ISP automatic forums » Metrocast Communications → Metrocast ripping you off

I work for Metrocast. I get my package free, it is also the only thing in my area. Just so you all know in Rochester and Barrington NH areas, after 5:30 pm you will have a massive drop in bandwidth, as we have a cap on it. We do this so the ppl who are using netflix and other vod systems your picture quality will be poor and you will get frustrated, and then turn to us for tv. We feel bad for those of you who need your internet speeds faster. But we are losing a lot of customers from vod devices. If you do a speed test on your connection at lets say 11 am, then do one at 6pm, you will see what I am telling you is true. Although this maybe illegal for use to do, there is no way for you to prove this, and even I will not admit to this. We drop you down to about 1/3 to 1/4th of your speed to make sure. Have a nice day, and please make sure you pay your bills on time. Tony (metrocast)

Thats a big statement. But I have seen a pretty big loss in download at night. I certainly hope it isnt true. I pay my bill.

.....wow

As some one that downloads lots of tech related podcasts that are videos I have over all not seen a problem getting my full down load speed in fact I am getting it now as I type this.

There are times when there are issues but not often and not just in prime time. I have a desktop gadget on my second screen that gives me my down load speeds as I get these big files so this is not a speed test site but the actual speeds I am getting while downloading the file.

I know each area has issues but I guess CT got the better build out from the posts I have seen here.

Then again, is it possible speeds slow down at peak times of the early evening simply because a lot more people are home and using bandwidth off of your particular Node? (Especially if you live in a fairly densely populated area where there are a lot of subscribers on your Node). As you can see, I'm a Metrocast customer as well.
I think they suck for a multitude of reasons, but I find your accusations a little bit far fetched.
Are you an installer who heard that from some chatter around other disgruntled employees? Or, do you happen to work in the Headend and know this for a fact?
My guess is you're an installer.

I often run into sudden drops (9+M to 1.5M) while watching Netflix or Amazon on demand. It often happens about an hour into a video.
I didn't know the cause and never dreamed it could be intentional.

I still doubt it because there could be a hell of a law suit.
(They sell you a package and then intentionally give you less-
I doubt they would risk it).

No matter what the cause, it is a major P.I.T.A.

While we have an “acceptable use” policy like most Internet service providers, MetroCast does not cap bandwidth. A MetroCast employee, of course, would know this. MetroCast monitors its network to prevent bottlenecks and to provide consistent, high performance across all day-parts, including the peak hours of 7 PM – 11 PM. In addition, our network is designed to accommodate all kinds of applications and heavy traffic, including the streaming of video, whether in standard or high definition. And contrary to the absurd logic of the post, we actually want our High Speed Internet customers to enjoy superior video streaming quality, regardless of whether video content is obtained from MetroCast or other sources, because a positive customer experience ultimately attests to the quality and value of our High Speed Internet product.

Therefore, while there are many variables that can affect Internet speed and performance, none of these are imposed by MetroCast. As such, any MetroCast customer experiencing difficulties with Internet speed or picture quality with streaming video should contact MetroCast technical support for assistance to ensure that service is performing at peak levels.

Use Metrocast in South Carolina..the 1.5 down. average about 1.4 anytime of the day r night. Metrocast raised prices on the 1.5 to 35.95 a Month. Uverse 18 meg line is 38 dollars a month, after a year it goes to 48$. Will be cutting loose Metrocast next month.

Only problem with that is that the customer has to continually monitor it's speeds to find there is a problem.

EG, I finally got around to doing a speedtest today and although I have, and have always had, the "ultra" package today my dl speeds are ~7m down where I am supposed to get ~25m down.

I wonder what would happen if I decided to pay for 7 meg down instead of the 25 that I should be getting.

Tech is coming out tuesday and it had better be fixed by then and it better not occur again.

Honestly one would think that if one pays a ~$200 tv/internet bill per month religiously that the support and service would be better.

I was considering getting your phone package too but that thought has left my head for a more sane approach.

I live in Southern Maryland, I ONLY wish there was some broadband competition....

I've had metrocast replace every cable from the street to my computer and still the service leaves a LOT to be desired..

I pay for ultra, yet get half that, at any given moment.. yet the techs will only check bandwith to their local headend... not an actual speedcheck.. see we're great..

I only wish i could move back to NY and enjoy the SUPERB service that cablevision offered.. while half the price as Metrocrap, I received twice the bandwidth..

Had nothing but bad luck with Metrocast. Right now, I can't watch ANY video on site like YouTube. A 5m video takes about 15m to load. Example:

Tracing route to youtube.com [74.125.227.110]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms XXXXXXXXXX

2 23 ms 32 ms 35 ms XXXXXXXXXX

3 107 ms 47 ms 323 ms core-65-175-142-17.rochester.nh.metrocast.net [6

5.175.142.17]

4 29 ms 72 ms 226 ms TBD-65-175-128-2.metrocast.net [65.175.128.2]

5 20 ms 15 ms 13 ms te0-5-0-2.ccr21.bos01.atlas.cogentco.com [38.122
.126.73]

6 22 ms 55 ms 44 ms te0-5-0-3.mpd21.jfk02.atlas.cogentco.com [154.54
.44.17]

7 31 ms 39 ms 40 ms te0-1-0-4.mpd21.dca01.atlas.cogentco.com [154.54
.2.66]

8 53 ms 73 ms 91 ms te0-2-0-5.mpd21.iad02.atlas.cogentco.com [154.54
.41.122]

9 112 ms 129 ms 106 ms 38.122.62.74

10 57 ms 36 ms 50 ms 209.85.252.46

11 49 ms 42 ms 173 ms 72.14.238.105

12 69 ms 62 ms 68 ms 72.14.233.86

13 86 ms 76 ms 73 ms 72.14.237.218

14 85 ms 60 ms 69 ms 209.85.240.91

15 69 ms 77 ms 99 ms dfw06s16-in-f14.1e100.net [74.125.227.110]

Trace complete.

That's what I'm living with for what, $60 a month now? Complete bull.

Where are you?

Lakes Region NH

I'm also having issues with youtube on metrocast that I don't have using a friend's ISP. I have the 25 megabit package yet I can rarely ever run 720p youtube videos without hangups. Here's my traceroute (coming from New London, Connecticut)

Traceroute has started…

traceroute: Warning: youtube.com has multiple addresses; using 74.125.226.206
traceroute to youtube.com (74.125.226.206), 64 hops max, 72 byte packets
1 xxx.xxx.xx.x (xxx.xxx.xx.x) 7.167 ms 15.959 ms 13.368 ms
2 xxx.xxx.xx.x (xxx.xxx.xx.x) 17.971 ms 11.051 ms 11.572 ms
3 static-206-53-95-130.cpe.metrocast.net (206.53.95.130) 11.275 ms 10.491 ms 13.108 ms
4 static-206-53-95-3.cpe.metrocast.net (206.53.95.3) 12.082 ms 12.562 ms 10.987 ms
5 ten10-4.ur1.rochester.nh.metrocast.net (65.175.142.201) 18.612 ms 21.833 ms 22.567 ms
6 tbd-65-175-128-2.metrocast.net (65.175.128.2) 25.574 ms 34.818 ms 30.088 ms
7 te0-5-0-2.ccr21.bos01.atlas.cogentco.com (38.122.126.73) 23.366 ms 39.326 ms 25.373 ms
8 te0-1-0-1.mpd21.jfk02.atlas.cogentco.com (154.54.44.5) 31.395 ms 41.084 ms 33.601 ms
9 te0-1-0-3.mpd21.dca01.atlas.cogentco.com (154.54.3.45) 42.552 ms 39.460 ms 36.911 ms
10 te0-0-0-1.mpd21.iad02.atlas.cogentco.com (154.54.24.98) 37.525 ms 39.346 ms 40.238 ms
11 38.122.62.74 (38.122.62.74) 123.240 ms 127.479 ms 118.908 ms
12 209.85.252.80 (209.85.252.80) 37.959 ms 46.074 ms 48.342 ms
13 72.14.239.92 (72.14.239.92) 42.126 ms 49.688 ms 54.299 ms
14 209.85.251.36 (209.85.251.36) 56.487 ms 50.789 ms 45.546 ms
15 72.14.239.250 (72.14.239.250) 54.850 ms 42.440 ms 58.091 ms
16 lga15s28-in-f14.1e100.net (74.125.226.206) 49.743 ms 77.648 ms 47.404 ms

The only thing that seems a bit off would be at hop 11 where the ping is higher, but that is well off of Metrocast's network.

Ping/Traceroute are not appropriate tools to test throughput. A route can display no latency issues but still have massive problems pushing a high bandwidth stream.

For what it's worth, I still have occasional issues with sites like YouTube, but not nearly as many as a few years back. It's definitely gotten better over time.