ISP Limiting Connection

[draftvader]

OK, before I get started...

DISCLAIMER: My "in-laws" back in England are having an appalling time with their ISPs. Their incumbent provider has reduced their connection from 20Mb to 5Mb without changing their package and are denying any knowledge of this. Their "new" ISP has not made 2 appointments so far and they have a 3rd booked so THIS IS FAR FROM A THAI BASHING. Disclaimer due to posters continually thinking that people having normal day-to-day problems in Thailand MUST be bashing Thailand.

Right. Now on with my point.

I have a connection here in Thailand and I have a package providing X up and Y down (yep, no figures, this is not about any specific provider). When we came back from England at the beginning of the month I noticed I was only getting 50% X and 30% Y from my connection (http://testmy.net on the Singapore server). I have seen this before in Thailand and generally (like everything) waiting does provide a result. This morning I decided enough was enough and I called their call centre at 08:15, not long after they had opened for business. At 09:15 I watched my line go down, small trace signals (.2-4KB/s), then back up and sure enough X+20% is back.

I have called them back to let them know that this is the case, but to also let them know that Y is still at 30%.

My point (yes, I have one) is that they said (don't blame them) "There is a problem with the line, we'll get an engineer onto it" and then at 09:15, about 15 minutes after "clocking on time", I notice that they have restored full service. To me that looks like a configuration file/account setting being edited rather than a "problem line" being repaired. How common is this practice in Thailand?

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Just got off the phone and, during the call, my upload went from 200-300kbps to 700kbps in similarly quick times (i.e. whilst I spoke with the engineer).

My conclusion. Check your connection, if it is not what you are paying for then make the call and be polite. I guess they're just seeing what they can get away with....just like the ISPs in the UK too!

Edited August 19, 2013 by draftvader

[joncl]

Key word is "polite" and wonders happen.

[tinhead]

There can be signal degradation and interference over time. Likely they changed some settings to cope with the issue. That's my theory. I don't think companies are sophisticated enough to deliberately try to rip you off in this scenario.

[draftvader]

There can be signal degradation and interference over time. Likely they changed some settings to cope with the issue. That's my theory. I don't think companies are sophisticated enough to deliberately try to rip you off in this scenario.

Is certainly a possibility. If they were working on those kind of settings (i.e. we have a 50% degradation so let's upgrade the package to X*2) then surely I would have seen both the down and up fixed simultaneously?

----EDIT----

Which would, coincidentally, put me directly into their next package down....

Edited August 19, 2013 by draftvader

[craigt3365]

I was having problems 2 years ago. Had the engineers out and they messed around for about 30 minutes. When they were done, my connection was back up to normal speed. Not sure what they did, but they had to have done something.

I'm back to slow speeds again. Looks like another visit is in order.

[mamypoko]

my package is usually up in the morning...

(couldn't resist - sorry)

Great post (yours, not mine)

thanks

Edited August 19, 2013 by mamypoko

[Cloggie]

Just stay polite and report your problem and wait for the 'magic' to happen!

My connection got disconnected 10 times a day for two weeks, call them every once and while and suddenly it works again - frustration yes for sure but at least it works again..