Is 2GB per month enough?

[Guest wino]

I was thinking of subscribing to sky broadband. The basic package is 2GB per month. We download approx 50 songs per month the rest is browsing and CAG (of course) would this be enough?

[Bookworm]

Yes. A song is usually between 3 and 4 Mb, and 1 GB = 1000 Mb (well, 1024 strictly speaking, before one of the techynerds jumps in, they live for this stuff, you know! ), so no worries there at all, and browsing doesn't count as part of your d/l (unless you d/l stuff whilst browsing, of course! )

[Guest wino]

OK Bookie lets see how clever you are.

Is there anyway of keeping an eye on your usage as you go along?

[Bookworm]

Yes, it's called pen and paper.

[Guest wino]

Thanks Bookie:D

[dave]

But having to size up the size of the text in an HTML web page and then add that to the size of all the images for each and every web page you visit and then have to write it down could get a little tiresome.

 

You could get this: DU Meter Home Page instead ;-)

[Curlyben]

browsing doesn't count as part of your d/l

 

Well actually it does.

Every page has a size associated with it, all dependant on the amount and type of content.

A graphically intensive site will use more of the "limit" due to the amount of pictures, etc.

 

This page of CAG, for example, is around 200k due to all of the graphics, so your 2 Gb gets eaten up pretty rapidly. Admittedly alot of the graphics are static so the amount of data being moved is relatively small as only the changes are updated.

 

This size of limit is really for light internet users that do a little e-mail and a few (sub 12) hours a month of surfing, and certainly not for any quantity of downloading on a regular basis.

[Bookworm]

I stand corrected. (Told you they lived for the stuff! ) My understanding of the d/l limits were that they meant "proper" d/l, not surfing, but I have to say I haven't looked at them closely, so will bow to greater knowledge in that field.

[honey5]

there are still "uncapped" ISPs out there

honey x

[dave]

Name one ;-)

[Curlyben]

https://www.bethere.co.uk/

 

Starts at £14 for 8 meg https://www.bethere.co.uk/belitehomebroadband.do;

and £18 for up to 24 meg ADSL2+ https://www.bethere.co.uk/homebroadband.do;

 

There you go

[dave]

In fact, I saw Bookie's claim in the Torygraph the other day; it claimed that watching videos on the Torygraph website didn't affect download limits.

 

On the web version, it stated that it did affect limits, but minimally.

 

BTW, it also claimed a week before that Tim Berners Lee invented the Internet.

 

...and this from a supposed respectable newspaper.

[dave]

Not keen on this line though:

 

If it’s felt that any Be member’s Internet activities are so excessive that other members are detrimentally affected, Be may give the member generating the excessive web traffic a written warning (by email or otherwise). In extreme circumstances, should the levels of activity not immediately decrease after the warning, Be may terminate that member’s services.

[Guest wino]

I am currently on Orange £17.99 per month unlimited usage but I need to cut my out goings down so thought sky would be a good bet. But I don't want a whopping big bill at the end of the month because I've used more than I should:(

[Curlyben]

Well I've been with them over a year and have been known to download 20-30 Gig over a weekend and no warnings as yet

 

My Average usage is just short of 100 Gb a month.

 

(Don't ask 'cos I wont tell you)

 

Wino, why not go for the MID package as the limit is a more reasonable 40 Gb and, if you already have Sky, it's £5 a month.

Sky Broadband - Broadband Packages For Sky TV Customers

[Guest wino]

[quote=Curlyben;1453387

 

(Don't ask 'cos I wont tell you)

OOhh naughty naughty you up to monkey business CurlyBen?

[dave]

Curly, fair play. I too am pretty much at about 100gb a month, I have never even been contacted by my ISP - they do have a caveat of anything over 100gb (if they deem it excessive at the time) to restrict download speed during 9-5 for the remainder of that month.

 

It hasn't happened to me yet, but then I do pay them a year in advance and it's quite expensive too (41 quid per month including VAT).

[Bookworm]

In fact, I saw Bookie's claim in the Torygraph the other day;

Dave, you know I love you, but if you insist on putting the Mail and me in the same sentence, inferring that there is anything in that piece of fishwrapper I could possibly agree with, you and I are going to have words.

[dave]

Ha - no, Torygraph = Telegraph for one, and although it can read like I meant that you were quoted was in there, I meant that your quote or words were actually in there. ...if you catch my drift.

[honey5]

Usefull sites to look at are Kitz & DSL Zone UK

 

From the Azureus wiki ISPs who block P2P HERE

 

ISPs who own other ISPs

 

There are a few major ISPs that own some of the smaller companies out there & it is typical that if the major company invokes a policy this ripples down to the smaller ones also.

 

Plusnet Group (Plusnet are also using Tiscali LLU)

Plusnet, Force9, Free-Online & Metronet

 

Pipex Group

Pipex, Freedom 2 surf (F2S), Nildram, Firstnet, Toucan, Bulldog

 

Claranet

Claranet, netscalibur, U-Net

 

The Good

 

These ISPs are currently good for all things P2P related.

 

Claranet

+ [stable connection, no restrictions, No traffic management]

- [Expensive e.g. 512k £29.99 month, No ADSLMAX atm, 12 month contract]

- [UPDATE December 2006 - New package Max plans with download restrictions old packages defunct to new customers]

Ace Internet

+ [no restrictions]

- [currently P2P managing due to mistral server problems during world cup allegedly]

- [UPDATE 19/06/06 - 3.5Gb per 24 hours on Usenet & P2P Introduced]

 

Fast4

+ [no restrictions, Cheapish]

- [Cheap yet unsure of sustainability if heavy users join]

 

Bulldog [PIPEX OWNED NOW]

+ [Fast connections, good download limits, No traffic managment]

- [Customer service intermitant, Pulling out end user market]

- [NOW OWNED BY PIPEX AS OF 7 Sept 2006}

Bethere*

+ [Good speeds etc]

- [Very limited availability]

* [Update BE* have been bought by O2 as of 22/06/06]

 

Zen Internet

+ [Good speeds, good pricing]

- [ New download limits a bit tight (Hard capping) & £1 per GB if over cap limit]

 

UK Online

+ [Good speeds, good limits on monthly useage e.g 500Gb on 8Mb]

- [Poor customer service]

 

NTL / Blueyonder

+ [speeds very consistent, restrictions not enforced]

- [Customer service poor] [bY Support alot better]

 

NDO

+ [good connection speeds]

- [Moderate high prices (not to bad though)]

 

Demon

+ [unlimited download, Cheap]

- [ 2MB max connections]

 

 

The Bad

Barge pole & don't touch with come to mind, you have been warned.

 

Eclipse

+ [speeds, limits OK, no traffic management]

- [FUP - Peak time limits (package dependant)]

Moved to bad by popular demand as their service has deteriorated considerably.

Pipex (Sorry to put em here)

+ [stable connections, good limits]

- [Traffic managment of P2P 24/7 Max speeds 20K]

 

Freedom 2 Surf (F2S) (Pipex owned)

+ [Hard to think of any]

- [Traffic managment of P2P]

 

Talk Talk & ONETEL (STEER WELL CLEAR OF....)

+ [NONE]

- [Google them & watch the crap hit the fan they are that bad]

 

Home Call (Using Tiscali products)

+ [NONE]

- [Traffic Managment 28K, Customer service non existant, Throttling connections]

 

Wanadoo (Orange)

+ [will accept anyone]

- [One of the worst ISPs about]

 

Tiscali

+ [ ]

- [One of the worst ISPs about]

Plusnet

+ [Cheap]

- [using Traffic Managment 10Kb peak Times 4pm - 12am or 24/7 for excessive use]

BT

+ [no comments]

- [like to send letters & kick, Bad customer support, restrictions on use, dl limits from 2Gb to 40GB month]

 

TOUCAN

- [OWNED BY PIPEX AS OF 07 Sept 2006]

AOL

- From reports have instigated traffic shaping during peak times & putting heavy users on a sin bin pool.

 

The In between

 

 

 

Metronet (Part of Plusnet)

+ [good speeds]

- [ Part of Plusnet so all - of them sooner or later]

Lixxus (PAYG ISP)

+ [pay for what you use]

- [not much info on atm]

 

NDO (Part of Neamesco)

+ [Good pricing, unrestricted]

- [No information atm]

 

honey x

[honey5]

Name one ;-)

 

bulldog

honey x

[Curlyben]

Bethere*

+ [Good speeds etc]

- [Very limited availability]

* [update BE* have been bought by O2 as of 22/06/06]

 

While they have been purchased by O2, they haven't made any changes to the way they do business, which is damn good.

 

I'm surprised Bulldog are in this list as they no longer offer domestic connections and since they where purchased by Cable & Wireless, pre-pipex, the services has gone to sh!te.

They should be in the barge pole section.

[honey5]

been with them for 4 yrs or just about so guess that contract is still standing

honey x

[Curlyben]

been with them for 4 yrs or just about so guess that contract is still standing

honey x

 

Been with who ?

BE or Bullcrud ???

[Conniff]

These ISPs may state no download limit, but they all have a 'fair usage' policy which amounts to the same thing.