True Internet unbearably slow today

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Mura, fwiw, I've had very good and consistent performance from HMA over the past couple months. In fact, it's by far and wide the best VPN (in terms of speed performance) of the probably half dozen I've tried and used over a period of years.

I use it primarily for streaming online video from the U.S., and have had zero problems with any throttling. Nor have I see anything in their terms and conditions that talks about any limits on data usage per day or month, etc.

Tonight just now about 10 pm, I reran two of my speedtests from this morning -- the HMA VPN in Texas compared with the HMA Virtual U.S. VPN in Singapore. And, not surprisingly in the peak of local prime time use, the speeds were much lower than morning time here, but still a respectable and sustained 2+ Mbps to the U.S. And although I just did one test for each tonight, the HMA VPN in Texas actually produced a slightly faster result that the Singapore-based Virtual US VPN.

HMA PPTP Texas VPN:

HMA PPTP Singapore Virtual US VPN:

At 2+ Mbps at busiest time of the day (evening), that's sufficient to stream Netflix's highest SD setting of about 1 Gigabyte per hour (which is about 2.4 Mpbs), but not enough for its HD stream of about 2.8 Gigabytes per hour (7+ Mbps), though it would have been during the daytime hours, as the morning results I previously posted showed.

I'm not saying HMA is a faster connection that the Singapore-Digital Ocean approach you've described so well. But I am saying, HMA works quite well and is much easier to implement for the vast majority of people here who aren't server techs or experts.

It's good to have options and choices.

Netflix data usage:

BTW, I wouldn't be averse to trying Digital Ocean, just as I've worked my way through a variety of VPNs. I know it's relatively easy to set up an account with them online. But after having done that, getting the service to give me exactly what I need in terms of VPN services/configuration is well beyond my knowledge, and probably beyond that of most people here.

Is there a guide somewhere that shows their users, once they've created an account, just exactly what they need to do to create a usable IP address in any particular country or particular city of their choice on their home PC?

Edited March 3, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[muratremix]

Digitalocean has a nice tutorial section for installing proxies vpns etc.

However when you create a VPS in Singapore, it stays in singapore. You have to destroy it in order to create another one in USA or Amsterdam. So it will not work like in VPN.

But if your ISP has fastest connection to Singapore (Truemove does, TOT does not), having singapore vpn/proxy is all you need.

Usually Singapore has better routing than Thailand because their network engineers are not Thai and they know what they are doing. Unlike TOT network workers (I don't want to call them engineers) they don't route Europe via USA or route USA via Europe (TOT Does!)

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

BTW, amid all the test results and info posted above, I hope people don't lose sight of what I found to be the most remarkable result:

--that a VPN service gave me an up to 10 times faster download speed connection to the U.S. than True cable's direct connection alone. And that's a real and reliable test using a 25 MB download, repeated and verified.

In both cases, that's my same data traveling into my home from out in the world via True's lines. But out there along the way, something happens that results in 10 Mbps results from the U.S. with a good VPN and 1 Mbps with True cable alone.

To me, that's simply amazing!!!

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Digitalocean has a nice tutorial section for installing proxies vpns etc.

However when you create a VPS in Singapore, it stays in singapore. You have to destroy it in order to create another one in USA or Amsterdam. So it will not work like in VPN.

So I'm not following you here. I believe you talked previously about accessing U.S. restricted video content like Netflix with your connection. But here you appear to be saying the Singapore VPS won't give me a U.S. IP...

If a person's end goal is to obtain a fast U.S. IP address for downloads to Thailand, how's Digital Ocean going to provide that? Or how's a Digital Ocean Singapore VPS user going to accomplish that? Or any other country specific IP other than Singapore, for that matter?

Edited March 3, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[andreitt]

I watched the above YouTube video this morning, and it was well done. Strikes me as an easy thing to accomplish on your PC.

What's missing from the video, though, is what exactly do you get by installing the software and settings he advises?

A proxy that locates you IP address where?

On your PC, you'll be installing a client that has your login details. This will connect to your server installed in the Google App Engine. You'll be having a US IP address when successful.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I watched the above YouTube video this morning, and it was well done. Strikes me as an easy thing to accomplish on your PC.

What's missing from the video, though, is what exactly do you get by installing the software and settings he advises?

A proxy that locates you IP address where?

On your PC, you'll be installing a client that has your login details. This will connect to your server installed in the Google App Engine. You'll be having a US IP address when successful.

I guess what I was trying to ask was, in your process, how and where do you select just what country or location IP address you want, and what if you want a specific location somewhere within a country?

Normally, with a commercial VPN service, it's the pre-existing ranges of IP addresses and server locations used by that particular provider. But when you're doing it on your own, then what?

Edited March 3, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[muratremix]

Digitalocean has a nice tutorial section for installing proxies vpns etc.

However when you create a VPS in Singapore, it stays in singapore. You have to destroy it in order to create another one in USA or Amsterdam. So it will not work like in VPN.

So I'm not following you here. I believe you talked previously about accessing U.S. restricted video content like Netflix with your connection. But here you appear to be saying the Singapore VPS won't give me a U.S. IP...

If a person's end goal is to obtain a fast U.S. IP address for downloads to Thailand, how's Digital Ocean going to provide that? Or how's a Digital Ocean Singapore VPS user going to accomplish that? Or any other country specific IP other than Singapore, for that matter?

Digitalocean Has vps nodes on usa. But we prefer singapore due to speed. Usa vps can be bought for 1-2 usd per month if netflix and hulu is primary goal.

[andreitt]

I watched the above YouTube video this morning, and it was well done. Strikes me as an easy thing to accomplish on your PC.

What's missing from the video, though, is what exactly do you get by installing the software and settings he advises?

A proxy that locates you IP address where?

On your PC, you'll be installing a client that has your login details. This will connect to your server installed in the Google App Engine. You'll be having a US IP address when successful.

I guess what I was trying to ask was, in your process, how and where do you select just what country or location IP address you want, and what if you want a specific location somewhere within a country?

Normally, with a commercial VPN service, it's the pre-existing ranges of IP addresses and server locations used by that particular provider. But when you're doing it on your own, then what?

With Google App Engine, you don't have control as to what location your server will be. The platform was not designed for that. It is a cloud platform for developing and hosting web apps in Google's data centers. Your app such as a proxy server can run across multiple servers. However most of the time, you'll end up with a US IP address. In my case, any location outside Thailand is good for me.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Thanks for clarifying that... So for generic U.S. IP address access, it sounds good. But for location specific needs, like a particular U.S. city or say you wanted London to watch some geo-restricted BBC content, it sounds like it's not the answer.

Edited March 3, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Digitalocean Has vps nodes on usa. But we prefer singapore due to speed. Usa vps can be bought for 1-2 usd per month if netflix and hulu is primary goal.

Thanks Mura... Have you ever tried using one of DigitalOcean's U.S. VPS to see how it would perform for Thailand-based end user?

[muratremix]

I never tried DO US server, there are much cheaper vps out there for this.

Besides, I have several 100mbit servers in San Jose so I don't have to buy US vps.

UK vps cost me 3.5 usd for 750 gb bw.

[andreitt]

Well, it seems that True's engineers has finally fixed the slow Internet connection on my end (Phrasamuthchedi, Samutprakan). I guess my proxy servers will be idle for some time.

[MikeWill]

Well, it seems that True's engineers has finally fixed the slow Internet connection on my end (Phrasamuthchedi, Samutprakan). I guess my proxy servers will be idle for some time.

Same here, I'm in Bangkok (Lumpini-Rama IV-South Sathorn area).My Internet is much improved, no need for Google proxy.

[bubba]

Well, it seems that True's engineers has finally fixed the slow Internet connection on my end (Phrasamuthchedi, Samutprakan). I guess my proxy servers will be idle for some time.

My True connection seemed to be fixed as well for about 12 hours. Now it's back to the same - slow and can't make connections at all to some sites. Back to using VPN, and that works ok.

Getting really frustrated with True here.

[lomatopo]

I've had very good and consistent performance from HMA over the past couple months.

Are you running HMA inside a router? If so, can you share make/model and are you using a custom FW?

I assume if you are running a VPN in a router you can only select a single server, at any one time?

I am looking at an Asus RT N-16, and HMA, for a customer. This Asus unit can, apparently, handle a VPN with its stock FW.

[dharmabm]

I've had very good and consistent performance from HMA over the past couple months.

Are you running HMA inside a router? If so, can you share make/model and are you using a custom FW?

I assume if you are running a VPN in a router you can only select a single server, at any one time?

I am looking at an Asus RT N-16, and HMA, for a customer. This Asus unit can, apparently, handle a VPN with its stock FW.

I have that router, but use shibby's tomato builds on it, handles VPN just fine.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus SlimKat using Tapatalk

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

I've had very good and consistent performance from HMA over the past couple months.

Are you running HMA inside a router? If so, can you share make/model and are you using a custom FW?

I assume if you are running a VPN in a router you can only select a single server, at any one time?

I am looking at an Asus RT N-16, and HMA, for a customer. This Asus unit can, apparently, handle a VPN with its stock FW.

Loma, no, I'm running my HMA VPN on individual PCs and Android devices, one by one.

The D-Link wifi router I have at home, with its current stock firmware, isn't capable of using a VPN, AFAIK. I'd have to flash the firmware with something like DD-WRT or Tomato in order to gain that functionality.

I've been thinking about giving that a try. But haven't taken the plunge yet.

The problem for me is, I have different connections and server (city) locations that I want to use for different purposes. And about a half dozen different devices at various times connected to the house wifi (not all in use simultaneously, of course). And they simply don't need to all be connected via the exact same HMA server.

So basically, when I want to stream geo-restricted video, I connect via that particular machine. When I want to do online banking, I connect to a different server using that machine. But otherwise, I just let my True connection run direct.

I got my wife a Google Nexus tablet for Christmas, as I've mentioned here before, and now she's gotten bitten by the Netflix bug. I had a year-long service with a different VPN that I'd been using prior to HMA. So now I've donated that VPN to her so she can watch Netflix when she wants.

HMA has both Windows PC and Android applications that seem to run pretty well, and make it easy to connect / disconnect and change server location, just with a tap/click or two.

I believe the HMA service allows its customers to use one account on two different devices simultaneously, but not to the same server. In my case, I don't think I've ever used it for more than one device at a time.

BTW, yes, from what I've read over time, a lot of the ASUS routers do seem to come VPN capable. I believe I've seen some of their models that actually ship with DD-WRT firmware.

Also, I guess I should mention, HMA actually has a Bangkok server, but that's not the one I'm ever connecting to.

They also have options in their Windows settings for choosing load balancing at the server level and for automatic alternate rerouting to avoid problem routing. Dunno if they contribute or not to my getting such good performance from my HMA service here.

Edited March 6, 2014 by TallGuyJohninBKK

[dharmabm]

Are you running HMA inside a router? If so, can you share make/model and are you using a custom FW?

I assume if you are running a VPN in a router you can only select a single server, at any one time?

I am looking at an Asus RT N-16, and HMA, for a customer. This Asus unit can, apparently, handle a VPN with its stock FW.

I have that router, but use shibby's tomato builds on it, handles VPN just fine.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus SlimKat using Tapatalk

FYI, I know you are talking about stock FW, but I just checked my tomato config and it has tabs to enter 2 VPN clients. I am not sure if there is a way to use both and route certain traffic over one or the other in custom config or if you would just manually enable/disable each when needed, but you can enter 2 configurations.

[lomatopo]

^ Thanks.

This install needs to be easy, simple, for not so tech-savvy people, support multiple simultaneous devices including Chromecast/NetFlix/Smart TV, and we cannot install software on two of the devices.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

Sounds like the appropriate ASUS router ought to do the trick.

Here's HMA's general support page for installing VPN capacity via routers.

https://hidemyass.com/vpn/software/routers/

And it lists the ASUS RT-N16...

I believe they have more detailed instruction inside their client log-in support area.

[muratremix]

Home type Routers can't handle more than 20 mbit openvpn throughtput due to cpu power. If an older / cheaper router, it could be 10-15 mbit max.

In pptp it could be higher than this but not sure.

[matt111]

Digitalocean had some network problems but it is 99 percent reliable (somedays 100 percent).

Setting up a proxy is very easy, setting up vpn is a bit harder but http proxy will be enough for most people.

No VPN service can offer same level of speed with private vpn/proxy on vps server because it is not shared with hundreds of other people.

If one wants to set up proxy server but need help, after bought your 5$ basic node from Digitalocean (make sure to choose SGP1 node and centos 5.x or 6.x 32 bit os) send me a pm and I can set up rest.

I echo this, setting up a pptp vpn on DO solves many of the issues I face with slow internet. International performance with DO SG from True is very good. DigitalOcean peer with TrueMove in SG * and it seems atleast for now largely uncongested.

* although its one way at the moment - outbound trace will show CAT IG for next few weeks

I suspect True runs its paid transit (green) at near capacity (possibly with some simple QoS bias for IP ranges for their high-end premium/biz broadband packages) , however peering seems fine.

http://www.trueintergateway.com/en/map01.html

[hellstens]

16/9/2014 Uthai Thani

http://www.speedtest.net/my-result/3764350874

This is so bad it can be.lol