Question bout Eircom's cap

ando

Anyone know how eircom's cap is calculated for each user.? Is it done by username or by how much data goes through the port?

Ripwave

Originally posted by ando
Anyone know how eircom's cap is calculated for each user.? Is it done by username or by how much data goes through the port?

It's done by username. That's why the totals aren't updated until your session is logged out.

esentziak

What does this mean? how do you log out of a session? What is a session?

I'm asking because I have seen references to logging out, and I don't really understand it.

Thanks for enlightning me.

Esentziak

Urban Weigl

Eircom use RADIUS to track bandwidth, usage, etc.. Each time you log out, this is updated. It cannot be updated while you are logged in.

crowbar

Originally posted by Urban Weigl
Eircom use RADIUS to track bandwidth, usage, etc.. Each time you log out, this is updated. It cannot be updated while you are logged in.

well it's not a limitation of the radius protocol. there are interim accounting messages that can be sent by the nas periodically to the radius accounting server which can be used to bill in the event that a session spans across a billing period. now whether eircom actually uses these messages ...

here's a go at describe logging out. logging out is when you disconnect from your adsl line, like hanging up a phone call. if you have a router, it may do it automatically after a period of inactivity. if instead you had to install software on your pc that you then entered your dsl username and password into, then you disconnect when you ask the software to, or when you turn off your computer. having said all that, it's not really necessary to log out cause unlike most dial-up internet services it's not charged by the time you remain connected.

Ripwave

Originally posted by crowbar
having said all that, it's not really necessary to log out cause unlike most dial-up internet services it's not charged by the time you remain connected.

Unless you're one of those people who just felt that they couldn't "let their quota go to waste", so they downloaded a couple of gig on the last day of November, only to find that it counted against their December quota, because they didn't end their session until sometime on December 1st

ando

eircom's dsl stats aint working for me this month for some reason. I've been loggin in and out a good few times

BTW, if you were to get a second username and password for eircoms dsl, it effectively means you have doubled your cap? no? if the second username and password is not being used ofcourse... or if you get hold of an 'enhanced' username and password, that means you have no cap ???

TinCool

You won't be able to get a second username/pass for the same account. You could get a second account but that kind of defeats the purpose.

ando

*just saying*, if you put in an enhanced username and password, you could avoid the cap?

daveyjoe

Originally posted by ando
*just saying*, if you put in an enhanced username and password, you could avoid the cap?

What do you mean by "enhanced"?

ando

istream enhanced package 1meg capless

daveyjoe

Originally posted by ando
istream enhanced package 1meg capless

But the person with the username and password would have to be logged out, so it kind of defeats the point.

longword

Originally posted by TinCool
You won't be able to get a second username/pass for the same account. You could get a second account but that kind of defeats the purpose.

iStream Multi is supposed to come with four logins. I'm on Multi (started on Enhanced) but never bothered asking for more. Probably should in case that "Oops the BAS forgot to log me out" bites again.

bricks

Originally posted by ando
eircom's dsl stats aint working for me this month for some reason. I've been loggin in and out a good few times

BTW, if you were to get a second username and password for eircoms dsl, it effectively means you have doubled your cap? no? if the second username and password is not being used ofcourse... or if you get hold of an 'enhanced' username and password, that means you have no cap ???

When you use the Enhanced account you get all its features and the line speed even increases to 1MB while the account is logged in.
I must stress I only did this once for testing purposes.

ando

Originally posted by bricks
When you use the Enhanced account you get all its features and the line speed even increases to 1MB while the account is logged in.
I must stress I only did this once for testing purposes.

no the speed doesn't increase for me... *testing purposes*. Are you sure it increased? I taught the speed of the line was dictated by the port in the exchange and not the username that you used

carbsy

Originally posted by ando
no the speed doesn't increase for me... *testing purposes*. Are you sure it increased? I taught the speed of the line was dictated by the port in the exchange and not the username that you used

Yup Ando , you have a set speed line and no username in the world will improve it.

carb.

longword

Originally posted by ando
no the speed doesn't increase for me... *testing purposes*. Are you sure it increased? I taught the speed of the line was dictated by the port in the exchange and not the username that you used

With all of Eircom's original products, the modem connects at 1024k even if you're on the the 512k Solo product. That's why they never asked what speed you wanted before testing the line. Some lines might otherwise be good enough for a 512k signal, but not 1024k - but with iStream Solo if the line's no good for 1024k it fails.

AFAIK when you login, the rate limiting is done at the Broadband Access Server (the thing on the other end of your PPPoE link) based on on your login. With the RADSL service the modem connects at 512k maximum - you're connected to a different kind of port in the exchange.

ando

right so, if you do use an enhanced username, you can avoid the cap. Well, I guess I'll know for definate when next bill comes :rolleyes:

Iago

AFAIK it doesn't matter what username you use. The username and password is just a verification tool, the actual usage and account details are based on the home phone number.

You can use any valid username and password from any phone line that is enabled for the service, but the usage is allocated to that phone number and not the username used.

e.g. if somebody else got hold of your username and password and decided to download dodgy material thinking that if it came back on anyone it would be you. what would actually happen is that the log would reflect that although your username was being used, it was from the other persons house so they would be responsible for it..

So regardless of what username and password you use, your service will be restricted to the limitations that are set up on your home phone number

I think

Frank Grimes

Originally posted by Iago
So regardless of what username and password you use, your service will be restricted to the limitations that are set up on your home phone number

As was mentioned above, the bandwidth on the ADSL products is allocated via username. RADSL is capped on the ASAM so it doesn't matter if you use one of the "enchanced" usernames, you'll still get 512k.
The usage is based on your login btw.

ando

but the usage is allocated to that phone number and not the username used

The usage is based on your login btw

Hmm, nobody really knows

Frank Grimes

Originally posted by ando
Hmm, nobody really knows

What do you mean?
It's based on your login, why do you think you check the stats page with your DSL username?

crowbar

Originally posted by Frank Grimes
Why do you think you check the stats page with your DSL username?

the stats web server probably does not know what dslam port you're coming in on when you're checking your stats. the username could just be used to look up the usage details for port that you're supposed to be on. the bas presumably does know which port you're connect to, however, and could account traffic either against the port or username, depending on how it's actually set up. (at the end of the day i have no idea how they have actually set it up, merely pointing out that it's not possible to conclusively work it out with only the anectodal information that is available.)

you'd really need someone from within eircom to definitively answer this one - if they wish to answer it at all ...

Frank Grimes

Do a search for posts by webtest01
The stats are generated by radius tickets, radius tickets are produced on authentication - i.e. when you connect with your username and password.

crowbar

radius tickets also contain the nas port id that the user is connected through. accounting stats can be aggregated by either username or nas port id.

longword

I think your biggest concern should be that Eircom will one day run a small shell script over their Radius ticket to check if any DSL logins have been used on more than one port, then instantly disable any such login and completely ban the user from broadband indefinitely.