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dubenezic
join:2004-05-06
Elizabeth, NJ

dubenezic to JohnInSJ

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Re: comcast bandwith usage

How does it help me to stay under the cap, when Comcast has the usage meter on their end?

C_Chipperson
Monster Rain
Premium Member
join:2009-01-17
00000

C_Chipperson

Premium Member

said by dubenezic:

If comcast doesn't provide you with a usage meter, how can they enforce the cap?
said by JohnInSJ:

Because they have a usage meter on their end.
said by dubenezic:

How does it help me to stay under the cap, when Comcast has the usage meter on their end?
It doesn't, is it supposed to?

There are several tools you can use to track your usage, including 3rd party firmware on some routers and software such as "Netmeter"

JohnInSJ
Premium Member
join:2003-09-22
Aptos, CA

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said by dubenezic:

How does it help me to stay under the cap, when Comcast has the usage meter on their end?
It's not supposed to. You're supposed to do that yourself.

I monitor my own connection, and near as I can tell you really have to work pretty hard to blow the cap. You'd know it if you needed to be worried about it.

Anyway, they are releasing a bandwidth meter, it's just slow in rolling out. All that being moot - they can, will, and do nuke you if they decide to enforce a cap and you're over it. Some people seem to not be getting notified, some still report they are getting the warning/disconnect letter.
dubenezic
join:2004-05-06
Elizabeth, NJ

2 edits

dubenezic

Member

The router I have from Comcast WNR1000 has a meter in it, but it was disconnecting me prematurely, so I turned it off.

I get what you are saying. However, if they are not sending a warning to everyone who exceeds the limit, they also should not disconnect you either. This should be enforced fairly or not at all. I don't think I will ever exceed the cap, but I use carbonite as backup so who knows. that uses a lot of data.
neil0311
join:2005-07-24
Marietta, GA

2 recommendations

neil0311 to C_Chipperson

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said by C_Chipperson:

There are several tools you can use to track your usage, including 3rd party firmware on some routers and software such as "Netmeter"
Sorry but every time someone suggests this, it's just as ridiculous as the last time. What about devices such as mobile phones with WiFi, Zunes, iPods, and XBOX Live? There is no meter to meter those devices, and my router is an N router which cannot take advatage of some hack open source firmware, assuming I was inclined to void my warranty and use something like that on a device like a firewall.

No, if Comcast wants its customers to adhere to a limit, then they are responsible for giving us access to the same usage data they see, just as a cell phone provider does when they charge per minute. Could you imagine a cell phone provider telling its customers that they should put some 3rd party software on their phones to keep track of how many minutes they use. It would be treated as absurd, but yet we accept it from Comcast.

I love my Comcast HSI, and I don't come close to 250GB/mo, but let's get real here. You can't hold people to a cap when you give them no visibility into how much they actually use.

beachintech
There's sand in my tool bag
Premium Member
join:2008-01-06

beachintech

Premium Member

Unless you pushing an obnoxious amount of traffic 24/7 I wouldn't really worry about it. I have never seen anyone kicked off the network or otherwise "punished" for going over the limit.

cypherstream
MVM
join:2004-12-02
Reading, PA
·PenTeleData
ARRIS SB8200

cypherstream to neil0311

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I agree with you Neil.

I think the 250GB cap legally should not be able to hold weight, until an official Comcast bandwidth meter is available. We know it's coming, but in my instance when I log onto Customer Central, there is NO bandwidth monitor available.

I did use a Linksys WRT-54g with DD-WRT firmware, and that had a bandwidth monitor. Well the 54g is quite a few years old, and it's underspec'd CPU can't keep up with 50/10 internet service. So that's unplugged for now. In the mean time I have gone through 3 routers trying to find a good one, and none of them have a bandwidth meter. Right now I'm on my second Linksys WRT-320N, and I could put DD-WRT on it, but it's already unstable after transferring lots of data over wifi, the wireless radio shuts down. What can I say, the 320N is less than $100... you get what you pay for. I'm thinking of maybe trying a Netgear WNDR-3700, which is quite a bit more expensive, but again you have to pay to play. It supposedly features bandwidth logging (text chart only - not pretty graphs like DD-WRT).

So without a way to measure your usage, how are you supposed to be responsible for it? What if we took the gas gauge out of our cars. Ok we could "estimate" how much gas we have left by keeping track of mileage, but it's not accurate. I wouldn't buy a car without a gas gauge for sure.

I wonder if anyone's been cutoff and successfully sued Comcast for not having a bandwidth meter in place? Hopefully for Comcast's sake, they hurry up and get this meter rolled out to cover their ass.

baineschile
2600 ways to live
Premium Member
join:2008-05-10
Sterling Heights, MI

baineschile

Premium Member

said by cypherstream:

I agree with you Neil.

I wonder if anyone's been cutoff and successfully sued Comcast for not having a bandwidth meter in place? Hopefully for Comcast's sake, they hurry up and get this meter rolled out to cover their ass.
This is interesting, but I dont think it will be viable. Generally, the people that are getting booted are A. pirating or B. running a server from the home (against Comcast TOS). To find someone that is legally pushing more than 250 gigs AND gets booted, AND lives in an area where the meter isnt in place, they probably could sue to get services back; or at least make enough local noise where Comcast will just suck it up and reinstate their services.

The general statement with Comcast (and any other company ever really) is that "we reserve the right to change anything we want whenever we want", so I dont think a court case could hold any water.

nerdburg
Premium Member
join:2009-08-20
Schuylkill Haven, PA

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said by cypherstream:

I did use a Linksys WRT-54g with DD-WRT firmware... I'm thinking of maybe trying a Netgear WNDR-3700, which is quite a bit more expensive, but again you have to pay to play. It supposedly features bandwidth logging (text chart only - not pretty graphs like DD-WRT)...
Me too Cypher. I just dropped the $160 and picked up a Netgear this weekend. So far it's sweet.
jus10
join:2009-08-04
Gainesville, VA

jus10

Member

Yeah, I have one of those WNDR3700's as well. Decent for a dual-band access point but that's all I've relegated mine too. The web interface is just horrible and I don't think its traffic meter is accurate. But it runs X-WRT so there is hope of it one day using DD-WRT or some other alternative firmware.

I ended up buying another router to route and let the Netgear just carry on as a AP (of which it is great).
TheBigCheese
join:2002-08-05
Philadelphia, PA

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said by beachintech:

Unless you pushing an obnoxious amount of traffic 24/7 I wouldn't really worry about it. I have never seen anyone kicked off the network or otherwise "punished" for going over the limit.
It's happened. I know someone who watches several HD movies/TV shows every day (mostly from Netflix) and was told by Comcast she exceeded 400GB. A couple of months later, she was booted. Fortunately, she was able to get FIOS form Verizon.

beachintech
There's sand in my tool bag
Premium Member
join:2008-01-06

beachintech

Premium Member

I seriously doubt that was all that was going on.

But, everyone always "knows someone" that had something bad that evil comcast affected

JohnInSJ
Premium Member
join:2003-09-22
Aptos, CA

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She would need to watch 400GB/1.5GB = 266 hours of HD streaming from Netflix in a month. That works out to just under 9 hours EVERY DAY for 30 days. 9 Hours - thats what, 4 movies? 5? Every day. 120 Watch It Now movies. Wow.

Yeah, you could do it. But somehow I doubt you really would.

pflog
Bueller? Bueller?
MVM
join:2001-09-01
El Dorado Hills, CA

pflog

MVM

If you replace Netflix with Illegal 1080p movie rips, the math might start making sense