TT Traffic - update performance

chris_w · Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 4:13 pm Post subject: TT Traffic - update performance

Hi all,

Since the server "upgrade" earlier this month I have been using TT Traffic quite regularly.

I have noticed that when it first logs onto the service and makes the initial download it takes ages (minutes) before it completes. It has even failed and I have had to resart it a couple of times.

In my opinion the service has become worse and less reliable for downloading rather than better.

Am I the only one having a problem with this? does anyone know a way I can improve the performance?

Thanks in advance............
_________________
Thanks,

Chris

james23_uk · Occasional Visitor Joined: Sep 21, 2005 Posts: 29

Started my free trial of Traffic today, and had no problems. Takes only a few seconds to get the update and another few seconds to replan the route if necessary. Perhaps a problem with your phone signal?

Hamie · Regular Visitor Joined: Dec 30, 2003 Posts: 177

I've had problems too. I got my Go500 about 10 days ago.

I had tremendous problems getting traffic to work. I'd registered at the website with my unit, so used that email address & password to get traffic. it SAID it was successful And (Supposedly) downloaded the traffic. It showed some traffic, but the problems started there.

I'd go out, set a route. It'd download the traffic. I'd start driving. Download would finish, and a blockage would pop up (On the M4). Nothing on the A308... A308 would be blocked. I spent 15 minutes on the A308 and the next update showed the M4 clear.

Turn the roundabout onto the A308(M) and bang. Traffic stops. 20 minutes to get onto the M4 (Still nothing on the TTTraffic).

Crawl in traffic on the M4. It starts moving again, and as I get between J7/J6 up pops a blockage on the M4 @ J6. Lane closed... Which had just opened & traffic starts moving again (Literally just as I start moving again).

Fairly typical I'm afraid of my experiences for the first week.

On sunday I deleted the traffic config. Went through the website & found the link that says activate the trial (What? Where was the info coming from up till then.. Albeit sporadically). Went back & re-configed the unit using PLUS as my password instead of my tomtom website password.

So far it's working better.... But...

Tonight I put in the usual, Colnbrook to Maidenhead. Traffic won't download. Phone probs. Grr... Useless phone. Spend 5 minutes rebooting my phone (Rebooting my phone! Argh!) Traffic download works now. Tells me slow traffic between J6-J7 of the M4. I hit replan. It takes me off the M4 at J7 instead of J8/9... What? Through the slow traffic & THEN off the motorway? Somehow I found the detail screen of the actual slowdown. Hit avoid... Re-routed off @ J6 through Slough. I drive off. Get to J6. Ignore the slip road & keep driving through the non-existant slowdown at the speed limit in the middle lane...

Ho hum...

dubo323 · Occasional Visitor Joined: Oct 08, 2005 Posts: 1

doesn't sound good, i have to say! has anyone had better luck with the TT traffic service?
Also i'm considering subscribing to it, but i'm curious as to how long the calls last for to get traffic updates? And what's the number that has to be dialled?

Hamie · Regular Visitor Joined: Dec 30, 2003 Posts: 177

Good might be subjective... Then again..

I logged a support call with TT about the traffic performance. Thursdays performance went like this...

2005-10-06 Thurs 0835. Route Home -> Work. Traffic updates @ home. No alerts.
Onto the M4, Oops... Stationary traffic at J8/9. Still no
alerts. Bummer. 5 mins later start crawling. At Thames bridge/J7 traffic starts to move. Beeep beep. Traffic updates. Slow traffic ahead around J6-J5. Hmm... Traffic speeds up (Immediately, like it's been waiting for my unit to update or something). Travel at 70mph through the bit TTT says is slow.
At J5, held up on slow roundabout & slow A4 (The Honda roundabout is ALWAYS slow. Bloody BMW drivers! Except sometimes on a friday). All green on TTT.
Finally get to lights @ Colnbrook bypass. beep beep. TTT updates for slow traffic on bypass (ahead)... Continue at speedlimit.

That wasn't a very accurate day. Friday was fine. But then no warnings & no traffic isn't a very good test. My inaccuracies on thursday COULD be a symptom of using a 15 minute update time. Although the unit asks if you want to limit it, if you have & then change to no limit, I'm not sure it removes the limit because I still get the yellow icon indicating that new data is available but I haven't pulled it back yet.

The calls themselves are GPRS. So the number is whatever your phone uses to access a GPRS connection. The TT GPS knows about most of the supported phones. The 7710 which I use is supported, but not listed... I told it, that it was a 7650 and it connected OK.

The updates themselves take about 20 seconds or so. I've had a few update failures, but that's mostly down to my phone (The 7710 get's in need of a reboot after a week or two of running... The IP services drop out otherwise).

On the subject of my call, they came back on thursday afternoon & apologised and that they'd had some problems with the service. They extended my trial for another week, which was good of them.
I think the biggest problem I have at the moment, is that I have no understanding of what level of detail is available. Which roads are covered etc. I know the M25 is... Sections of the M4 appear to be and parts of the A4, but the A308 through maidenhead doesn't, and I'm not too sure about the A404(M). So where the boundaries lie I don't know.

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