem and the problem is fixed.

So I'd recommend anyone with the olf Home:120 modems to get it upgraded!