I REALLY hate my ISP now!

[Syxx_Killer]

So today a letter comes in the mail from the ISP. In the letter they are claiming that because the usage of the Internet has "exploded" and greatly increased demand on their networks by all these new Internet capable devices they are now charging by the amount of bandwidth used a month (this is such BS). Being in Michigan my ISP is SpeedNet (they completely suck). I used to have a local ISP that was really good, but then they sold out to these idiots at SpeedNet. After that happened the service went to s*** pretty quick. Recently they merged with some company out of Iowa called CommSpeed. The new company is called SpeedConnect. The limit each month is 5GB. If more than that is used they are going to charge an additional $2 for each GB over. For "power users" they can upgrade to a 200GB month plan for $70 a month (What a bargain!). They still charge an additional $2 for each GB over 200GB. This ridiculous plan goes into effect Feb. 1st.

As part of the new plan they say they will publish the amount of bandwidth consumption used from the modem and itemize the usage on the statement. What does that mean? Are they going to list each website visited? I'm just asking in case anyone else has similar ISP's.

To say I am seething is an understatement. Being in a rural area ISP choices are extremely limited. The other ISP's in this area aren't that great, either. I HATE to stay with these idiots. I'm almost at the point of going without any Internet instead of using the utterly s****y service they provide.

I don't feel any better, but thanks anyway for letting me vent a little. :rotfl2:

[TheDarkWraith]

do they at least let you roll-over your unused GBs each month :06:

[the_tyrant]

I'm using Bell right now
the price is around the same, $70 for a huge amount

I suppose its not that bad. I mean, you can't expect them to charge the old lady that just uses checks her email the same as a huge bittorrent user

[Syxx_Killer]

do they at least let you roll-over your unused GBs each month :06:

Not that I could see. I'm not a betting person, but I would be willing to bet the answer is no.

I'm using Bell right now
the price is around the same, $70 for a huge amount

I suppose its not that bad. I mean, you can't expect them to charge the old lady that just uses checks her email the same as a huge bittorrent user

I don't download bittorrents, either. It's the whole principle of the matter that really grates me the wrong way. Another thing that really irritates me is they don't provide any way to see how much you are using. Good thing I don't play Silent Hunter or Oblivion any more downloading one or two of the mega mods out there! :doh:

[Castout]

That SUCKS.

[Gargamel]

If they do rollover, that's not too bad an idea. Allow syou to do some big downloads some months, and normal usage the rest. Ever since Time Warner started talking about it, I've been monitoring my data usage.

I've been using NetLimiter and Bandwidth Monitor to keep an eye on my usage. I can do between .5 and 1 gb a day

[Blacklight]

I wouldn't be surprised if all ISP's start to follow this method. Anything to bleed some extra cash out of the subscribers.

[antikristuseke]

I'm glad limited connections do not exist here. No IPS offering such deals would survive more than a week here.

[Chad]

I've got one to beat you.

I live in a very rural area, where the only thing available is dial-up, or satellite internet.

For my own sanity we have satellite, which is still incredibly slow AND way over priced. We are limited to 400MBs daily! If we go over by 1bit over that 400mb, they turn our internet off for a whole day for their "Fair Access policy" which is crap.

http://consumer.hughesnet.com/plans.cfm?WT.mc_id=05141PPChncom

We have Power 200. And even then we are not even CLOSE to those speeds. I get about 30kb down, and on a great day, 5 up.

[Gargamel]

I'm all for net neutrality, but some things jsut need some regulation. This price gouging that all the major service industries have started doing is sick, gas, electric, internet, etc.

[Gorduz]

I was also opposed to this line of charging, but in principle I believe it probably for the best. If you consider the cost of providing the service there is some base cost for the infrastructure some depends on usage(or high usage leads to more frequent upgrade of the infrastructure). So ISP should charge some base fee and some for the usage.

This is all and well as long as there are enough companies providing the service (i.e. central areas and cities). Places where you are in the mercy of one provider will need some regulation to prevent exploration of the customer and unnecessary waste of resources(digging two cables to the same house and using only one..).

[Gargamel]

I'm not really against tiered pricing, I mean why should grandma pay the same as the guy who is server 40 TF2 servers in his basement? BUt the levels they are charging is sickening. Each service industry seems to think they are the only one out there charging for their services, and they all add up.

[trekchu]

10mbit flatrate without restrictions of any kind + Cable TV + Nation-wide telephone Flatrate for €40. :D

[Morts]

ive never really heard of my isp, but, they sure do provide some decent internet

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1104567757.png (http://www.speedtest.net) :woot:

[antikristuseke]

Restults at work
http://www.speedtest.net/result/1104579728.png

[Castout]

I've got one to beat you.

I live in a very rural area, where the only thing available is dial-up, or satellite internet.

For my own sanity we have satellite, which is still incredibly slow AND way over priced. We are limited to 400MBs daily! If we go over by 1bit over that 400mb, they turn our internet off for a whole day for their "Fair Access policy" which is crap.

http://consumer.hughesnet.com/plans.cfm?WT.mc_id=05141PPChncom

We have Power 200. And even then we are not even CLOSE to those speeds. I get about 30kb down, and on a great day, 5 up.

I used to be using dial up for a long time and they charge by the minute and you have to pay both your phone bill and the internet :damn:

Your 400Mb daily translates to 12Gb a month

Would be far better if they just give you 12Gb limit per month though.

Syxx's is only 5Gb a month.

[Gargamel]

You all suck... Time warner sucks....

http://www.speedtest.net/result/787313806.png

[the_tyrant]

the internet in Europe is amazing:doh:
http://www.speedtest.net/result/1104628740.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

[Lord_magerius]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1104635531.png

[Castout]

Ta ta! Behold third world internet at US$25.00

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1104642951.png


A 2Mbps sub would cost about US$45.00 a month while my current sub is a 1Mbps sub.

[DarkFish]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1104646774.png
:D
It's my parents' connection so I don't know what they pay for it (it's 4 AM so I ain't gonna ask it either). IIRC it's something like 30 to 40 euros including telephone and TV.

[Blacklight]

I can imagine that charging people per gig of data downloaded will impact those hardcore "World of Warcraft" players. All those data packets going back and forth from the client to the server for those MMO games have GOT to add up over time, not to mention the constant updates they need.
Heck. Just installing City of Heroes off my DVD rom involves a 2 gig download to update it.

[Torvald Von Mansee]

Behold the power of capitalism!!

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1104685187.png

So superior to some socialist republics on the Baltic, and for like five times the cost!!!

[Gargamel]

That's it... I'm moving to Scandinavia!

I like snow, Fish, beautiful women, and fast internets.


Dowly, you got a spare room I can rent? I got a wife, dog (interchangeable), and a penchant to drink.




Yes, i know he's currently pre-occupied with some serious issues to handle, but maybe this will make him smile a bit. But to be honest, the more I read, the more i Like the area.

[Gargamel]

ive never really heard of my isp, but, they sure do provide some decent internet

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1104567757.png (http://www.speedtest.net) :woot:

Wait!!!!! Wut?! 4 ms ping? Is the server in your basement?!?

[Castout]

That's it... I'm moving to Scandinavia!

I like snow, Fish, beautiful women, and fast internets.


Dowly, you got a spare room I can rent? I got a wife, dog (interchangeable), and a penchant to drink.




Yes, i know he's currently pre-occupied with some serious issues to handle, but maybe this will make him smile a bit. But to be honest, the more I read, the more i Like the area.

I'm packing up too :DL

Because I like beautiful fish, fast women and cool internet

[DarkFish]

I'm packing up too :DL

Because I like beautiful fish, fast women and cool internetShouldn't that be cool fish, beautiful women and fast internet?:hmmm:

[Gorduz]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1107080416.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

for 20$ a month

[Syxx_Killer]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1107128003.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

That's actually kind of odd, actually getting test results for the subscribed speed from my ISP. By late afternoon-early evening it always slows to a crawl. Last time I tested at that time I remember getting 0.47 Mbps download and 0.37 Mbps upload. I doubt it will happen, but maybe the new bandwidth restrictions will let the speed come back to normal.

[Arclight]

8Mb down, 1 Mb up for €25,-. Unlimited bandwith.


OT: Problem is not that their network is overstressed, it's that they took on more subscribers than they could handle.

They screwed up, you're paying for it. Welcome to the real world. :shifty:

[Syxx_Killer]

OT: Problem is not that their network is overstressed, it's that they took on more subscribers than they could handle.

They screwed up, you're paying for it. Welcome to the real world. :shifty:

I think you hit the nail on the head. I have been saying for quite a while that they have to be adding more and more without upgrading their servers. How else can it be that they always slow to a crawl in the late afternoon/early evening?

[Herr-Berbunch]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1108147072.png

And this is my work's ISP, will try home later...

...and here it is folks -

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1109492147.png

That's why I download most things at work and stick them on a usb stick to take home! :D It reckons that at 4.74 Mb/s it'll take just 23 mins to download a 800 MB movie - and yet when I download a game smaller from Steam it takes several hours? :nope:

[Tchocky]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1108170255.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

I think there's a 100GB monthly cap on this connection, "inherited" it from my landlord so I'm not entirely sure :woot:

[Sailor Steve]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1108513696.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

Probably the best I'll ever get.

[Castout]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1108513696.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

Probably the best I'll ever get.

That's very good!

I'd probably be already dead before my ISP offers such speed at reasonable price.

20Mbps would cost US$225 here :damn:

[Herr-Berbunch]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1108513696.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

Probably the best I'll ever get.

I refer the right honourable gentleman to my previous post, now edited with my shameful home speeds. You ain't got it so bad :yep:

[Spoon 11th]

Capping and charging money per GB transferred is so 80's and 90's. Welcome to Finland. I currently have unlimited 24 Mbps for about $7.5 a month.

[Matador.es]

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1110061636.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

pay about 60 fixed price, including TV, Phone and the Internet. Plus extra line for fax. But i received a new modem from provider with the explanation my current modem could not keep up with the speed build up on the net. Still have to do so... :oops:

[antikristuseke]

Tested my phone.
http://www.speedtest.net/result/1110352437.png

[Takeda Shingen]

Not bad for peak hours:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/1110360972.png (http://www.speedtest.net)

Not that it matters right now; forum's like sludge.