My Blog

Tag: Internet

  • Spa finally connected to wireless

    It’s taken me a few weeks, but I finally have our Spa connected to our wireless network.

    Unfortunately I worked out very early on that the wireless module in our Spa couldn’t see the main house wireless. So the plan was to install an external wireless access point. That task was completed some weeks back using a Mikrotik wAP.

    Today I finally used the SVLink iOS application to configure things (as the Android version sucks). It’s now connected to our wireless network. This means I can now control all the Spa functions for the application on our phones. So you can increase the Spa temperature before getting home and it will be ready to use at that perfect temperature.

    Screen capture below from the iOS application.

     

    Australian residents can purchase Mikrotik hardware from my favourite supplier in Geelong – Duxtel. Highly recommend them.

  • Mikrotik wAP – Installation

    Today the installation of the Mikrotik wAP (Model: RBwAP2nD) was completed.

    As per pictures, the unit was installed externally. In my case I installed it outside under my alfresco area. It’s about 4m away from my Spa, which is the device that I need to see the wireless network.

    Available for purchase in Australia from Duxtel. (Product Link)

  • New Internet Provider

    Yesterday after getting so much packet loss and the fact that I have had enough of the poor ongoing performance from iiNet. I couldn’t stand it any longer and jumped ship (read: provider).

    OCCOM became our new service provider as of about 10am today. Of course speedtest result has to be posted.

    5766801524

    Of course doing some download tests during the day has surpassed the real world speed I got on iiNet when the issues had been going on. Even my evening tests surpass those of the iiNet service. Not sure what happened to iiNet network, but only getting about 50-80kb/s from ftp.iinet.net.au and about double that for mirror.internode.on.net during evening reflects just how bad things are. Those same tests now on new isp massive difference.

    Get over 3 MB/s to mirror.internode.on.net right this moment.. couldn’t even get half that at this time of night on my iiNet service.

    20161104-mirror-internode-on-net-test

  • iiNet – Opticomm service disruption

    Noticed today that my smokeping metrics for my next hop out of my iiNet service took a turn for the worst. Prior to midnight started to get packet loss.

    1478082466268_1478082466_1477974420
    lo0.bng1.syd7.on.ii.net

    iiNet knew nothing of it, and turns out Opticomm was having backhaul issues (2nd time since Saturday) and believed to be related.

    Funny enough things came good late tonight and I imagine that’s because Opticomm resolved condition.

    Ironically enough and annoying thing is that while this occured the Opticomm status page for my postcode had no faults reported. That really ticks me off. Considering iiNet wasn’t telling customers anything about it.

  • FTTP service performance – Update1

    I was able to determine that the FTTP service performance speedtest results came down to some router settings. It appears some over aggressive QoS rules seemed to contribute to the bad results.

    Meanwhile, while I can now get a really good speedtest result to Tesltra Sydney (99/39 typically), the results when using Yes Optus Sydney is terrible (7/39 just now).

    I just did an ftp transfer test from ftp.iinet.net and it’s very crap, as you can see below.

    20160524-2139-ftpiinet-slow-transfer

     

  • FTTP service performance

    The FTTP service performance is not hitting the mark. I signed up for a 100/40 service via RSP iinet.

    However since having it activated via Opticomm and RSP iinet the service hasn’t returned speedtests that match this.

    I would expect to see speedtest results close to 100/40.. i.e. I believe 99/39 is typically possibly based on the fact I have seen another resident in this area sometime ago post his results matching this.

    I was seeing about 74/39, however the last 24 or more hours I am lucky to exceed 70 in downstream tests.

    RSP iinet now wants me to run through a series of tests as outlined on the page here. Those tests are 4 items that much be completed 3 times a day on 3 consecutive days (on 2 different computers). Oh my, this is a going to major pain. Meanwhile it wouldn’t surprise me that RSP doesn’t purchase enough capacity from Opticomm.

    Guess I will get to the tests soon as I have my home office finally setup. Still need to get all my computers working.

  • iiNet Internet services scheduled for move

    Finally called iiNet and went through what was required to move my internet services to the new house. All required items done, now I hope this goes smoothly.

    Will have a period of no internet connectivity unfortunately. However my neighbour, who lives behind me has allowed me to use his wireless so I can get internet access out via his connection until my service is activated. I was very humbled when they offered this. We have such great neighbors again (as we have had great neighbors where I have been living).

    Our ADSL2+ is currently an offnet service with iiNet. So we’ve had to have a phone service and phone rental costs for something we don’t really use. As per my previous post here. We will be moving to an FTTP/FTTH service with iiNet as provided by Opticomm.

  • FTTP Installation booked

    Opticomm FTTP installation paid for and booked. Scheduled to be completed on 20th May in the afternoon.

    Will need to subsequently schedule for my iiNet service to move from ADSL2+ service to the FTTP/FTTH service the following week (from 23rd May) might be plausible.

    20160503-opticomm-schedule-installation_720x740

     

    Now things are starting to get a little real.

  • Carnival Spirit – Internet Access Prices

    I noticed while on Carnival Spirit for an 8 Day cruise that the internet services and cost structure has completely changed.

    Below is a screen grab of the services you can purchase during your trip.

    20160426-carnival-spirit-internet-rates_720x726

    I must admit I really dislike the fact that I cannot purchase a couple of hours in a block and use them sparingly over the trip. As typically I go with out any internet access for the entire cruise and only purchase a couple of hours so that I can pay any bills while away (when absolutely required). However the costs above are so expensive I can’t understand why anyone would pay to use it for the entire cruise.

    Will be providing feedback to Carnival Australia that they should work with provider who set this new infrastructure up to allow the purchase of hourly blocks which can be used any time in the cruise, not expired all at once from the 24 hours in which it was purchased.

    Below is a speedtest result accessing a Sydney location from the middle of the South Pacific. Purely done for giggles if anything else.

    20160429_speedtest-south-pacific

     

    Service while having a massive ping, was more than enough for web browsing and using email.

  • Internet Connectivity – State of affairs

    The Internet Connectivity that we can obtain in various parts of Sydney is honestly a bad point for some and I can honestly understand.

    My estate as a majority has no NBN and is not scheduled to have a build phase of the infrastructure. Our copper phone service is delivered via Telstra and comes in via RIM. When I first moved in about 8 years ago after building our first house here, we had no internet at all for 6 months. As unfortunately no ADSL was available. Eventually the RIM was upgraded to enable this, and it was a struggle to get a service at all. Back in those days, developers didn’t think about connectivity like they do now, which is a shame to be honest. Our phone infrastructure eventually got upgraded to have ADSL2+. Honestly that was a shock to me at the time. Infrastructure was so at capacity I believe people in my estate are left with no way to get ADSL due to limited capacity of ports in the RIM. The last stage in this estate actually got NBN, and that probably around 50 or more houses I suspect. But for the majority of us we either don’t have any ADSL or have to put up with the service as per below;

    5062362972_iinet_adsl2_offnet

    Also did I mention that we can’t get a naked ADSL service. Which sucks badly as I don’t even use my phone service that much, if not at all.

    Meanwhile, NBN has been rolling out in other areas out this way and below is the service my mother can get in an older area, which I reckon is pretty great. Her upload speed absolutely slams my download speed.

    5062159276_nbnco

    Our government is so behind the times, I am not surprised some people are so critical over the issues associated with NBN Co and the dramas along the way with its deployments about the place.

    All I can say is I am so looking forward to moving in the next 3-4 months, we purchased some land a while back and have been in the process of building a new house. The new hosing estate where this is happening is an Opticomm estate where Internet and FTA television services are provided over FTTH (Fibre to the home).

    I plan on moving my iiNet ADSL2+ service to the FTTH service they offer. Also plan on going the 100Mbps/50Mbps service speed too. Will be sure to post back on the progress of this over the coming months including hopefully some good speedtest screen captures.