Frustrated

[nicho]

Can any of you Internet Gurus help with a most frustrating problem. Our internet service is fine all day, but for the last week, come 7pm, the whole thing slows to a trickle. If we can get into a site at all, it will take around10/15 minutes. Sometimes it seizes altogether. By around 11pm however, it springs back to life, so it would appear to be linked to peak usage.

Our server is Freeserve - their customer services tell us it's not of their doing, but is entirely down to BT and their poor quality of lines. BT claim that's rubbish, and it's down to the Internet Companies having too many users for their systems at peak hours. One BT tech guy tells us he's turned up the line gain, the next day someone else tells us it's not been done. We are simply going round in circles.

We've tried to get Broadband, but evidently we live more than 5.5 km from the exchange, so that is not available. What about ISDN - will the faster digital line help if the problem really is at the Servers end?

GRRRrrr - anybody any ideas/ have the same problem?

It's now 19.35 on Friday and I'll try to send this post,. but I'm not holding my breath

 

[PaulJ]

FWIW, I am on Freeserve and I have not had that problem.

 

[Reap]

Now I am no guru but do have experience of this myself, it is caused by net congestion(a real guru correct me if I am wrong here) I suffer from it occasianally myself and my isp is BT. Now sometimes I think this can be BT thats at fault though it can also be caused by demand on the server you are accessing if its very popular ie some online gaming servers.
Broadband would certainly speed things up for you and with talk of satellite coming in soon then this should give access to people like yourself who are tooo far from the exchange

 

[jfm]

Re: dial up changes

I'm on freeserve anytime on a regular modem at home, and no prob. But a couple of months ago they mailed me and told me to change my dial up number. I ignored it till things slowed right down, then did it and got fast service again. So I wonder if you are using an out of date dial up number? Mebbe check on the freeserve home page for instructions?

 

[BrendanS]

Nicho,

I'm on Freeserve Anytime, and occasionally had similar problems. Can't get broadband for similar reasons.

I did however get lucky once, and spoke to a good Freeserver call centre person when the server my access telephone number died. She gave me three alternative numbers to dial. It's no good me posting those, because they are typically tied to your own telephone number and region. Having said that, it's worth asking to speak to a supervisor and asking if there are alternative numbers you can dial, then you can try alternatives to see if any are faster (I think they've caught on, the alternatives I was given no longer work)

 

[Strathglass]

It seems to be a problem all over. I am also with Freeserve anytime. On some evenings perhaps three or four times a month at around 1900 I cannot log on for a period of about 10 minutes. Then it is ok after that. Once I am logged on the connection speed is quite usable (about 25K on a 56K modem). I also cannot get wideband here.

Iain

 

[jimi]

Do'nt bother with ISDN its outdated and not worth the money. Broadband will come soon so its just a matter of being patient. It may be worth trying another ISP.

 

[Jools_of_Top_Cat]

I have seen the net slow to a trickle and I have a cable modem, always on, I have seen the uk sites appear to halt while the USA sites work perfectly. The invention of broadband is slowing the lines down something chronic, ie people are downloading and distributing massive files which were never considered for transfering before.

7pm. people go online after dinner, does your connection speed up after say midnight again?

<font color=blue> Julian </font color=blue>

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ukstaffords.com>http://www.ukstaffords.com</A>

 

[hlb]

I have the same problem Thought it was my new confuser getting knackered. Nice to know everyone else gets the slow, slow, quick, quick, slow. Routine

<font color=blue> Haydn

 

[nicho]

I've just discovered my neighbour, who is a senior IBM man, has got broadband installed, even though BT insist we are too far from the exchange. He used a back door route, which I am going to try.

I went round there last night and logged on to this forum. The difference is phenomenal - the speed is incredible, no waiting for flat threads to load etc, just instantly straight in. I've just got to get it!!

 

[nicho]

Meant to say, I've spoken to others round here that are on different servers (AOL and Virgin), and it seems they too have the same problems. Just too many people on the internet at these peak times I guess....

 

[BrendanS]

OK, you've got my interest now! What back door????

 

[webcraft]

Broadband will not come soon if you live in a rural area - BT's 'trigger point' will never be reached for many of us.

ISDN is a viable option if you want/need two phone lines. I've used BT's Home Highway for years. With a genuine 'flat rate' ISP - eg Freeserve Anytime - you can stay online pretty much as long as you want - in effect giving you a permanent internet connection while keeping your phone line free. It also works out as a pretty cheap way to get two BT lines. Another plus is that when you dial up you get connected within a couple of seconds and you are always connected at 64K, not 38k or 42k etc as is often the case with an alleged 56k modem connection.

New Home Highway installations come with a USB adapter built into the box, so you don't need to buy a new adapter (ISDN modem).

Right, let's talk about boats . . .

<font color=blue>Nick</font color=blue>
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.bluemoment.com>

</A>

 

[Ohdrat]

The problem is due from what you say to a contention ratio which is basically number of peeps trying to dial in to your ISP, Freeserve and the number of ports they have.

Freeserve actually use the BT network and will have agreed with BT the "capacity" or Volume of their requirement.

Freeserve have obviously got enough "Capacity2 during the day but at peak times they do not.

The other aspect is not connectivity (your modem - their ports) but to do with their Web server/s being inundated at certain times and not having what basically boils down to their servers memory etc not being able to cope at peak times.

Incidentally I use Btinternet and regularly dial in around the 6pm peak and have to say so far connectivity has been 100% and the Web and Mail servers seem to be up to the peak demand.

P.S. Broadband is not all that it made out to be.. i.e. you share actually "share" your broadband with neighbours and it is only "broad"band to the exchange..

For further advice on ISPs and connectivity check out

and <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.net4nowt.com>Net4Nowt<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by Ohdrat on 08/02/2003 17:29 (server time).</FONT></P>

 

[Magic_Sailor]

I had exactly the same problem with Freeserve - slow and even when connected, I kept losing my connection.

Changed to AOL some time ago - no problems at all!

Magic

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://hometown.aol.co.uk/geoffwestgarth/myhomepage/travelwriting.html>Click for website!</A>

 

[gtmoore]

If you can't get traditional broadband then perhaps something like this may be the answer

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tiscali.co.uk/products/tiscalisat/>http://www.tiscali.co.uk/products/tiscalisat/</A>

HTH


Gavin

 

[bigmart]

Broadband may not be everything its made out to be on paper but let me assure you "It is a dream to use".

I waited months until it became available in my area & joined within days of it becoming available. Now surfing the net means surfing the net.

I sympathise with those who can't get it but please don't try to pretend that its not worth getting. Ive got two PC's networked through one modem & also connect my Palmtop via Bluetooth on the same connection. There's no noticable drop in speed even when all these computers connect at the same time.

Broadband is simply great.

Martin

 

[jimi]

Completely agree .. and I've had an ISDN line for the last two years, Broadband is a world of a difference

 

[jonjo]

I use ybw.com daily via ISDN at home and 2Mbits (ISDN x 31) at work. The performance difference is not that noticeable because YWB is a slow site i.e. it does a complex job.