[LINK] Telstra apologises over Birdsville's Easter mobile and internet blackout and tourism disruption

[David Boxall]

I'm still waiting for some demonstration of the putative superiority of 
the private sector.


Telstra has apologised to customers in the remote Queensland town of 
Birdsville after a mobile and internet blackout that stretched across 
the entire Easter long weekend.


The outage coincided with the traditional start of the state's outback 
tourist season.

...
Ms Scott said she was told by two different Telstra staff that it had 
been a planned outage.

...
However Telstra said in a statement the disruption had been caused by 
an issue with a satellite link.

Left hand, meet right hand.

--
David Boxall|  In a hierarchical organization,
|  the higher the level,
http://david.boxall.id.au   |  the greater the confusion.
| --Dow's Law.
___
Link mailing list
Link@mailman.anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

Re: [LINK] The NBN is already out of date, but it's not too late to change course

[David Boxall]

On 30/03/2016 3:42 PM, JanW wrote:
...  - the ping pong of politics will kill this state. Long term projects 

are nearly impossible to attempt.

...

Has Democracy reached end-of-life?

--
David Boxall|  I have seen the past
|  And it worked.
http://david.boxall.id.au   |   --TJ Hooker
___
Link mailing list
Link@mailman.anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

Re: [LINK] The NBN is already out of date, but it's not too late to change course

[JanW]

At 03:16 PM 30/03/2016, David Boxall wrote:

>Sadly, today's Conservatives seem terrified of the future. Asking them for 
>anything "with long-term sustainability in mind" is asking them to confront 
>that which causes them to soil their nappies. 

It's the same at state level. You should have heard David Davis (he who was 
former health minister in Victoria who was a fail) this morning on Faine 
pushing back on new rail services. It was breathtaking. Faine pushed back - the 
ping pong of politics will kill this state. Long term projects are nearly 
impossible to attempt.

Jan


I write books. http://janwhitaker.com/?page_id=8

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jw...@janwhitaker.com
Twitter: JL_Whitaker
Blog: www.janwhitaker.com 

Sooner or later, I hate to break it to you, you're gonna die, so how do you 
fill in the space between here and there? It's yours. Seize your space. 
~Margaret Atwood, writer 

_ __ _
___
Link mailing list
Link@mailman.anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

Re: [LINK] Antony Barry shared an article with you from Pocket

[Roger Clarke]

At 3:55 + 30/3/16, Antony Barry wrote:
>A programmer almost broke the Internet last week by deleting 11 lines of code
>http://www.sciencealert.com/how-a-programmer-almost-broke-the-internet-by-deleting-11-lines-of-code

As a 1970s-80s developer, I find this astounding:
>npm decided to take the unprecedented step of re-publishing the original 
>'left-pad' from a back up

So no-one takes responsibility for the integrity of what we used to call 
subroutine libraries?!


Ditto this bit:
> ... with all the focus on kik, no one considered the ramifications of 
> deleting left-pad.

I'll grant that a where-used analysis is challenging in the case of an open 
networked library, but if the 'architecture' is an amateurish as this, there 
are umpteen disaster scenarios waiting to be exploited.


-- 
Roger Clarke http://www.rogerclarke.com/

Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd  78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA
Tel: +61 2 6288 6916http://about.me/roger.clarke
mailto:roger.cla...@xamax.com.auhttp://www.xamax.com.au/

Visiting Professor in the Faculty of LawUniversity of N.S.W.
Visiting Professor in Computer ScienceAustralian National University
___
Link mailing list
Link@mailman.anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

[LINK] The NBN is already out of date, but it's not too late to change course

[David Boxall]

Strangely, some people still seem surprised at just how badly we've been 
screwed for short-term political gain. Of course, the whole 
telecommunications network has been mismanaged since the 1980s; Internet 
connectivity is just the highest-profile casualty at present.


<http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-nbn-is-already-out-of-date-but-its-not-too-late-to-change-course-20160329-gnt18u.html>

...
There's some good news. Both our average and peak internet speeds have 
increased by 11 per cent and 6.4 per cent year-on-year, respectively. 
However, that's a bit like kicking six unanswered goals in the last 
quarter of an AFL match when you're 50 points behind. It might make a 
few players feel better but it still means you lost the game.


In any case, when it comes to a realistic analysis of our internet 
service it's less about download speeds and more about upstream speed, 
latency, reliability, value-for-money, and future upgradability.


... It is thought that soon, if not now, the cost of building a fibre 
network will turn out to be very close to the cost of continuing with 
copper.


This does not take into account the long-term advantages of building a 
fibre network from the beginning. ... once it is laid fibre has a 
virtually unlimited upgrade potential. The maximum speed that can be 
squeezed out of copper is limited, it can't be upgraded without 
significant additional expenditure and wastage of sunk costs, and 
maintenance costs are high compared to the fibre alternatives.


Add the fact that NBN is a long-term national infrastructure play, and 
the fact that the copper-based services will be superseded and no 
longer fit-for-purpose in 10 to 15 years, and you just have to wonder 
why we are still heading down such an inferior pathway. The Snowy 
Mountains scheme, by contrast, is still delivering 50-plus years after 
it was completed because it was designed for the future, not just the 
next couple of electoral cycles. Likewise the Sydney Harbour Bridge 
built back in the 1930s.


... What we really need now is for the government to change its 
official position and instruct NBN to adopt a fibre-based strategy 
with long-term sustainability in mind.


We need to stop arguing about the relative costs of fibre verses 
copper. All we are talking about now is when we spend the money 
because we will eventually have to replace the copper wire.


Sadly, today's Conservatives seem terrified of the future. Asking them 
for anything "with long-term sustainability in mind" is asking them to 
confront that which causes them to soil their nappies.


--
David Boxall|  For when the One Great Scorer comes
|  To mark against your name,
http://david.boxall.id.au   |  He writes-not that you won or lost-
|  But how you played the game.
 --Grantland Rice

___
Link mailing list
Link@mailman.anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

Re: [LINK] Fwd: Re: The wonders of NBN

[Andy Farkas]

On 30/03/2016 12:56, Paul Brooks wrote:

There's also the TIO, which the original ISP should have alerted them to, who 
will
kick the ISP and NBN's butts until its fixed.



I've been led to believe NBNCo are immune to TIO complaints.

-andyf

___
Link mailing list
Link@mailman.anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

Re: [LINK] Fwd: Re: The wonders of NBN

[Paul Brooks]

Jan - did the original complainant ring the 1800 number and talk to to the NBN 
help
desk, maybe even open a ticket?
They're usually fairly responsive, especially when it concerns a fault in an 
existing
service, rather than an installation query.

There's also the TIO, which the original ISP should have alerted them to, who 
will
kick the ISP and NBN's butts until its fixed.

Paul.



On 29/03/2016 9:47 AM, JanW wrote:
> Linkers,
> You may remember that I wrote to Senator Fiona Nash last month about the NBN 
> fiasco as David shared re the people in Tasmania. (original message below for 
> reference)
>
> I got a reply today -- from someone in the Dept of Communications and the 
> Arts, via a no-reply delivery system, with a non-copyable PDF attached. Since 
> I don't think Link allows attachments, I decided to create a blog post so I 
> could share this letter (you can download the PDF linked to within my post). 
> It makes for interesting reading.
>
> http://janwhitaker.com/a-minister-replies-re-nbn-sort-of/
>
> Jan
>
>
>> Date: Mon, 15 Feb 2016 12:26:15 +1100
>> To: senator.n...@aph.gov.au
>> From: JanW 
>> Subject: Re: [LINK] The wonders of NBN
>> Bcc: David Boxall 
>>
>> Dear Minister Nash
>>
>> Here is something you can possibly attend to or push someone in your new 
>> area of responsibility to attend to. This sounds like a right stuff-up.
>> You're stuck with a dud system. Perhaps you can influence some improvements.
>>
>> Sincerely,
>> Jan Whitaker
>> Berwick Victoria
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> 
 Today is day 21 with a failed NBN connection for us. We live in Port 
 Huon, Tasmania, in the beautiful rural Huon Valley.

 We have had one occasion where an NBN technician has turned up, the 
 day before a scheduled appointment because the technician was in the 
 street doing another job. We were not at home.

 Since then there have now been four scheduled appointments to which no 
 NBN technician has shown up. Excuses, via the ISP from NBN have 
 included - 'We didn't have all the correct information" which is 
 incorrect. "They weren't home, so we left a card in the post box" 
 which has never happened. "We went to the wrong address" which is 
 unverifiable, oh and my favorite "We don't often go down there." Which 
 is clearly correct. I await with interest the excuse for the no show 
 on Friday, appointment 4, perhaps " The dog ate my Purchase 
 Order/IPhone/Car Keys?"

 We are struggling to cope with one iPad with Telstra 3G for which we 
 will likely need to take out a mortgage.

 My business is seriously affected.

 No one appears to have control over the activities of the NBN, and I 
 am grateful for the efforts of my ISP. it appears to be ineffective 
 however.

 I am at a loss as to how to move forward. Direct contact with the NBN 
 results in "There's nothing we can do" there is no mechanism for 
 members of the public to address this kind of appalling service. There 
 is no accountability.

 All we need is for the NBN box in our house to be fixed.

 please does anyone have any strategies, ideas or ways to move this 
 forward?
>>> Our government clearly wants to screw up our telecommunications.
>> I write books. http://janwhitaker.com/?page_id=8
>>
>> Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
>> jw...@janwhitaker.com
>> Twitter: JL_Whitaker
>> Blog: www.janwhitaker.com 
>>
>> Sooner or later, I hate to break it to you, you're gonna die, so how do you 
>> fill in the space between here and there? It's yours. Seize your space. 
>> ~Margaret Atwood, writer 
>>
>> _ __ _
> I write books. http://janwhitaker.com/?page_id=8
>
> Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
> jw...@janwhitaker.com
> Twitter: JL_Whitaker
> Blog: www.janwhitaker.com 
>
> Sooner or later, I hate to break it to you, you're gonna die, so how do you 
> fill in the space between here and there? It's yours. Seize your space. 
> ~Margaret Atwood, writer 
>
> _ __ _
> ___
> Link mailing list
> Link@mailman.anu.edu.au
> http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

___
Link mailing list
Link@mailman.anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

Re: [LINK] Fwd: Re: The wonders of NBN

[David Lochrin]

On 2016-03-29 09:47 JanW  wrote:
> http://janwhitaker.com/a-minister-replies-re-nbn-sort-of/

The reply is completely inappropriate because it rambles on about a delay in 
initial connection whereas the complaint concerned a delay in restoring 
service, quote: "Thank you for your email dated 15th February 2016 to Senator 
[...] concerning a Facebook post about connecting a National Broadband Network 
(nbn) to a residence."

That completely changes the character of the complaint.  A delay in connection 
won't leave the customer without any service, assuming they have an existing 
POTS service, but a 21-day delay in _restoring_ service is quite unacceptable.

The reply was probably just canned text from a standard form of words.  Don't 
these people even have the courtesy to read the letter?

David L.
___
Link mailing list
Link@mailman.anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

[LINK] VNC Roulette

[Andy Farkas]

 http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/25/vnc_roulette/

"Pics X-ray equipment, farm machinery, electricity generators. Security 
cameras,
desktops with browsers logged into Facebook, stock inventory software. 
Sales

registers, home alarm equipment ... the list goes on.

All this and more on VNC Roulette: a website that popped up this week to 
remind
us of the kinds of sensitive systems exposed unprotected on the public 
internet.


VNC lets people share their desktops over networks so they can access 
software

and files from other computers. This is handy if you want to check into your
home PC, or some equipment on the other side of a site, while away. 
Crucially,

though, these connections should be secured with passwords and encryption.

And thousands upon thousands of machines aren't."


 http://vncroulette.com/


-andyf

___
Link mailing list
Link@mailman.anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

Re: [LINK] Does NBN need a third satellite?

[Scott Howard]

On Tue, Mar 29, 2016 at 3:16 PM, Tom Worthington <
tom.worthing...@tomw.net.au> wrote:
>
> However, there is no harm in the satellites being used to download movies,
> when there is capacity available. But I suggest priority should be given to
> services such as health and education.


So does this mean that you're officially against net neutrality?

  Scott
___
Link mailing list
Link@mailman.anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

Re: [LINK] Does NBN need a third satellite?

[Tom Worthington]

On 29/03/16 09:39, Hamish Moffatt wrote:


And outback Netflix?


It seems reasonable for taxpayers to buy a satellite for outback kids
education, but not to subsidize Netflix's business model.

However, there is no harm in the satellites being used to download 
movies, when there is capacity available. But I suggest priority should 
be given to services such as health and education.



--
Tom Worthington FACS CP, TomW Communications Pty Ltd. t: 0419496150
The Higher Education Whisperer http://blog.highereducationwhisperer.com/
PO Box 13, Belconnen ACT 2617, Australia  http://www.tomw.net.au
Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards
Legislation

Adjunct Lecturer, Research School of Computer Science, College of
Engineering & Computer Science, Australian National University
http://people.cecs.anu.edu.au/user/3890 http://orcid.org/-0003-4799-8464
___
Link mailing list
Link@mailman.anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link

Re: [LINK] A non-sensationalist look at Australian internet speeds

[Fernando Cassia]

On 3/25/16, JanW  wrote:

> I would just like to know why YouTube vids stop every 5 minutes. It's not my
> network connection/provider because it doesn't happen with other streaming
> services like Netflix. It's just Youtube. And of course if Youtube
> recognises there's a problem and shows me the Internode performance, there
> is nothing there to indicate it's an Internode problem.

Hi Jan,

AFAIK, Google offers "peering" to ISPs world-wide (in the countries
where Google operates datacenters).

https://peering.google.com/#/

Down here at the other side (.AR) I get Youtube videos at full speed
(50 Mbps) over my GPON FTTH link, as if they were a local download
(most of the time, they seem to be).

How do I know? I test to download a video (instead of streaming it)
using the youtube-dl open source script
https://rg3.github.io/youtube-dl/

Screenshot:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CUJVKiFWEAAea8u.jpg

So the questions to ask are:

1. does Google operate its own datacenter in Australia for local
delivery of videos (or at least caching of the most popular ones)?
(if it doesn't, maybe it RENTs datacenter capacity from someone else)

2. are there any "peering" agreements between Google and your ISP?

See also
http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2013/07/why-youtube-buffers-the-secret-deals-that-make-and-break-online-video/

Food for thought.
FC
___
Link mailing list
Link@mailman.anu.edu.au
http://mailman.anu.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/link