Pipex, routing, broadband - need a guru's opinion!

[Big G]

Ok i've been having this problem with Pipex for over a month now and i'm wondering if anyone has the same prob or could help.

The problem lies when i wanna play CS on UK2.net or on another server i like called shady.org. Before hand, pings to UK2 were about 40/50 (dos ping, not ingame CS ping) and pings to shady were 35.

One day, pings to these servers rocketed to over 200. "WTF!?" i said. Trace routes revealed the following:

UK2 trace.

Tracing route to uk2.net [213.239.57.2]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms gordon.mshome.net [192.168.0.1]
2 37 ms 29 ms 39 ms userga001.dsl.pipex.com [62.190.168.1]
3 39 ms 39 ms 39 ms 62.190.223.129
4 32 ms 39 ms 39 ms POS7-3.GW1.LND9.ALTER.NET [146.188.41.149]
5 29 ms 39 ms 39 ms so-3-0-0.xr2.lnd9.alter.net [158.43.150.145]
6 39 ms 39 ms 39 ms so-1-1-0.TR2.LND9.Alter.Net [146.188.15.45]
7 109 ms 110 ms 109 ms so-2-0-0.IR2.NYC12.Alter.Net [146.188.8.178]
8 108 ms 109 ms 109 ms 0.so-1-0-0.IL2.NYC9.ALTER.NET [152.63.23.69]
9 108 ms 109 ms 109 ms 0.so-3-0-0.TL2.NYC9.ALTER.NET [152.63.9.186]
10 109 ms 109 ms 109 ms 0.so-7-0-0.XL2.NYC8.Alter.Net [152.63.0.37]
11 108 ms 109 ms 108 ms 0.so-6-0-0.BR4.NYC8.ALTER.NET [152.63.21.57]
12 107 ms 109 ms 119 ms pos6-0.core2.NewYork1.Level3.net
13 108 ms 109 ms 110 ms ae0-52.mp2.NewYork1.Level3.net [64.159.17.34]
14 180 ms 179 ms 189 ms so-2-0-0.mp2.London1.Level3.net
15 208 ms 179 ms 179 ms gige9-0.ipcolo1.London1.Level3.net
16 179 ms 179 ms 179 ms 217.163.4.34
17 192 ms 179 ms 179 ms www.uk2.net [213.239.57.2]

Trace complete.

Shady.org trace:

Tracing route to deceptively.shady.org [195.167.170.240]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 <1 ms <1 ms <1 ms gordon.mshome.net [192.168.0.1]
2 35 ms 39 ms 29 ms userga001.dsl.pipex.com [62.190.168.1]
3 39 ms 39 ms 39 ms 62.190.223.129
4 33 ms 39 ms 39 ms POS7-0.GW1.LND9.ALTER.NET [146.188.58.141]
5 39 ms 39 ms 39 ms so-3-0-0.xr1.lnd9.alter.net [158.43.150.141]
6 39 ms 39 ms 39 ms so-0-1-0.TR1.LND9.Alter.Net [146.188.15.33]
7 109 ms 129 ms 109 ms so-6-0-0.IR1.NYC12.Alter.Net [146.188.15.50]
8 109 ms 109 ms 109 ms 0.so-0-0-0.IL1.NYC9.ALTER.NET [152.63.23.57]
9 108 ms 109 ms 109 ms 0.so-3-0-0.TL1.NYC9.ALTER.NET [152.63.9.246]
10 108 ms 109 ms 109 ms 0.so-5-0-0.XL1.NYC9.ALTER.NET [152.63.0.174]
11 108 ms 109 ms 109 ms POS6-0.BR2.NYC9.ALTER.NET [152.63.22.225]
12 109 ms 119 ms 109 ms a3-0-2-0.r01.nwrknj01.us.bb.verio.net
13 108 ms 109 ms 109 ms p4-0-2-0.r80.nwrknj01.us.bb.verio.net
14 198 ms 200 ms 199 ms p4-1-3-0.r01.amstnl02.nl.bb.verio.net
15 198 ms 199 ms 199 ms p4-0-3-0.r00.amstnl02.nl.bb.verio.net
16 209 ms 210 ms 210 ms p4-2-3-0.r00.londen02.uk.bb.verio.net
17 299 ms 240 ms 210 ms ge-2-0.a00.londen02.uk.ra.verio.net
18 209 ms 210 ms 210 ms ge-1-1.a02.londen02.uk.ra.verio.net
19 206 ms 210 ms 210 ms 213.130.48.30
20 210 ms 210 ms 210 ms 195.167.248.7
21 203 ms 209 ms 210 ms 195.167.252.13
22 213 ms 209 ms 210 ms 195.167.167.5
23 213 ms 210 ms 210 ms deceptively.shady.org [195.167.170.240]

Trace complete.

Obviously eveything appears to be routed through the USA then back again which is a bit fecking useless. On further investigation, i found this post:

(pipex use WorldCom’s network).

Spoken to WorldCom tech support and was told that there SLA's have not been broken because it's not on there network. They have just sent me an email with SLA's on proving there point.

they also say that it's level3's problem telling WorldCom that the best route to get to level3 is to go to the US and connect to level3's network there and then go to uk2.net

spoke to level3 and they told me what's really happened, because of a couple of major isp's going tit's up and customers leaving and going to WorldCom and level3. The bandwidth that WorldCom have to level3 can't cope with the amount of traffic (dropped packets) and they need to upgrade there bandwidth to level3. So what level3 have done is closed down this connection and the best way to connect to WorldCom is through the US (bigger bandwidth connection)

He also added that it should be back to normal when WorldCom add more bandwidth.

Why did WorldCom tech support not tell me that. And they would be back to normal in a couple of weeks.

My questions are:

1) Does anyone else have a problem like this?
2) Can any leet network guru who's in the know shed any light on the state of level3, Worldom and their relationship?
3) Does anyone know if a fix is gonna happen soon before i lose my patience with pipex and cancel?

Any feedback/help/opinions would really help.

Gaz - a very grumpy and unsatisfied Pipex customer

 

[old.s-p]

1) Same thing happens to me. Not really bothered as I hate uk2 servers

2) Erm, sadly I ain't a techy so I can't really help.

3) Pipex have a fair few problems more important than routing at the moment, so don't expect a fix to the problem any time soon.

I recall you (well I think it was you), posting in the adslguide.org.uk forums. Your more likely to get a response in their to problems with Pipex than here. Well thats how I see it. You'll find it impossible to contacting Pipex via phone or e-mail probably. However, if you really find this a massive problem, you could try contacting them. I personally don't see it being worth £120* so you have slightly better routing.


*Cost calculated by £60 cancellation with Pipex, and another £60 setup fee for another ISP.

 

[Embattle]

1. No since I'm on BY giving me figures like:

Tracing route to www.uk2.net [213.239.57.2]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms <1 ms <1 ms 192.168.123.254
2 11 ms 9 ms 9 ms 10.87.0.1
3 9 ms 12 ms 14 ms gsr01-nm.blueyonder.co.uk [62.30.112.129]
4 11 ms 13 ms 19 ms 172.18.10.37
5 11 ms 11 ms 11 ms tele1-cro-pos.telewest.net [194.117.136.34]
6 17 ms 11 ms 12 ms e41-isp1-gw1-uk.cableinet.net [194.117.140.9]
7 19 ms 11 ms 11 ms ge2-0.mpr1.lhr1.uk.mfnx.net [195.66.224.76]
8 11 ms 12 ms 11 ms so-3-2-0.cr1.lhr4.uk.mfnx.net [208.184.231.166]
9 11 ms 11 ms 12 ms pos0-1.er1a.lhr4.uk.mfnx.net [208.184.231.126]
10 13 ms 13 ms 12 ms above1.uk2net.net [213.161.68.242]
11 11 ms 20 ms 12 ms gw12k-ibgp.uk2net.com [213.239.57.134]
12 13 ms 13 ms 11 ms www.uk2.net [213.239.57.2]

Trace complete.

Sorry I'll stop gloating, although your packets do get a free trip to New York

2. Both companies have had a tough time in the last year but neither has any particular reason for being narky towards each other from what I know...well other than normal business competition reasons that is.

3. Tough one but since they seem to be shifting the responsibility on to each other don't get your hopes up. Plus while adding bandwidth may solve the problem they're aren't likely to rush doing this in the current climate.