ADSL bug has Telstra by the short and curlies

An ADSL router bug that has aggravated Telstra for seven months and fudged three previous fixes is still marauding the telco's network following postponement of last night's latest patch, leaving peer-to-peer connections still inoperable for some users.

Nearly two weeks ago Telstra headlined today as the day the bug would be exterminated, following three previous and unsuccessful attempts. But the fix date is here, as is the unrelenting bug and another week will go by before a software switch, now scheduled for January 30, is attempted and the bug hopefully eradicated once and for all.

Telstra has put the overnight hold-off down to -unrelated problems with the ADSL network last night" and not a problem with the software fix itself.

-The fix didn't go ahead as planned," Telstra spokesperson John Court told ZDNet Australia. -The decision was made that rather than install new software and risk adding to those [other] network issues it would be best to wait until they were resolved."

Indeed the telco's ADSL network has been bestowed with another bout of problems of late, with services in Victoria shaky for much of the week and out of operation entirely for up to seven hours last night.

Telstra's Stuart Gray said that 70 percent of its Victorian users were impacted from about 3pm onwards yesterday. Half of those customers were back on air by 7pm and the remainder by 10pm.

The problem has still not been identified and is being investigated by technicians.

Gray said the problem was different to that which impacted Victorian users earlier on in the week but a similar restorative approach was taken to each glitch.

Regardless, peer-to-peer customers, smaller in minority to those affected by the wider ADSL network shenanigans, will have to wait another week to see if Telstra can finally outwit the router bug which first reared its head in July 2001.

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Talkback 7 comments

  1. Can telstra confirm or deny that they have once again been subjected to a series of DoS attacks in their ADSL network? Anonymous -- 24/01/02

    Can telstra confirm or deny that they have once again been subjected to a series of DoS attacks in their ADSL network?

  2. Did Telstra do a Microsoft? I just voted "No" to the question "Does Telstra's BigPond Internet service provide value for money?" To my absolute astonishment the poll showed that 87% think so. Anonymous -- 24/01/02

    Did Telstra do a Microsoft?

    I just voted "No" to the question

    "Does Telstra's BigPond Internet service provide value for money?"

    To my absolute astonishment the poll showed that 87% think so.

    As this is of course an absurd result, I can not exclude the possibility that Telstra does manipulate opinion polls.

  3. Now that I finally have a choice, I am going to do what I promised Telstra a LONG time ago, i.e.: I am swapping to XIS. Even if the service is 1/2 as bad, at least I won’t be paying Telstra any money. I am going to swap to optus for my Anonymous -- 26/01/02

    Now that I finally have a choice, I am going to do what I promised Telstra a LONG time ago, i.e.: I am swapping to XIS.

    Even if the service is 1/2 as bad, at least I won’t be paying Telstra any money.

    I am going to swap to optus for my phone as well (I already swapped my mobile from OneTel to Optus…)

  4. Now that I finally have a choice, I am going to do what I promised Telstra a LONG time ago, i.e.: I am swapping to XIS. Even if the service is 1/2 as bad, at least I won’t be paying Telstra any money. I am going to swap to optus for my Soon to be ex-Telstra ADSL customer -- 26/01/02

    Now that I finally have a choice, I am going to do what I promised Telstra a LONG time ago, i.e.: I am swapping to XIS.

    Even if the service is 1/2 as bad, at least I won’t be paying Telstra any money.

    I am going to swap to optus for my phone as well (I already swapped my mobile from OneTel to Optus…)

  5. The unfortunate reality is that Telstra own the vast majority of the Telco infrastructure and domainate both the voice and data markets. They are a difficult giant to deal with and have little or no regard for their customers. Optus can supply A Anonymous -- 27/01/02

    The unfortunate reality is that Telstra own the vast majority of the Telco infrastructure and domainate both the voice and data markets.
    They are a difficult giant to deal with and have little or no regard for their customers.
    Optus can supply ADSL over Optus installed infrastructure they don't suffer from the ongoing outages that Telstra have.
    ADSL is not a money spinner for Telstra therefore the problems will not be rectified in a hurry.
    There is no point purchasing a service from a Telco who simply rents band with from Telsta, When you have a problem you have 2 organisations to battle.
    So the alternative!!
    Optus, well they are proving to be difficult also, but they are honest and fairly priced.
    So considering the alternatives Optus are getting my business.

  6. Telstra should be divested of the national telecommunications infrastructure that all tax paying Australians paid for in the first place. The fully privatised remainder could then lease it back *on the same terms as everyone else*, forcing them Jill H. gates III -- 28/01/02

    Telstra should be divested of the national telecommunications infrastructure that all tax paying Australians paid for in the first place.

    The fully privatised remainder could then lease it back *on the same terms as everyone else*, forcing them to lift their game, compete fairly, focus on offering compelling products and take the heat off of otherwise “commercially irresponsible” behviour like looking after the needs of our country cousins and the nation as a whole.

    In the 21st century, we all benefit from and rely upon telecommunications so heavily that we should all get to own / control it.

    This is the only way to stop this sort of shenanigans, especially now that a potential new duopoly with Optus is looming…

    Let’s not go through Qantas / Ansett all over again; look where *that* shamozzle got us…

  7. When things go wrong, it's often the quality of managment that determins the speed and quality of resolution. So I am quite surprised to see so many of the same old ADSL problems recurring again and again. Peter Wilson -- 11/02/02

    When things go wrong, it's often the quality of managment that determins the speed and quality of resolution. So I am quite surprised to see so many of the same old ADSL problems recurring again and again.

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