Slow downs, disconnections and cut-offs - how often?

[adamscybot]

My migration completes on friday. However, Im a bit worried.

Im coming from a 512k freeserve connection (now wanadoo) with unlimited downloads and brilliant 100% on service. This package is no longer offered since wanadoo took over.

Now I'm migrating and have heard many complaints of slow-down and disconnections. How frequent are these? Theres alot of people complaining on here!

The obvious reason is that people use these forums mainly for help, but still, its a lot of people.

If I was to experience slow downs, how much slower would my connection be? Half? 10kb/s?! And how would F2S go about fixing such a problem?

I'm also aware of problems that are down to BT, and I know there a right pain to get on with things!

Im more worried about disconnections. The tought of my game or whatever disconnecting half way through would be extremely annoying.

How likely is it that I would experience these problems?

Thoughts and comments please. Just a bit scared that the whole thing will go tits up

Adam

[John R]

There are not a lot of posts on problems when you look at the total number of F2s users. There will always be a few who have problems no matter which isp they use....
I believe on a 2 meg connection BT wont action any speed issues unless they hit below 400k most of the day and night... You have to use the offical BT speed test and do one test in the small hours of the morning before Bt will look into it....
Disconnection are pretty rare so long as you have a good solid connection thats not border line. I used to run for 1000's of hours when i was F2s.

Having said that i will bet you have no issues at all... Most people dont.

[aos101]

Originally Posted by adamscybot

Now I'm migrating and have heard many complaints of slow-down and disconnections. How frequent are these? Theres alot of people complaining on here!

Where? I see a few people with problems, but considering this forum has over 2,200 members and the number of users F2S must have, I would say there are very few people with problems. Most people don't even visit forums like this, and people who's connections are working fine don't pop in to say "everythings working fine", they just quietly get on with using their connections. I can't remember the last time I got discnnected and it wasn't because of me or a powercut, and I get full 2Mb speed all the time apart from it dropping slightly between about 6pm to 8pm because of exchange contention. If there were a lot of people complaining on here, there would be far more posts on here than there are now.

[tarren]

Originally Posted by adamscybot

My migration completes on friday. However, Im a bit worried.

Im coming from a 512k freeserve connection (now wanadoo) with unlimited downloads and brilliant 100% on service. This package is no longer offered since wanadoo took over.

Now I'm migrating and have heard many complaints of slow-down and disconnections. How frequent are these? Theres alot of people complaining on here!

The obvious reason is that people use these forums mainly for help, but still, its a lot of people.

If I was to experience slow downs, how much slower would my connection be? Half? 10kb/s?! And how would F2S go about fixing such a problem?

I'm also aware of problems that are down to BT, and I know there a right pain to get on with things!

Im more worried about disconnections. The tought of my game or whatever disconnecting half way through would be extremely annoying.

How likely is it that I would experience these problems?

Thoughts and comments please. Just a bit scared that the whole thing will go tits up

Adam

Hi Adam,

I used to be a point, click and hope for the best before joining f2s,now I'm a point,click and expect. Go for it.

tarren.

[baardhimself]

im on the exact same package and a bit worried too.. at the moment everything is perfect except for 2 things: its slow as hell 512k, and Wanadoo dont let you have a static IP so I cant use my wireless router/modem. Im on the verge of ordering F2S but what worries me is if its no good i cant go back to my sure thing internet, as Wanadoo no longer offer the package and i could have to get AOL

[John R]

Originally Posted by baardhimself

dont let you have a static IP so I cant use my wireless router/modem.

Dynamic ip's should be no problem to a router..... Most will pick up the ip on connection, static or dynamic....

F2s are a good choice as isp. If they wern't i for one would not be coming back after a trip to the dark side....

[baardhimself]

John R: It let the internet work fine but it wouldnt let me play certain games online or use the Blizzard World of Warcraft bit torrent patch downloads, worked fine on the USB modem but not with the router, F2S with a static IP will work perfectly. Oh and adamscybot how did you get your MAC address so you could migrate?

[John R]

Originally Posted by baardhimself

John R: It let the internet work fine but it wouldnt let me play certain games online or use the Blizzard World of Warcraft bit torrent patch downloads, worked fine on the USB modem but not with the router, F2S with a static IP will work perfectly. Oh and adamscybot how did you get your MAC address so you could migrate?

I think you will find this has more to do with forwarding ports between PC and router than anything to do with static/dynamic ip's.
This is why a usb modem works fine, and a router does'nt. The router will be running NAT which blocks traffic (simple explanation).
Open up the correct ports on the router and it will allow you to play your online games, run p2p etc.

As to getting a MAC contact your isp and ask for it....... Better to get them to email it to you then you can just cut and paste it.....

[adamscybot]

Originally Posted by baardhimself

John R: It let the internet work fine but it wouldnt let me play certain games online or use the Blizzard World of Warcraft bit torrent patch downloads, worked fine on the USB modem but not with the router, F2S with a static IP will work perfectly. Oh and adamscybot how did you get your MAC address so you could migrate?

I simply called wanadoo. It took a long time to get through but I was using works phone so that was ok .

I then said I'd like to migrate to another ISP. Without asking, the nice man immedietly said "oh you'll need a MAC code then". He then processed it and told me it would be sent by my wanadoo email in 5 days. It took 3 days to come and then I ordered F2S!

After processing it, they ask you nosy questions like 'why are leaving?' - blah blah. But the process is smooth and they have no problem giving you the MAC code.

On the other question, the problems you mentioned sound like it is almost definate you need to forward some ports. If this was your only reason to move to F2S, I would still move judging by others comments.

F2S for me tommorrow!

Adam
PS Have you noticed the throttle on the old freeserve packages? Wanadoo dont let your speed go over 59kb/s, another reason to move. Or maybe its just me being a heavy downloader. Reading there TOS, they have no right to do this on these certain packages - i'm not arguing now though, moving to F2S anyway.

[baardhimself]

Hmm.. im having some trouble.. I did the Start/Run/command/"Ipconfig/all" and ive got my Physical Address which is my MAC address.. it is like this XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX so I try to sign up on f2s.com and I get this error

"There has been a problem - Please see the error message below, click back to correct the problem and then try again.

Please enter your Migration Authorisation Code (MAC)."

I've tried with the -'s and without, its 12 digits and it is the correct address.. what is wrong?! I used upper case for the Letters like it showed in DOS.. is that wrong?

[adamscybot]

Common mistake. That is the wrong MAC address.

You want the - Migration Authority Code. This can ONLY be aquired from your ISP.

Your looking at a totally different story - a hardware address used in complicated networks.

The MAC your looking at stands for something totally different. lol

Adam
PS look at above edit in previous post

[adamscybot]

Difference:

Media Access Control - The one you were looking at:
http://whatis.techtarget.com/definit...212506,00.html

Migration Authrisation code - the one you need off your isp:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/02/mac_migration/

Adam

[baardhimself]

doh! thanks alot I'll phone wanadoo tomorrow

oh i have one other question.. if i tell them i want to migrate will they close my account? if they do that then i cant migrate can I? or is it done automatically or do i just phone up wanadoo after my F2S is up and running and say close it please?

[glasgowlad]

Originally Posted by John R

There are not a lot of posts on problems when you look at the total number of F2s users. There will always be a few who have problems no matter which isp they use....
I believe on a 2 meg connection BT wont action any speed issues unless they hit below 400k most of the day and night... You have to use the offical BT speed test and do one test in the small hours of the morning before Bt will look into it....
Disconnection are pretty rare so long as you have a good solid connection thats not border line. I used to run for 1000's of hours when i was F2s.

Having said that i will bet you have no issues at all... Most people dont.

Just to let you know you are right they are not a lot of people complaining on this forum for some reason!

Maybe it’s because very few people know about this forum as it’s not on the official F2S webpage!

I do visit others forums and they are loads of people complaining about problems with slow speeds and cut offs

[artee2]

Originally Posted by glasgowlad

Just to let you know you are right they are not a lot of people complaining on this forum for some reason!

Maybe it’s because very few people know about this forum as it’s not on the official F2S webpage!

I do visit others forums and they are loads of people complaining about problems with slow speeds and cut offs

If you look over at ADSLg you will see that there are really very few people with complaints but they are posting over and over again in fact just 1 person has made over 70 posts on the subject alone

If it were a big problem then this board would be flooded

All the best,

[adamscybot]

Originally Posted by baardhimself

doh! thanks alot I'll phone wanadoo tomorrow

oh i have one other question.. if i tell them i want to migrate will they close my account? if they do that then i cant migrate can I? or is it done automatically or do i just phone up wanadoo after my F2S is up and running and say close it please?

Do not close your account in any way. Ask for the MAC code then sign up to F2S.

Once done, on the activation date your wanadoo account will be cancelled automatically (you may have 2 ISPS for about 2-3 hours while the automatic cencellation goes thorugh).

If you cancel yourself, the MAC code will become invalid and the migration will fail.

[Pun Krocker]

Originally Posted by artee2

If you look over at ADSLg you will see that there are really very few people with complaints but they are posting over and over again in fact just 1 person has made over 70 posts on the subject alone

I was going to arrange for a whip-round to send him a step-by-step guide to using BT Speedtest

Cheers