Comcast's "Powerboost" technology gives cable broadband users an extra boost of bandwidth for the first part of a large download, effectively doubling the speed of connections for a limited time. When first deployed, a glitch resulted in users effectively getting this speed all of the time, a phenomenon our users called "Permaboost."

While Comcast corrected the pleasant glitch, they've subsequently licensed Powerboost to other cable providers like Cox -- where users saw the same PermaBoost phenomenon for a while. Canadian cable provider Shaw has also licensed the technology and -- you guessed it -- users are reporting speeds that technically shouldn't exist:Providers usually notice the unintended bandwidth bonanza and crack down within a few months.