My ISP is limiting my bandwidth...

[Swansen]

just found out today... like just now. I have a VoIP phone that constantly uses bandwidth, but a tiny tiny amount, like under a hundred kilobits. They said i used over a gig of bandwidth yesterday... which to me is not a lot at all, but ether way i didn't. I ran around the internet and watched some videos for a couple hours, but i didn't download anything, minus a 300meg file. This whole thing is just ridiculous.

 

[sabashuali]

Are you using a capped plan? I am certain that my ISP is capping me somewhere but I have no way of telling. According to them the service is unlimited. So how come my speed fluctuate so much? Although I use Wireless, if the speed was low then fine... but one minute it is quite quick and the next it is :swear: crawling!

According to my router status my connection spead is way over 8000Mbps -
MY ARSE!!!! :mad:

 

[Swansen]

capped as in they have a pre-set bandwidth? then yes. They didn't specifiy the amount and i don't really recall ever having an issue, and based on what they were saying it seemed like some one was pirating the connection, but i'm not really sure how that would work. I don't use a wireless router and my service is via WiMAX. Anyways, "over" a gig download is minuscule, i guess i could have been way over, but he didn't embellish much. So it wouldn't seem i was allegedly using much more than a gig(i hadn't been home most of the day and the machine had been off so i'm not really sure where the useage was coming from, minus what i previously explained). Its just ludicrous to me that they would impose a cap at such small usage.

MY service does that also, it fluctuates like mad, but i do not do anything real crazy, it just seems like greed to me. I don't seed anything, not at least that often at all, i watch some videos, download literally one anime series one a week, and then the odd Linux flavor or random program, but apparently typical internet usage is a lot???

In your case, if they you have service for an eight gigabit connection, i would assume in providing a service like that its going to be used heavily. Thats just crazy, in my case i had a fifth of the bandwidth that was suppose to be allotted to me(500mbps vs 3mbps).

I have been having other issues, but they said the bandwidth manager uses percentages and not a set limit... so it was potentially compounding my problem. Seems to be fine at the moment.. but this would be the fourth attempt at a resolution.. We'll see, as for the bandwidth manager, it should be law that if they are going to limit your usage, they should tell you up front, as well as notify you that they are going such, and for what reason.

I watch my bandwidth like a mad man, because i've switch my home phone completely to a VoIP service. They just implemented a low bandwidth feature(for 3g/wireless cards)which has saved me these last couple weeks, but the quality is very low, and i apparently sound like Vader or something on the other end.

 

[sabashuali]

capped as in they have a pre-set bandwidth?

No, as in traffic. In the UK most ISP's use the fair policy when they provide an 'unlimited' service. But if you read the small print, fair use is in their eyes and they reserve the right to 'punish' what they call heavy users. So if you are more than an average user (lke yourself) they can possibly restrict your speed or even hold your connection (I suppose in extreme cases...). One of the reasons I picked my current ISP is that it supposed to be the only real unlimited provider. I did not choose the service for its speed, I chose the service because it is unimited. Other inferior conncetions are just as fast but have a cap of between 1 to 4 gig of traffic a month.

 

[Swansen]

oooooohhhhhh :doh: yeah i honestly didn't even think about that.... Well, i have roommates we have various agreements and i provide internet service... This was before i knew my ISP was picky about how much usage they allow, the one likes to watch soap operas she missed on TV... that going to have to stop... Here in the US, unless your in a fairly metro area, ISP offerings are very slim.

I literally have two available options where i am located, not necessarily in my area, but where my house is. A cable company that has a monopoly over the entire area, charges WAY to much and has horrid service all around. Then there is my provider which is suppose to be the night in shining armor... but i continue to find things i don't like about them. Being a wireless connection has its obvious downsides as well.

As far as companies being upfront about what they offer... that doesn't really seem to happen this side of the pond. I look around at whats available fairly often and i have yet to see any mention of "unlimited service" just faster up/down speeds.

Ether way its all very frustrating and annoying, especially considering the fact that noting is conveyed to the consumer.. Your case is a perfect example.

 

[zeus]

Its because all ISPs have a contention ratio. We are all sharing our connection. Last I heard, AOL dont throttle connections,but that was a year or two ago.