What is Going with Smart?

brian__foley

This is just something that has been seriously bugging me for a few weeks now. For three to four years, Smart BB has been pretty good for me - i.e. just a service that did what it said on the box. Occasionally there were problems, but that's life.

However, these last few months, the service has just changed. Suddenly, there are constant speed drops (to crawling pace) despite the boast (and, indeed, term of the contract) that there is no contention on a Smart line.

The Smart support forums (run, I believe on a voluntary basis by Smart staff) aren't really insightful on this with the reasons for drops being suggested as line faults when quite a few of the querists appear to be in my boat - i.e. a grand service for years, but suddenly changing. I just can't believe that suddenly there are line faults developing or that line faults which once (i.e. for the last three years) caused no problems, now cause problems.

Is there any understanding of what could be behind all this? Could the nature of the service have unilaterally changed with the Digiweb transfer or is it conceivable that there are other explanations? Any insight anyone else has gained would be great - I'm simply trying to understand how the whole service has just turned sour.

Sure, look at what I'm at right now...or a few minutes ago...that just isn't right.



Thanks

Brian

SickBoy

You might be throttled?

jor el

Any chance you've used more than 170GB in the last 30 days? That's upload and download. If so, they'll have restricted your speeds for a few days, until your 30 day usage goes back below 170GB.

brian__foley

jor el wrote: »

Any chance you've used more than 170GB in the last 30 days? That's upload and download. If so, they'll have restricted your speeds for a few days, until your 30 day usage goes back below 170GB.

Ah no, not at all. Sure, if I was at that, I'd have the sense to shut up. No, my use is purely web / email with the use of legal databases pulling down the biggest files (i.e. 5-7mb pdf's) on occasion. I suppose use of youtube etc would be about the limit of my use - some streaming etc. There are two of us in the house, but the other is the same usage. Smart have a record you can view online, and I think my last month was about 5gb if that. (Edit -just checked it - was a bit off on 5bg, but its still a small numbe...7832.94mb(7.83) dl in past 30 day period, 711.16(0.71) upstream)

mick_the_pole

jor el wrote: »

Any chance you've used more than 170GB in the last 30 days? That's upload and download. If so, they'll have restricted your speeds for a few days, until your 30 day usage goes back below 170GB.

From I know Smart has unlimited download/upload so that wouldn't be an issue. Log a call with them. Eircom might be doing something on your line/exchange and this might couse the problem. I've been using Smart myself for last 3 years and never have had a problem. They probably offer the best quality BB on the market right now, at least in my area (D8)

brian__foley

mick_the_pole wrote: »

From I know Smart has unlimited download/upload so that wouldn't be an issue. Log a call with them. Eircom might be doing something on your line/exchange and this might couse the problem. I've been using Smart myself for last 3 years and never have had a problem. They probably offer the best quality BB on the market right now, at least in my area (D8)

They are throttling people at over 170GB...I think its always been unlimited with a "fair use" proviso. Don't get me wrong - I've found it a perfect service for years (D7), it's just recent that probs have emerged - calls have been made etc. Originally said router was the problem, and it was replaced, but probs continuing.

There is a reasonably well reported problem with it randomly not letting you access google sites (well reported on smart forums) but told on customer call that its impossible for this to happen.

Noticed that speed tests say that my ISP is "Digiweb Ltd". I wonder is that anything to do with it. Maybe not.

jor el

brian__foley wrote: »

Noticed that speed tests say that my ISP is "Digiweb Ltd". I wonder is that anything to do with it. Maybe not.

Digiweb bought Smart several months ago, and things seem to have gone down hill since then, according to several posters. Try and log a support call for the speed issue, and take it from there.

mick_the_pole

brian__foley wrote: »

Noticed that speed tests say that my ISP is "Digiweb Ltd". I wonder is that anything to do with it. Maybe not.

If I remember good I'm getting "Digiweb" as well, I can't check it right now for ya. I'm in a middle of gettin them back coz I was trying to get on with Magnet. Got them up and runing yesterday but their BB is pure ****, nothing like smart. So I have to wait probably 2 days for Smart to switch me back on theirs exchange. I have also noticed that router that smart gives you it's not the best one, even tried netgear, etc. The best, at least for me is Netopia router from Eircom. You only have to trick it to run on smart line, but when you do it, it runs much better than any other router. Small ping, no connection drops + good enought wi-fi signal.

If router it's not a problem it is probably something on your line. It usually takes some time coz Eircom has to check the line for Smart, unfourtunatelly Smart doesn't do it themself.

They never asked me to slow down on download, and I'm doing even more than 170GB/month. I only don't use any torrents, mostly ftps, rapidshare.

jay93

apart from the connection being complete muck the ping is horrible 1225ms :eek::eek: something seriously wrong there it always been this bad ??digiweb must be no good smart where ok before they got taken over

turbot

I've been a customer of smart broadband for over 3 years... For the most part they have been fab.

However, recently, it seems the quality of service has been intermittently poor; especially when connecting with google services.

For example, over this weekend, there have been various time-outs on a variety of google services, such as gmail / feedburner and right now it's 6am on Sunday morning and YouTube is stuttering when streaming low res videos.



I am also noticing a strange phenomena - when I run tests on Speedtest.net - the results are confusing:

1st test (Dublin): 13mb downstream / 0.3mb up

30 seconds later:

2nd test (Dublin) 9mb downstream / 0.25mb up

30 seconds later:

3rd test (Dublin) 8mb downstream / 0.26mb up

30 seconds later:

4th test (Dublin) 7.5mb upstream / 0.25mb up

Can other people test what they are experiencing on speedtest.net and look for similar issues?

When I try to stream youtube videos - at first - the first part loads quick - and then it stops - and then another segment loads quick - and then it stops. Instead of "streaming" evenly, it seems to be downloading in "bursts).

I'm wondering if Digiweb have some kind of burst-cache / dynamic bandwidth allocation, that actually throttles the bandwidth allocation after the first x megabytes from any given source are downloaded. That certainly seems to correlate with my experience. Eg Youtube videos start by loading quick, then 25% in stop completely, and then suddenly another 25% loads... and all in all, this means it's hard to watch a video trailer in a satisfying manner.

Anyone else experiencing similar issues?

pwd

turbot wrote: »

I've been a customer of smart broadband for over 3 years... For the most part they have been fab.

However, recently, it seems the quality of service has been intermittently poor; especially when connecting with google services.

For example, over this weekend, there have been various time-outs on a variety of google services, such as gmail / feedburner and right now it's 6am on Sunday morning and YouTube is stuttering when streaming low res videos.

Anyone else experiencing similar issues?

yes i have same thing

mick_the_pole

turbot wrote: »

I've been a customer of smart broadband for over 3 years... For the most part they have been fab.

However, recently, it seems the quality of service has been intermittently poor; especially when connecting with google services.

For example, over this weekend, there have been various time-outs on a variety of google services, such as gmail / feedburner and right now it's 6am on Sunday morning and YouTube is stuttering when streaming low res videos.

Anyone else experiencing similar issues?

It's working ok on my end. But I think the Digi web take over has something to with it. I remember in February I had similar problem with pings and not stable connection. However after 2weeks everything went to normal. At the moment I'm getting this:



Give them a ring, their servis is usually polite and very helpful

brian__foley

mick_the_pole wrote: »

Give them a ring, their servis is usually polite and very helpful

Agreed, they are polite and helpful for the most part, but not in relation to the google access problem. I was told it could not be a problem at the Smart end at all.

brian__foley

turbot wrote: »

Anyone else experiencing similar issues?

Basically identical to yours - and I believe the google issue is being shared by others, just from the content of the Smart support fora.

dub45

I have to agree with the posters above there seems to have been a deterioration since Digiweb arrived. I have been with Smart virtually since the beginning. lately I have experienced the google stuff mentioned above and particularly the youtube deterioration.

Also while my line has never been great the performance has deteriorated sharply over the past couple of weeks. I am actually finding I have no SNR at all at times. This maybe a coincidence of course but overall I sometimes find the browsing experience 'stodgy' for want of a better term.

BROWNE51

Been with Smart for approx 5 months now,fantastic service(compared to E**con!),however I have noticed in the last two weeks that my google home page takes an age,(yahoo.ie is fine tho) to load maybe once or twice a week and the gmail accounts seem to be the same,a reboot sorts it temporarily,hopefully it will get sorted its a right pain.

brian__foley

BROWNE51 wrote: »

Been with Smart for approx 5 months now,fantastic service(compared to E**con!),however I have noticed in the last two weeks that my google home page takes an age,(yahoo.ie is fine tho) to load maybe once or twice a week and the gmail accounts seem to be the same,a reboot sorts it temporarily,hopefully it will get sorted its a right pain.

Right now, I can't watch a simple youtube video on how to make a paper plane. This is crazy and such an individous drop in service (i.e. in relation to some sites only) has to be the result of some change in the service at their end.

beglee

Connection speeds for me for probably a week, have been at a snail's pace. I havent been using it too much the last week, but every time i go on im lucky to get 2x dial up speed. Incredibly frustrating, takes an age to load any page.
Havent been able to play Call of Duty at all as cant ocnnect to any games.


And no chance of having downloaded 170GB. Id say its under 10 GB in the last month downloaded.

Mountjoy Mugger

BROWNE51 wrote: »

Been with Smart for approx 5 months now,fantastic service(compared to E**con!),however I have noticed in the last two weeks that my google home page takes an age,(yahoo.ie is fine tho) to load maybe once or twice a week and the gmail accounts seem to be the same,a reboot sorts it temporarily,hopefully it will get sorted its a right pain.

Smart have been having issues with anything Google related for the last week or so. It seems to be random, but no updates as to status are coming from the boys over in ST.

paul150

Also noticed that my connection hasnt been greet since the takeover, I switched to open dns and this seems to have helped the google issue so maybe some people could try that out as a temporary fix.

dub45

I changed to opendns last night (had been on Smart's own ones) and it seemed to bring an immediate improvement. Smart have been very slow to address this issue - not really like them. But who is 'them' anymore sadly?:rolleyes: