ryan6608
join:2008-11-25
| Sasktel, dual HD streaming and multiple IPs...
Hi,
I'm wondering if there's anyone around here that gets their service from Sasktel and has had any success in getting things set up so it's actually possible to use the multiple IPs they advertise with the service.
Until recently we had a basic IPTV package (Max TV) bundled with their high speed plus (5Mbit/s) internet package. We had two Westell modems, one for the Max TV service and one for internet. Everything worked as perfectly as could be expected for 5+ years.
I'm using 2 of my own NAT devices (IPCOP & m0n0wall) and was using 2 of the (advertised) 4 DHCP IP addresses that are included with the high speed plus internet package. When bundled with the Max TV service it is referred to as Max Plus.
A couple weeks ago we upgrade to their Max HD service and they replaced the Westell devices with a single 2wire 3800HGV device. Now we can no longer make use of the 4 DHCP IP address that are supposed to be a part of our internet package since the 3800HGV is a NAT device. As I understand things:
•The 2wire 3800HGV is a VDSL2 device and replacing it with my own device isn't a very viable option
•The 2wire 3800HGV cannot be run in bridge mode (can anyone tell me why?)
•The DMZ function of the 2wire 3800HGV will not support more than 1 device
Had I realized this was going to be the case we never would have upgraded to the HDTV package. I've spent a decent amount of time browsing their website and can't find a single footnote warning of the limitations.
I've had very little success talking to the support department. I finally got to talk to someone who understood what I was asking for, but haven't gotten a call back in over a week. Everyone is very polite, but I haven't had any success in getting my issue resolved.
I'm also having an issue with the DMZ functionality of the 2wire device. For some reason the device I assign to the DMZ won't stay in the DMZ for more than 30 minutes. I'm setting it via:
Home Network -- Advanced -- Address Allocation
The 2wire device we have is running firmware version 5.29.135.13.
They also keep knocking our speed down to ~1.5Mbit/s when it's supposed to be 5Mbit/s. I haven't called support about the DMZ issue or the speed issue because I don't want a bunch of open tickets making it look like I'm incompetent. I'd also like to troubleshoot the DMZ issue on my own for a bit to make sure I haven't overlooked something simple.
I'd really appreciate it if anyone can give me any tips on how I can get Sasktel to acknowledge we're supposed to have access to multiple (routable) IP addresses and do whatever is necessary to provide the service they're advertising.
Thanks in advance,
Ryan |
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ryan6608
join:2008-11-25
| I'm fairly certain I've tracked down my problem with the DMZ settings. I started a new thread for it in the 2wire forum just in case it ends up being helpful to anyone else:
»2wire DMZ settings not 'sticking'? Possible solution... |
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ryan6608
join:2008-11-25
| I called support today and ended up speaking with someone that handled my inquiry quite well.
My speed should get bumped back up to 5Mbit/s tonight. I won't have access to multiple IPs, but it's a limitation they're aware exists for people in my situation.
I got the impression it's supposed to be a short-term limitation, but (understandably) the guy wouldn't commit to much more than saying it might get looked at in the future.
I think a similar issue occurred with the 2wire 2700 series devices and now customers do have the option of getting them switched into bridge mode. Hopefully the same thing will end up being true for the 3800s.
If it is a short term limitation and the 3800s eventually end up getting an update the situation I'm in is understandable. Some of the potential options such as installing a second device just for the internet side of things aren't very desirable (for Sasktel) if a single 2wire 3800 series device will (eventually) be able to handle the configuration I want.
With that said, my problem could have been handled better. First, being informed of the limitation prior to having our service updated is something that should have happened.
Second, when I contacted support to ask about the issue it was too difficult to get a definitive answer. There were a few things in particular that annoyed me:
1. The capabilities of the 2wire 3800HGV didn't seem to be understood. Twice I was told it could be put into bridge mode, twice I was told it could not.
2. One person assumed I wanted to set up a gaming server, giving me the impression they didn't think my issue was important.
3. At one point I was given the blanket 'we don't support customer hardware' excuse.
The support person I spoke with today did an excellent job of handling my call and can be credited with having me drop the issue and deal with the limitation. Specifically:
1. He assessed my issue quite quickly and re-iterated it in a way that made it clear he understood what I was asking.
2. He told me he wasn't positive what the capabilities of the 3800HGV were and asked if I could hold while he found out (why can't more people in IT do this?).
3. When he took me off hold he did several things:
- He told me the configuration I was trying to achieve wasn't possible at this time.
- When asked if it was an issue they are aware of he said it was, but that he couldn't tell me if, when or how it would get resolved.
- He suggested two alternate configurations for my network.
I won't end up using either of the configurations that were suggested, but it made it obvious that he was interested in helping find a compromise for the situation.
The whole support call took about 12 minutes and gave me all the answers I've been trying to get for over a week. The answers weren't what I was hoping for, but it's a lot better than getting the run around.
Ryan |
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wilburyan
join:2002-08-01
| Sadly... Tier one techs specialize in setting up pop3 e-mail, helping users setup spam filters, and resetting passwords.
and 9 times out of 10, when someone is complaining about speed... the problem is a virus or something the user is running that is eating up bandwidth & resources.
I've shared your frustration when I've called Sasktel in the past... "Well your usage is quite high, you likely have a virus... hence why your connection is intermittent" It usually takes me having to explain that I work in IT and I used to install High Speed for Sasktel before they believe that their is indeed something wrong with the connection. |
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Tikker_LoS
join:2004-04-29
Regina, SK
 ·SaskTel Saskatchewan
| reply to ryan6608
said by ryan6608  :Hi, I'm wondering if there's anyone around here that gets their service from Sasktel and has had any success in getting things set up so it's actually possible to use the multiple IPs they advertise with the service. As you've learned, until we get another vdsl2+ modem aside from the 2wire, it's just not going to be possible
(or 2wire figures out what they're doing, whichever comes first) |
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ryan6608
join:2008-11-25
| Our internet and TV are both running very well now. I ended up calling in one last time because our (total) line speed dropped to 18Mbit/s which meant we could only get one HD TV stream at a time.
All of my issues have been resolved.
Before letting this thread die I'd also like to mention that I've been using Sasktel high-speed internet for over 10 years and it's been extremely reliable. I'm confident in saying that having an issue with their service is atypical. |
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