[ale] [OT] DSL and latency

[krwatson at cc.gatech.edu]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ale-bounces at ale.org [mailto:ale-bounces at ale.org] On Behalf Of
> PairOfTwins
> Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 21:15
> To: Atlanta Linux Enthusiasts
> Subject: [ale] [OT] DSL and latency
> 
> All:
> 
> A friend on Earthlink DSL, eight miles from my own Earthlink DSL, had
> lousy speed tests despite all our complaints.  NOW her Mac gets over
> 3000 kbps at speakeasy's speedtest.
> 
> However, when sites took 10 - 20 sec to bring up any content, I did a
> bunch of pings:
> 
> yahoo.com   ave 1313 ms, 12% loss
> 2wire.com  ave 1661 ms, 4% loss
> earthlink.net  ave 1466 ms, 0% loss
> 
> while my own Earthlink 3 mbit connection shows ave 85 - 140 ms, with 0%
> loss.
> 
> So, is Earthlink correct to blame the wiring in her home, or is it
> really their problem???  [note: all phones have filters]  My googling
> hasn't provided much to go on.
> 
> Thanks,
> Tom


I see you are having the same problem I have been having for years. I'm a very long time customer of Mindspring (now Earthlink). I actually hand delivered my sign up check to Charles Brewer, so you can imagine my frustration.

Over the last few years I've had the following scenario:

Normal ping time to Earthlink DNS server and first router is about 23ms.

Suddenly it will jump to between 400ms and 1300ms and stay that way for days.

When I restart my DSL modem it returns to 23ms for about 10 seconds and then goes right back to 400ms to 1300ms.

I call tech support and get no help only the following mantra:

1. Reboot your computer.

2. Reboot the your modem.

3. Try a different DNS server. (he clearly doesn't understand that I get the same ping time to the first Earthlink router on their network so DNS isn't the issue)

4. Oh you have a Linksys router, please connect directly to the modem.

5. Oh, connected directly to the modem is still bad.

6. It's your house wiring.

7. No I'm connected directly to the DMARC (NID) with a 12 foot CAT5 patch cord there is no internal house wiring or phones connected at all. I even test a new patch cord just to be sure.

8. It must be your old DSL modem we will send you a new one in several weeks (they don't mention that this will also secretly sign you up for a one year contract). I decline.

9. I hook up each of my other brand new (various brand) DSL modems in turn and get the same results. This really strips their gears.

10. I still get no help and the only way to get them to escalate the call is to get very very very irate. Did I mention they won't escalate the call unless I get irate. Very very very very irate. I don't get this. He can't fix the problem so he does what? Wait for it. Nothing.

11. They promise somone will call me back.

12. No one calls me back and the line mysteriously goes back to 23ms ping times within 30 minutes of my tech support call. Sometimes for a few months.

13. Lather rinse repeat at 1.5 to 2 hours per tech support round.

I suggest you do what I'm going to do and dump them for Atlantic Nexus. It breaks my heart because their service was so good when they were Mindspring. I guess all things pass with time.

P.S. - Earthlink if you are listening (I really doubt it)? When you tick off an IT professional they will tell all their IT professional friends who then tell the hundreds of regular computer users they support to avoid your company's services like a bad rash. One IT pro equals hundreds of regular users and I know a lot of IT pros. 

I feel so much better now,
keith

-- 

Keith R. Watson                        Georgia Institute of Technology
Systems Support Specialist IV          College of Computing
keith.watson at cc.gatech.edu             801 Atlantic Drive NW
(404) 385-7401                         Atlanta, GA  30332-0280