Re:This is the last straw for me

[#1]

Quote from: Jameseh

We made a change on our network yesterday - essentially increase the amount of traffic that our network can push through at any given time.

Translation please - as I read it there was a bottleneck or restriction which prevented full use of the total capacity of the centrals. Surely I must have got it wrong 

[#2]

It shouldn't do.  We have 1Gbps switches between our ellacoyas and cisco routers.  They seem to be indicating packet loss (high latency on hop 4) when the usage is over 900Mbps.  We essentially added another one, which should reduce the load and not drop data.

[#3]

Got your mail thanks James, and replied to it when you get a chance to look at the content.

[#4]

I am not sure I exactly follow that - being old and more used to valves and things - but as each router has an apparent capacity of about 5 x 622 Mbps downstream plus 5 x 311Mbps upstream which would require just about 5 x 1Gbps switches running at 93% capacity would it be correct to say that you have increased the number of switches per router from 5 to 6.

[#5]

Ignore the centrals Jim - they have nothing to do with this specific problem.
Traffic goes from Gateway -> Ellacoya -> Cisco.
I'm talking about the amount of traffic going from the Ellacoya to the Cisco, rather than the amount of traffic that is passed via the gateway.

[#6]

I thought I'd revisit this thread with an update.  So far there's a lot of talking and apologising, but yet again tonight I have download speeds of 0.12 MB.
It takes 30 seconds to open a basic web page, youtube is useless, eBay is useless.  I am not getting what I pay for.  I will be cancelling in the next few days, it's pathetic.

[#7]

I think you are wasting your time waiting for your problem to be fixed. It's wishful thinking so don't delay, just move to another provider.  I have experienced so many problems this year with Plusnet with slow download speeds it just isn't funny anymore.  No matter how many times I report the issue it never gets fixed, except once back in May when they were "certain" it was a problem with my router but then suddenly overnight the speed came back to normal even though they didn't do anything (yeah right  )  Funny thing is, since I placed my order with my new service provider yesterday Plusnet have telephoned me several times today, but I'm just not interested now it's all too little too late.  Only another week now and my new connection provider will be "live".
Go for it, take the plunge and change...there's really nothing to hold you back.
One thing that I find interesting that I only just realised tonight. Quite a lot of connection providers have their own equipment installed at BT exchanges...but plusnet does not (at least not at my local exchange) ....which I find worrying.  How can they provide a proper service without the infrastructure?

[#8]

When you say

Quote

Quite a lot of connection providers have their own equipment installed at BT exchanges

I take it you do not mean the hundreds of ISPs out there that essentially provide Broadband the traditional way by purchasing capacity from BT Wholesale? I take it you mean the relatively small number of larger companies that can afford to create their own networks where appropriate.
I suspect though that when you move on you will still have the same problems.
One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the weather - funny as it may sound - this can have an impact on your performance with water getting into the cables reducing speeds etc.  Unless your new provider comes out and relays the cable direct to the door, this could still be a problem. 

[#9]

So, does the weather affect the plusnet support desks ability to answer a question in a timely manner then ?
dick:quote

[#10]

That I can't comment on except to say that in June 2007 when most of Sheffield was under water due to severe flooding, they answered my issues with regards to a DNS problem in an extremely quick and professional manner despite them running on a skeleton staff as people could not get into the office.
In general I've not had any performance issues in the 4+ years I've been here, but note that a lot of people say
"I'm experiencing poor performance PN.  Sort it out now"
and when PN say
"have you done this that and the other"
the users say
"No.  Sort out the problem - why should I run any tests?"
and then come along complaining that their problems haven't been resolved.

[#11]

You beat me to it: I was about to post this reply!
Yes
See http://community.plus.net/blog/2007/07/25/sheffield-floods-2007-how-plusnet-pulled-through-2/ and http://usertools.plus.net/status/archive/1182854974.htm

[#12]

Well that's not how I operate.  Here's what usually happens (this is limited to 2009 only. I have been a member for many years, starting with force9 and sticking with them as they migrated to plusnet, but 2009 has been really very bad)
I raise a ticket asking for assistance
I wait a couple of days for someone to reply to the ticket
They ask me to perform some tests
I perform some tests and post the results to the ticket
The then check the line and say there is nothing wrong
They then ask me to perform some tests
I perform some tests and post the results
They then say they will escalate to their wholesale provider
I wait 2 weeks
The then ask me to perform some tests
I perform some tests and post the results
They say they will check the line
They say there is nothing wrong with the line in must be my equipment
I test a different router one that is known to work and get the same results.
I post my findings
They say the line and service is fine it must be my router.
We go round and round in circles
I apply for my MAC key
Contentment follows as I finally move ISP after 10 years.

[#13]

Hi jonnyg,
We're sorry to see you go and I realise our initial response to your ticket was much slower than it should have been, at 5 days (you raised the ticket on the 2nd December and then requested your MAC on the 5th). However the fault was raised to BT on the 10th December, we advised BT were wanting to send an engineer to your premises yesterday following BTs initial investigations but you'd already used the MAC unfortunately.
We hope you're happier with your new ISP.

[#14]

The reason for the move is not just this bout of problems...this is just the final straw that broke the camels back.   This year the connection has been sub-par most of the time and the help desk never responds in a timely manner.  I do leave with a heavy heart as I have been with plus net for years and it always used to be very good, but something fundamental has changed within your business model this year and I suspect that cost cutting from the top has cut the corners off the service and of course the result is the poor service and problems we are seeing today.   I understand that you (the support desk) probably do answer all queries as you can, but I suspect that your workload is too much for the number of you that are available. Am I right?  Cost cutting works in the short term but if your service level drops because of it then it does a company no good at all, it simply begins the slow but steady decline unless it can be knocked into shape by a forward thinking CEO and drive the quality upwards.
I will let you know what connection speed I get with my new ISP when the connection goes live in a week or so.
Jon
dick:quote

[#15]

This is why I am leaving - it's pathetic, all I hear is more waffle and empty promises.  Just a few more weeks to endure this nonsense then I will asking for a MAC, and good riddance.
It took me 60 seconds just to log into this forum.