Betfair General API Failure problem

[LuckyYou]

Hello,

I am new to SRB and I still don't know where should I make a general report enquiry so I am posting it here.
From Wednesday 01.06.2011 a lot of Non-UK BetFair customers have big problems with unstable API. We are trying to contact the Betfair officials but it seems that they doesn't care because the issue continue. They said they will check but today is 07.06.2011 and we still doesn't have our problem solved. I am asking you for a help because I know you care about customers and have ways to reach the Betfair officials.
Now here is the problem - We are using special API software for refreshing the price faster. But if we are in position or trying to get out of the market if this lag hapen we can't move - our price stay on the queue and we have greater chance of beign catched from other player who doesn't have the same lag as we do. This is worst kind of discrimination - the rules are not equal for everyone and obviously because of Betfair profound indifference someone is getting advantage.
Now to be correct i've made a Youtube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xOORRP7gpE

Its only 2 minutes and you can see clearly what is hapenin with my entering in the market. And when I try to leave the market - I click cancel, but I am not getting out of the queue immediately as it should be and as others players do. I've runned a ping-check program - You can see clearly that I am losing packets on one of Betfair HOPs:
xcr1.fra.cw
I want to ensure you that I am not the only one with this problem and it's not my internet provider fault. I will give you another youtube video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pfd3qzPSjKI

This is the video of GokautoGO - another Betfair customer. He is from Germany. I am from Bulgaria. As you can see he is connected and losing packets in the same HOP:
xcr1.fra.cw
Another customers from all over Europe report that they are having API problems in my thread opened in Betfair Forums:

http://community.betfair.com/site_feedback/go/thread/view/94170/27740161/unstable-api

the 3rd answer is from Betfair Forum manager, It is clear that the problem is from that hope: xcr1.fra.cw but there is no solution so far. We even found where the Error is and still nothing!
This problem occur not all day long - it appears when the Betfair is under pressure from 15:00 till 22:00 UK time. But its too long time - and most of the Betfair markets are exactly on that time!!! It's very hard to trade when I have such a lag - I've been catched a few times so far and lost money.
I am a Betfair Customer who pay Premium Charge! But I am not paying it to get that.
I hope you will help me with that.

Best Regards,
Zefir Nikolov

[chachi]

I have a handful of self-written BF API driven tools which run nearly 24/7 and am non-UK, and had no issues whatsoever recently.

"xcr1.fra.cw.net" is the node not "xcr1.fra.cw" ... and it has nothing to do with Betfair, that's the point where your German ISP comes into Linx via the German linkage in Telia, as the ping screen is telling you.

[LuckyYou]

I don't know where the problem is but I am telling you - everyone who use this server have a problem.
Do your path use this server? NO. Thats why you don't have problems and I have...

[chachi]

You misunderstand - the problem is either with your ISP, or their linkage to the UK via Telia.

Has nothing to do with a Betfair 'server' - Betfair cannot do anything about your ISP and its routing, only they can.

I used to work with servers / networking / linkages, had to resolve these sorts of issues many times for foreign customers.

[LuckyYou]

So all we are using that ISP have the same problem? Because Belive me I am not the only one with lag - we are hundreds. Ok I will call my i-net provider please tell me what to tell them. I don't know exactly how the things work - can my i-net provider change the ISP ?

[chachi]

wait I've just rewatched all the videos ... you guys are NOT having problems at the same place.

[LuckyYou]

Yes - He is tracerting www.Betfair.Com - the server there is xcr1.fra.cw with another ip.
I am tracerting Api.Betfair.Com - the server there is xcr1.fra.cw again with another ip.
OK Its my provider fault. I am calling - Tell me what to tell them ? PLEASE

[LuckyYou]

Yes - He is tracerting www.Betfair.Com - the server there is xcr1.fra.cw with another ip.
I am tracerting Api.Betfair.Com - the server there is xcr1.fra.cw again with another ip.
OK Its my provider fault. I am calling - Tell me what to tell them ? PLEASE

[chachi]

drunklol123's problem is within cw.net ( Cable and Wireless, another HUGE telecom provider ) network after leaving novatel BG and after passing the main french switch

mrbehindthesun's problem is after superkable hands off to telia which jumps to cw.net in france and there it dies

[LuckyYou]

Ok how will you explain this - yesterday there were some kind of shut down in Betfair - They changed the tracert servers on some back-up servers and API was smooth as silk for half an hour. Me and this german guy had good API in same time! After they get back the old servers, at the same time the lag started again! The Betfair forum manager itself said that they have a problem in this thread:

http://community.betfair.com/site_feedback/go/thread/view/94170/27740161/unstable-api?sdb=1&pg=last#498161945

BUT forget this! You are still not telling me what to tell to my internet provider? Please tell me what to tell them man. ITS my fault ok. Tell me please!

[chachi]

Betfair cannot change 'tracert servers' ... they can change the DNS for api.betfair.com to another IP address but they have no control over the cw.net or Telia or either provider mentioned.

I would first go to https://support.cw.com/?LG=1&TESTDRIVE=1 and use CW's lookingglass page to test various spots pinging and tracerouting api.betfair.com and see if you can reproduce the problem via their own testing/linkage sites. If not, then go via your ISP

[LuckyYou]

When they changed that DNS to Telia's one - everything was fine. Look at this:

thank you.

yesterday evening it was everything fine for a couple miutes when betfair changed hop9 to:

ldn-b5-link.telia.net

screenshoot good-dns :

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/51/goodping.png

screenshoot bad-dns :

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/851/badpingf.png

but ... they changed it back to the bad one :

ae0-1702 xcr1.fra.cw

Its link from the Betfair forums:

http://community.betfair.com/site_feedback/go/thread/view/94170/27740161/unstable-api?sdb=1&pg=last#498161945

[chachi]

again - you are misunderstanding what they posted ... betfair did not change hop9, they cannot, they are working with cable and wireless to determine the bottleneck within C&Ws network and someone at C&W changed a routing table someplace to redirect traffic around a problem hop.

what you are saying is like saying that your business was having problems with its phone service so you changed how Novatel's local cabling was connecting to your building, which of course you wouldn't.

You would ring Novatel and have them sort it out the problem in between you and them, much like how BF is dealing with C&W to sort it out.

[LuckyYou]

Betfair cannot change 'tracert servers' ... they can change the DNS for api.betfair.com to another IP address but they have no control over the cw.net or Telia or either provider mentioned.

I would first go to https://support.cw.com/?LG=1&TESTDRIVE=1 and use CW's lookingglass page to test various spots pinging and tracerouting api.betfair.com and see if you can reproduce the problem via their own testing/linkage sites. If not, then go via your ISP

Tank you at least you are trying to help. At the moments I have no API issues - as I mentioned before they start when Betfair is under pressure - this will be 100% today evening as there is a lot of Euro qualifiers + Tennis + Horse racing. Enough for lag story.
Can you please tell me for what exactly to look for when that appier in the website you gave to me?
Where to click on Publick IP looking glass after that which command to select etc. Because I do not quite understand what is hapening. Tank you again

[LuckyYou]

again - you are misunderstanding what they posted ... betfair did not change hop9, they cannot, they are working with cable and wireless to determine the bottleneck within C&Ws network and someone at C&W changed a routing table someplace to redirect traffic around a problem hop.

what you are saying is like saying that your business was having problems with its phone service so you changed how Novatel's local cabling was connecting to your building, which of course you wouldn't.

You would ring Novatel and have them sort it out the problem in between you and them, much like how BF is dealing with C&W to sort it out.

Tank you. I understood now what you are trying to say to me. Gave you all my points. Do you think they have a chance to resolve the problem ?

[chachi]

keep your points, I've got plenty ... that lookingglass page allows you to perform pings, traceroutes, etc from all of the spots listed on the left side to whatever address you type in the box beneath that list after choosing a location, like Hamburg or Moscow or Dusseldorf or whatever.

it allows you to test connectivity within their network from any of those starting points to traverse their routing/connections

[Mrbehindthesun]

here my video with api.betfair.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ph5QW_DT8uc at the moment i am just tired and frustrated about that problem over the last days.

what i not understand is the point that here are people form bulgaria , serbia , romania or like me germany and the problem starts to all people at the same time and we have different ISP´s . i dont know what to do now.

for me it sounds like the best way ist to call my ISP but how to explain the problem and what will they do becouse its only with betfair that i have high pings.the only good thing is just that i have lateshift at the moment so no time to trade.but this is not more than a cold comfort.

[chachi]

From what the ping/trace paths indicate, it is because at the end of all of your connections, your ISPs are connecting to the UK via C&W in France ...

[LuckyYou]

Another night with the same problem? Can't really SBR ask Betfair what is going on? How can I get their atention ?

[LuckyYou]

You all know that SBR have the respect of all Internet booking comunity. I just want help please

[chachi]

SBR have zero pull with Betfair unfortunately, and nobody does not even friends of mine who are on 40% plus points/commission discount

[jairocon]

While I only use api with geek's toy - I've also been experiencing weird connection issues the last few days... (same goes for the website)... but I don't trade enough to actually say when it's happening. As betfair grows in popularity... these issues are bound to come up.