Rick,
I can only add my own problems to your travails about connectivity.
As I mentioned, I have a T1 connection (from home to work, then T1 from work to WinStar). Even though WinStar is a "backbone" provider, my connection is for crap (FYI, I circumvented it by dialing up a different ISP on a 28.8 modem in order to make this post).
As previously stated, WinStar "peers" over to Sprintlink, since most merchants I'm trying to reach are not on the WinStar backbone. I believe that is the root of most of my problems. WinStar does not peer to UUNET, which will create problems for my impending MBT/Townsend data.
Anyway, my Signal Online quotes were freezing up all morning on the WinStar T1, so I often dialed in through the 28.8 to get something. Significantly, the 28.8 connection gave me quotes (and not the T1/WinStar freeze), but the speed of the quotes clearly was crimped.
In fact, we did a test of our bandwidth usage last week, while we had Signal Online running on the T1. It turns out that Signal uses about 56K of bandwidth. When we turned off Signal, the bandwidth usage dropped to 3K. When we turned Signal back on, the bandwidth usage came back up to 56K. So, 56K it is (at least for Signal). You probably could try a similar experiment with MBT. Perhaps it broadcasts data requiring somewhat more bandwidth. (You would need a technical person to help you out on this, for it is beyond me, but it certainly is something that can be determined).
Anyway, I placed a dozen calls today and found an ISP provider with whom I can place a T1, a provider that links direct to UUNET and Sprintlink. Yes!!! It is just a local entity called DakotaCom, but I'm hoping it makes a significant difference. (Both for MBT access and for our lawfirm's access to Westlaw legal research, an entity we've been virtually unable to access through WinStar.) Funny thing is, I'm working my way down the hierarchy (because I'm not using a backbone provider, like WinStar), which reduces my cost by about 1/2, but (from tests we've already run) I nonetheless expect to see a significant improvement in connectivity. (Another issue, here, is whether the non-backbone provider has "oversubscribed" its own available bandwidth, be sure to check this out as well.)
I guess what this all says is that, in this still nascent internet arena, the user just has to know the parameters of his needs (e.g., the backbone to which your merchant publishes) and the best way to fulfill those needs (i.e., an ISP linked to the correct backbone with the correct bandwidth available to the user).
Gary Korn |
