Getting ready?

[ninatoo]

Hi David,

It isn't Telstra, it's Optus I am having to deal with and according to the nitwits at their help desk, they are completely separate.

All four of those websites still don't connect.

You are right David, I am sure there is more than one pathway to Scotland...why don't they just select one?

I am hoping Scotland's People will contact Optus. Perhaps they will have more influence in having this fixed than (as Optus probably see us) a few random users here and there.

[DavidWW]

Hi David,

It isn't Telstra, it's Optus I am having to deal with and according to the nitwits at their help desk, they are completely separate.

All four of those websites still don't connect.

You are right David, I am sure there is more than one pathway to Scotland...why don't they just select one?

I am hoping Scotland's People will contact Optus. Perhaps they will have more influence in having this fixed than (as Optus probably see us) a few random users here and there.

Whoops, - the reference to Telstra changed to Optus, but the comment still applies ! - this from their website "Welcome to Optus - an Australian leader in integrated telecommunications, delivering cutting-edge communications, information technology and entertainment ..."" Care to comment

The other reference to a Telstra network inside Oz still applies.

David

[ninatoo]

Those maps are very interesting, thanks David. I am wondering why they just don't flick a switch!

If I have no connection in the next few days I will be calling Optus again and will attempt to bully them into submission .

Nina

[sporran]

Hello Nina,


switches could be flicked, but there is considerable potential to make the matter worse by attempting to put too much traffic down a particular route, or overloading DNS servers in other locations. The analogy is to divert vehicles from a 4 or 5-lane motorway (freeway) on to a smaller local road, and a lot of people decide to visit the first cafe they see.

The situation needs to be managed carefully, but I can imagine that there is a scramble going on for cables, cable-laying boats, routers and other equipment.


Regards,

John

[ninatoo]

Yes John that makes sense. And of course there are far more important things in the world than when I am going to get my next certificate. But BOY I think my Visa card is going to take a beating when I can reconnect again!

Nina

[DavidWW]

Those maps are very interesting, thanks David. I am wondering why they just don't flick a switch!

If I have no connection in the next few days I will be calling Optus again and will attempt to bully them into submission .

Nina

See http://news.scotsman.com/latest_technol ... 1917752006 for the latest.

As John says it's not just a simple switch flicking question, - and it's even more complicated than that, not just in technical terms, - the required "switch flicking" can take anything from hours to days to set up, - but also commercial terms as regards contracts between Optus and the fibreoptic cable companies, in terms of what "space" Optus have bought/reserved on what networks.

Many large companies will have alternatives set up in advance, - they can afford to pay for the priviledge, in fact many can't afford not to!, and it may be the case that the Oz-N America link is full up with these.


A look at http://www.business.nsw.gov.au/business.asp?cid=167 sheds some probable light on your situation, as "Optus" is actually "SingTel Optus" - SingTel is Singapore Tel(ecommunications).

Sooooo......................., in your case........

SingTel's own "local" problems following the cable breaks off Taiwan will take precedence, then major corporate clients, then corporate clients elsewhere, and guess where you come

This also explains why Optus clients in parts at least of Oz are badly affected, as much of the Optus traffic out of Vic and SA must have been routed via Singapore, before being sent on to the rest of the world.

I can well imagine corporate priorities in SingTel HQ, with private broadband customers way down the list, and I'd suspect, some Vic and SA corporate clients as well!!

David

PS Meant to say that the SingTel home page did load OK, but took a unsurprising number of seconds
dww

[DavidWW]

The latest avialable news from SingTel .......

29 December 2006 – SingTel has restored more services affected by the Taiwan quake.

SingTel's customers can surf, e-mail and perform online transactions. The SingTel BlackBerry service has also been fully restored.

As part of our cable traffic redirection effort, traffic to the US is being re-routed via Europe or Australia as well as using other channels such as satellite links and landlines.

We will continue to provide updates as more services are restored.

And that explains why it's been taking me several tries to logon to my ISP, US based, over the last few days, - at times 5 or 10 minutes instead of the normal immediate .................

David

[ChrisC.]

Thanks for all the work you are all doing with "the SP problem"
They saw me coming as i had just bought some credits before it went off!
Seems i am not destined to find my Scottish rellies!
researching McFarlane -before 1800
Young in Kilmallie
Campbell-Loch Nell Argyle

[ninatoo]

Hi Chris,

Make sure you report your difficulty to your service provider as the more of us who do so will encourage them to fix it.

Nina

[DavidWW]

Thanks for all the work you are all doing with "the SP problem"
They saw me coming as i had just bought some credits before it went off!
Seems i am not destined to find my Scottish rellies!
researching McFarlane -before 1800
Young in Kilmallie
Campbell-Loch Nell Argyle

If the situation continues so that you're in danger of running out of time on ScotlandsPeople, submit a contact form to them and I'm sure that they will take a sympathetic view of the situation, and give you an extension.

David