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General discussion

Two ISPs have similar reverse DNS; both equally slow

Jun 8, 2009 3:26AM PDT

My two ISPs have similar "machine names" ("reverse DNS"); does that have to do with why the dial-up connect speeds are so close or even identically slow?

Since my dial-up connect speeds have continued to get slower, I signed up for an additional ISP, thinking that if it had better speeds on the average I would drop my old ISP. To my surprise the connect speeds are often identical and, when not identical, are very close. They are both very slow.

The ShieldsUP! web page (https://www.grc.com/x/ne.dll?bh0bkyd2) shows a "machine name" (also called "reverse DNS") and the IP. The page says:

"The end of the string is probably a domain name related to your ISP. This will be common to all customers of this ISP"

My two ISPs have very similar machine names.

For example, here is the result of dialing up one ISP then disconnecting and connecting to the other ISP:
(Dialing from home in San Antonio, Texas; local phone service provider is ATT.) (the Xs are for the parts that are different)

ISP ATT/YAHOO - 19,200 bps -
xxx.dallas-xxxxxxxxxxxx.tx.dial-access.att.net

ISP STIC - 19,200 bps - (STIC is owned by Ikano in Utah)
xxx.dallas-xxxxxxxxxx.tx.dial-access.att.net

Questions:

1) Is this similarity because I have ATT phone service?
2) Is the STIC ISP server at the same physical location as the ATT ISP?
3) Does the machine name similarity relate to the often identically slow connect speeds? And if so, how?

Important question
4) While searching for a faster ISP, what question do I ask to avoid getting another ISP that will use the same resources (assuming these two do use the same resources)?

Thanks

Discussion is locked

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Dial-up speed . . .
Jun 8, 2009 9:44PM PDT

is controlled by the cable pair and distance to the central office. From the central office to the ISP, fiber optics are used with a minimum speed of 45 Mb/s. Since you are connected to "The Net" by your cable pair, any ISP will have the same speed. It's just the physics of an analog cable pair.

Wayne

Click here to see the CNet faces, learn a little about analog and digital data, Internet connections, Spyware removal, and download free software (and a GREAT chocolate-cherry cobbler recipe).
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Dial up speed - thanks Coryphaeus
Jun 9, 2009 1:16AM PDT

Wayne,

Thanks. I did some reading on your web site.

You are Texas based! You may even have been in my central office here in San Antonio.

So changing ISPs and changing local telephone provider wouldn't matter since I will still have the same physical wire running from my house to the central office, which, I have heard, different local service providers share.

The highest speed I have gotten here over the last few years is 44,000. I am assuming that is the absolute fastest possible on my cable pair.

Though there are still, once in a while, decent speeds, the trend has been downward over the last few years. If I averaged them, the average would be dropping. The last four months would have reached a new average low. And 19,200, which comes up frequently now, is a new low. (I am again at that speed now.)

I wondered if ATT wants me to sign up for high-speed and is adjusting the dial-up speed downward. Is there a way they could do that if they wanted to at the central office?

If not, could you hazard a guess as to why there is variability? - why it changes during a day or week and why there is a downward trend over the years.

Harry

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Your speed. . .
Jun 9, 2009 4:07AM PDT

depends on the quality of the cable pair. If there are any metallic faults or if the pair is unbalanced (induces noise) your speed will drop. You might call AT&T and complain, but they only guarantee the pair will talk, not send and receive data. I taught classes years ago on this very subject. You can, however, call repair and tell them there is noise on the pair and have someone come out and test the pair. They may find problems. Or if you still work for AT&T have an outside tech swing by and test the pair.