Whats Going On With Cat - Cdma

[nikster]

PM on its way , I wish I could show this CAT guy some solid and un disputable evidence

I sent him just that. We'll see what happens.

Here's the "undisputable evidence" part of the email:

But it is easiest to see with downloads, here is steps to reproduce the problem:

- Turn OFF any download manager you might use

- Download this file:

http://www.mirror.in.th./osarchive/eclipse...e-SR2-win32.zip

- Wait until the download completes

Problem: Download does not complete. It will time out once it has downloaded 20MB or maybe 30MB. On my connection, it's over at 50MB

I have demonstrated this problem to the local CAT office on their computer, as well as my own computer, to show it is not related to the laptop used, the operating system used, or the CAT CDMA USB stick used. All devices are affected equally. I am in Pai, Mae Hong Son province, but seeing the same problem also in Chiang Mai. Others have reported the same issue from Phuket.

Edited June 26, 2009 by nikster

[ThaiLife]

PM on its way , I wish I could show this CAT guy some solid and un disputable evidence

I sent him just that. We'll see what happens.

Here's the "undisputable evidence" part of the email:

But it is easiest to see with downloads, here is steps to reproduce the problem:

- Turn OFF any download manager you might use

- Download this file:

http://www.mirror.in.th./osarchive/eclipse...e-SR2-win32.zip

- Wait until the download completes

Problem: Download does not complete. It will time out once it has downloaded 20MB or maybe 30MB. On my connection, it's over at 50MB

I have demonstrated this problem to the local CAT office on their computer, as well as my own computer, to show it is not related to the laptop used, the operating system used, or the CAT CDMA USB stick used. All devices are affected equally. I am in Pai, Mae Hong Son province, but seeing the same problem also in Chiang Mai. Others have reported the same issue from Phuket.

Well just tried to download the file , (with out a Download Manager) , got to 28% Ok , then Stop and that was that

[Gary A]

Today I'm in Ao Nang. No blazing speed here either. So far it has not stalled;

Last Result:

Download Speed: 563 kbps (70.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

Upload Speed: 218 kbps (27.3 KB/sec transfer rate)

Latency: 453 ms

Friday, June 26, 2009 11:40:18 PM

[nikster]

Today I'm in Ao Nang. No blazing speed here either. So far it has not stalled;

Last Result:

Download Speed: 563 kbps (70.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

Upload Speed: 218 kbps (27.3 KB/sec transfer rate)

Latency: 453 ms

Friday, June 26, 2009 11:40:18 PM

Well - can you do the test with the large download file?

E.g. this one

http://www.mirror.in.th./osarchive/eclipse...lileo-win32.zip

Let me know if you are able to download this in one go, not using a download manager.

[slipperx]

A Phuket user here. I have a Sierra Wireless Aircard and a newer C-Motech USB version aircard. Both have same issues used in three different laptops. It is impossible to download any sizeable file without a download managere. Some of the files I need to download are sizeable - upwards of 1 gig. I just started using Download Accellerator Plus on a free trial which shows speeds of between 300Kbs and Zero and wild fluctuations during the current 1 gig download I am doing. I spent all of yesterday restarting the dowload using Firefox when even that gave up the ghost saying it could not read the cached data after about 800Mb had completed. This has been going on for 4 months or more and I am sure CAT are well aware of the problem and do not want to fix it.

The download manager shows the download speed dropping off to zero every several minutes though it is not a consistent cycle.

Someone complained about billing. I also received several bills at once and in the shop was told they had just replaced the billing system software with some new system which they found three times longer to process the entries where the old system was working perfectly well. Now I WONDER why they would want to do that!!!!

Sometimes I think there is no hope for this place and the way business is done.

Anyone know of a decent free download manager better than Download Accellerator?

[ThaiLife]

I have been using what I thinks is considered a very good ( Paid ) internet download manager ( IDM )

http://www.internetdownloadmanager.com/

At first this was working very well, and if there was a problem, it would automatically resume the download,

so I could set it and go to bed, knowing when I got up in the morning, my downloads would be there, all

finished . Now with the current problem, even this IDM , cannot resume after the connection is stopped , so

ive given up for now trying to run the IDM over night, now when it stops and does not automatically resume,

I have to click '' Resume Download '' my self, even doing this some times will not work, and the only was is to manually disconnect my connection, then re connect again, then I can manually resume the download my self, until

the next disconnection.

I am at a loss to understand just how a once reliable connection, can get to the current state in only a matter of a few Months

[Gary A]

Today I'm in Ao Nang. No blazing speed here either. So far it has not stalled;

Last Result:

Download Speed: 563 kbps (70.4 KB/sec transfer rate)

Upload Speed: 218 kbps (27.3 KB/sec transfer rate)

Latency: 453 ms

Friday, June 26, 2009 11:40:18 PM

Well - can you do the test with the large download file?

E.g. this one

http://www.mirror.in.th./osarchive/eclipse...lileo-win32.zip

Let me know if you are able to download this in one go, not using a download manager.

I didn't want to download anything I didn't want so I downloaded a book. I also used my download manager. 198 mb with no stalling.

[nikster]

I didn't want to download anything I didn't want so I downloaded a book. I also used my download manager. 198 mb with no stalling.

Well that was a bit useless. You can see the problem only without download manager. A download manager - and the free ones work just fine BTW - will reconnect the connection if the connection interrupts. So it will handle those CAT CDMA interruptions just fine, absolutely no problems.

In addition to automatically continuing downloads, the manager also opens many different simultaneous streams. So you have maybe 6 or 7 paralles streams open and if one of them gets interrupted, it only takes away 1/6th of your download speed.

And that is why I said turn off your download manager in order to see the problem.

So you might say what the CAT engineers said to me: What is your problem? Are you trying to make trouble? Why not just use a download manager. Answer: Because other services are also affected, like Skype, and for me most annoyingly, VPN. And for these services there is no cheap workaround like there is for downloads.

There's also the VMWare fusion download which simply does not work with a download manager, but that's so far the only download I have found where that's the case.

Edited June 29, 2009 by nikster

[nikster]

I have been using what I thinks is considered a very good ( Paid ) internet download manager ( IDM )

Don't know didn't have any problems with freedownloadmanager (google it) which, as the name implies, is free.

iGetter (Mac) also works fine and is free.

Both get around the CAT CDMA problem.

[ThaiLife]

Well ive just had a telephone call from the Same CAT engineer who has been looking into my disconnection problem, from what I can understand a fault has been found with some sort of equipment , which as far as I can tell is manufactured in China, and this faulty equipment has been found to be causing a problem covering the whole of Thailand . The CAT engineering department has now submitted their findings on this problem , to the CAT management and the management will then have to contact the Chinese equipment manafactures .

The engineer did say that if I wanted to track the situation concerning this now recognized

problem, I could call this telephone number ... 1322.

I really can't say 100% just what is going on , but fingers crossed may be some good will come from this .

[Gary A]

I didn't want to download anything I didn't want so I downloaded a book. I also used my download manager. 198 mb with no stalling.

Well that was a bit useless. You can see the problem only without download manager. A download manager - and the free ones work just fine BTW - will reconnect the connection if the connection interrupts. So it will handle those CAT CDMA interruptions just fine, absolutely no problems.

In addition to automatically continuing downloads, the manager also opens many different simultaneous streams. So you have maybe 6 or 7 paralles streams open and if one of them gets interrupted, it only takes away 1/6th of your download speed.

And that is why I said turn off your download manager in order to see the problem.

So you might say what the CAT engineers said to me: What is your problem? Are you trying to make trouble? Why not just use a download manager. Answer: Because other services are also affected, like Skype, and for me most annoyingly, VPN. And for these services there is no cheap workaround like there is for downloads.

There's also the VMWare fusion download which simply does not work with a download manager, but that's so far the only download I have found where that's the case.

I downloaded an update for one of my programs. It was 48 MB. I had to restart it four times. So, yes, there are problems here too. The interruptions are brief and not too noticeable. At home in Loei, the interruptions last much longer.

[mellow1]

I also have been having a problem with CAT. Lately it has been constantly disconnecting. I wanted to upgrade to their 1MB wireless system, which comes out to about 10,000 Baht, but it has gotten so bad, that I feel I'd be throwing the money away. They have known there is a problem for months ( this from talking to a CAT employee) but haven't done anything. As long as you pay they are happy, doesn't matter if it works or not. They have nothing to worry about, foreign competition is not allowed, and you have what other choices to select from?

[JR Texas]

I also have been having a problem with CAT. Lately it has been constantly disconnecting. I wanted to upgrade to their 1MB wireless system, which comes out to about 10,000 Baht, but it has gotten so bad, that I feel I'd be throwing the money away. They have known there is a problem for months ( this from talking to a CAT employee) but haven't done anything. As long as you pay they are happy, doesn't matter if it works or not. They have nothing to worry about, foreign competition is not allowed, and you have what other choices to select from?

I think you are totally correct......especially the last sentence......no doubt a few families own these companies and care little because there is no competition (probably same group of people that own CAT owns the others too).

Today, July 1, the internet is horrible.......can't connect to sites in the USA..........can barely check my email. And can't download torrents at all.

It might be due to something I am unaware of like a broken underground sea cable.........has this happened?

Too bad for Thailand........Japan, Singapore, S. Korea........all have super fast systems. Years of protectionism is taking its toll on Thailand. They have already, I think, passed the point where they are competitive at all.

Why do business in Thailand?

[Thailand]

I also have been having a problem with CAT. Lately it has been constantly disconnecting. I wanted to upgrade to their 1MB wireless system, which comes out to about 10,000 Baht, but it has gotten so bad, that I feel I'd be throwing the money away. They have known there is a problem for months ( this from talking to a CAT employee) but haven't done anything. As long as you pay they are happy, doesn't matter if it works or not. They have nothing to worry about, foreign competition is not allowed, and you have what other choices to select from?

I think you are totally correct......especially the last sentence......no doubt a few families own these companies and care little because there is no competition (probably same group of people that own CAT owns the others too).

Today, July 1, the internet is horrible.......can't connect to sites in the USA..........can barely check my email. And can't download torrents at all.

It might be due to something I am unaware of like a broken underground sea cable.........has this happened?

Too bad for Thailand........Japan, Singapore, S. Korea........all have super fast systems. Years of protectionism is taking its toll on Thailand. They have already, I think, passed the point where they are competitive at all.

Why do business in Thailand?

Recently upgraded my TOT package to DiamondCyber, veeeeeery slow and also cannot access many sites including one of my email accounts.

The good news- my trusty standby True dialup works reasonably quickly and I can access everything I want.

[nikster]

I downloaded an update for one of my programs. It was 48 MB. I had to restart it four times. So, yes, there are problems here too. The interruptions are brief and not too noticeable. At home in Loei, the interruptions last much longer.

Back on topic... yes, the interruptions are brief, at least in my experience.

[joka]

I wonder if these problems come from the new evdo revision and all the high speed modems. Maybe slowing the traffic down a bit would help. I would be happy with a stable 150 KBps down and 75 KBps up, even though I too would need a new modem to get the up speed.

[RKASA]

I don't think it is completely related to CAT or Cat is also effecting ToT, because when my ToT  drops I lose both international and local connection.   I have noticed a sim. problem for sometime now.  Did you notice that it may happen more often at 5 min. before the hour and 25 after.  Thats not 100% with my drop outs but 80% > happen right on schedule.  lasting 1 to 3 mins.  everything is gone and Ipstar is working fine. Its like ToT just pulls the plug long enough to drop any downloads that might be running and then turns it back on.  This would save them a ton of money in bandwidth and still collect the same from the user.  About nine months ago it only happened once every two hours right at the top of the hour like the lease connections were renewing with the server.  Maybe they spead them out and it still can't handle it.  I found stardownloader works around it pretty well because I can set retry for up to 100 tries every 10 seconds.  Its the only way to downlaod anything over 20mb.

[Gary A]

I don't think it is completely related to CAT or Cat is also effecting ToT, because when my ToT  drops I lose both international and local connection.   I have noticed a sim. problem for sometime now.  Did you notice that it may happen more often at 5 min. before the hour and 25 after.  Thats not 100% with my drop outs but 80% > happen right on schedule.  lasting 1 to 3 mins.  everything is gone and Ipstar is working fine. Its like ToT just pulls the plug long enough to drop any downloads that might be running and then turns it back on.  This would save them a ton of money in bandwidth and still collect the same from the user.  About nine months ago it only happened once every two hours right at the top of the hour like the lease connections were renewing with the server.  Maybe they spead them out and it still can't handle it.  I found stardownloader works around it pretty well because I can set retry for up to 100 tries every 10 seconds.  Its the only way to downlaod anything over 20mb.

In my opinion, it comes down to the fact that you can't put ten kilos of rice in a bag that was designed to hold five kilos. The providers sell to far more customers than they can service and the undersized systems can efficiently handle.

[RKASA]

Yes I call it the paper tiger internet, its looks like the real thing but only on paper.

Edited July 2, 2009 by RKASA

[cockneyrebel]

here in Surin been playing up for a while was told about a month ago that they were repairing something in Bangkok, which would take about a month was ok for a couple of weeks, now the last few days back to dropping off even thou it is saying connected but in stead of getting a figure of eight kind of signal, only get an arrow going from 12 o’clock to 3 o’clock position

CAT CCU 680

[Flapman]

I'm using CAT's CDMA near to a mast at Doi Saket, Near Chiang Mai. Signal strength has been constant: all the bars on my c-Motech CCU-680.

CAT admitted the problems I had in May/June were due to a CAT "software" problem. The engineer kept calling me if things were better or not. For a while they weren't, then slowly in June I could get a connection, and connections now don't drop. But speed is way down: on speedtest.net ping to SuksonHost I just got:

155ms ping

0.41 Mbps d/load

0.15 Mbps u/load.

As earlier commented, it smacks of lack of system capacity i.e. over-subscription.

Anyone using a yaki high-gain antenna with a c-Motech modem? I tested an antenna (tied to the end of a bamboo pole!) at a plot of land near here a while ago and could watch (Thai) TV on the engineer's notebook. Not sure it's be the same now tho'!

[RKASA]

Funny this post should come up, because I was just thinking about the same thing.  In fact mine with ToT and not even a cdma was doing the same thing and it has stopped dropping out twice an hour as well.  Hope it lasts, that was driving me nuts.

[handydog]

I don't think it is completely related to CAT or Cat is also effecting ToT, because when my ToT drops I lose both international and local connection. I have noticed a sim. problem for sometime now. Did you notice that it may happen more often at 5 min. before the hour and 25 after. Thats not 100% with my drop outs but 80% > happen right on schedule. lasting 1 to 3 mins. everything is gone and Ipstar is working fine. Its like ToT just pulls the plug long enough to drop any downloads that might be running and then turns it back on. This would save them a ton of money in bandwidth and still collect the same from the user. About nine months ago it only happened once every two hours right at the top of the hour like the lease connections were renewing with the server. Maybe they spead them out and it still can't handle it. I found stardownloader works around it pretty well because I can set retry for up to 100 tries every 10 seconds. Its the only way to downlaod anything over 20mb.

In my opinion, it comes down to the fact that you can't put ten kilos of rice in a bag that was designed to hold five kilos. The providers sell to far more customers than they can service and the undersized systems can efficiently handle.

This happend in New Zealand with Telecom, about five years ago. The difference there was the courts ordered them to refund all the subscribers... backdated 6 months.

The upside was alot of people got 6 months free internet.

I doubt this will happen here in Thai

[nikster]

What is your situation at the moment?

Today have been the first day that I have not have a single drop of the connection.

Have you noticed the same?

-Pekka

Yes, I just came back to this thread to report that I just completed a 500MB download without connection drop. Typical example of where this bug would have hit last time as I was downloading documentation packages for XCode. These are downloaded inside the application, e.g. you can't use a download manager, and they are huge. I downloaded two sets of about 250MB each and they came through. This in Chiang Mai.

The connection was pretty slow, but it completed. When I was looking the connection speed ranged from 20KB/s to 50KB/s. Nevertheless, I take a slow, stable connection over a fast unstable one any day. At least this way I can use it for work.

Since you are seeing the same I dare say they fixed it! I don't know since when exactly because I have not been using CAT CDMA much lately, because of this issue.

PS: This is not about TOT, or the same as TOT or any other DSL provider. The problem was very specific to CAT CDMA, never had this issue - periodic network drops - with any other provider, and I have TOT and CAT DSL lines.

Edited July 7, 2009 by nikster

[nikster]

Update from this morning: Problem appears fixed. Thanks to those who stuck with it, ie ThaiLife. Who knows, that engineer you contacted might have had something to do with the fix. It certainly did not hurt

Why I think it's fixed:

- Downloaded 500MB yesterday without any interruptions

- Was on VPN today for 2 1/2 hours without interruptions

Considering both were impossible while the problem was going on, I'd say it has finally been fixed.

Edit: I am going to continue to monitor the situation as I am now in Chiang Mai and CDMA is my primary means of accessing the internet.

Edited July 8, 2009 by nikster

[mellow1]

Seems to be running OK for me too today.

[Totster]

So... How is everyone else finding the connection now ?? Can I get rid of CrapStar ?

Totster

[ThaiLife]

So... How is everyone else finding the connection now ?? Can I get rid of CrapStar ?

Totster

Hi, Ive been waiting a bit just to see how my disconnection problem turned out after the CAT engineers comments , so far since a few days after the CAT engineer called me to outline the problem, ive had no disconnections at all, both using a download manager and with out one , for me that disconnection problem seem's to have stopped.

My speeds have remained the same , web pages are opening on Firefox fairly quickly, and file downloads are back to normal, so I am now back to my happy state . As for you getting rid of CrapStar , I would not like you to make that choice on just my personal situation, so

hopefully more CAT CDMA users will report their current situation with their connections , and may be we can get a better over all view.

Thanks

TL

[nikster]

So... How is everyone else finding the connection now ?? Can I get rid of CrapStar ?

I have been using CAT CDMA for VPN and to download stuff and the problem of the intermittent download disruptions is most definitely fixed. It's been stable and working, just as before. Only took 4 months to resolve Connection seems a bit slower - either they put in more efficient bandwidth throttling, or it's because I am currently in Chiang Mai - not sure. I have a feeling that the lower speed is connected to the fix though.

Example downloaded a VMWare Fusion upgrade (191MB) - this used to come in at over 100KB/s before (but then get interrupted so it was a bit useless), now I got about 50KB/s on average. And this is early morning when there's no strain on the system.

Still, it will be way better than CrapStar.

[mellow1]

Starting to get a lot of disconnections, especially around 8 or 9PM. When checking CAT status, the numbers on bytes received are just frozen, it will start up again after a while. Sometimes a while drags out, and I disconnect, and re- connect till it starts sending again.