Ok guys, let me know what you think.  

We have the HX Legacy 1000 plan (1024k down/256k up, 8.5 GB/month).  At MOST, we're getting 60k/second (before the FAP kicks in).  Is this normal?  Seems pretty slow to me, since they say 600k is typical.

Since we're getting such poor speed, and FAP kicks in QUICK, would it be better to switch to the HX SOHO 500 Premium (512k up and down, 48GB/month)?  Would we maintain the 60k download, or would that now be cut in half to 30k/sec download?

Please let me know your thoughts.  This is pretty frustrating.

...Out...

What I don't understand, is why 600k would be considered "typical" in a system that's advertised to provide 1024k. But that's a topic for another day

What's important to illuminate this issue is whether you're measuring your download speed in bits or Bytes. The plan speeds are advertised in bit increments (kbps). Many internet browsers and throughput monitors output in byte increments (KBps). Note the capital letters in the Byte increment. Now consider that one byte is roughly 8 bits. So if you're seeing 60 KBps, that's the equivalent of ~480 kbps. That's still no 1024, but it's considerably closer to the "typical" 600kbps

So what are you really seeing; kilobits, or kilobytes?

//greg//

I see, it's a SCAM! <----Meant to be a joke, sorry. Right now, I'm downloading at 8KBps...  NOT IMPRESSIVE!

Not necessarily, other things can cause such slow downloads. Being throttled by the FAP is high up on the list. Have you checked the user interface to positively confirm that you're not being throttled for cause? and or your account usage page too?

If you're absolutely positively not in a FAP condition, then please tell us
1. your most recent isolation (ACP) validation/revalidation(s)
2. your SQF history
3. the % of transmission errors
4. your diagnostic code history
5. any TX/RX error codes you've noted

//greg//

Greg: As far as I am aware there is no ACP tester implemented.  Each site is cross-pol tested manually at line up and adjustment made if necessary.  The new giant polarisation scale on the Prodelin 3-axis positioners, is largely effective in getting the polarisation set sufficiently accurately at the start without further adjustment.

Best regards, Eric.

Hmmmm, that's inconvenient at best. So what's the customer's indication of a mal-aligned antenna - after, say, a windstorm or sandstorm, or even a clumsy second lieutenant ? Does he/she have to rely strictly on local interpretation of SQF/RSL deviations and transmission errors? I ask, because some of these remote locations may not have the luxury of calling up the NOC to have the crosspol checked.

I've got the same "giant polarisaton scale" on my Prodelin reflector bracket. Yet I can still put an OPI on the LNB output and optimize my own crosspol - based upon automatic ACP feedback from the NOC. If an upgrade of that nature is contemplated for the HX system, it will definitely be beneficial to otherwise isolated subscribers

//greg//

On the "HX Legacy 1000" plan option you have 1024k max download and 256k max upload with traffic amount of 8.5 Gbytes per month.  See Bentley Walker HX quota options.  The 8.5 Gbytes is the second lowest of all the quota options.

Regarding your traffic flow, I have looked just now at 16th Sept, 20:30pm BST at the list of sites that have exceeded traffic flow quotas so far in the current 8 hour period.  See HX fair share status.  Note that this list does not show sites until they have reached a quota and that the list may be blank if you look shortly after the start of an 8 hour period.

In the direction up, from the remote site to the internet:
20.92/10 [45]  20.92/15 [30]
You have uploaded 20.92 Mbytes so far.  This has exceeded the level 1 quota of 10 Mbytes causing you to be limited to 45 kbit/s upload for the next phase.
You continued to upload and exceeded the level 2 quota of 15 Mbytes and are now limited to 30kbit/s upload speed.

On the outlink, download direction to your remote site:
124.21/90 [128]  124.21/94 [64]  
You have downloaded 124.21 Mbytes so far.  This has exceeded the level 1 quota of 90 Mbytes, causing you to be limited to 128 kbit/s download for the next phase.
You continued to download and the 124.21 Mbytes has exceeded the level 2 quota of 94 Mbytes, causing you to be limited to 64kbit/s download speed.

I hope this information is of help.  Few service providers provide such live details but I believe that being open like this helps inform you what are the thresholds at the moment and how they are trying to fairly share out the satellite resource.

Please contact Bentley Walker if you wish to maybe get on a different tariff for a month.  A plan that offers much more downloaded Mbytes with lower peak rates may be preferable.

Do ask about their accelleration software which you can run on your PCs.  This compresses bloated web site images (with the quality selectable by you) and can make a significant reduction on your traffic.   Watch out for PCs downloading software upgrades and maybe avoid doing this during busy periods.  I'm not sure when the 8 hour periods change over from one period to the next, but if you can find this out then I would suggest trying to schedule useage so as to spread the load evenly.  If you use the PCs for videos, audio, VoIP phone try to select minimum file sizes and lowest bit rates, if there is the option.

Best regards, Eric.

Thanks for the reply!  I pretty much figured that was what was going on.  I'm just trying to decide if we should drop our speed for a higher quota.  We're all military here, and can't afford anything higher priced.  I sure wish we could, but we can't.

Thanks for your help!

Please contact us to work through your issues, we can always offer a 48hr demo on another package to help you decide what suits you.

James.

I will.  I'm trying to talk to all of the guys to see what they/we can afford.  We may just have to stick with this plan.  :(  A lot of the guys use skype and stuff like that, and I know it takes up a lot of bandwidth.  But I don't want to tell them that they can't see their families! We're all here for a year, and being able to see them really helps out.  This is my 8th deployment since 9/11, and if I knew it was going to be like this, I think I would have gotten out.  I will get in contact with you and we'll figure out something.  Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it!

I have sent numerous emails so I can get the prices for the different Grades of Service and Fair Share Policy, however no emails were returned.

According to the sheet I just received, the fair share quota is now reset after 12 hours and not 8 hours.

Dear Outbreak,
It resets after every 8 hrs and not 12 hours. The corresponding document should be with you now.
Bentley Walker technical support contact details have been e-mailed to you, so that you can get intsant replies to your queries.
Thanks.

The documents I got today from Bentley Walker, say 12 hours, HOWEVER, I guess that was just a misprint.  The new documents that were just sent to me say 8 hours.  Not a big deal, I was just a little frustrated when I thought it changed.

Thanks!