Ipstar dropouts.

**gordon_s1942** · 20-01-10, 10:02 PM

Anyone using Ipstar experiencing complete dropouts particulary around 2100 (9pm) AEDST ??
Its dropped out twice tonight at 2118 and 2140 roughly, each time was 3 minutes.
I know C1/D3 are nowhere close geograhically but Ipstar seems to keep working when the Pay disapears in severe weather conditions so I dont feel this is weather related.
When it goes, I check the Ipstar Terminal properties and sometimes it is blank and others it has Signal strength only untill the message appears it is doing a Log In procedure.

Ipstar is onsold by several companies, mine is based in South Western Victoria so accept for accounting, I dont think they have much to do with the actual satelitte itself.
So I was just curious if others may be experiencing this as well.

**puca** · 22-01-10, 05:12 AM

you must not be on much gordon i find shitstar is always dropping out i am with activ8me and nothing worse than being in the middle of a 2 gig download and it drops

**gordon_s1942** · 23-01-10, 12:03 AM

puca, this was just the recent ones so maybe if those of us using Ipstar irrespective of the On Seller company start keeping a log when we know its gone off and for how long and compare notes, we may be able to use it as a lever regarding plans and prices.
My company is Aussiebroadband from Warnabool.

**warbo** · 23-01-10, 07:01 AM

Hi Gordon,

I'm just trying to remember why you didn't go ahead with 3G when we were talking about it back in September.

That Optus tower up on the hill just 4km's away would be looking pretty attractive.

The beauty about that tower is it look's like it's really only designed to service the highway. I can't imagine it would be loaded up at all.

Maybe you were in contract, but if there is a way you can change I'm sure you'd be glad you did.

**AJM** · 01-02-10, 08:57 PM

Yep, have the same problem here.

Drop outs up to 15 times a day (could be more if I monitored for a greater part of the day).

My IPStar is also Aussiebroadband. However, the problem of good signal strength but zero signal to noise ratio is associated with the receiver (iCon in my case) and the IPStar satellite. My service was installed on 18 Jan 2010 and I had great hopes of high speeds and reduced latency. These two hopes are confirmed in my tests (4MBps and ~700ms pings); however, general browsing performance is not very good and the dropouts are a huge turn off. Previously, I've had Bordernet (512Kbps and ~1400ms pings) which in theory is slower and less responsive. However, it actually seemed to be faster as the Gilat SkyEdge page acceleration implementation appears to be superior to the IPStar one. I never had any regular drop outs, but did lose connection during very heavy weather.

I've complained to AussieBroadband tech support and they have requested a gain adjustment and possible firmware reversion (back from RC029 to RC027) which will be implemented by the IPStar mob. I hope this improves the situation, because otherwise I should have stuck with the more reliable Bordernet service.

Sounds like I'm pushing Bordernet's barrow, but I can assure you I'm not connected with them in any way... as I cancelled my service with them when I got AussieBroadband (bugger!!).

I'll let you know if my service improves at all. Due to my location, I'm on the shaped beam (514) using the Kalgoorlie gateway for IPStar. However, I understand that many users on other beams also have these problems.

You may want to talk to tech support at AussieBroadband as they can access your connection and see what your current signal conditions are. They may suggest some changes as they did in my case.

regards

**wazza811** · 02-02-10, 09:38 AM

Hi I am also with ipstar but isp is clearnetworks and it very rarely drops out so I think it may be your isp .I have been with them for 3 or 4 years and can count drop outs on one hand .maybe I had a good installer regards wazza

**AJM** · 02-02-10, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by wazza811

Hi I am also with ipstar but isp is clearnetworks and it very rarely drops out so I think it may be your isp .I have been with them for 3 or 4 years and can count drop outs on one hand .maybe I had a good installer regards wazza

Thanks Wazza,

IPStar has completed the changes to my setup. I'm now on RC027 firmware and the TXGain has been decreased from -19.5dB to -20dB. There was also some maintenance on Beam 514 last night (reported on WhirlPool forum). So I'm hoping for some improvement today.

regards

**BlackDuck** · 02-02-10, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by gordon_s1942

puca, this was just the recent ones so maybe if those of us using Ipstar irrespective of the On Seller company start keeping a log when we know its gone off and for how long and compare notes, we may be able to use it as a lever regarding plans and prices.
My company is Aussiebroadband from Warnabool.

I'm on Activ8me and experience 3 or 4 drop outs of 2 to 5 minutes duration every hour.

About a month ago I started taking screen shots with Printscreen to show what failed to load and the time, as a visual record.

**AJM** · 08-02-10, 01:09 AM

My IPStar service is still dropping out. However, to their credit, AussieBB has agreed that there is a serious problem and have suspended my fees until it can be fixed. Apparently there are quite a lot of people in the same boat and many are on the shaped beam (514). I notice that they have made further changes to the gain settings but I'm still experiencing the same problems.

Apparently IPStar engineers from Thailand are supposed to be visiting the gateways in Kalgoorlie and Broken Hill to try and understand and fix the problem.

regards

**gordon_s1942** · 08-02-10, 11:26 PM

AJM, your posting is music to my ears as I am with AussieBB and I emailed them about this problem and they said they had installed a monitor on my connection and asked me to do a total shut down which I did and advised them of doing it.
I received and email acknowledging this and advise of 2 'disconnections' appearing.
One I think was a power blip that shut down the computer so it may have caused the Modem to re log on but tonight its gone nuts again.
I may ring them tomorrow now I have read your posting and see what they have to say.

Warbo,
I did consider going Optus wireless but it just wasnt easy to do at the time.
I did however out of curiosty when I went to Bathurst a couple of weeks later, I asked at the Optus shop in Bathurst about this service and those bloody drones there said 'DUH we dun NO NUFFIN' and one REFUSED to sell me the Modem because 'I wasnt shown on their service map area'.
I rang one mob who advertise on TV and are using Optus wireless or Satelitte for rural areas and they said exactly the same thing.
I wasnt shown on their maps for Wireless either.
I even emailed Optus and I am still waiting for a reply.
Warbo, dont think I dont believe you about the service being here as I know one person here who is using it but I wasnt real impressed by the utter denial of service by those localy.

**warbo** · 09-02-10, 02:56 AM

Yeah most of em are drones as you say. I think they get a two week course in sales but don't have any real world knowledge of what they are selling.

Try not to let some inadequate sales assistant deny you of a better service though. I looked up your place again just now and it's a fully green area which means it should be fine. Google Earth backs that up too.

Anyway, I'll leave it up to you mate. Willing to help if you want it.

**gordon_s1942** · 09-02-10, 05:31 PM

Warbo, many many thanks and no matter what happens, I might ask you for a copy of the Signal Coverage area to take to them at Bathurst and stick up their noses !!!

Now, ANNYONE who has read the above and are IPSTAR Internet users irrespective of who the seller is, if you havent already done so,I strongly urge you to note and complain to your Internet seller regarding the dropouts as there is definately a major problem with the system.

I like AJM might also be receiving a rebate over this but I feel its only being offered if YOU complain.
Last night after 10.05pm untill about 10.55pm, it was all over the scale.
So far I have again been 'disconnected' once today that I know of for a few minutes so I ran AussieBB and thats when I found out about the possible rebates.

**BlackDuck** · 09-02-10, 08:30 PM

I've never heard of these people before but a quick glance at their website seems to indicate they maybe comparable to activ8me.

Although based on my experience with activ8me that wouldn't be hard.

**gordon_s1942** · 09-02-10, 10:23 PM

If your Internet dish is facing towards the west at about 45 degrees different to an Austar one, then your most likely using IPSTAR or THIACOM 1,2 or 3.

ABB sent me an email this evening advising what AJM said AND because of the continuing problem, they are SUSPENDING accounts for the duration of the problem.

Blackduck, I dont know if you have the 'address' of the modem to check out the properties page but if you do, that will give you all the names etc.

**puca** · 10-02-10, 11:31 AM

well i am also in the same boat as you guys constant drop out i am with activ8me coming of thiacom 1a sat rang again yesterday and they tell me now its been moved to a level 2 tech support they claim no sat problem must be my end so will report back what happens

**gordon_s1942** · 10-02-10, 11:12 PM

puca, Thiacom is Ipstar, check Lyngesat.
If you want I will make available to you the Email Aussiebroadband sent me clearly stating the problem is to do with Ipstar or the ground stations, either the Kalgoolie or Broken Hill one and their suspending all fees untill the problem is rectified, now NO company EVER gives money away.
What I found on the Whirlpool forum as a signal chart from Ipstar/Thiacom and we are on individual Beams covering the most populated coastal areas and it mentions an 'Australia' beam which I guess covers the inland.
Abb was a bit reluctant to tell me anything untill I said I had read that other uses were complaining of the dropouts.
Actualy it was the Abb help desk who mentioned Whilpool forums.
So keep at Activ8me, its NOT your end at all !!!

**puca** · 11-02-10, 04:59 AM

ok thanks for the info gordon _s1942 may get a copy of that email if the continue with this it has been a problem for a while now i am on beam 507 according to the install sheet i used the ipstar terminal yesterday to check how many times it logged off and from 7am to 10pm last night it logged 14 dropouts so just waiting for there tech to call now

**gordon_s1942** · 11-02-10, 12:20 PM

puca, how did you get that log info out of the terminal please, I would like to check that out myself for future reference.

Your Ping is/was worse the mine, last showed 708 ms.

**AJM** · 11-02-10, 10:09 PM

To have a look at your signal and Eb/No you can use Microsoft Internet Explorer (Firefox is not compatible) and go to the Icon Web Interface:.

This screen also shows logon, logoff and other message activity between the Icon Ipstar terminal and the satellite. However, if you display any other tabs on the web interface the messages are wiped and you start again when you go back to this signal strength tab. So I leave the browser on this overnight for example and count the number of logoffs that accumulate.

If you want to browse the other tabs in this web interface, the default login username/password required is admin/operator. This enabled me to see that the Ipstar techs had changed some of my gain settings. Don't change anything unless you want to void your support!

My signal strength is typically about 75 and my Eb/No about 9.5dB and I'm on the inland (shaped) beam 514. When its not logging off, this system is downloading at up to 4 Mbps and returns pings around 700 msec. Despite these impressive numbers (impressive for vSat I mean), when browsing the page loading is a bit sluggish and certainly no better than a Bordernet/Optus SkyEdge receiver at 512 kbps which had a typical ping of about 1400 msec. I believe the SkyEdge receiver has a more effective page accelerator system than the Ipstar one... however, this is a subjective impression.

Ipstar is still dropping out... hope they're making progress with it. I don't mind paying if it actually works.

regards

**gordon_s1942** · 11-02-10, 11:04 PM

Thanks AJM, I have the 'home page ' in Favs to save entering it each time.
I was hoping there was a printable log in one of the TABS.
I think the damn thing spat the dummy between 4 and 6 times tonight after 5pm untill 8pm.
Your settings are similar to mine 75/76 Sig strength, Es of 10.6. I do have an attenuator on the Rx cable as my signal strength was over 100 origonaly and they thought that too much signal was causing the odd disconnect I was experiencing late last year.
It did settle down after I installed it I thought but now I am starting to wonder if it was in fact a prelude to this current annoying dropouts.
I hope they have more than just 2 Thai engineeers working on this problem.
Could you imagine the travelling expenses to go between the Kalgoolie and Broken Hill Gateways ??