An interesting topic for discussion:

Telecom is installing new equipment in its ADSL network, which handles
traffic congestion in a slightly different way than previously.
Overview
Telecom is installing new equipment in its network, which handles traffic
congestion in a slightly different way than previously.
When a traffic burst exceeds the rated capacity of that connection, any
overflow data is now queued temporarily and sent as soon as the congestion
is cleared - normally within milliseconds. This change should enhance the
experience for most Internet users, however some gaming customers may have
increased sensitivity to other applications running in the background.
To achieve the best online game playing experience, Telecom is working to
ensure that the connections are optimised and queuing is minimised. Users wanting
the best gaming experience should avoid running other applications or PCs on
the same connection or upgrade their connection to a higher speed to ensure
queues are minimised.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q. Why can multiple users on one connection now not connect when playing
games?
A. Telecom is installing new equipment in the network, which handles
traffic congestion in a slightly different way than previously.
When a traffic burst exceeds the rated capacity of that connection,
any overflow data is now queued temporarily and sent as soon as the
congestion is cleared - normally within milliseconds.

Q. Why has Telecom made this change?
A. This change means that packets of data, which previously may have
been dropped, will now reach their destination. This change should enhance
the experience for most Internet users, however some gaming customers may
have increased sensitivity to other applications running in the background.

Q. This is obviously having a negative effect on my games experience - why
don't you change it back?
A. For the majority of customers, the new queue shaping provides
them with a better Internet experience. Telecom is working to ensure that
the connections are optimised and queuing is minimised. Users wanting the
best gaming experience should avoid running other applications or PCs on the
same connection or upgrade their existing connection to a higher speed to
ensure queues are minimised.

Q. Why didn't you notify customers of this change?
A. Telecom regularly makes changes to its Network and indeed,
announced earlier this year that it was overhauling its JetStream portfolio.
With so many changes being made in various parts of the Network, it is
impractical to notify all customers whenever a change is made.

Q. Isn't this just a ploy to get us on to your 256k plans where we have to
pay for all traffic?
A. Customers are free to choose the most appropriate plan for their
needs. The Xtra JetStream 256k and Full speed plans obviously offer
customers a bigger pipe, so the chances of packets getting dropped or queued
are less.

~ John Doe

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