First of all, great site and business... I've built 3 servers and 2 gaming machines purely from parts supplied by Mysterybyte. I refuse to go anywhere else.

Here's the deal: I run 2 gaming servers (DOD:S and TF2) from my home connection, using Eastlink's high speed 15 internet.

Now, short of hacking my modem to remove my cap, I'm looking for way to improve my connection. Download is fine (I've managed to tweak it to 19Mbps) but my upload is capped at 900K on a good day. Average is 800.

I won't get into the rant about the evil cable company empire (like how they throw BIG numbers in your face because they know you'll never be able to use them do download from other Eastlink customers above 700K) Don't worry. I'm wondering if anyone knows of decent deals (under $300 per month) for fiber connections in the area, or at least some form of internet with decent uploads. I know Aliant laid alot of fiber optics a couple of years ago, because I was posted at one of their sites when I did security. There were hundreds of kilometres of cable on spools, and it was all going in the ground. Probably just for businesses... I don't care what my download speed is, but I'd like an upload of 1.5-3Mbps.

I've scoured the internet like crazy, but can't find anything. I don't want to rent a server. I'd rather run them from home, even if it costs 10X more.

Anyone know of an ISP with a "server package" or better upload speeds in general? I need to switch BADLY... Eastlink states that we are allowed to run gaming servers, yet offers us mediocre connections to do it. There must be a better option out there! Right???

Thanks.

Call Eastlink up and ask for a quote on their Data packages. I have no idea what their prices are like but:


http://www.eastlink.ca/business/data/index.asp

Have you contacted eastlink to ask them about an improved upload package?

Most of the business class packages for ISPs aren't listed and you have to deal with their service department to get pricing.

Not sure how it works, but there is also a method of twinning two connections (you'd have to pay for two hookups) to boost speeds which would put you up around 1600 - 1800 with eastlink if there isn't too much loss to the twinning.

Heh.... what the above poster said.....

Thanks for the replies!

I haven't called them, because I assumed there would be information clearly stated on their website. (At least, I'd be promoting opportunities to suck more $$ out of my customers!) I did see a business package that offered 1.5Mbps up, but that was about it. Thanks for the info and link!

I've been wondering if they had the option for incremental changes. I should have just called. I generally avoid speaking to them in person at any cost; The last time I called them to inquire about my connection (there was a high-speed internet brownout a few months ago) the technician didn't understand what I meant when I was asking about my speed dropping from 15 to 2 Mbps. I had to explain the difference between megabytes and megabits to him, and he insisted that the test server I was using (the one I always use, in Maine) was too far away to test with. Maybe the janitor took over the phones while the tech went to the bathroom...

Now, the twinning has intrigued me... I just mentioned this scenario to my wife, and was wondering if it was possible. Two high speed 5 packages would be dirt cheap. I believe the uploads are identical to the 15 package.

Anyway, thanks again! You have got me pointed in the right direction...

This help any?

http://www.eastlink.ca/business/hsi/index.asp

Wow...

Overnight, I went down to this: (I've tested it every hour, for the past 12 hours)



"High speed 15"? I understand traffic is an issue, but come on... Every billboard I see says "*up to 15mbps" but there should also be a "*No less than" guarantee. You shouldn't be allowed to charge customers, and give them 1/4 of what they are paying for. Do you know of any other business on the planet that could get away with this?

At least the upstream is ok.

Still...

I think I'll avoid upgrading... Why pay more, just to compensate for what I should already be getting?

I got this result.



Not bad considering while I was testing I was downloading a 5gig torrent

Here's what I get with Aliant

Here's what I used to get:



I got 19 a few months ago... But as soon as I started running a server (I don't test with it running) it has steadily gone down. 16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, and now it's heading for 2. Last night, I was getting between 14 and 17, but today I'm lucky to break 3.

My server is lagging like crazy, right now. I'm going to start losing members if this keeps up. I wouldn't mind if it was lower than 10; consistency is what I like... 8 or 6 would be fine, but when you go from 14 to 2, it's annoying for running a server. Regulars know where they lag, and where they don't... But now I'm going to end up on their blacklists.

I think Eastlink's statement "you are welcomed to run gaming servers" was referring to online backgammon or checkers, lol.

News that I have gathered from sources I can not name:

Aliant has completed laying fiber lines in most of Metro for residential use by the first quarter of 2009, possibly even late 2008. Speeds will be absolutely astounding, starting at 75mb/s as the cheapest deal, and going basically as high as you want it depending on what you want to pay. I'm quite psyched, we're probably going to get a 100mb/s line in my house, as from what I've gathered, that will be a very sweet deal.

Upload speeds are definitely going to be in the upper double digits too


I know you can't wait this long for a solution, but I figured I'd shed some light regarding what I've found.

I'm not entirely sure what to make of it, but when I do any speed test using speedtest.eastlink.ca I show my 15M down/ 1M up.
If I use speedtest.net I show 3.8M down/ .8M up.
Is eastlink faking their test?
Has anybody else seen the same differences?

The eastlink server is obviously just down the street from you.....

Speedtest.net doesn't necessarily have a good match for doing a speedtest from HFX region. You'll probably find you get better results by chosing a different location to do a speedtest from.

My experience has always been different every time I test my speed. I use that Maine server 99% of the time, and my speed could be 6mbps one minute, and 13 the next... I test several times, and take an average. As of late, my average has been going steadily down... It has gone up and down in the past, but this is an all-time low, and it's not budging past 3mbps at all... That's unheard of for me. Strangely, Eastlink's test server is always giving me terrible results. I always get higher scores when testing with other servers.

Regarding the Aliant comment: I hope this is true. Aliant is big... And they need to trump Eastlink somehow. All that cable I saw (near the airport) was being used for something. Each spool had several hundred K on it... That seems like alot for local business networks only. I know it adds up, but I counted 30 spools at any one time, and there were new ones appearing on a regular basis. I never saw where they were installing them, though... My co-workers and I were just there to protect the storage facility during the Aliant strike. (You wouldn't believe how violent the picketers were. They attacked managers, and burned vehicles in downtown Halifax.)

At this moment in time, I prefer Eastlink, even though they never respond to emails asking how to upgrade my connection, or get a more reliable one. I think they are comfortable with 95% of their customers being ignorant to all forms of technology. They know people will just shell out their money without questioning a thing. Me, personally- I like getting what I pay for. I wish modems came with a bandwidth monitor that adjusted your bill according to how much they throttle your connection. At this rate, I should be paying next to nothing... Because that's the performance I'm getting for my hard earned money. Maybe I'll send them a copy of all my test results, and a cheque for $5.00 next month.

I fully understand the challenge of providing good customer satisfaction, but my sympathy only goes so far. If they can't maintain a minimum of 60% of their advertised speed, they should not be advertising 15mbps internet... Period! I'm currently getting less performance than people paying for 5mbps cable. That should be illegal! Are cable companies immune to false advertising? They know they have a strangle-hold on HRM, so they are comfortable. They know we'll just keep paying rather than go without any internet access. Those customers who do care about their money, and getting reasonable service, need to start complaining.

When your speed drops like that, just reset your modem and router. It usually will jump back up

In terms of fibre, there's already a TON of fibre around the Halifax core that's completely unused. However, if Aliant is really going to offer speeds like that, I may need to jump ship, depending on their prices.