SingNet should fix access problems first
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ST: June 28, 2006
SingNet should fix access problems first
IN THE news recently, SingNet was talking about deploying ultra broadband and raising access speeds up to 100Mbps.
The irony is that it cannot even fix basic access problems in its current network.
I have been a SingNet broadband subscriber since May last year.
In the first year, I was a 512kbps user but as my experience was very unsatisfactory, I upgraded to 1500kbps unlimited plan since May this year.
I started using an online trading portal from November 2005, and it did not work because the network was very slow.
Since November, there is a history of my case no.5657577, which did not get resolved.
Because of the poor performance, I upgraded to 1500kbps plan, and my experience got worse, even for basic browsing.
Trying other networks, I have connected to the same sites using wireless LANs in my neighboorhood and I can see a marked improvement when I get on some of them (apparently StarHub's broadband).
It is also worthwhile noting that when I changed the network in my travels abroad (eg. in Korea, India), the response times improved dramatically.
This proves that the problem is in the SingNet network and not with my personal computer set-up or the remote servers being accessed.
For instance, last month I was in Delhi and stayed in a hotel which had a 512kbps DSL line.
Still, my online experience was far better than what I experienced at home here.
Besides, most of the time on Skype, the voice keeps breaking up whereas most others can use it quite well.
I am a telecom professional and can figure out from my experience that it is not the DSL link, which the SingNet linesmen keep coming to test again and again.
It is either the SingNet network that is the bottleneck or it uses very high over-subscription on the BRAS, which effectively chokes the throughput.
I am really tired of taking pings, trace-routes and remote terminal traces and sending them to the SingNet staff over the past six months.
I have done everything I possibly can to help their Tier 2 and 3 technical staff to fix the problems, but there was no significant improvement.
The other thing about SingNet customer service is its method of contact.
Everytime one needs to contact SingNet, one has to either call the customer technical support hotline and go through the whole history again or go online and fill out the customer feedback forms.
It's painful and frustrating doing it every time.
There is no way for the customer to cut short this process even when he has been interacting on the same issue for months.
Rajiv Jain
same with us
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even if 100MBPS sure damn damn damn damn ex 1
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Boycott SingNet!!!
Good thing I use MaxOnline
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so singnet no good?Originally posted by chanff8:Boycott SingNet!!!
Good thing I use MaxOnline -
Of course. They are testing out a new technology called VD-SL2. This technology is fast, but is going to be super expensive. I rather use free 512kbps for a year, then consider what to do next.Originally posted by lpx88:even if 100MBPS sure damn damn damn damn ex 1
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same with me.
calling them is one of the worst nightmares sia. -
512k is still the best. why waste money upgrade and get more problems instead.
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I'm using 256 plan and no problems so far...
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so how?Originally posted by Ito_^:same with me.
calling them is one of the worst nightmares sia. -
they already upgrade all 256 plans to 512 liao?Originally posted by dakkon_blackblade:I'm using 256 plan and no problems so far... -
Singnet is not giving out all it's bandwidth.
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lan lan suck thumb loh.Originally posted by hoganrock:so how? -
i am sucking now.Originally posted by Gordonator:lan lan suck thumb loh.
literally. -
so how?Originally posted by LazerLordz:Singnet is not giving out all it's bandwidth. -
suck tumb. ok?Originally posted by hoganrock:so how? -
Don't ask me. IDA or some department controls the end-part of the data pipes.We can have the fastest access to that gateway, it doesn't matter, because the gateway determines the rate that data packets come and go from Singapore.Originally posted by hoganrock:so how?
Whatever fast speed is only perceptible if you surf domestic hosted sites.If they turn on the tap at the final gateway, you and I would see a very large difference during online gaming, because that is one of the best apps to test for latency, which can be affected by packet transmission volume, as far as I know.
Any expert here care to clarify my ideas?
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You are right about the fast speeds for local sites. That's because they are hosted by us, so they will be fast.Originally posted by LazerLordz:Don't ask me. IDA or some department controls the end-part of the data pipes.We can have the fastest access to that gateway, it doesn't matter, because the gateway determines the rate that data packets come and go from Singapore.
Whatever fast speed is only perceptible if you surf domestic hosted sites.If they turn on the tap at the final gateway, you and I would see a very large difference during online gaming, because that is one of the best apps to test for latency, which can be affected by packet transmission volume, as far as I know.
Any expert here care to clarify my ideas?
However, once we cross this border, the speed difference would be significant. There are a few reasons for it.
1) Peak Hour Traffic Delays Content-hosting servers may be overloaded during peak hours, when the number of concurrent connections exceeds the webserver's capacity. This can result in delays in accessing data. You should re-try accessing the site at a later time. This is especially so when we cross different timelines. Right now, it is night time here. Over at the US, it's getting to day time soon. As more users wake up and start accessing their favourite sites, this delay can be significant, to the extent of not able to access the website.
2) Content Provider's System Configuration
Different content-hosting webservers can provide varying end-user experiences. For instance, webservers with high-powered CPUs and large amounts of memory would be better equipped to handle a high demand for content as compared with less powerful webservers.
Similarly, end-user access speeds may also be affected by the content providers' bandwidth connection to the Internet. If this bandwidth connection is insufficient, the end-user may experience slow access speeds, even if the local Internet service provider has allocated sufficient bandwidth for this connection.
This problem is more tricky as it is now not within our means to solve it. It's up to the providers to improve the situation.
3) External Routing Delays/Congestion Slow connection speeds are sometimes also due to overseas routing delays or congestion. In such cases, the delays may be beyond the control of local service providers. Again, this is not within our means.
There's also another factor: the number of hops.
Hops are the number of point-to-point links in a transmission path. Since each link is terminated at a network device such as a router or gateway, the processing performed within the device to determine how to forward the packet adds overhead to the transmission. Although each point-to-point link is technically a hop, the hop count is the number of network devices between the starting node and the destination node. An IP packet traveling over the Internet can easily "hop" through more than a dozen routers. Depending on how each company configures their network, it may take a longer or shorter time. Typically, the more hops the data packet has to make, the longer it would take.
More information here -
Similarly, end-user access speeds may also be affected by the content providers' bandwidth connection to the Internet. If this bandwidth connection is insufficient, the end-user may experience slow access speeds, even if the local Internet service provider has allocated sufficient bandwidth for this connection.
Mayi, that's damn pro.
This problem is more tricky as it is now not within our means to solve it. It's up to the providers to improve the situation
Okay, I feel this is the bottleneck. I believe, from a few sources, that we have the reserve bandwidth,but for reasons unknown, IDA or NCS previously, will not utilise this fully.
This is why our external conns are jammed up.It could be as innocent a reason as commercial gain etc.. -
I don't know if that's true, if it is, I think an uproar would be next. What I'm pretty sure is that NCS is not involved. IDA is. Going by logic, I think Singapore does reserve bandwidth somewhere, if not, why would the government offer free surfing? All these lags and a sudden improvement plus free surfing, does indicate something.Originally posted by LazerLordz:Mayi, that's damn pro.
Okay, I feel this is the bottleneck. I believe, from a few sources, that we have the reserve bandwidth,but for reasons unknown, IDA or NCS previously, will not utilise this fully.
This is why our external conns are jammed up.It could be as innocent a reason as commercial gain etc..
It has always been Singapore's style to do something for commercial gain.
But on the other hand, it may not be. Singapore's IT infrastructure has been stagnant for quite a while, though more and more people are applying for broadband, which could well be jamming up local bandwidth and connections to the outside world. -
i currently using 1500kbps still fine with it lah
but what shock me was, if you are living in austrila, the connect you get is 6GB for AU$60 per month! -
NCS or NCB was the predecessor of IDA. But the commercial angle is probably half true.Originally posted by ndmmxiaomayi:I don't know if that's true, if it is, I think an uproar would be next. What I'm pretty sure is that NCS is not involved. IDA is. Going by logic, I think Singapore does reserve bandwidth somewhere, if not, why would the government offer free surfing? All these lags and a sudden improvement plus free surfing, does indicate something.
It has always been Singapore's style to do something for commercial gain.
But on the other hand, it may not be. Singapore's IT infrastructure has been stagnant for quite a while, though more and more people are applying for broadband, which could well be jamming up local bandwidth and connections to the outside world.
Perhaps we are stagnant.. but anyway, who knows right? -
my singnet jus screwed up minutes ago
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mine too.. my internet was down for abt 45 mins.. damn piss man! so i called their broadband techincal support no. at 1800-8486933.. guess wat?? its engaged!! bloody hell..Originally posted by NT2:my singnet jus screwed up minutes ago -
I think someone accidentally shut down their network.... I was down for more than an hour, so fed up, changed my modem instead. My newer modem and LAN card supported faster speeds... now faster liao.
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i sent e-mail complain liaoz.. they better give me a good explaination..
