V Stuff - what is the point?

[damian78]

I signed up to V Stuff last week as I needed some online storage. £5 per month for very limited unlimited storage (yes, that is what I meant).

So far in a week I've managed to upload 1.06gb at 1k/sec. On a 20mb line. Ok, I know you don't get fast uploads, but 1kb/sec is pushing it ever so slightly.

This morning I got a message popup saying I'm reaching my storage limit. But it's unlimited :confused: How come I've got a just over 1gb limit on unlimited storage. Do I have the wrong understanding of what unlimited means, because I always though it meant there wasn't a limit. Are Virgin Media that thick that they don't know what unlimited means.

I phoned up to complain, and got cut off. Phoned again, waited in a queue for 10 minutes, only to get some guy who I think was working from his bed as he could barely speak, didn't know what I was talking about, said errrr about 50 times, before asking me to "wait" and then he transferred me to some "freedom" department that was closed. Great, thanks. Wonderful service that.

Called again to cancel the service, got through to some lady in customer services who didn't even know what I meant about "v stuff". First she thought I was talking about the tv, then my broadband. Why on earth do the Virgin Media customer services not know what services they offer?????

Virgin Media have to be the most pointless company ever put on this earth. I thought NTL was bad, but seriously, come back as all is forgiven. Please get rid of this idiotic workforce that is Virgin Media.

Anyway, rant over, I'm off over to sky to arrange an installation and get rid of this crap.

[webcrawler2050]

Simple answer to this - is there such thing as an "unlimited" hard drive? No - more than likely fair use policy.

[Kymmy]

It does quote an AUP, but even so for 20Mb users they get 10GB space free even before the OP paid £5 for unlimited

[Sephiroth]

I wish VM wouldn't unecessarily give people the opportunity to add to network contention.

Vstuff is nothing that a memory stick (or two) can't handle.

---------- Post added at 12:10 ---------- Previous post was at 12:07 ----------

.....Virgin Media have to be the most pointless company ever put on this earth. I thought NTL was bad, but seriously, come back as all is forgiven. Please get rid of this idiotic workforce that is Virgin Media.

Anyway, rant over, I'm off over to sky to arrange an installation and get rid of this crap.
Better O2 than Sky IMHO if your BT telephone exchange supports LLU. If you've got a VM phone, I wonder how that's handled?

On a point of information, VM actually is NTL (or rather the reverse takeover by Telewest keeping the NYL name now branded for a fee to Uncle Richard as Virgin Media).

The rose has merely changed name, but by your account does not smell as sweet!

[damian78]

Simple answer to this - is there such thing as an "unlimited" hard drive? No - more than likely fair use policy.

Then why don't they say "£5 per month for 1gb storage", rather than advertising as unlimited? Considering they allow you to upload video, photo's and music, 1gb wouldn't store much.

I can by a 1gb flash card for less than they charge per month. I could save more to a dvd, which you can probably pick up for 25p each.

[webcrawler2050]

Then why don't they say "£5 per month for 1gb storage", rather than advertising as unlimited? Considering they allow you to upload video, photo's and music, 1gb wouldn't store much.

I can by a 1gb flash card for less than they charge per month. I could save more to a dvd, which you can probably pick up for 25p each.

It's a marketing gimmick - people are drawn in by the words "unlimited" - good examples are - hosting, Calls & Text messages etc etc - there is no such thing as unlimited. I'm sorry that you got "caught out"

[Kymmy]

You might find that there is no limit on total storage but instead maybe a limit on daily transfer to the storage.. As already stated in my previous post you should get 10GB just by being an XL BB customer

[damian78]

You might find that there is no limit on total storage but instead maybe a limit on daily transfer to the storage.. As already stated in my previous post you should get 10GB just by being an XL BB customer

I'd only just booted up my laptop, and it was still analysing files so I hadn't even started uploading for today.

[Sephiroth]

I'd only just booted up my laptop, and it was still analysing files so I hadn't even started uploading for today.
Dump Vstuff if you can find another way of storing data you need to keep safe.

[damian78]

I've just been on to Sky, they're offering me the full movies, sports (Sky Sports 1,2,3, + ESPN) and music packages, + childrens packages, top broadband package, free evening/weekend calls (don't need any more than that as got 1200 free minutes on my mobile), for £81 per month, not much more than I pay VM for offering me less of a service that doesn't work often anyway. They'll install me a Sky+ box, plus the dish, broadband and a new phone line (which BT charge about £120 for) for £69.

Now just need to find out whether I'm stuck into a 12 month contract with VM, I moved in January and I think they started a new 12 month contract at that time so I might be stuck with them until January unfortunately.

[Peter_]

I've just been on to Sky, they're offering me the full movies, sports (Sky Sports 1,2,3, + ESPN) and music packages, + childrens packages, top broadband package, free evening/weekend calls (don't need any more than that as got 1200 free minutes on my mobile), for £81 per month, not much more than I pay VM for offering me less of a service that doesn't work often anyway. They'll install me a Sky+ box, plus the dish, broadband and a new phone line (which BT charge about £120 for) for £69.

Now just need to find out whether I'm stuck into a 12 month contract with VM, I moved in January and I think they started a new 12 month contract at that time so I might be stuck with them until January unfortunately.
You will be in contract but you can ask for a price to finish it.

[damian78]

You will be in contract but you can ask for a price to finish it.

Thanks, will do that (when I can ever get through)

[caph]

I signed up to V Stuff last week as I needed some online storage. £5 per month for very limited unlimited storage (yes, that is what I meant).

So far in a week I've managed to upload 1.06gb at 1k/sec. On a 20mb line. Ok, I know you don't get fast uploads, but 1kb/sec is pushing it ever so slightly.

This morning I got a message popup saying I'm reaching my storage limit. But it's unlimited :confused:

It is unlimited but it just doesn't work. Do a search for VStuff in this forum to see the results. It's a pity because it's well featured. You are right though, it is ridiculously slow to upload, I've had mine running for weeks now and it has uploaded 1.8Gb and it keeps stalling.

I'm using JungleDisk now and it works out at less than a fiver a month for the 30Gb that I want to keep backed up. Although it doesn't have brick level back up of email and contacts, it does actually work. There are a few good ones out there and whichever provider you end up with, I would recommend online backups in general.

Sephiroth, the reason why this is different to backing up to a USB Stick/DVD/External Hard Drive is because it is fit and forget. I was always forgetting to do my weekly back up on to my external USB WD Passport, but now I've got Jungle Disk running I'm always backed up within a few hours. Plus you can access your files from any PC, anywhere in the world, at any time as long as you have access to the internet. I think this will really take off with home users over the next couple of years.

[Matt-08]

I have a Western Digital MyBook World Edition 1TB that works well and does what V Stuff does + works + acts as a Media Server - albeit it for £124!

[damian78]

Hmmm, strange things going on. I phoned up VM this morning to check the status of my contract, and apparently I'll have to pay £180 to get out of the contract. I told the CSR that I was seriously considering going to Sky as I'd been offered a good deal and said Iwould consider the £180 and look at other options.

Strangely, about 10 minutes ago, I got a call from an irate wife wondering what I'd been spending our money on as a big parcel had just arrived via UPS. I hadn't ordered anything so told her to make sure the box wasn't ticking :) - on opening it, the contents turned out to be a new Wireless N router and wireless dongle from Virgin Media. I didn't order it, from what I can see they only come free for "new" XL customers, so not quite sure why I've suddenly received them.

A bribe maybe?

Not that I'm complaining or anything (which makes a change for me)


EDIT: I think I've just worked it out - maybe after I got cut off, the tech support guy I spoke to the other day sent them to speed up my uploads to V Stuff because I complained it was rediculously slow.

[gtfc1984]

So far in a week I've managed to upload 1.06gb at 1k/sec. On a 20mb line. Ok, I know you don't get fast uploads, but 1kb/sec is pushing it ever so slightly.

I started using v-stuff this week on a 20mb line, i stopped using it straight away. 10gb was not enough storage, slow uploads as virgin cap users speeds to upload to v-stuff. The v-stuff software isn't great. The whole v-stuff thing is pointless if you can't upload at full speed.

Dump v-stuff and start using windows live skydrive, i did. On there you get 25gb free storage + your max upload speed that is possable. They only thing with skydrive is it wont let you upload a file bigger than 50mb, thats not a problem just winrar to compress and split the files to 45mb parts.

Your files are easy to access anywhere and download with no 3rd party software.

Hope this helps you.

[damian78]

I started using v-stuff this week on a 20mb line, i stopped using it straight away. 10gb was not enough storage, slow uploads as virgin cap users speeds to upload to v-stuff. The v-stuff software isn't great. The whole v-stuff thing is pointless if you can't upload at full speed.

Dump v-stuff and start using windows live skydrive, i did. On there you get 25gb free storage + your max upload speed that is possable. They only thing with skydrive is it wont let you upload a file bigger than 50mb, thats not a problem just winrar to compress and split the files to 45mb parts.

Your files are easy to access anywhere and download with no 3rd party software.

Hope this helps you.

Thanks, will take a look at that one. Though there is another I'm considering called "idrive", 150gb for about £3 per month. Not had a proper look at speed yet though, obviously I'll need to consider that (www.idrive.com)

[gtfc1984]

Thanks, will take a look at that one. Though there is another I'm considering called "idrive", 150gb for about £3 per month. Not had a proper look at speed yet though, obviously I'll need to consider that (www.idrive.com)

Or have 6 windows live accounts and you have 150gb ;)

[Sephiroth]

I started using v-stuff this week on a 20mb line, i stopped using it straight away. 10gb was not enough storage, slow uploads as virgin cap users speeds to upload to v-stuff. The v-stuff software isn't great. The whole v-stuff thing is pointless if you can't upload at full speed.

Dump v-stuff and start using windows live skydrive, i did. On there you get 25gb free storage + your max upload speed that is possable. They only thing with skydrive is it wont let you upload a file bigger than 50mb, thats not a problem just winrar to compress and split the files to 45mb parts.

Your files are easy to access anywhere and download with no 3rd party software.

Hope this helps you.

Online storage is pointless with SMT and line contention etc being what it is and big brother always at it.

A local network drive is the answer.

[gtfc1984]

Online storage is pointless with SMT and line contention etc being what it is and big brother always at it.

Not been capped today yet, uploaded nearly 3.5gb today on a 20meg connection.

I am only using skydrive as a copy of my backup drive, but more for my precious files as i nearly lost all my data the other week. Just dont want to risk losing files.

I don't agree with SMT, i feel i should be able to download and upload as much as i want when i want. Whats the point in fast broadband if its capped.

[Sephiroth]

Not been capped today yet, uploaded nearly 3.5gb today on a 20meg connection.

....I don't agree with SMT, i feel i should be able to download and upload as much as i want when i want. Whats the point in fast broadband if its capped.
If you and others in the area are not capped then I (if I lived next door doing normal things) would get naff all speed.

Network capacity isnowehere near ready yet for all that kids/students and likewise behaviours want to throw at the web.

Long live STM. And while it's not on the 50 Mbps service, I'm staying on 20.

[gtfc1984]

If you and others in the area are not capped then I (if I lived next door doing normal things) would get naff all speed.If you are doing normal things then why pay for a 20meg service that you wont use to the full.

Network capacity isnowehere near ready yet for all that kids/students and likewise behaviours want to throw at the web.

Long live STM. And while it's not on the 50 Mbps service, I'm staying on 20.Kids/students????? Am none of those, happily married wanting to upload about 10gb of precious data over a few days.

[Sephiroth]

If you are doing normal things then why pay for a 20meg service that you wont use to the full.

Kids/students????? Am none of those, happily married wanting to upload about 10gb of precious data over a few days.
I said "Kids/students and similar behaviours". 10 GB (or did you mean 10 Gb) is "similar" enough behaviour for me.

If your data's that precious stream it off to a networked drive.

Of course, the other side of your aregument is perfectly valid. You want to use your service to the full. But you sort of can't because kids/students are oversubscribing the available bandwidth.

So round the argument goes.

Long live STM.