Well apparently ntl have blocked programs like DocsDiag from seeing just how under utilised their network is. ntl no longer permit SNMP access to the ISP-side addresses of cable modems, so the -traffic facility of DocsDiag will no longer work.
The upshot is that if ntl say that a customer is degrading the network due to excessive use then that customer no longer has any way of defending themselves.....except maybe if a customer is accused of downloading at 100% line speed for hours on end this in itself could be used as proof that the network is not congested otherwise how would they be able to consistently manage 100% usage on a contended network?
Just thinking out loud.