spidey; something you said about @home networks ->

[shadow]

<< because they use caching servers at each city. This enables them to serve 95% of the general public without the need for superfast uplinks to the internet. >>

Where did you heard this? Does anyone else have any info regarding @home's web caching schemes?

 

[PrinceofWands]

Yes @Home has hundreds of high access caching proxy servers. The basic convention is: At every subdomain is a proxy server which is merely a high access caching server used by every other person in the subdomain who has it enabled. Thus everyone on vncvr1.wa.home.com (my subd) who turns on proxies in their internet options goes from their system, to their gateway which checks the area proxy servers for a cached copy of the page. If it exists it is used without the customer needing to leave the @Home backbone, greatly enhancing speed in theory. If the page doesn't exist in history, it then goes through the NAP's to get a copy and stores it for others use. Refreshes are done according to page programming.

It's a good idea in theory, should reduce bandwidth usage through the NAP. Unfortunately theory doesn't mean crap with computers. Instead this is the usual scenerio: only large sites, frequently visited maintain properly updated code regarding updating from the cache. Cache corrupts frequently. The Microsoft proxy system in internet explorer isn't the best. Netscapes is worse. Bandwidth clogs at the proxy server instead of the NAP, which is large enough to actually deal with it. @home systems are pitiful and go down frequently, leaving you with pitifully slow or no connection.

My advice to customers is always &quot;Turn off your proxies. It will prevent trouble in the future.&quot;

 

[shadow]

outstanding! Any information on the hit ratios or anyhting like that? Do you know of any resources I might jump to specifically about @home's network?

 

[Wik]

Yeah, I stopped using the @home proxy a few hours after the installer left. Sure you speeds to bigger sites seemed faster but in general it actually slowed me down when doing some power surfing.

 

[Wik]

Prince, what is @home policy towards a degrading service? The way I get the feeling from them is as long as there is no packet loss there is no problem. Level 1 techs won't even take note that speeds are slow. In my area I used to be able to ping the DNS server or the Gateway with pings of 10ms or less. Now it goes from 10 - 150 but never drops a packet so they tell me the service is running fine. I was dreading the day that my neighborhood would all be signed up but it looks to be the case now. Especially with the the bad weather the last few weeks I think every kid is at home fighting for all of my good bandwith?

Are you still working for @home?

 

[PrinceofWands]

Info on @Home's network? Nothing I know of, I can try to answer specifics, but tier II really doesn't get any good stuff, we don't have any direct connection to network itself so info is scarce.

WIK: No, I left after being a thorn in their side for about a year. After the 5th payroll issue I went to the account manager with my stack of complaints and had it out with him, I was fired 2 days later for 'not being able to fit in with the team idea' *rofl*

anywho, here's the deal.....@Home itself only cares about issues on the parts of the network that they control, and then only barely. The MSO's (individual cable companies) care only about getting your money and couldn't care less if anything ever works for you. (visit www.@homesucks.com for some examples). @Home makes no guarantees of ping times ever. If you aren't getting packet loss, and your download speeds from @Home servers stay above 50-75KB/sec then you will not be helped. If you can show download speeds under that, and consistent ping rates over 75ms to your gateway (hooked up in a supportable fashion: win 9x or 2k hooked straight to the modem with no firewall of extra stuff in the way) then you might eventually get someone to take a look at it, but be ready for a fight.

As an example I have had terrible service here in vancouver. I troubleshot the issue from home and work, had an at&amp;t line tech friend of mine help me out. I compiled about 75 pages of tests and info proving beyond doubt exactly what the problem was. After 4 months of little or no connectivity I had 5 truck rolls, over 200 calls, about 50 emails and I was never once able to send my info to anyone. They absolutely did not care, they did it their own way, customers be damned. They did eventually get my service back up, now it's killer again like it was at first, but nothnig I did made any difference to them.

 

[shadow]

well I am most interested in the numbers, hit ratios, number of individual servers, bandwidth saved etc.

 

[PrinceofWands]

unfortunately that's just not something that's available. The only ones who would know are the big wigs in redwood city and they're certainly not talking. Wish I could have been more help.

 

[spidey07]

Thanks for all the great info PrinceOfWands

There is a reason we get super fast cable modem service so cheap. NO CUSTOMER SERVICE TO BACK IT UP. People cost money don't ya know.

shadow: My comment on the caching scheme is that it does lower demand on @homes back-end connections to TIER1 ISPs (UUnet, BBN, Sprint). By serving as much content and traffic as they can on their own network they don't have to pay the premium to the Tier1s for huge pipes. @homes network is already capitalized and paid for (maybe?)

oh well, glad we've got prince around to give the details. One of these day's I'm going sniffing or something fun. AUP be damned.

 

[shadow]

haha, let me know if I can help....