Completion issues

[boofhead]

I've noticed since November I have experienced a lot more incompletes than normal. To the point where par2 files are regularly needed and sometimes they are not enough to complete it.

Sometimes if I wait a few weeks the incomplete parts become complete. I've noticed on another site that since Nov/Dec 2009 there were a lot of people noticing the same issue.

I would directly go to Astraweb support but I use it through my ISP who peer with Astraweb and pay for access on behalf of members. It's also hard to complain about "Linux" DVDs that don't boot a PC Image link not allowed for unregistered users

[DThor]

I subscribe to Astra and haven't noticed the problems you describe. Of course, it may make a difference which groups, etc., but I wonder if there *is* an issue with your ISP and it's worthwhile complaining to them? It's possible their connection to Astra has become spotty...

DT

[Badcar]

I PM'd a subject to Dex a couple of days ago.

[boofhead]

DT: I doubt it is an ISP issue. The message returned is article not found. Many others with different ISPs have noticed the same. Some prominent NZB index sites with forums have also noticed it.

New binaries have no issues. It's often about the 100-250 day period where it gets spotty.

I have used Giganews fine to fill the missing files.

[Badcar]

They're back (the missing articles have been found).

[richy99]

how old are the files?

[Badcar]

As boofhead said above, the worst posts were in the retention mid-range of about 100-250 days. Seems to be fixed today.

[Angelus]

i just pulled an NZB that's 299 days old and it looks like every rar is missing some pieces and since Astra advertises almost 550 days it should be able to pull this easily

and i'm using both the U.S and the euro server

I'm reading on another forums that Astra's completion is on the decrease and has been for a while but they haven't said anything about it

sometimes I wonder if the retention listed on there site is just a number and not accurate anyone else still seeing this?

[richy99]

there is a difference between retention and completion

[Angelus]

I'm aware of that. But if your completion doesn't come very close to matching your retention then why bother having such high retention.

[richy99]

some posts might be corrupted via different transit providers, i just pulled a 515 day old post down without any completion issues

[itimpi]

I believe that there was also a period of a week or so where certain groups had completion issues. Maybe the psots you are trying to get fell into that period.

[Badcar]

Other forums could be index sites that don't have rules against pointing to examples. Still, there's page after page of vague and argumentative discussion to read through before finding someone's offer of a specific example to troubleshoot. Since Astraweb fixed a completion issue on January 13, every given example that I've checked downloaded perfectly. However, if someone is using only one Astraweb news server name the client might connect to just one of a couple of dozen IP addresses, and any one of those 'front ends' might be having problems.

[boofhead]

Some people have very little choice which server they connect to. My ISP provides the service to customers. Last time I checked it gave two different IPs. No chance to try EU vs USA etc.

Last week I hit completion issues where I needed to finish using a different provider. There seems to be a moving (naturally as things age) patch that is most impacted. I find posts towards the oldest are fine. New posts are fine. Something about the 200 or so day period can be patchy. Sometimes all is good. Sometimes issues. With the issues waiting a week finishes the set.

[Badcar]

Hostname: news.internode.on.net
IP Address: 216.151.153.43
IP Address: 216.151.153.138

Using TCPView for testing, if I simultaneously open 8 connections to 'news.internode.on.net' the 8 connections are all to either .43 or .138, not a mix of both. That might not make any difference though, since no one has yet been able to prove to me that any one IP has completion issues while another doesn't.

[boofhead]

I didn't say there is an issue between the two IPs. I said that is all I have a choice of unless I want to spend money on something I'm getting already via ISP fees. A browse of Whirlpool will show some Internode users having completion issues this year.

Some people have had various degrees of success/failure switching between EU and US.

To complete some parts I connected to Giganews.