"upload saturation" problem only started a few months ago...

[kimandgeorgeinsf]

We've had Sonic's Fusion Broadband since 2012, and yet starting just a few months ago, we started experiencing what Sonic reps are calling an "upload saturation" problem.

What this means: whenever we're uploading anything that's more than a few megabytes, our download speed almost completely shuts down. Unable to surf the web.

In the past 4 years we've had the same hardware, same software (besides the normal Mac OSX updates) and the same internet activity.

We didn't have this problem until a few months ago.

I've confirmed that it's not the Wifi router. Same problem happens when plugged directly into the internet modem.

It's not the internet modem. I just installed Sonic's own rented modem this morning, and the same symptoms occur.

It's not any particular website (happens no matter if I'm uploading something to Google or Facebook, for example.)

It's not any particular browser (same symptoms with Chrome, Safari, Firefox.)

So what changed?

The two possibilities that occur to me:

1. The recent Sonic activity in our neighborhood, installing Gigabit Internet. (Our housing complex has underground wiring so Sonic is unfortunately unable to install it here.)

Has their local activity somehow messed with our internet too, to cause this line saturation thing?

2. Sonic made some settings changes to Fusion service, such that upload saturation is now more of a problem?

Thanks for any ideas you can offer.

If this doesn't get sorted out, we'll have to switch ISPs, unfortunately. I work from home, and need to upload files throughout the day. (I've been doing this for 4 years, with no problem until recently.)

[pockyken007]

Does your modem router support QoS ?

Also you can go to member tools and change your profile for upload heavier ( pending on the service you have )

Aside from that line conditions might have changed ( old line , old wiring , water damage , corrosion ) I would run pingtest.net and see if you get any jitter .

MPOE test ( if applicable ) might point internal / external wires in terms of problems

[cdrayson]

We've had Sonic's Fusion Broadband since 2012, and yet starting just a few months ago, we started experiencing what Sonic reps are calling an "upload saturation" problem.

What this means: whenever we're uploading anything that's more than a few megabytes, our download speed almost completely shuts down. Unable to surf the web.

In the past 4 years we've had the same hardware, same software (besides the normal Mac OSX updates) and the same internet activity.

We didn't have this problem until a few months ago.

I've confirmed that it's not the Wifi router. Same problem happens when plugged directly into the internet modem.

It's not the internet modem. I just installed Sonic's own rented modem this morning, and the same symptoms occur.

It's not any particular website (happens no matter if I'm uploading something to Google or Facebook, for example.)

It's not any particular browser (same symptoms with Chrome, Safari, Firefox.)

So what changed?

The two possibilities that occur to me:

1. The recent Sonic activity in our neighborhood, installing Gigabit Internet. (Our housing complex has underground wiring so Sonic is unfortunately unable to install it here.)

Has their local activity somehow messed with our internet too, to cause this line saturation thing?

2. Sonic made some settings changes to Fusion service, such that upload saturation is now more of a problem?

Thanks for any ideas you can offer.

If this doesn't get sorted out, we'll have to switch ISPs, unfortunately. I work from home, and need to upload files throughout the day. (I've been doing this for 4 years, with no problem until recently.)

It's probably something your computer is doing. Open the Activity Monitor, which is on your Utilities folder. Click on the Network tab, then click on Sent Packets so it sorts them by the amount of data sent. You can then quit the offending program, or change it's settings. There's a good chance your problem is with Photos. I solved the problem but logging into iCloud and accessing my photos from there. It did some set-up, and things got better with my network. Not sure why that helped. If you can't identify the program from the process name, post it here, and we'll see what we can figure out.

Of course I should probably ask if you tried turning it off and back on again.

[virtualmike]

Have you checked that you are still getting the same bit rates as before?

[kimandgeorgeinsf]

Does your modem router support QoS ?

Also you can go to member tools and change your profile for upload heavier ( pending on the service you have )

Aside from that line conditions might have changed ( old line , old wiring , water damage , corrosion ) I would run pingtest.net and see if you get any jitter .

MPOE test ( if applicable ) might point internal / external wires in terms of problems

Thanks -- I already had "upload" profile set on my Fusion line. That hasn't changed for at least a year.

The wiring was a possibility -- so yesterday I switched out:
(1) The DSL filter
(2) The line from filter to internet modem -- now using the new one that came with Sonic modem rental
(3) The line from internet modem to wireless router (Netgear Nighthawk R7000).

Still, the upload saturation problem continues.

Re: QoS, yes my router can do it, but I need to set QoS for specific websites (Google Drive and Facebook), not for entire applications, and I'm not sure that's possible?

[dherr]

Hmm...

"(2) The line from filter to internet modem -- now using the new one that came with Sonic modem rental"

I trust that does mean you are using a "dsl phone filter" on the line going to the modem. As you may know, they are only used for the feed to any/all phones.

[kimandgeorgeinsf]

Hmm...

"(2) The line from filter to internet modem -- now using the new one that came with Sonic modem rental"

I trust that does mean you are using a "dsl phone filter" on the line going to the modem. As you may know, they are only used for the feed to any/all phones.

Yes -- the DSL filter is the device we have attached at the wall, splitting into phone cord and dsl line. We only have 1 landline in the house.

[dherr]

Sounds good. I see that I edited out a "not" from my post, so my attempt to make it more clear might have muddied it for some. I should have said "I trust that does NOT mean you are using a "dsl phone filter" on the line going to the modem."

The "dsl line" output from that splitter is the unfiltered or "pass thru" port, so your setup sounds fine. It does also mean that you could test it by simply removing that item to see if that effects anything (clearly you can't have the phone plugged in during such a test). I doubt that will improve anything tho.

[pockyken007]

Can you run pingtest.net and post results I want to see if there is any Jitter on the line

[kimandgeorgeinsf]

PROBLEM SOLVED!

pockyken007 -- your suggestion about QoS was right on. I went into Upstream QoS on my Netgear router. I set it to 1.5 Mbps (technically my maximum with Sonic is 2, although my speedtests have had upload as high as approx 1.6) and it has solved the problem. I can now upload large files without upload saturation.

Yay, the internet is usable once again

Special thanks to Sonic supervisor Rob whom I spoke with and brainstormed about the QoS issue.