Plusnet - New Network

[#1]

Quote from: HarryB

If you're on the new network, you may see some difference in the traceroutes.

Not necessarily.

[#2]

Quote from: Estragon

Ah, Bob. It is however a direct response to throughput issues that have and increasingly would have caused customers' reported problems.

I doubt it - I would think more due to the increased user base/future bandwidth demands.
Those throughput issues were a bit of an anomaly as the monthly TBB results didn't show the same pattern.

[#3]

Quote from: AndyH

Those throughput issues were a bit of an anomaly as the monthly TBB results didn't show the same pattern.

So as a LOT of people were seeing the same issue with slow x1 downloads that points the figure firmly at TBB for an issue with their methodology in compiling the results.

[#4]

Of course the interesting thing is that a gateway hop would often cure the problem. Don't think that is a TBB issue.

[#5]

Having read the Kitz post on this subject, I suggest that we should not get overly excited by this announcement.  It will do nothing to address the congestion at local exchanges, which is where a substantial portion of 'congestion' issues are located.
From what I understood of Kitz's descriptions, this change removes the responsibility of providing adequate inter-node capacity from BTw's shoulders to PlusNet.  In other words if there is an inter-node capacity issue today, then this move addresses a BTw failing.  What I find surprising about this move is that according to Kitz...

Quote from: http

WBMC - Dedicated (Point to Point) Dedicated WBMC is aimed at medium to large sized CPs/ISPs who have a high concentration of customers at each of the core nodes.  BTw figures suggest > 300k-500k at core nodes. The WBC network has 20 core nodes which the ISP may connect to.  The CP/ISP is responsible for the purchase of bandwidth on the MSIL which can be 1Gb or 10Gb links.  The ISP can effectively manage their network and independently purchase the required amount of bandwidth needed at each location.

...this does not become a BTw "recommended" (sensible?) option until the ISP has more that 300k users at each core node.  Given that there are 20 core nodes, one might expect that total user population would need to be above 6m users before the 'recommended' threshold has been reached.  We know that PlusNet's user base is substantially smaller than that figure.  One wonders why this move is being undertaken - I would have thought that the real contention issue is within the local exchange network providing the connectivity to the 20 core nodes - not traffic routing inter-node.
There might be commercial benefits in using dedicated services over shared resources; there might be some opportunity to optimise traffic routing, but I am sceptical that this will address the (exchange based) congestion issues as seen by many users.

[#6]

Quote from: spoon

So as a LOT of people were seeing the same issue with slow x1 downloads that points the figure firmly at TBB for an issue with their methodology in compiling the results.

A lot? There were less than 20 people complaining on that thread regularly.

[#7]

20 regularly registering their disquiet about the service they were/are receiving is a lot on a single thread.
This forum has had 32634 Members since it started in the dim and distant past. Most Plusnet users do not register for this site. The normal logged in amount is in the 30's with a 150 guests. So 20 regular posters logging in and showing their disquiet is a lot.

[#8]

And yet, Plusnet acknowledged the issue themselves, and replicated it, and stated they would do some testing in order to resolve it, then silence. As for only 20 regular complainers? I think a lot of people got so hacked off with the lack of a fix they migrated away, and hence didn't become 'regular complainers'.  Quite a few people had the courtesy to come back to the forum to state that the issue went away when they moved to BT.
Whilst AndyHs endless defence of PlusNet is curious, I think we are beyond concerning ourselves with how many people were complaining on the forum. The bigger issue was that PN acknowledged a fault, replicated it, then appeared to go silent on the issue. That is not good customer service in anyone's book.

[#9]

Re: the 300,000 users thing, it sounds more like 300,000 end users in total to me

Quote from: https

More control, more choices As well as flexibility through configuration, our two WBMC services give you even more choice. Our WBMC Shared (Aggregated) Service is perfect if you’re a small or medium-sized communication provider and don’t want to invest in dedicated WBC Aggregation Points. For medium and large providers with more than 300,000 customers, our WBMC Dedicated (point-to-point) service lets you mix and match services to create completely bespoke products for your customers.

I don't think you could call an ISP with 6 million customers "medium sized". What's surprising is that Plusnet somehow got to 3 times the recommended size for WMBC Shared.

[#10]

@jafreer
I was one of the 20 people expressing disquiet and my solution is still the one others used, swap to an AG gateway and stay there. If I get connected to any other gateways, then make sure I swap asap.
There is no point stating "yes I get the problem if I go to a PCL gateway" every few days simply because I want a working connection and staying on an AG gateway solves it for me. And my connection has been stable for the past 5 months, just 1 gateway swap forced by Openreach exchange work and that was onto an AG gateway thanfully.
There was a response in the thread that says the problem was solved after a user tested a fix.
But the only way to be sure would be to test it myself by gateway swapping onto a selection of PCL gateways. However I don't want to tempt fate and swap gateways to find it isn't fixed for me.

[#11]

It was OK for a few weeks but recently I've been seeing things like this:

If you are on a good connection sit tight!

[#12]

I may have not been a regular poster on that topic , but it doesn't mean i didnt see slow downs.
I just put up with it , and gateway hopped regularly 

 

[#13]

ee

[#14]

http://beta.speedtest.net/result/4977032436
Maybe this new network are boost the fibre speed!  

[#15]

No extra speed but hopefully ,,, less congestion 
<a href="http://beta.speedtest.net/result/4977633667"><img src="http://beta.speedtest.net/result/4977633667.png"/></a>