your average download 46G this month 335.46G

Gswine · Post by **Gswine** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 21:24

So I had a chat about my next year with BT and while checking my bill I found a download section I had never accessed before. It happily told me that my average download amount is 46G and that this month was an eye watering 335.46G!

Thankfully I have an unlimited broadband type but as I need to find options to reduce my bill and taking limited packages look on paper like ways to reduce bills my download amount is important. Had I not been unlimited it would have cost me £5 for every 5G after 40.

So if my math is right it would have cost me £295 on top of usual fees.

It was bad enough to find out after many questions about various package combinations I am going to pay nearly £10 a month more for 3 months increasing to £14 for the rest of the year and will not be able to reduce my bill at all next year.

I know that two people in the house use Netflix but I am sure that they have been using it for at least two month. If last months total had reached the three hundreds then my average should have been more than 46.

So I have to wonder what the hell is going on. Does anyone here think 335G is high. Whether two Netflix accounts could generate that figure in a month? Or do I have to look at my hub security?

EmperorJon · Post by **EmperorJon** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 21:27

I've got a gig and a half downloaded in the last 3 hours, just with browsing sites, Steam doing some updating, and watching a few YouTube videos. I have no doubt you could rack up hundreds of gigabytes in a month if you tried, but it still seems a bit iffy.

brucewarren · Post by **brucewarren** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 21:33

I think it's extraordinarily high. (the >300 G not the 46. I can see the 46 happening)

Steam wouldn't get it that high. Not even close imo. I'm guessing it's the netflix that's the culprit. Either that or some other video streaming.

Nothing, but nothing chews through bandwidth like video does. Even short youtube vids can stack up if you see enough of them.

In my book if you really want to watch movies there are only three sensible options

a) Nip down the picture house. Expensive, but you can see it on the big screen + there are reputed to be other advantages.
b) Rent a video
c) Get a telly. Yes you have to pay for tv licence and everything, but at least tv transmission is designed for that sort of load.

Gswine · Post by **Gswine** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 21:46

Looks like I'm going to have to look for a download library or recently streamed list on their systems. I tried to explain how streaming worked to them today but got blank stares in return. I was even told they use Netflix when they are disconnected from the internet.

When I pushed the point I was given the most helpful of statements

"Well it shouldn't work like that"

Thankfully todays is a no harm no foul situation but if this becomes normal behaviour there's massive potential for problem. I dare not ask them if they have an all inclusive subscription the answer will probably give me a heart attack

brucewarren · Post by **brucewarren** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 21:56

I'd check the hub security anyway if you think that's what it is. It can't do any harm and if someone is hijacking you'd want to put a stop to it anyway as there might be ID theft issues.

Merroc · Post by **Merroc** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 22:03

Do limited plans even exists this day and age? I thought that was sooo last millennium?

And I think you've found the reason why you shouldn't take them

.

As for the three ways of watching movies.
Say the unlimited plan is 70€ (pounds/dollars/whatever) and the limited plan (for say 50GB is 40€).

You can either:
a) nip down the picture house and watch a staggering 3 movies each month (at 10€ each) or one with you and two mates. More would be more expensive. Add to that, there would only be relative new ones.
b) rent a video, 6 at 5€ a pop (buying them would probably be cheaper). Not to mention you'd have to find a rent-a-video that actually still exists. Fair choice, but you'd have to go to the rent-a-video, say 10 mins return trip, times 6, is an hour a month. An hour you could spend watching movies...
c) get a telly. As you're likely to already have one, its a no brainer of course. If you don't, initial setup costs + monthly costs (say 20€) would mean you'd be cheaper out in say 3 years... (assuming 360€ for the telly)? Plus, you dont get to chose which movie you watch (unless you get a recorder.......)

d) stick with the unlimited plan, get netflix (10€ or so), don't be bothered when browsing about your limited download rate etc. Watch the movie you want, when you want it, etc.

Also, if you're more users on a single line, if you have a 50GB limit, for 5 users thats 10GB a pop. You can do that while browsing with no youtube or netflix...

All in all, getting a limited plan isn't worth the hassle for a few bucks a month...

PS can't wait for Netflix to open shop in the Netherlands...

Also, 300GB isn't extraordinary with streaming media. I've had months with 1TB of traffic...

Gswine · Post by **Gswine** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 22:08

I'll probably change the passwords to the hub again but identifying an illegitimate user may be a problem. Most users devices are listed to them but new devices and some guests have had access since I sorted that out.

I also had the 'your not doing torrents?' talk with the house as I had considered talking to BT about looking into it.

brucewarren · Post by **brucewarren** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 22:09

@Merroc

Agreed about the picture house costs etc., although I'm surprised at the high video rental price over there. Over here it would be about £2 a shot.

In ISP terms this is the UK we're talking about here. Capped services are the norm not the exception, as are low speeds.

Unlimited tariffs are unusual, and often it says in the small print something to the effect that if you actually use an unlimited amount they'll take it away or cap it, or "throttle" it unless you make sure it happens at say 4am. This is a known thing. They call it "Fair Use Policy" in the contracts.

Also I suspect that if netflix opens over there and people start to use it, you'll suddenly find your own networks capped or throttled. Imo netflix and it's friends are a very bad idea.

greypanther · Post by **greypanther** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 22:29

Yeah I get that at the moment Bruce, unlimited as long as I do not go over 100 gig a month, then its choke time at peak times. Which is why I am probably going to ask for my mac code; which should be fun.

In fact the only two companies that seem to offer true unlimited in the UK are Sky and BT. ( Unless you have cable, which I do not. Then add Virgin. ) The speed as you say is pathetic, even here which could hardly be described as rural.

brucewarren · Post by **brucewarren** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 22:33

You might end up with a worse deal. Some ISPs think a 40 Gig hard limit is perfectly reasonable, so shop carefully.

cj-spartacus · Post by **cj-spartacus** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 22:33

I have unlimited BT infinity which supposedly should run at up to 80mbps but in reality runs at about 35 - 40. I pay about £150 a quarter including the cost of all my calls on the phone line.*

I don't have a TV so I spend a lot of time streaming. My better half is constantly on her laptop as well watching Jeremy Kyle or Say Yes To The Dress. I reckon we easily use over 300gb each month and have never had any issues with the fair use policy so it isn't overly restrictive as far as I can see.

*Including regular (and lengthy) calls to Malaysia to my GF's family

greypanther · Post by **greypanther** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 22:35

Infinity requires a cable connection I am afraid.

brucewarren · Post by **brucewarren** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 22:36

@cj-spartacus

True, but you're paying for that. £50/month is not exactly one of the cheaper tariffs. It's £600 a year - four times the tv licence if my brain is working.

If you can afford it, more power to your elbow of course.

Gswine · Post by **Gswine** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 22:40

Merroc wrote:Do limited plans even exists this day and age? I thought that was sooo last millennium?

And I think you've found the reason why you shouldn't take them .

Merroc wrote:Also, 300GB isn't extraordinary with streaming media. I've had months with 1TB of traffic...

Very much made me laugh and gasp with these

I can see that my thinking is outdated but the considered cost above the allowed amount on a limited tarrif shocked me. I do see your point on the reletivly small extra spend but I started out on this looking for ways to bring my whole spend down.

With this seemingly new behaviour (examing average amount), the rise in costs for services already used and examing the small print on these services I wonder if there is a potential pit fall appearing here.

Oh and the idea of a terrabite of data going down the line made my voice all squeky, thanks for that...

brucewarren · Post by **brucewarren** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 22:42

You might find this interesting. It's from last December, but it shouldn't be too far from the truth. I blundered across it looking for something else.

@greypanther. In theory living in a city could get you worse speeds than a remote area (assuming they bothered to wire the exchange all the way out there which they usually don't) because of what they call contention ratio - the more people on the line/circuit the worse the service.

According to the likes of 'Click' some of the speeds and capacity in the far east is unreal. It appears to be because of massive levels of investment, but my own pet theory is that it's because only 3 people are online

Stars_InTheirEyes · Post by **Stars_InTheirEyes** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 22:54

I've had a running counter thanks to Rainmeter since I put in new hard drives in February.
Since then I've downloaded a total 771GB. Re-downloading and installing some of my Steam games, mostly.

pjknibbs · Post by **pjknibbs** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 22:57

greypanther wrote:Infinity requires a cable connection I am afraid.

No it doesn't--Infinity is over the standard copper phone cables, just like ADSL is. What you *do* need, IIRC, is data fibre cables to the nearest BT cabinet to you, which is why you can't get Infinity everywhere yet.

(Mind you, Infinity is a bit ridiculous when it comes to packages. You get the choice between the £18 one, which is "only" 30Mbps or thereabouts but has a 40Gb monthly cap--I mean, you could burn through that allowance in about 4 hours flat over a connection that fast!--or the £26 faster unlimited service. I'll stick with my unlimited 3Mbps ADSL for £15, thanks).

greypanther · Post by **greypanther** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 23:11

I did not know that PJK. I have no fibre cables at all however. I was told by an Open Reach engineer that our problems, ( some of them anyway, ) stem from an exchange that is in much need of updating. He also said that it was very unlikely to happen, as no one wanted to pay for it. He also claimed he had come across cables that were not made of copper, but iron?

@Bruce: According to AdrianM/AMTCT, his Broadband is super fast, shockingly so, probably for the reasons you state.

Gswine · Post by **Gswine** » Wed, 31. Jul 13, 23:18

@pjknibbs

That is actually how I ended up on infinity. BT keapt pestering with leters about upgrading the cables. I was sure it said we could help upgrade the network without having to take the infinity option.

Gave up in the end and had the guy out, found out it was just some tweeking in house and the fiber optics round the end of the cable at the box in the street.

@all

I now realise we are on the Infinty tarrif (reduced to cost of original tarrif) not just unlimited broadband.

So contract time rolls around and I don't know if I'll get our moneys worth out of the service I had before even though up until today that's the one I thought I had. At some point I got flim flammed into a situation I always said no to over the phone.

Lwerewolf · Post by **Lwerewolf** » Sat, 3. Aug 13, 20:58

Last time I checked my average/month was around 150-200. A few years back I wasn't watching live streams too much, but made up for that with lots of VODs - speedruns and the like, and the mods I was installing weren't so big by today's standarts (take a look at some of the texture mods for skyrim/oblivion/crysis/whatever you pick). Plus steam, searches for textures/reference pictures for my blender projects, API documentation googling, whatnot. I've even reached a terrabyte once somehow, but swedes are doing that regularly, so I guess it's not really an achievement.

What I'm doing might not seem like too much, but I had to use a 3G connection for a few days (well, 6 days ~= a week), and taking a look at the d/l counter was pretty funny - wouldn't expect to hit over 3gigs without radio/livestreaming/youtube and with about 500mb of file transfers (had to d/l some drivers + sketchup repo).

Funny thing is, compared to the rest of the country (Bulgaria), I'm dl-ing nothing (I guess you've got an idea of what's going on around here), and the backbone is still pretty healthy.

Friend of mine was doing more than 40gigs/month like 5 years ago in Belgium. Nothing special either.

If 40gigs is the cap, keep the unlimited. Still hard for me to understand the concept of traffic limit/fair use/whatever. We don't really have those here and it ain't like it's super expensive to set up several UTP lans with a fiber backbone across the village. Too much capitalism or something?

egosoft.com

egosoft.com

your average download 46G this month 335.46G

your average download 46G this month 335.46G