Imagine launch Midband Ripwave Replacement - WiMAX

19-04-2010 02:55PM

thebman wrote: »

useless again tonight. At 9PM exact, it dropped connection to steam and refuses to connect and speeds and pings have gone to hell too.

pinging boards.ie

Pinging boards.ie [89.234.66.107] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=1406ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=1370ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=643ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=116ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=106ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=104ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=73ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=98ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=116ms TTL=57

Ping statistics for 89.234.66.107:
Packets: Sent = 9, Received = 9, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 73ms, Maximum = 1406ms, Average = 448ms

for comparison on digiweb metro, this is 15ms.

Let's both test tonight around 9pm or so since we're both in Maynooth, using Dublin and Galway servers for both Speed and Ping and see how we do.
When both of us test it, it will will give us conclusive evidence that it is the entire Maynooth Network and not just our individual connections that is the problem.
I too was promised it would be perfect for gaming, which the 2mb Breeze I had previous before I was forced to upgrade was.

19-04-2010 03:22PM

First though, showing that it is a Wimax issue that gives bad results when testing with the Dublin Server rather than the Dublin Server being the problem. Here are three speed tests from my NUI Maynooth Campus, a 5 min walk from where I live and have Wimax, I tested Dublin, Galway and Keflavik (Iceland). The reason I tested Iceland is because it gives a better ping result than Wimax does to the Dublin Server.

Here's the Wimax test for Dublin Server, got my housemate who's in the house to do it. Just look at that ping.... Speed is fine for now, but we'll see what happens after 6pm.

watty · 19-04-2010 05:03PM

You should ALWAYS get a better ping to Dublin than Iceland

My Metro Fixed Wireless (8Mbps down/1Mbps up).

C:\WINDOWS>ping www.heanet.ie

Pinging samhain.heanet.ie [193.1.219.57] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 193.1.219.57: bytes=32 time=17ms TTL=60
Reply from 193.1.219.57: bytes=32 time=16ms TTL=60
Reply from 193.1.219.57: bytes=32 time=45ms TTL=60
Reply from 193.1.219.57: bytes=32 time=23ms TTL=60

Ping statistics for 193.1.219.57:
    Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
    Minimum = 16ms, Maximum = 45ms, Average = 25ms

I get pretty much 700kbyte/s to 800kbyte/s download from heanet. Which is what you expect on an 8Mbps package.
Iceland As expected poor ping, though USA is mostly worse (Boston not bad)

Galway I usually check with Airwire in Galway, even though it's a trip from Limerick to Dublin, then Galway:

London

Derry

Spain (Gijon)

USA (Boston)

Italy (Roma)

As you see, further away is mostly higher ping (Rome is good for the distance)

Also you can see congestion on International circuits or else the servers picked are over loaded as speed on distant servers is about 30% to 50% less than "local" downloads.

thebman · 19-04-2010 08:32PM

Crap at the moment:

Can't connect to steam, can't even see friends list

pings to boards.ie at the moment:
Pinging boards.ie [89.234.66.107] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=107ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=67ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=97ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=125ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=48ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=111ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=125ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=644ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=972ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=550ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=96ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=125ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=700ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=509ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=367ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=214ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=81ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=109ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=106ms TTL=57

Ping statistics for 89.234.66.107:
Packets: Sent = 19, Received = 19, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 48ms, Maximum = 972ms, Average = 271ms

ping time to clan servers:

Pinging ndh-clan.com [109.72.85.69] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=111ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=124ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=146ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=109ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=82ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=131ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=89ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=92ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=145ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=141ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=102ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=89ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=122ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=118ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=226ms TTL=49
Reply from 109.72.85.69: bytes=32 time=88ms TTL=49

Ping statistics for 109.72.85.69:
Packets: Sent = 16, Received = 16, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 82ms, Maximum = 226ms, Average = 119ms

edit

now 21:15 still no steam connection:

Pinging boards.ie [89.234.66.107] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=174ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=126ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=80ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=110ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=99ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=122ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=77ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=104ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=124ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=102ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=121ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=80ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=99ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=123ms TTL=57
Reply from 89.234.66.107: bytes=32 time=97ms TTL=57

Ping statistics for 89.234.66.107:
Packets: Sent = 15, Received = 15, Lost = 0 (0% loss),
Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:
Minimum = 77ms, Maximum = 174ms, Average = 109ms

Anyone know why Steam connection would be lost and regained randomly with the steam servers? It isn't the steam servers or the community would be in uproar as there are on average over 1 million people online on the service and my friends can play no problems so its definitely an Imagine problem.

I can't imagine it is a ports issue or it would just not work and when it happens, the ping times seem to go all over the place too. Is it just traffic shaping when contention gets bad?

edit ---- 21:19 steam now works again, always seems to happen at this time. I'm putting it down to contention and traffic congestion combined with traffic shaping for the crap connections.

19-04-2010 09:34PM

I wouldn't say it's traffic shaping causing our problems, I'd guess it to be merely congestion, most likely due to an inadequate infrastructure and oversubscribing. I'd love to be wrong because then it would be an easy fix.....

Have lots of test results, won't flood them all here.... saved them all though.
Can't game at all on XBOX Live during peak, here's a selection of results.

From Dublin Server Speedtest:

and Pingtest from same server:

From Galway Server Speedtest:

and Pingtest from same server:

CCOLGAN · 20-04-2010 09:09AM

Hi guys, just curious - do you guys in Maynooth have an indoor antenna or an outdoor antenna?

thebman · 20-04-2010 10:28AM

CCOLGAN wrote: »

Hi guys, just curious - do you guys in Maynooth have an indoor antenna or an outdoor antenna?

Outdoor.

cgarvey · 20-04-2010 02:06PM

thebman wrote: »

Outdoor.

Jaysus, that's brutal for fixed antenna. Brutal. Is it just contention (is it that bad in at 3am?), or is your setup in need of some attention from Imagine? If it's just contention, then that is worrying (given that there'll be a lot more from Maynooth to be switched over to WiMax over the next while).

Darksaga87 · 20-04-2010 02:09PM

Only have it about 3 day's. Cancled this morning. They may be good as a phone provider, but as an ISP, they are rubbish.

BigMoose · 20-04-2010 03:12PM

Cant see how they are any good as a phone providor with pings that high! As a (relatively) happy Breeze customer I'm worried! No way would I move from Breeze to this if this is the fixed outside antenna results...

thebman · 20-04-2010 04:00PM

cgarvey wrote: »

Jaysus, that's brutal for fixed antenna. Brutal. Is it just contention (is it that bad in at 3am?), or is your setup in need of some attention from Imagine? If it's just contention, then that is worrying (given that there'll be a lot more from Maynooth to be switched over to WiMax over the next while).

I think its a problem with the mast TBH. Pingtest.net show packet loss in the 90% range and half the time the pingtest fails to even run which might also explain why connection to steam disappears. Could be that packet loss is so bad, steam can't maintain connection at times or that could be another symtom of the high contention.

It is great at weekends during the day and out of heavy usage hours but useless when I get home in evenings now until sometime between 9 and 9:30 when traffic probably starts dropping off.

20-04-2010 04:40PM

BigMoose wrote: »

Cant see how they are any good as a phone providor with pings that high! As a (relatively) happy Breeze customer I'm worried! No way would I move from Breeze to this if this is the fixed outside antenna results...

I had Breeze, was excellent for me. Was told I HAD to switch to Wimax, I have the outdoor antenna and my results are shown in my posts above.
During peak is when the problems arise only, after 11:30pm I can start to use XBOX live again, but "peak" seems to be stretching to earlier in the day and later at night, I'm trying to use XBOX live now and it's breaking connection or just not working. Very Frustrating....

BigMoose · 20-04-2010 04:57PM

My Breeze was perfect for a couple of years (full speeds 24x7) but around the time they launched wimax I started to get contention issues at peak times in the evenings. Pings still excellent though.

If you were forced to move, were you able to chose to end the service without penulty? I dont see how they are in any way comparable products when I have total control of ports, NAT etc with <50ms ping times compared to a service with bloody awful iratic pings (useless for Blueface - their phone service is not even remotely cost competitive) and a locked down router... They'll get told to shove it as and when they try and force me to move.

watty · 20-04-2010 08:31PM

cgarvey wrote: »

Jaysus, that's brutal for fixed antenna. Brutal. Is it just contention (is it that bad in at 3am?), or is your setup in need of some attention from Imagine? If it's just contention, then that is worrying (given that there'll be a lot more from Maynooth to be switched over to WiMax over the next while).

Because it's not a Fixed system. You can't make a Mobile system behave like Fixed WiMax unless EVERYONE has a fixed directional aerial.

thebman · 21-04-2010 10:33PM

dropping and reconnecting to steam like a yo yo tonight.

21-04-2010 10:39PM

Same here with XBOX live.

Southsider1 · 22-04-2010 01:52PM

They're a con job! The charge me for 7mb and I never get above 2.9-3.0.

Their customer service is rubbish and they are prone to taking more than their entitlement on the direct debit. I regret ever leaving Eircom!!

Murdoc90 · 22-04-2010 07:44PM

Southsider1 wrote: »

They're a con job! The charge me for 7mb and I never get above 2.9-3.0.

Their customer service is rubbish and they are prone to taking more than their entitlement on the direct debit. I regret ever leaving Eircom!!

Jaysus,Had a salesperson call to the door today offering 7mg for 35 quid a month thought it was too good to be true alright,Ill take the 7 day trial and cancel after that!!Only considered leaving Eircom cos they were cheaper,Cheers for the heads up

Southsider1 · 22-04-2010 09:45PM

And here it is tonight....

Woeful!

22-04-2010 10:18PM

Murdoc90 wrote: »

Jaysus,Had a salesperson call to the door today offering 7mg for 35 quid a month thought it was too good to be true alright,Ill take the 7 day trial and cancel after that!!Only considered leaving Eircom cos they were cheaper,Cheers for the heads up

You should know that the 7 day cooling off period begins when you agree over the phone to their terms & conditions for the installation to take place. So if they install it a week after you've agreed, you're already past your cooling off period.

23-04-2010 12:26PM

If speeds are slow you can exit the contract due to technical issues, I did.

Fitz Guddentheidt · 23-04-2010 01:05PM

Deleted User wrote: »

If speeds are slow you can exit the contract due to technical issues, I did.

Yeah. Might do that:

cgarvey · 23-04-2010 03:31PM

watty wrote: »

Because it's not a Fixed system. You can't make a Mobile system behave like Fixed WiMax unless EVERYONE has a fixed directional aerial.

Right. They should (and maybe do?) have sectored off fixed versus nomadic. Surely, if they're intending on mass switching FWA over to nomadic WiMax they're shooting themselves in the foot (because the majority of those will likely get a poorer experience).

Even in nomadic WiMax, at least an outdoor/fixed aerial gives you the best chance of getting a decent signal. Does nothing for contention, which is probably the biggest issue people here are experiencing, unfortunately.

Maldini2706 · 24-04-2010 08:38PM

Not sure if this should go here or Midband but anyway...I got Wimax from Imagine a couple of months back and have had problems with it since the start. Pages randomly not loading, loaded pages not loading all images, P2P connections being REALLY slow most of the time (less than 1kb/s) and then jumping up to normal speed for a few hours before reverting. I got on to their tech support team but they were of no use at all and only wasted 3 hours of my life.

Anyone know what the problem could be and how to resolve it?

Thanks in advance

Southsider1 · 25-04-2010 02:58PM

Mine's dropped to an all time (s)low today. My feckin dial up was faster than this!

Cryos · 25-04-2010 07:45PM

Interesting to see all of this, perhaps they have oversubscribed what they can provide (another case of marketing going a fantastic job).

It would certainly explain alot of the random occurences here.

Maldini2706 · 25-04-2010 07:59PM

thebman · 25-04-2010 10:32PM

Another weird thing from Imagine today.

The clan servers I play on disappeared off the face of the earth that are in the Nederlands. I could see the UK hosted one.

I can also see play on loads of other servers just not the clans ones.

It came back briefly, I connected and played for a minute before it cut out mid game and I couldn't play anymore.

It seems really odd that this would happen and its not really a contention issue at 4PM on a Sunday.

Imagines technology is either not up to the task or they have it misconfigured.

PogMoThoin · 25-04-2010 10:56PM

thebman wrote: »

It seems really odd that this would happen and its not really a contention issue at 4PM on a Sunday.

Sunday evening is one of the busiest times on the internet, much busier than any evening of the week. What You describe is hardly a contention issue though.

Maldini2706 · 25-04-2010 11:48PM

What is jitter? Are these issues related to the Wimax technology or is it just a case of Imagine putting restrictions on their service? I'm getting really pissed off with it, I struggle to stream video at all, pages have to be refreshed 2 or 3 times to load properly, it's almost unusable.

Imagine launch Midband Ripwave Replacement - WiMAX

Comments