Traffic Shaping

[Tufty]

I have a 512/128 Maxnet connection (but always slower) and like to down load English TV using Bit Torrents from UKNova as this site has a share ratio I need to upload as much as I download to avoid being banned.

When I first got Maxnet the health on UKNova was fine and I could recieve incoming TCP connections then after a whille I couldn't I tried all sorts of configerations within Azureus and opened the relavent ports in my firewall (I have even switched it off to try to cure the problem)

My setup is

ZyXel prestige 600 modem

XP sp2

Sygate personal fire wall pro

EZ antivirus

Azureus 2.4.0.2

Then suddenly for some reason I was connectable again (I didn't do anything) and everything was fine, after a few weeks the Maxnet speed slowed to a standstill, the following day the Maxnet speed was back to normal but once again I am unable to recieve incoming TCP connections

I have verified my listening port is open using a port scanner (https://grc.com/x/portprobe=xxxxx x's represent the port number) and everything is ok but I am still not connectable

People have suggested that Maxnet may use Traffic shaping software and that could be causing the problem and Azureus has a way round this by using encryption (which I have tried but doesn't make a differance)

Is anyone else using bit torrents that can advise me what to do, at times I feel like throwing my computer over the balcony

[Simmo]

What kind of upload, download speeds are you getting when its working ok and when its not?

[monty]

Do you have @home package (790/month)?

If so you have a big chance they'll do traffic shaping. Maxnet clearly states that in their cheap homepackages both VOIP and P2P are not supported.

I know from a few people that until recently the P2P networks were not yet blocked, but as their subscribers base (and data load) increases they will start blocking, just to ensure enough bandwidth stays available for regular internet use (surfing)

[Tywais]

Possible that Maxnet is auto throttling (load balancing) connections depending on traffic and number of connections? I also use Azereus at CMU and it has been behaving very well.

When it is running slow try running Internet speed checks to see how your upload/download speeds compare to when it is running normal. This will tell you if it is overall speed limiting or your P2P.

http://www.speakeasy.net/speedtest/

Edited April 12, 2006 by tywais

[Tufty]

What kind of upload, download speeds are you getting when its working ok and when its not?

When I am connectable I upload at around 25 kB/s and download at around 40 (of course dependent on the number of seeds/peers)

When I am unable to recieve incoming from UKNove users my upload is virtually nill unless I am the only seed in which case it fluctuates between 25 and 0

[Tufty]

Do you have @home package (790/month)?

If so you have a big chance they'll do traffic shaping. Maxnet clearly states that in their cheap homepackages both VOIP and P2P are not supported.

I know from a few people that until recently the P2P networks were not yet blocked, but as their subscribers base (and data load) increases they will start blocking, just to ensure enough bandwidth stays available for regular internet use (surfing)

Yes I do have the home package and didn't know about them not supporting p2p, how did you find that out, I can't get any info off the Maxnet site (but also I can't read Thai)

[hereforgood]

Do you have @home package (790/month)?

If so you have a big chance they'll do traffic shaping. Maxnet clearly states that in their cheap homepackages both VOIP and P2P are not supported.

I know from a few people that until recently the P2P networks were not yet blocked, but as their subscribers base (and data load) increases they will start blocking, just to ensure enough bandwidth stays available for regular internet use (surfing)

Yes I do have the home package and didn't know about them not supporting p2p, how did you find that out, I can't get any info off the Maxnet site (but also I can't read Thai)

I as well have the Home package and as of yet no problems with P2P or Voip but keeping my fingers crossed

[meadish_sweetball]

I have Maxnet4Life.

When I signed up this was the only package that guaranteed VOIP and BitTorrent, on the information sheet I was given for comparison there were footnotes for the cheaper packages stating that they did not support VOIP and BitTorrent.

The price is ridiculously high though, 2500 baht per month for 512/256, so I am now waiting for TRUE to start installing wireless Internet in my area.

[monty]

Meadish,

better stick with Maxnet! I went through a bunch of ISP's and it's everytime the same story, the cheap pakages s*ck...

True, or any ISP for that matter, is just bound by the prices the Communications Authority (CAT) charges them for the international bandwidth.

Currently CAT charges the ISP's around 25000 Baht/month for 1024kbps international bandwidth...

So at 2500 Baht/month for 512/256 (which costs them 12500 Baht), the ISP's can offer you a contention ratio (sharing ratio) of 10:1 and make a profit out of it after covering all their overhead...

Pay 1000 Baht for 1024/512, and you'll get hit by a contention ratio of at least 50:1. Heavy slowdowns during peak hours, blocking of P2P to preserve that precious little bandwidth available etc...

A friend of mine has True 1024/256 in Pattaya for 2900 Baht/month and his actual international speed seldom goes over 100kbps!!! When he went to inquire if an upgrade to a better package (less sharing) is possible they said "of course" with a big smile. Only 19900 Baht/month

http://www.it.co.th/adsl.php

[meadish_sweetball]

Thank you for the advice Monty, I am sure you mean well, but my personal experience of TRUE in Chiang Mai differs heavily from what users in other parts of Thailand report.

My guess is that the worst areas for Internet are the ones with a high concentration of foreign residents, where relatively many will have high speed internet and use p2p programs. It is in these areas the contention ratios will be truly tangible. I do not live in a farang neighbourhood so I think the contention ratio may be less important in my case. Not that I know exactly how it works, these are just guesses based on my own experiences.

I was on Chiang Mai TRUE's cable modem service for over a year and had a beautiful, stable connection running at 80-90% of the promised speed at virtually all hours (marginal slowdown from 15-18). 1024/512 for just 1000 baht per month. Typical download speeds for torrents were 60-120 kbps.

When I switched to TT&T Maxnet4Life at 2.5 times the price I got a connection which only runs at 60-70% of the promised speed 512/256, has more downtime, and which forced me to accept an offer with a substandard router (Chinese orphan produced, unable to handle BitTorrent and other p2p programs which rely on multiple TCP connections). Cancelling the package before one year costs 3200 baht.

My torrents now run at maximum 30 kbps.

It should be noted that the salesperson neglected to mention these conditions in advance. She actually claimed there was "no contract". Of course since my wife believed her and signed up, there is now nothing we can do except scream our heads off at the dishonest sales person.

The contention ratio of TRUE may be higher (if I remember correctly it was 1/20 as opposed to 1/10 on my present package with TT&T), but since TRUE still provided me a faster, better service, I see no rhyme or reason to TT&T boasting about their low contention ratio.

But hey, I get to keep the piece-of-junk router which I do not have any use for and will never be able to sell.