Virgin Media Woes (brick wall + head = bang bang)

Thesnipergecko

Thesnipergecko

Thesnipergecko

Soldato
Joined
17 Oct 2002
Posts
7,439
Location
Stoke-on-Trent
Right...

Quick run down of my day. Get up at 7am surf a few sites out the house by 8am for work. Work all day 9-5:00. leave work get hime around 6:30.

Now i've been uploading files all day @ 90KBps. The traffic shaping starts at 16:00 (4pm) and with upload alone you are allowed to upload 1250MB. This is stated on the website and quoted from technical support. I phoned up to find out why my connection had been capped.

I was told that my connection had been capped because I had reached my upload limit of 1250MB, I asked what time I got capped. 17:45 I was told.

Now anyone who knows anything about internet speed and math's could work out that its not even possible to upload 1250meg at 90KBps in 1 hour 45 minutes.

Well anyone but technical support. I could NOT get through to the bloke I was speaking to at all, he did not understand that it was not Physically possible to upload that amount of data in that period of time.

This is how long it should take:
(1.25 gigabytes) / (90 KBps) = 4.0454321 hours

Apparently this is how quick my connection must be:
(1.25 gigabytes) / (210 KBps) = 1.73375661 hours

According to the technician my connection is actually 756KBps

I tried explaining that 756kbps was in fact 90KBps he could not grasp the bits and bytes. He thought I could actually upload at 756KBps which is why it only took their system 1 hour 45 minutes to cap me.

Using my above formula:
(1.25 gigabytes) / (756 KBps) = 28.8959436 minutes

Even that math doesnt work out! What the hell are the technical department there for?

I phoned customer services and even they agreed that the capping was not right. I have been debited £5 on to my account to phone up technical support again. I must be adamant to speak to manager and explain all of this to him again.

I'ts just not possible to upload 1250MB of data in 1 hour 45 minutes on a 90KBps connection

Arghghghghghghghgh :mad:

Rant over :D

T.

Thats the formula used
 
I hate STM but you did go over it.

You started your Download/Upload before 4pm and anything amounted goes towards the Limit as the clock hits 4pm.

Example, the time is 3.59pm, you have being uploading full speed for hours, you have uploaded many GB's, as soon as it chimes 4pm your STM'd ( you could get around this by stopping your Download/Uploads at 3:55pm and Resuming at 4:05pm).

To avoid STM period (20meg) Download at a max of 175KB/Sec and Upload at a Max of 55KB/Sec.

You can run 24/7 like that, obv you only need to do that between 4pm and 9pm.
 
Last edited:
Also watch out, if you go over the limit at 8:59:59s, you will be STM till 1:59 with another STM on the way looks like it is time to move.
 
helmutcheese said:
I hate STM but you did go over it.

You started your Download/Upload before 4pm and anything amounted goes towards the Limit as the clock hits 4pm.

Example, the time is 3.59pm, you have being uploading full speed for hours, you have uploaded many GB's, as soon as it chimes 4pm your STM'd ( you could get around this by stopping your Download/Uploads at 3:55pm and Resuming at 4:05pm).

To avoid STM period (20meg) Download at a max of 175KB/Sec and Upload at a Max of 55KB/Sec.

You can run 24/7 like that, obv you only need to do that between 4pm and 9pm.
Click to expand...

Not sure this is correct! I believe the throughput is "apparantly" measured from 4pm and only data which passes to and from will be counted from this time! Feel free to correct me if im wrong with a linky or such.

Thanks
 
Yeah neither of the above 2 repllies are correct, well at least thats what I was told.

I asked that very same question about hitting the limit at 20:59 would I be capped till the early hours amd the support said no, just untill midnight then all the caps are removed.

T.
 
helmutcheese I don't understand how you have come to that conclusion?

You are allowed to upload 1.25GB between 4-9pm on his service. It doesn't matter what you download before 16:00:00.

I have been limiting upload speed to 10k/s (I only have 325Mb upload limit, smaller package than the OP) between 4-9 and this means I don't get capped even I uploaded at 25k/s for 10 hours before 16:00.
 
Then something is a bit wrong there! I could understand it if you have been capped at 8pm or thereabouts but 5.45?
 
Exactly my point, and the imbosile at Virgin Media didnt have a clue, he wouldnt let me speak directly to the network staff he said they don't take customer calls. So im stuck with this fool who doesnt know anything about connection speeds at all being the middle man between me and the networking guys.

T.
 
Well the only thing i can think is that you're in the trail area and the upload cap is running from 3pm as posted above
 
rscosworth said:
Not sure this is correct! I believe the throughput is "apparantly" measured from 4pm and only data which passes to and from will be counted from this time! Feel free to correct me if im wrong with a linky or such.

Thanks
Click to expand...

I wish it was not true, but I have triggered it many times that way at 4pm by not getting home to PC in time.
 
Last edited:
Thesnipergecko said:
Yeah neither of the above 2 repllies are correct, well at least thats what I was told.

I asked that very same question about hitting the limit at 20:59 would I be capped till the early hours amd the support said no, just untill midnight then all the caps are removed.

T.
Click to expand...

I wish it was not true, but I have triggered it many times that way at 4pm by not getting home to PC in time.
 
Last edited:
Paracelsus said:
helmutcheese I don't understand how you have come to that conclusion?

You are allowed to upload 1.25GB between 4-9pm on his service. It doesn't matter what you download before 16:00:00.

I have been limiting upload speed to 10k/s (I only have 325Mb upload limit, smaller package than the OP) between 4-9 and this means I don't get capped even I uploaded at 25k/s for 10 hours before 16:00.
Click to expand...

Its the same upload/download thats why, you need to Cancel/Resume AFAIK.

I have been caught by it too many times now to risk.

The 2 methods I now use work.

Also I know nothing about any Tier other than the XL (20meg/768KB) as they do not interest me.

I know the Amount (size) Im allowed to DL or UL at FULL Speed inside the Time Zones and I know I can limit my DL and UL Speeds to what VM states on their website and totally avoid STM.

DL = 155KB/Sec approx

UL = 55KB/Sec approx


The above is what I set to be on the SAFE side.
 
Last edited:
Yes, me too, but lower speeds ofc because I'm on a smaller package.

But I still don't get what anything you do before 16:00 has anything to do with it.

How would Virgin know you have paused/resumed a torrent? All they see is the number/size of packets.

In fact many times I have had something going full speed until say 7pm then stopped it before it adds up to my limit.
 
Wow :eek: All that money a month and you're still having to discuss capping your speeds to below 2Mbps to stop yourself being throttled. Why not just let the STM hit? After all, you'd get capped to 5Mbps iirc, which is still 2x higher than your self-imposed caps during STM hours :confused:

Should VM go DOCSIS 3 and no STM on 50Mbit I'd consider moving to them (literally), if they drop Phorm anyway. I couldn't live without my constant 2.2 MB/sec 24/7 connection now, especially when it costs me half of what VM charges for half the service. JMHO :o
 
Rainmaker said:
Wow :eek: All that money a month and you're still having to discuss capping your speeds to below 2Mbps to stop yourself being throttled. Why not just let the STM hit? After all, you'd get capped to 5Mbps iirc, which is still 2x higher than your self-imposed caps during STM hours :confused:

Should VM go DOCSIS 3 and no STM on 50Mbit I'd consider moving to them (literally), if they drop Phorm anyway. I couldn't live without my constant 2.2 MB/sec 24/7 connection now, especially when it costs me half of what VM charges for half the service. JMHO :o
Click to expand...

You dont latch on very fast do you ?.

You only need limit to the speeds as in the timeframe, outside it go full speed.

When STM hits you get a very low Upload Speed also.

The STM is triggered by a mix of speed and amount you have DL/UL'd.

If I time it right I can use my connection at MAX speed then slow it down just before 4pm, then resume Full speed at 9pm or Kill my use of connection just before 4pm and resume at jsut fater 4pm, again at full speed.


Sucks I know, far cry from my 10meg/384KB 24/7 Rock Stable Connections from TW-BY.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom