Virgin limiting download speeds intentionally

[UnReaL]

From the netstat -a command and assuming I'm reading it correctly, its 4 connections.

I don't use News Servers, or Usenet, etc.

Just filehosting websites.

It still seems to be happening even at this time, which is ridiculous, I have not downloaded anything all day, I gave a file a try to try out the netstat -a command and it happened again.

I'm hesitating to go with a 50Mb connection, unless this starts working as it should!

[leexgx]

Originally Posted by graf_von_anonym

@aMac There are so many packages out there and the billing systems are so complex (the joke used to be that NTL simplified from two billing systems to three) that these kinds of oversights are almost bound to occur. They shouldn't, mind, but they do.

@UnReal, leexgx

How many network connections are open on your systems when your speeds drop? You can find that from the command prompt, netstat -a. The other possibility is that the reporting feature is being delayed by something, while the download continues. So you might be downloading at a constant rate, but the monitoring is breaking; it sees X come down in time Y, that's rate A, then something breaks and it doesn't see X come down in time Y so it reports rate B, then it catches up and sees 2X come down in time Y again and reports rate C. What's the average transfer rate after it finishes?

The other possibility is that news servers are limiting the heavier downloads from their side. Depending on their management software they could be using an initial burst type deal, where your first X Gb are at one rate, and then thereafter slower. That would be efficient for them in the same way that STM is efficient for Virgin.

i did 40 connections at one time (got my frends giga news account) i allso slelected the US server as well as eu and gave me 400KB/s more thats all (guess i should be asking giga news realy these questons)
but Virgin is makeing errors in the packets as some times i get 2-3 stalled connections but i am on an 20mb connection now (other house) and i was getting stuck connection (but limited to 1 out of 20) allso getting some (not downloading) or alot of packet loss when downloading (teamspeak voice) not had problems like this before tho

net stat does report 20 connections

i not tryed to fix any problems yet i play with it tonight and for the next 3-4 days (check power levels yet and other things on my modem) but does seem more likey its an Main out side pipe problem or one of the links inside virgin pipes are is semi broke or bandwidth starved

[Efour]

Using P2P stuff for me is impossible now after i have D or U about 300Mb of anything in total my connection actually dies... Kinda like a DNS reset or something, almost like something is coded into it saying to turn itself off.

Last 3 times i have tried to dload a linux ISO i get exactly the same effect be it at night or during the day.

Its not faulty hardware or flooded routers - Im confident its a measure imposed by Virgin aimed at 10mbit customers in my area..

HOw could anyone be ripped off for 20 or 50 in is beyond beleif.. No matter what package you choose you get the same limits and capped speed for 16h a day if you live in any urban area with any real ammount of customers.

[graf_von_anonym]

If you've a large number of connections it can saturate the modem/router/TCP-IP stack, but that doesn't look like the issue here.

Filehosting websites do cap upload from their end, unless you spring for a premium account, and even then they can change rates on downloads in order to spread load on their servers. Check the FAQs on the sites would be the first port of call.

If you're seeing packet loss, that can (and does) cause slow speeds. I'd recommend running an extended ping to a known good server. The command for that is ping -n X website.address, where X is a number greater than 4. I like to use multiples of 25. Your choice. I'd also recommend a great wee command called pathping, which is half tracert and half ping - it identifies every hop between you and the target website, and then pings them. It can tell you where the packet loss creeps in.

I'd also recommend posting your modem signal levels if you've got an issue. You can find them from modem configuration page, the old 192.168.100.1, all that's needed is the SNR, up (and down) stream power levels, and maybe the frequency. Don't post the MAC address, or your IP address, one of the admins will just have to take it out.

[KungFuKitty]

Just noticed this thread! Yes i believe they are, i've made a thread with a poll to see how many other users find this the case. Sorry didn't mean to hijack your topic
- KFK.

[Turkey Machine]

If they limit download speeds intentionally before you hit the STM limits, check the Acceptable Usage Policy - they're quite within their right to, especially if you're a very heavy user. I kept my 2Mbit because the 10Mbit modem shared between 5 of us frequently gets STM'd (almost daily when all 5 of us are in and using it) and it's almost impossible to browse the internet or (as I frequently do) play online games late in the evening.