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[oldfogy]

For the last few nights I have noticed a big drop (50%) in my download speed, so I decided to phone Virgin last night, which was no mean feat in-itself, and this is the result.
 
6:30pm
1. Tried phoning the helpline number, but it would not work.
2. Eventually got to speak to a human being at Virgin to ask why their help line number would not work.
3. It appears that 7 years ago when I opened this new account, the policy is to automatically put a ban on premium rate numbers
( which includes Virgins help line ).
4. Given PIN & code to bypass premium rate dialled numbers (see next item)
5. The wrong PIN number was given to me and does not allow me to use this facility, so that wont work and takes 24 hours to remove the block.
6. Tried to use my e-Phone (skype equivalent) as I have some credit to use up, but that would not work.
7. Phoned using my MOBILE "ugh call cost me £3.53".
7:45pm
 
The result is outlined in the article in the link below which is entitled "Traffic Management News" (and NO they do not mean the motorway).
Basically, I am deemed one of the top 5% users with high BW and being reduced to a 2MB service between 4pm and 12pm every night.
 
Roll on Monday when I can speak to an "English" speaking person with regards to a reduction in payments for the 25% of the time that I am only receiving 50% of which I am paying 100% for. (Although I will not be holding my breath)
"Not a happy bunny" 

Shortcut to: http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/internet/traffic.html
 
PS:
Do you know of any other good "Unrestricted" ISPs?

[kitz]

arghhh - nightmare with the phones

Unrestricted ISPs these days are few and far between and theres only really 1 ISP that I can think of off the top of my head that is true unlimited (for the time Be*ing.  Unfortunately though Be isnt available at all exchanges.

Theres a list of ISPs and prices on my caps page
http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/caps.htm

Other than that you are looking at one of the business type accounts if you do need true unlimited.

Out of interest OF - if you dont mind - how much is your usage each month to have put you in their "traffic management" bracket... since iirc when reading the T+Cs trying to find out, it was all rather wooly. :/

[oldfogy]

I don't honestly know what I actually use, but somewhere in the range of 5GB DL & 2GB UL p/day
(4MB connection running almost 24/7) at a cost of £25 p/month.

The trouble with T+Cs is that they change them as and when they feel like it.
Although I shall be taking a look at my "original contract" (for the first time) to see what it says there because most T+Cs are not "respective" because that is and was my agreement therefor I am entitled to get that which I pay for.
However there is usually a clause stating that T+Cs may be changed at will to which we sign and accept.

This now means I shall have to get a life again during the hours of 6pm and midnight.
So it's back to repairing the dishwasher at the moment because that packed-up yesterday.

********************************************************************************
oow it was painful, it had all of it's Cable, Pipes, Tubes and innards taken out (very methodically) just to get at the water inlet valve, and as you may of guessed by now, it wasn't that, well not really, in there wisdom Bosch decided to put an extra filter on the water inlet hose where most people can't get at (but they didn't count on me), and that was blocked.
Anyway found the problem, took one look at the bits to go back in and have decided to buy a new one.
I know it's not quite as cheap as repairing this one but a damn site easier than putting it all back together and it is was getting on a bit. (Now I suppose you really wanted to know that) but it must be part of the withdrawal symptoms of not being on the PC for the last hour or so. 
PS: I like the new selection of smilies  (NEXT)

[roseway]

5GB download per day? That certainly does put you in the high user bracket. To be frank, I don't think you'll find any ISP who will welcome that sort of usage, and on a domestic tariff you're bound to be traffic managed in some way. Your best bet for unlimited usage would be a business package, as Kitz says, but it will be more expensive of course.

Good fun with the washing machine eh?

[kitz]

Aside from Be, then the only thing I can think of is a business package from the likes of Zen or an Enta reseller.  Not sure if Enta will also throttle you back on the ALT during peak time to 2Mbps even on the business package.

TBH if Virgin are only throttling you to 2Mbps during 4-12pm then your probably best staying where you are. 2Mbps is still a "half decent" speed and should allow you to do most things without any problems - unlike some of the other ISPs who would more like throttle you to something ridiculous like 128 kbps,  I seem to see the likes of a lot of the "unlimited ISPs" such as tiscali, TT throttling all of their customers back to less than 1Mbps during peak times regardless of their usage.  Even the likes of BT and AOL seem to be messing around and cutting peak usage back to under 2Mbps.

I wont rant too much but I believe that in many respects adsl has become too cheap with the introduction of "free packages" then the ISPs have had to cut back - since bandwith does cost and therefore they cant compete :/


-----

>> took one look at the bits to go back in and have decided to buy a new one

lol I know that feeling - not with dishwashers though.  Looks like its manual dishwashing until you get a new one :/

* kitz passes OF the Fairy Liquid. 

[oldfogy]

The problem is that their equipment can't now take the demand so this is there way of trying to spread the load.
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/internet/traffic.html

Traffic management We don't like traffic jams

Broadband Size: L
During peak times, the top 5% on the Size: L package download at least 750MB of traffic each.

Any users hitting this amount during peak times (4pm till midnight) will have their broadband speed temporarily traffic managed – their download speed will be set to 2Mb, with their upload speed set to 192Kb. This will last for 4 hours from when the traffic management policy is applied.

Even if a Broadband: Size L user has their speed temporarily traffic managed, they can still download over 1,500 music files per day.

This will last for 4 hours from when the traffic management policy is applied.

This may not be not true, "unless" what seemed to happen last night is that the restriction stayed in-place until I re-booted my PC.
So possibly unless I re-boot at least every hour or two from say 9:00pm, the restriction could then last all night, because things did not get back to normal until 01:30am when I did a re-boot, unless that was just coincidental.
Although on previous nights it did not need a re-boot.

ah well thats life.
*************************************

R.I.P.
On a equally pressing concern is the sad passing of my dearly beloved washer.
I think I will make the arrangements for Monday, so as to get it over and done with quickly.
Obviously it will get the full treatment with all the honours that it deserved, before unceromonasly being left at the salvage yard before it probably comes back as part of a SKoda or something similar.

!!! Whats Fairy Liquid !!! 

[oldfogy]

The problem is that their equipment can't now take the demand so this is there way of trying to spread the load.
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/internet/traffic.html

Traffic management We don't like traffic jams

Broadband Size: L
During peak times, the top 5% on the Size: L package download at least 750MB of traffic each.

Any users hitting this amount during peak times (4pm till midnight) will have their broadband speed temporarily traffic managed – their download speed will be set to 2Mb, with their upload speed set to 192Kb. This will last for 4 hours from when the traffic management policy is applied.

Even if a Broadband: Size L user has their speed temporarily traffic managed, they can still download over 1,500 music files per day.

This will last for 4 hours from when the traffic management policy is applied.

This may not be not true, because what seemed to happen last night is that the restriction stayed in-place until I re-booted my PC.
So possibly unless I re-boot at least every hour or two from say 9:00pm, the restriction could then last all night, because things did not get back to normal until 01:30am when I did a re-boot, unless that was just coincidental.
Although on previous nights it did not need a re-boot.

ah well thats life.
*************************************

R.I.P.
On a equally pressing concern is the sad passing of my dearly beloved washer.
I think I will make the arrangements for Monday, so as to get it over and done with quickly.
Obviously it will get the full treatment with all the honours that it deserved, before unceromonasly being left at the salvage yard before it probably comes back as part of a SKoda or something similar.

!!! Whats Fairy Liquid !!! 

[kitz]

M package download at least 350MB of traffic each.

Any users hitting this amount during peak times (4pm till midnight) will have their broadband speed temporarily traffic managed – their download speed will be set to 1Mb,

hmmm  not sure I like that...
theres odd evenings when I'd do more than 350MB...  yet over the whole month I wouldnt class my usage as excessive.  Not sure I'd like to be penalised for the odd evening of the month when I choose to download something large.  Im not sure what my monthly usage is right now cause Im on a RIN testing platform so it doesnt tell me.. but from the past my usage can be anything between about 6-20GB per month - depends how much tv progs the brat streams... but I dont worry about it cause the package Im on with my ISP Im well within and it suits my own requirements and I can still get full pelt for the stuff I do.  Obviously though it wouldnt suit yourself or any one who

what seemed to happen last night is that the restriction stayed in-place until I re-booted my PC.

Ive seen other users from some other ISPs (such as enta)  say that they need a reboot to get rid of restrictions applied by the ALT system... yet some dont.

[oldfogy]

I installed DU Meter last night, (although it is not a free program it does have a 30 day trial) it looks quite good and as you can see can give totals of, "Total, Daily, Weekly or Monthly" report.
Uses virtually no resources, just sits there quietly.

However I was quite surprised at the traffic it was logging even when not actually viewing the net or doing any kind of net activity whatsoever.
(I do not have any program set for auto-updates either).

[mr_chris]

There is a free version of DUMeter available. It's called NetMeter and is basically a clone of DUMeter.

http://www.metal-machine.de/readerror/

To be honest I have to say that amount of usage does seem quite a lot.... you got BitTorrent running 24/7 or something?

[kitz]

I run DUMeter but its a really old version (I must have had it 5+ years).  
Netmeter is very similar to DUMeter but is totally free.

Another freebee well worth looking at is Netmeter2 which I quite like and have on some of my PCs cause it gives a bit more info.   You can run DUMeter/Netmeter together Netmeter2 and side by side since neither take up much resources without any conflicts.  I find they both have info that I like to monitor...  Netlimiter breaks it down into apps - whilst I like the throughput chart from DUMeter/Netmeter.

More info
http://www.kitz.co.uk/links/down.htm

[kitz]

Our posts crossed

>> To be honest I have to say that amount of usage does seem quite a lot.... you got BitTorrent running 24/7 or something?

I thought that too - 8.65 GB in 12 hours..  of which 3GB is uploads..  thats quite a bit of data going out from the PC.

[oldfogy]

you got BitTorrent running 24/7 or something

No comment. 
Actually what may of caused the original problem was that I was DL some very BIG car manuals (ElsaWin) for someone.

But really the laugh is on me, "he has a 20MB connection which is only used during the daytime" but does did not know how to use torrents, or at least not until now. 

****************
Nearly forgot:
Thanks Chris

******************************
Kitz:
Can you check your link to http://www.netlimiter.com/download.php
Only it does not seem to be working.
(Page cannot be displayed) on several attempts.

[mr_chris]

Working for me from here right now, OF

[oldfogy]

Yes it is working, it was PeerGuardian that was blocking it and I never noticed before as the menu bar is hidden.

I have used and still have installed NetLimiter, but my OLD version v1.3 does not have the stats page, although it does have the stats page, I never noticed or used it in the past .

On the figures from the clip above, there is a discrepancy of approximately nearly 1GB of DL extra from what uTorrent shows.
Thats a tad more than just surfing. So I wonder which one is more accurate.

***************************************************************

On the figures from the clip above, there is a discrepancy

Found it!

I decided to try something, and that was to re-check the stats after transferring some files from one PC to another on my network, because I noticed the discrepancy was roughly the size of a movie I had transfered the night before 750MB.

On further investigation it turns out that DU Meter does not distinguish "on my system at least" what is a network transfer and what is an Internet transfer

As there are only two settings, one of which is for "Dial-up" this to me and probably most BB users is of no use at all if you are on a network.
(Sorry I forgot to say that was one of two program recommended by Virgin Media)

So at the moment it's back to the drawing board for a true Internet only usage meter.