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joepsion2000 · #1 22-12-06, 07:59 AM

Is there anyone out there who is on Connect who is getting decent (anything approaching maxing line out) download speeds on newsgroup downloads. I'm using a third party news server and could max out my old 512K ISP news access - about 60KB/s - but with Connect am getting less than this, typically 40-50KB/s.

This is using the default port 119 - anyone had any success using different ports? Can you share your secrets?
cheers
Joe

dgilbert2 · #2 22-12-06, 08:16 AM

Not on Connect sorry, but was interested in which news server you are using?

Keiran2K8 · #3 22-12-06, 10:01 AM

@joepsion2000,This is unconfirmed however judging on the P2P & Newsgroups speeds a majority of people on CONNECT are getting,
It is believed that CONNECT has a form of Traffic Management, Where particular ports are capped to a maximum speed!

joepsion2000 · #4 22-12-06, 11:12 AM **Threadstarter**

dgilbert2 - using Forte Inc news server $2.95 (about per month for 7GB. Very pleased with the speed before Sky, constant max of bandwidth.

I have been searching the forums for other Connect users who have been getting good newsgroup connect speeds - did find one (Drew22) who in his mid November message had changed to port 80 and was gettign very good speeds but port 80 doesn't do it for me! Not sure if I'm doing something wrong or if the port has been blocked since November.
I have PM'd Drew22 to ask him if he is still getting good speeds but no reply yet.

Anyone have any other ideas as regards ports or anything else?

Disillusioned · #5 22-12-06, 05:23 PM

Hi joepsion

I have had a look at Forte Inc's website, but they do not allow access to none members to their support pages.

Have a go at signing in to the news server's homepage and doing a search for open ports on there. My News provider supplies several options to try to overcome 'Traffic Management' in the form of port capping. Port 81 is my best option with Easynews but Forte should have their own list of options.

Good luck with maxing that connection.

joepsion2000 · #6 08-01-07, 01:33 PM **Threadstarter**

I've changed the port number used by my News Reader (News Rover) from 119 to 443 as suggested by the Forte FAQ but it made no difference to the download speeds!
Also tested on other ports mentioned in the FAQ (25 = SMTP server for outgoing e-mail / 26 = Search server for MP3 Locator and File Locator / 80 = Search server for Message Locator / 110 = POP server for incoming e-mail / 7520 = Check for new versions of News Rover). Some worked, some didn't at all but none worked any faster than 119.

I have been looking at Astraweb's news service and they have alternative port numbers of 119, 23, 1818 and 8080 so I may sign up for that service it it is likely to be faster?

Are there any Connect users getting decent d/l speeds on the Astraweb servers or indeed on any third party news server?

Thanks,
Joe

Wheelie · #7 08-01-07, 09:13 PM

Hi joepsion2000

I have used News Rover and found it ok but I like Newsleecher and NewsBin pro a lot better as for news servers I have had an account with Astraweb's news service for years and always managed to max out the speeds when I was on Zen and now on SkyBB Max I get around 1.65MB/s

I would suggest you try it nothing to loose

connex2 · #8 29-01-07, 02:16 PM

I use usenext and was getting 2.2meg on pipex but only get between .5 and 1.5 now on sky i have tried 119 & 443 but no difference. Right at the start of Jan for one day got 5000Mbits and d/l 10 gig in 4hrs. So i think i might be capped, should i ask if they will uncap me because this is one of the main reasons for swapping to sky.

mossywell · #9 29-01-07, 02:55 PM

Sky do not limit the speed of any particular port or application on all services except Connect, and on Connect there is some evidence of traffic shaping though AFAIK, the excact shaping parameters aren't known. Having said that, what makes you think you are capped (slow speed per se not being an indicator of capping)? Posting your line stats would be a good starting point.

joepsion2000 · #10 29-01-07, 10:07 PM **Threadstarter**

My line stats:
ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 8128 kbps 448 kbps
Line Attenuation 23.0 db 13.0 db
Noise Margin 9.0 db 23.0 db

tried newsgroup downloads with two different third party newsgroup providers - Astraweb and Forte Inc. Fastest I ever got was just over 100KB/s with Astraweb, but that was only for about half an hour. Speeds are now back to the norm - 40-50KB/s.

Joe