Is anybody on th 10mb broadband from NTL/UPC?

kingaaa

I'm with IBB, have been for a few years now with very little hassle.I rang up NTL as I'm expecting an engineer to connect a new tv line and the guy on the other end of the phone informed me that my area has the new NTL cables installed and I could get 10mb for €32 a month - €5 cheaper than my 2mb breeze.He also said there are no download limits,and no site restrictions.It's a no-brainer really, but is it any use?

macrubicon

I'm on the 10Mb - it's fine for most things. I even ge the full 10Mb from time to time - but usually have a solid 4-6Mb.

If your a big downloader they do shape and throttle some types of traffic but for everyday stuff it's grand.

The cap is a fair use one, so as long as it's not crazy you won't get the dredded letter.

seamus

It's 10Mb, it works well. What else is there to say?

Cabaal

I'd suggest you use the search function

kingaaa

Cabaal wrote: »

I'd suggest you use the search function

what do you mean?

kingaaa

macrubicon wrote: »

I'm on the 10Mb - it's fine for most things. I even ge the full 10Mb from time to time - but usually have a solid 4-6Mb.

If your a big downloader they do shape and throttle some types of traffic but for everyday stuff it's grand.

The cap is a fair use one, so as long as it's not crazy you won't get the dredded letter.

so there actually is a cap of sorts on it?

Simi

It's a fair usage policy. They decide how much is too much.

So far no one has ever been contacted about high usage & some ppl. (possibly me included) download obscene amounts.

I'd say i'd download 200-300GB a month easy on average & never heard a peep out of them. I also usually get the full 1.1MB/sec download rate but I do most of my downloading at night.

Also great for gaming. Best ping times vary from 20-40ms day to day. Connection is also usually rock solid.

ionix5891

i downgraded to 10mbit, its more than enough

i dont use much bandwidth, but had no issues downloading few dozen GB, haven't really pushed it, can get ~1.1MB/s easily

latency is what im interested in and thats great for managing servers over ssh and the olde xbox live

kingaaa

I'd be downloading a similar amount to that.Can you give me some info on the connection type? is it a standard cat5 from a cable modem? the reason I ask is I'm set up for voip at the moment so there is an ata router netween the IBB radio and my home network router.

ionix5891

mine is the older blue NTL modem, has standard cat5 ethernet (which i use) jack and usb connection, they gave free wireless router as well


my parents have similar connection (they dont download much but they like keep in contact with extended family via video and audio) but their modem is newer ntl one. slightly larger, has ethernet, usb and phone jacks (for the ntl phone service)


im very happy with them for the last few years, maybe 1 day downtime per 4 months on average


now that i think of it last year sometime before they got aquired by UPC they rang saying i used too much upload bandwidth, i uploaded 70GB or so to my server that month, but i dont think the new UPC crowd care as they have 100gbit peering arrangement http://www.peeringdb.com/view.php?asn=6830 which is 10times more than Eirscum and they are much larger company europewide

MrVestek

I'd say switch. Your ata will work fine in the atlanta modem. Just configure your ata to obtain a wan ip via dhcp and you'll be fine.

RangeR

I'm on the 20Mb in Naas. It's great but occasionally[between 6pm through about 8pm], latency becomes a problem. Ping times can shoot up to 250ms+

Gaming is GENERALLY good but there sometimes appears to be apparent latency in them too.

I would still recommend. I believe their networks speeds are going to increase in the coming short term too.

kingaaa

good reports so far, I think I've made my mind up to move.Now, has anybody any experience with cancelling IBB Breeze? how long does it usually take? is there any penalties?

kingaaa

just been on the phone to IBB, they need 30 days notice.So I went ahead and ordered NTL 10mb online, the earliest installation date I could get was 2nd of March!

RangeR

Are you still within contract? If so, how long. If not, I think it's 30 days [one month] notice.

Actually, I see you are with them for a few years.

Ring them, tell them you want to cancel. They will organise a date for an engineer to come out and take away the equipment.

You can ring UPC any time to get setup. In my experience [ordered broadband from them twice], they have you setup within a week of your order.

If you haven't gotten your NTL TV installed yet, order broadband now and get them done at the same time. Otherwise you will be charged two install fees. From my experience, they will NOT let you do a self install.

ionix5891

i had the displeasure of using irish broadband before in Dublin

was absolutely terrible, it shouldn't be called broadband

took 30 seconds to load Google at times

i used to travel back to Galway every weekend to do the downloading on NTL :P

kingaaa

I got an installion date of march 2nd, this should suit because I can only cancel IBB after my next bill (18th of feb) with 30 days notice.Unfortunatley I just got the tv installed today,but it was fairly quick and painless and the engineer said it's not a problem that I want the broadband in a different part of the house to the tv.

RangeR

kingaaa wrote: »

...the engineer said it's not a problem that I want the broadband in a different part of the house to the tv.

Yup, my TV point is downstairs and Internet is upstairs. They are pretty good at the wiring too. Well, my guys were.

ionix5891

IrishTLR wrote: »

Yup, my TV point is downstairs and Internet is upstairs. They are pretty good at the wiring too. Well, my guys were.

i bought one of them powrline/socket switch thingies, great to connect to modem and NAS downstairs from office upstairs

El-Diablo

Don't touch NTL with a bargepole. It's broadband is chronically unreliable. I've now had the technician out 5 times to fix but still spends far more time off line than on. As soon as it gives me enough time online to find a new provider I'll be gone.
Its speed claims are also nonsense. Mine is supposedly 20MB, at the moment (when actually working) it's delivering 1.4MB............
It's a dreaful service and the customer service are impossible to get hold of too.

ionix5891

El-Diablo wrote: »

Don't touch NTL with a bargepole. It's broadband is chronically unreliable. I've now had the technician out 5 times to fix but still spends far more time off line than on. As soon as it gives me enough time online to find a new provider I'll be gone.
Its speed claims are also nonsense. Mine is supposedly 20MB, at the moment (when actually working) it's delivering 1.4MB............
It's a dreaful service and the customer service are impossible to get hold of too.

lol you got your bits and bytes mixed up

1.4MB/s is ~ 10mbit/s

El-Diablo

I stand corrected. The current speed is 1.4Mbps

ionix5891

El-Diablo wrote: »

I stand corrected. The current speed is 1.4Mbps

hmm what speed do you get downloading this file

http://cachefly.cachefly.net/100mb.test

using a browser such as firefox

Bambaata

I've been called and informed my area has been upgraded and i can now avail of the faster packages. I have a date for installation (7th March, am) and told i can cancel it any time before then so its decision time for me too! Is anyone on it around Glasnevin by any chance? Does anyone use FTP on it? I would download/upload a fair amount too as 4 of us in the house are constantly on 4oD etc! I've informed them i could hit 300GB a month and was told this is no problem.

So am i right in saying i need to give IBB 30 days notice to cancel as i am over 2 yrs with them and i thought i could cancel at any time after the 1 year contract? Ive never had many problems with IBB (240 on that file - on the 2MB breeze) but i would like faster speeds for less money (10mb line)

ionix5891

ionix5891 wrote: »

hmm what speed do you get downloading this file

http://cachefly.cachefly.net/100mb.test

using a browser such as firefox

For reference, I tried downloading this file using IE. It took me 1 minute, 33 seconds.

Blindpew

Bambaata wrote: »

I've informed them i could hit 300GB a month and was told this is no problem.

Well I got a letter today telling me that I had to restrict my usage to 250gb a month or face termination. I have the unlimited 20mb ultra package. That 250gb is a combined data transfer of uploads and downloads. So muich for unlimited.

seamus

There's an acceptable usage policy on all packages, which includes the amount of data downloaded, even on the unlimited package.

250Gb is an enormous amount of data to be downloaded or uploaded in a single month. Are you running websites from home or something?

ionix5891

seamus wrote: »

There's an acceptable usage policy on all packages, which includes the amount of data downloaded, even on the unlimited package.

250Gb is an enormous amount of data to be downloaded or uploaded in a single month. Are you running websites from home or something?

and theres me thinking i was a bad boy using a 100GB

RangeR

seamus wrote: »

There's an acceptable usage policy on all packages, which includes the amount of data downloaded, even on the unlimited package.

250Gb is an enormous amount of data to be downloaded or uploaded in a single month. Are you running websites from home or something?

It is highly feasible to hit 250GB and beyond on a residential connection. I give my setup as an example all the time.

3 computers
one laptop
PS3 [downloading games, demos, vids every month]
Internet Radio
Some times, up to 2 or 3 Network web cams.

I have no idea as to my actual usage as UPC don't have a traffic monitor. But I'm sure I use approx 100GB to 200GB on a heavy month.

I'm a techno geek and love nothing more than reformatting one mof my machines every few weeks, months. I DO actually download linux ISO's regularly [compared to people who say that to hide their true usage], just to see the differences in flavors. Hell, I even have Linux on my PS3.

For UPC 20Mb unlimited plan, I would see 250GB monthly as not on the high end of expectations.

seamus

I have no doubt that it's feasible, but it's still a huge and rare amount of data. A linux ISO is at most 9GB (for a dual-sided DVD ISO). Even if you reformat each of your 4 computers once a week and install a different OS on each, that works out at 144GB in a month. Internet Radio, what does that work out at - 20MB an hour? So you have that running for 8 hours a day, 7 days a week, that's 34GB.
PS3 Games/game demos. Maybe 2 a day, at most, what are they 500MB apiece? So that's another 30GB. Network cams, what do they use - 100MB upload a day, each? Which is another 2.8GB per cam per month, let's round it to 10GB. Then web surfing. 2GB on web traffic alone in a single month would be massive. But let's be generous and say that each machine does 5GB of web surfing per month, which works out at 20GB for the whole month for the house.

So overall, the usage works out at 210GB. Which you admit is a heavy month. And it is - your setup is rare, as is the pure volume of data you're downloading. Companies with ten times the number of machines would struggle to download that kind of volume from the web.

However, not only is this guy downloading that amount, he's going *beyond* that and going beyond it consistently.

So from that point of view, not only is 250GB more than fair and appropriate on an "unlimited" package (because a self-confessed techno-geek doesn't even reach that in a busy month), but so too is their response. Other providers would choose to just go ahead an bill him by the GB.

RangeR

seamus wrote: »

So overall, the usage works out at 210GB. Which you admit is a heavy month. And it is - your setup is rare, as is the pure volume of data you're downloading. Companies with ten times the number of machines would struggle to download that kind of volume from the web.

I'm not going to debate what bandwidth a specific file is. However, many PS3 downloads are 1.5GB but, I digress...

What is your basis for stating that companies with ten times the hardware would struggle to reach that bandwidth, or is it pure speculation or personal experience in your company? I fail to see that as a valid argument.

However, not only is this guy downloading that amount, he's going *beyond* that and going beyond it consistently.

And???? While I'm not an avid lover of internet hogs [I get 300ms Pings EVERY night between 7pm and 9pm and pi$$es me off when all I want to do is play an hour or two of TF2 after a busy day in work.] but UPC do not give ANY indication of what fair usage is. They say unlimited. How are we to know if we are going over the limit until you start getting threatening letters. We all know that it's marketing. It they specified limits, they couldn't advertise it as unlimited.

I am also fully aware that bandwidth doesn't come free to the ISP's. That is irrelevant. If they say unlimited, use it. If they want to impose limits, specify it in advance.

So from that point of view, not only is 250GB more than fair and appropriate on an "unlimited" package (because a self-confessed techno-geek doesn't even reach that in a busy month), but so too is their response. Other providers would choose to just go ahead an bill him by the GB.

Ah now you are now putting words in my mouth or mangling what I said. I NEVER said that my usage, or that of the OP was fair and appropriate. I gave an example of what I use [you made up the erroneous calculations, I didn't provide all that I do on a monthly basis].

I NEVER said that I never reach the OP's bandwitdh usage as I don't monitor my usage. I have no way of monitoring my usage.

Going by your [possible] under estimate of my use, I would say that I'm on par or more than the OPs usage. I also run my business from home using UPC connection [UPC are aware] which adds to my usage.

I've never received such letters from them.`

*EDIT* However.... I will cautiously [innocent until proven guilty and all that] say that I believe that the majority, and I mean in the 95% of heavy users, are purely downloading copyright infringed files.