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barq · 12-09-2005, 13:52

Hi Guys

I'm not ideologically opposed to caps and I don't want to degrade my neighbours' connections. But I don't seem to be able to monitor my usage. I have a network of three computers connected through a hardware router. My router doesn't log the amount of data going through the WAN port so I can't monitor my usage there (unfortunately PRTG doesn't work either). I can log the network usage for each computer, but this includes all my local network traffic (which is a huge amount because I stream digital television from one computer to another).

The only thing I have been able to do is to keep tabs on the larger files I have downloaded. But even this isn't straight forward. I downloaded Debian (9GB!) using BitTorrent, but I don't know how much of my 30GB limit that ate up because being BitTorrent a whole load of it would have been uploaded to other users as well as downloaded. Okay, sure, I don't download linux every month, but there are loads of things you can do on the internet which make estimating your usage really complicated (e.g. streaming music/radio/video, gaming).

I want to be a co-operative customer but ntl don't give me the means to know whether I am staying within the cap. I have tried to find a way of logging my usage and I'm sure it must be theoretically possible, but I don't think it is reasonable to assume such a high level of technical expertise from the general public. This isn't like using the telephone where you can keep a mental log of how many calls you have made. For people like me data seems a very abstract concept and without some tools with which users can monitor their usage the AUP seems unreasonable.

Someone made the point that anyone downloading 150GB/month must know they are busting the cap. I think for the most part that is a fair assumption. But for those of us much closer to the 30GB cap I'm not sure the same is always true. I'd be really surprised if I got a letter from ntl about my usage because I suspect I am way below their radar. But this isn't the point, I could still be in breach of the AUP without knowing it and without meaning to be.

barq

12-09-2005, 13:52	#146
barq Inactive Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Guildford, UK Posts: 9	*Re: ALL* ntl Cap Discussion (Part 3)** Hi Guys I'm not ideologically opposed to caps and I don't want to degrade my neighbours' connections. But I don't seem to be able to monitor my usage. I have a network of three computers connected through a hardware router. My router doesn't log the amount of data going through the WAN port so I can't monitor my usage there (unfortunately PRTG doesn't work either). I can log the network usage for each computer, but this includes all my local network traffic (which is a huge amount because I stream digital television from one computer to another). The only thing I have been able to do is to keep tabs on the larger files I have downloaded. But even this isn't straight forward. I downloaded Debian (9GB!) using BitTorrent, but I don't know how much of my 30GB limit that ate up because being BitTorrent a whole load of it would have been uploaded to other users as well as downloaded. Okay, sure, I don't download linux every month, but there are loads of things you can do on the internet which make estimating your usage really complicated (e.g. streaming music/radio/video, gaming). I want to be a co-operative customer but ntl don't give me the means to know whether I am staying within the cap. I have tried to find a way of logging my usage and I'm sure it must be theoretically possible, but I don't think it is reasonable to assume such a high level of technical expertise from the general public. This isn't like using the telephone where you can keep a mental log of how many calls you have made. For people like me data seems a very abstract concept and without some tools with which users can monitor their usage the AUP seems unreasonable. Someone made the point that anyone downloading 150GB/month must know they are busting the cap. I think for the most part that is a fair assumption. But for those of us much closer to the 30GB cap I'm not sure the same is always true. I'd be really surprised if I got a letter from ntl about my usage because I suspect I am way below their radar. But this isn't the point, I could still be in breach of the AUP without knowing it and without meaning to be. barq