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Unread 10-18-2007, 07:25 AM   #1
JeFFJuH
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Default Shaw Cable users, please read this

I was just browsing around a bit, and found this for Shaw Cable (Canada) users.

For an additional $10/month, you can get a special QoS service for VoIP.

This QoS service will be offered from the ISP side.

More information can be found at Enhance your VoIP

Last edited by JeFFJuH; 10-18-2007 at 07:29 AM.
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Unread 10-19-2007, 04:07 AM   #2
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Well to put this in context, when Shaw took out its VoIP packages many users found they could no longer use third party services (like Vonage) due to excessive line noise.....Shaw's solution was "we can fix it switch to us"

I have a terrible feeling this $10 is not QoS in its proper sense, but rather a fee for using third party VoIP providers with your shaw connection, so if you pay $10 they won't (or at least won't try to) scramble and block all VoIP traffic...

All that said, this is just what I've heard coupled with my opinion, no hard facts to back this up since Rogers (rather than Shaw) has covered my area for the longest time....(and have been using TekSavvy as an ISP for the last little while with very good results)

Any Shaw users that can comment on their current VoIP experience???

Last edited by emoci; 10-19-2007 at 04:14 AM.
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Unread 10-19-2007, 03:34 PM   #3
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That's so terrible what you have to suffer in Canada. I just enjoy my Freenet DSL connection with 16 MBit/s download / 1 MBit/s upload and 3rd party Betamax VoIP with cristal clear sound in Germany. That's so great about market competition: If they would mess my VoIP I would change the ISP.
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Unread 10-19-2007, 05:31 PM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by emoci View Post
Well to put this in context, when Shaw took out its VoIP packages many users found they could no longer use third party services (like Vonage) due to excessive line noise.....Shaw's solution was "we can fix it switch to us"

I have a terrible feeling this $10 is not QoS in its proper sense, but rather a fee for using third party VoIP providers with your shaw connection, so if you pay $10 they won't (or at least won't try to) scramble and block all VoIP traffic...

All that said, this is just what I've heard coupled with my opinion, no hard facts to back this up since Rogers (rather than Shaw) has covered my area for the longest time....(and have been using TekSavvy as an ISP for the last little while with very good results)

Any Shaw users that can comment on their current VoIP experience???
Actually Shaw does not use a VOIP service for their proprietary phone system, it is distinguished as a packetcable service that runs across it's own dedicated network. Yes it uses the same cable as the internet and TV but being on a seperate frequency it does not interfer with or impede internet traffic which standard vanilla VOIP uses.

As we all know std vanilla VOIP shares the same traffic/bandwidth as internet traffic so is subject to the same issues as other internet traffic passing through the network(s) such as routing issues, latency and primetime congestion. What the QOS feature from Shaw tries to do is alleviate those issues that can appear on their network. Now I do not know the details behind their QOS, but from what I have heard is that in some cases it has helped immensely and others where it hasn't helped at all.
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Unread 10-19-2007, 06:35 PM   #5
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I live in The Netherlands, and I am using a 16 Mbit down/1.5 Mbit up cable connection.

I have my computers and VoIP phone connected to a Linksys WRT54G v2.2 using the Open Source firmware "Tomato" (Firmware | polarcloud.com)

This firmware comes with limited, but pretty nice QoS functionality. My experience with this is that I can use my connection for 100%, without my VoIP service being disturbed in any way.

My ISP is also offering a "Voice over Cable" service, which is just plain VoIP being offered over cable. My parents are using this service, which is also pretty nice to use. All QoS for this service is being handled from inside my cable modem (Motorola SURFboard).

I think QoS from your ISP side is nice, but I don't think they should let you pay any extra for that. If any of you have a WRT54G(L) router, I would recommend trying the Tomato firmware.
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Unread 10-19-2007, 09:22 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JeFFJuH View Post
I live in The Netherlands, and I am using a 16 Mbit down/1.5 Mbit up cable connection.

I have my computers and VoIP phone connected to a Linksys WRT54G v2.2 using the Open Source firmware "Tomato" (Firmware | polarcloud.com)

This firmware comes with limited, but pretty nice QoS functionality. My experience with this is that I can use my connection for 100%, without my VoIP service being disturbed in any way.

My ISP is also offering a "Voice over Cable" service, which is just plain VoIP being offered over cable. My parents are using this service, which is also pretty nice to use. All QoS for this service is being handled from inside my cable modem (Motorola SURFboard).

I think QoS from your ISP side is nice, but I don't think they should let you pay any extra for that. If any of you have a WRT54G(L) router, I would recommend trying the Tomato firmware.

I have noticed that comparing network infastructure betweein N.America, Europe and Pan-Asia, Europeans and Pan-Asians have it way better. I'm in Western Canada and the network is pretty solid, all major backbones through the ISP I use are fibre, Core Private line OC192, OC48, the more remote areas use microwave OC48or wired equivalent. But once outside that network any VOIP traffic is as the mercy of what ever provider the traffic routes through. Also with a larger geographical presence it's far more expensive to impliment higher broadband speeds. My connection currently is 10Mbit down 1Mbit up cable connection. Someday I would like to see FTTH or at least some of the better connection rates that Europeans and others in Pan-Asia see but geography does play a bit part over here.

I will agree with you on the QOS, but it was primarily implemented due to VOIP providers squarely pointing the finger at Shaw stating it was their problem, even though the burden of proof showed that the traffic on their network was passing fine and the issue was at the voip servers in the eastern US bogging down. Currently for phone I am using the Shaw packetcable system and it works without a hitch, I also have a standard POTS line in the house for my g/f.

I have used several routers, my favorite now being an older but incredibly robust ASUS WL500G with firmware by a fellow named Oleg.
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Unread 10-19-2007, 10:11 PM   #7
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I'm a user of Shaw Cable and I don't pay for this "QoS" enhancement and my VOIP is fine. There's a lot of discussion on this feature in the DSL/Broadband Reports group for Shaw discussing the pro's and con's, and the overall consensus is that this enhancement is not worth that high a price even if it could help somehow. This is relatively old news (a couple years old).

Shaw is one of the leading throttlers of bit torrent in the world though, and we're one of the reasons they invented encryption for Azureus and BitComet.
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