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Usage Limit 5 GB enough for frequent downloader?

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  • 07-05-2009 7:48pm
    #1
    sourwine
    Closed Accounts Posts: 56 ✭✭


    Hi there,

    I am not asking for myself but for a friend who is looking for a new internet provider. He is not sure how much he needs. Obviously he has an offer with an attractive price but the usage limit is only 5 GB.

    As with every website visit and email traffic he will use up from this 5 GB and he likes to (legally) download movies or music, he is worried how far he can get on those 5 gigs.

    Does anyone have experience and would you say that it is still sufficient if you download a lot or should he take the bigger option? Say, how many MBs do you need for normal surfing and how many does a movie have?

    Any advice appreciated, thank you.


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    #2
    irishgrover
    Registered Users Posts: 2,496 ✭✭✭irishgrover


    it really depends on how many movies he downloads, if he is using bit torrent sites, seeding files etc. I was on bt with 5mg monthly limit and very rarely went over it.
    I would suggest he install net meter or something similar and watch his traffic for a while.
    Also afaik the majority of bb providers will allow you to increase your product without any administrative charge etc.
    So I'd suggest, start off low, monitor, and adjust upwards only if necessary...


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    #3
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    A usage limit of 5GB, this usaully means combined total traffic up and down......... which is absolute crap for anybody who downloads even the odd movie. An average pc user would use that just surfing.

    What provider?


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    #4
    irishgrover
    Registered Users Posts: 2,496 ✭✭✭irishgrover


    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    A usage limit of 5GB, this usaully means combined total traffic up and down......... which is absolute crap for anybody who downloads even the odd movie. An average pc user would use that just surfing.

    What provider?

    slightly exaggerated statement maybe! :rolleyes:


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    #5
    sourwine
    Closed Accounts Posts: 56 ✭✭sourwine


    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    What provider?

    NTL, the Broadband Basic pack


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    #6
    irishgrover
    Registered Users Posts: 2,496 ✭✭✭irishgrover


    irishgrover wrote: »
    slightly exaggerated statement maybe! :rolleyes:

    I take it back, 5 g is pure Sh!te, for some reason my brain was reading this a 50 gigs...sorry!


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    #7
    Debunker
    Registered Users Posts: 105 ✭✭Debunker


    irishgrover wrote: »
    slightly exaggerated statement maybe! :rolleyes:

    Not in the slightest.:pac:


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    #8
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    irishgrover wrote: »
    slightly exaggerated statement maybe! :rolleyes:

    Not exaggerated, 5GB total traffic is very easily hit with just one pc, consider surfing including kids looking at Youtube, Google Earth, videos on Bebo pages etc, Windows and AV updates etc etc. I downloaded a patch for a game last week that was 500MB, an average .avi movie is 700MB.
    5GB isn't much


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    #9
    sourwine
    Closed Accounts Posts: 56 ✭✭sourwine


    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    an average .avi movie is 700MB.
    5GB isn't much

    Ok, quoting the movie size helps, I will let him know. Knowing that, 5 GB seems indeed to be less that he needs. Guess he will go for the bigger package then.

    Guys, thank you! I never expected to get help so quickly!


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    #10
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    A better question is if NTL enforce their limit on this package, most providers allow a little over. Although my limit is 50GB per month on Eircom, I average 80-100GB per month and have regularly hit upto 135GB+ without an email.


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    #11
    sourwine
    Closed Accounts Posts: 56 ✭✭sourwine


    @ PogMoThoin: Don't they upgrade you then and take more money from you? If you frequently over use your limit I can't imagine they give it away for free? How are you charged for that?


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    #12
    dogpile
    Registered Users Posts: 629 ✭✭✭dogpile


    You'd need between 10 to 15G a month and that's without mad downloading


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    #13
    PogMoThoin
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13,874 ✭✭✭✭PogMoThoin


    sourwine wrote: »
    @ PogMoThoin: Don't they upgrade you then and take more money from you? If you frequently over use your limit I can't imagine they give it away for free? How are you charged for that?

    No, they don't charge, they don't enforce their limit at all, never have. But this is Eircom, not sure what NTL's situation is with this, but I'd doubt they'd be that strict when some of their 20mbit customers are downloading 200GB+ per month, bigger fish. Somebody with this package might post.


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    #14
    watty
    Registered Users Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    I do about 20G a month. We have no rapid$har3 or torrent5

    Most days about 300M to 500M. Occasional 2G or 3G days.

    If you where a heavy downloader 5G wouldn't last a day.


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    #15
    _Sidhe_
    Closed Accounts Posts: 193 ✭✭_Sidhe_


    For an extra €3 would he not triple his speed, and quadruple his usage limit?


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    #16
    spartacus93
    Registered Users Posts: 1,453 ✭✭✭spartacus93


    Why not go with the value pack. 3Mb and 20 gig allowance a month for €22. As said above a film is usually at least 700Mb with many being over a gig. A TV show is about 350Mb. An album at a decent bit rate weighs in around 70 - 100Mb. I'd easily do 5Gig in a day. It's a very low allowance if he intends downloading music and videos.


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    #17
    Cabaal
    Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators, Regional South East Moderators Posts: 28,496 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cabaal


    5GB is fine for the average joe soap, not any good for heavy downloaders though


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    #18
    sourwine
    Closed Accounts Posts: 56 ✭✭sourwine


    All, I just texted him and he said that he will probably take something else, above 5 GB. Thanks again for the "councelling" on this :-)


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    #19
    Capt'n Midnight
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Technology & Internet Moderators Posts: 91,622 Mod ✭✭✭✭Capt'n Midnight


    PogMoThoin wrote: »
    Not exaggerated, 5GB total traffic is very easily hit with just one pc, consider surfing including kids looking at Youtube, Google Earth, videos on Bebo pages etc, Windows and AV updates etc etc. I downloaded a patch for a game last week that was 500MB, an average .avi movie is 700MB.
    5GB isn't much
    Vista service pack 1 can take up to 547MB
    and if it fails to install it's recommended you clean up the temp files and try again, straight away you are over 1GB
    IIRC the latest dotnet service pack is about 350MB and office 2007 packs are similar and Acrobat reader will have about 20-80MB for it's nearly monthly one too. All this stuff downloads in the background too so you don't notice it creaping up.


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    #20
    watty
    Registered Users Posts: 32,417 ✭✭✭✭watty


    I just installed FPGA SW for a development board and it does not come with it. It's a 4G download :(


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