Ascend Archive
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Re: (ASCEND) MAX misreporting connection speed?????
George wrote:
>
> No need to tell you, we want to bill users with the 56K connection a bit
> extra - just enough to recoup our new 56k modem expenses and there is no
> way we can do that. (Radius, of course, gives us the same values - never
> over 28800.)
>
> We just don't know who is connected at more than 33600. Worse, we do not
> even know if they really are connected at higher speeds or is just
> Windows 95 telling them that (we don't want to be unfair)?????.
>
> Needles to say I am under a lot of pressure here.
>
> I would appreciate any help.
>
> Best regards!
>
Since the MAX still has it's maximum speed setting topped out at 33.6,
I don't think there's any way without SNMP weirdness to really answer
that question- at least I haven't seen anything that will easily tie
into the Radius accounting.
Let me give you some of my thoughts on this, and see what you think:
Since we really want to provide GOOD service here, and since we also
want to be compensated for it, we also thought about charging a
premium on K56 connections. However, we were the first in NC to offer
it and as far as I know, the only ISP in NC that really has it stable.
This has taught us some things, mainly: You can't tell. AT ALL. Some
folks still have those Motorolas with the bad DSP- they connect at
50-52K all the time, but download speeds are 1.2kbps! The Zoom I'm
connected with right now has new modem code, but is connected at 26.4,
BUT downloading ZIP files at 4.9kbps; it's obviously ramping up when it
can, and Windows' brain-damaged icon doesn't report it. So I don't
know. Other folks can connect at 40-48K and get proper download speeds,
but not all the time, so in order to charge for K56 access, you'd have
to watch the line all the time, as far as I can tell.
Obviously the $20.00/month unlimited paradigm is on the way out- telco
tariffs if nothing else will eventually force us to up our prices, but
I couldn't see any fair way to have a K56 surcharge, so we said the
hell with it. "$20.00/month for access, period. If ya get K56 speeds,
great. Tell your friends." has been our attitude, so far...
And NOW...
We're turning on 6.0 and trying analog bonding tests tonight with
Webramp with 3 Zoom externals, and on a PC with 2 internals.
IF we get it stable and working every time, THEN we'll figure out how
much to charge for it. K56 just ain't there yet- at least not in this
neck of the woods.
Seriously, the only thing I can think of for you to do is to have a
surcharge clearly stated as being charged for ACCESS to K56 modems,
without guaranteeing the connection speed at all. You might get away
with it; folks around here would lynch us if we pulled a stunt like
that. ;-)
Let me know what you decide, in any case.
'Shot
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