I am now mad - my first status run

[straitman]

I have this occasional dropout issue as well. It may be related to the proverbial Telstra "Heartbeat".

I had the same problem in the MEL QP last week.

 

[tuapekastar]

I have this occasional dropout issue as well. It may be related to the proverbial Telstra "Heartbeat".

I thought Telstra dropped the heartbeat years ago, but I've been wrong many time before!

 

[thewinchester]

Random question (not related to this but was easier than digging it out from the epic TR)...

Do you use a mac laptop? I've noticed my Macbook Pro has all kinds of issues in the MEL QP in the J lounge and down towards that end. I get full signal, no throughput, then it drops out for a second and suddenly re-connects. All others around me seem to have no issues, but was wondering if it's a mac issue (10.6.2 here on an early 2008 MBP).

Thanks for the props, and yes I'm a Mac user, also early 08 MBP w/10.6.2. I find that in the QP it has real problems towards the J lounge. Inside J there was no problems, sat in the workstation area in the back near the bar and the self-service coffee machine.

 

[harvyk]

I don't think it's limited to mac users. I think it's more due to how many users are using it and what they are using it for, and how much bandwidth the QP has. If for example they have a 20mbit link to the internet, but then have 20 people using that link for heavy things such as video, even though you'll have full signal your not going to be going anywhere very fast.

 

[NM]

I thought Telstra dropped the heartbeat years ago, but I've been wrong many time before!

Same here on Sunday morning. I gave up.

I had the same problem in the MEL QP last week.

I think the heartbeat problem was only when using VPN tunnels (like IPSec) with split-tunnelling disabled. So even if they still use the heartbeat (which I also believe is no longer the case), it would not affect direct internet access via the wifi service.

 

[straitman]

I think the heartbeat problem was only when using VPN tunnels (like IPSec) with split-tunnelling disabled. So even if they still use the heartbeat (which I also believe is no longer the case), it would not affect direct internet access via the wifi service.

Thanks NM. What ever your answer actually means.

I meant that the WiFi would work for a bit then drop out etc. I gave up also.

 

[serfty]

All you ever wanted to kinow but were afraid to ask:

http://www.ozcableguy.com/heartbeat.asp

What is this "heartbeat"?

Telstra Cable uses an authentication system which has been nicknamed “the heartbeat” which is similar in concept to a “ping”. Every five minutes or so, a message is sent to your computer to see if you're still there.
Several applications like firewalls, Win98/ME ICS and VPNs block this message, causing the connection to drop out regularly.

Why does it exist?

Well there are plans to ditch it soon but originally it was to enable separate usage statistics in a unique and pioneering system of providing multiple dynamic IPs to a single customer. In other words, it allowed people to have multiple, independent connections using the one modem between several computers and maintain independent usage statistics for each one.

Why does it cause disconnections?

Imagine it as if BigPond check every few minutes to see if you're still there. If they don't see you, they assume you're gone so they close the connection. ...

 

[ejb]

Did you ever make it home? Was there more drama? or the promised sex scene?

Such a great TR deserves an ending

ejb

 

[markis10]

I don't think it's limited to mac users. I think it's more due to how many users are using it and what they are using it for, and how much bandwidth the QP has. If for example they have a 20mbit link to the internet, but then have 20 people using that link for heavy things such as video, even though you'll have full signal your not going to be going anywhere very fast.

The problems at Melbourne QP are not related to bandwidth but to RF, put simply there is too much WiFI for the three channels that dont overlap to handle, not helped by the access points being 802.11B units at some QPs.

 

[thewinchester]

Did you ever make it home? Was there more drama? or the promised sex scene?

Such a great TR deserves an ending

A happy ending perhaps

Sorry, that was below the belt.

Yes, still have to finish the TR for that journey. Still catching up on stuff since.

 

[thewinchester]

Part deux of this trip report now loaded up for your reading pleasure. No pix for this one yet, still compiling them all.

 

[anat0l]

As I've said in part deux - great TRs!

I am amazed at your choice of words, e.g. "For the love of small furry animals". I can't think of any that would fit that description, although for some people I guess it is better to offend small furry animals than it is to offend deities.

I'm a fan of long TRs - great reading. They take ages to write. As you can tell, yours truly is guilty of the same crime.

I see in your travels you've also managed to discover in sometimes eloquent ways the good, bad and ugly of domestic travel on QF and the QP.

Hopefully your next travels will take you up in status and upwards......