BT Infinity - truly unlimited?

qasdfdsaq · 05-02-2012, 15:01

According to a few old posts around the web (circa 2010) BT Infinity had a fair use limit of 300GB/month after which you'd get traffic shaped.

According to their current website however, this seems to have changed as it specifically states:

Code:

Is traffic management used to manage compliance with data caps and download limits?
     No
Is traffic management used in relation to heavy users?
     No

Can anyone confirm/deny this means it's now completely unlimited (or are they just pulling the wool over my eyes?)

Arthur Hucksake · 05-02-2012, 16:58

I'm on Infinity, downloaded 400gb last month. No caps or FUP is in force. Can also tell by logging in online and what use to have a 300gb usage metre, no longer moves.

The FUP and limit was scrapped last March.

The only throttling in place is on torrents and such, but P2P streams don't appear to be effected.

Newsgroup usage isn't throttled at any time of day.

A month after the cap was lifted I tested the water and took the mick a bit (1TB use in a month), no emails, no budging usage metre still.

qasdfdsaq · 05-02-2012, 18:18

Good to know - thanks. I'm quite similar in that I usually average about 300-500GB/month depending on the month, but have the occasional spike to 1TB on the rare occasion. I don't P2P, and with no other shaping to speak of it looks like I should be full speed all the way

Incidentally, the day I decided to order Infinity it looks like my VM 50mb decided to give up:

Arthur Hucksake · 05-02-2012, 18:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Good to know - thanks. I'm quite similar in that I usually average about 300-500GB/month depending on the month, but have the occasional spike to 1TB on the rare occasion. I don't P2P, and with no other shaping to speak of it looks like I should be full speed all the way

Incidentally, the day I decided to order Infinity it looks like my VM 50mb decided to give up:

Infinity is a very good product. I've had lots of ISPs over the years but they have been spot on.

Get into trouble, it's often better to approach them on Twitter @BTCare to get a resolution because you are then dealing with the contact centre in Northern Ireland who are on the ball.

My only gripe with Infinity is that if for whatever reason your profile gets dropped (can spot it by pings going up, main line dropping a few MB) the only solution seems to be for an engineer to come out. All they then do is make a phone call to get the IP profile reset. Pretty daft if you ask me.

qasdfdsaq · 05-02-2012, 18:57

Hmm, that last bit is a curious one. I've seen people's pings go up and down on Infinity - though not requiring an engineer visit. That said BT claim Infinity doesn't use DLM - so who knows? Either way I'm estimated at a full 40/10 (profile 17a) till 80mbps comes out anyway.

Arthur Hucksake · 05-02-2012, 19:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Hmm, that last bit is a curious one. I've seen people's pings go up and down on Infinity - though not requiring an engineer visit. That said BT claim Infinity doesn't use DLM - so who knows? Either way I'm estimated at a full 40/10 (profile 17a) till 80mbps comes out anyway.

When your line drops to about 34MBit and your ping is constantly 35ms to speedtest.net for a couple of weeks, rest assured you have been stuck down on their "safe" profile as they put it.

Happened to us after bad weather and local exchange took a battering.

I pressed the issue with the Indian call centre who denied there being a problem.

Soon as I got onto the Northern Ireland folk they knew the issue pretty much right away and it was sorted.

Average ping of 20ms is what you should be getting on Infinity.

Zee · 11-02-2012, 15:36

i have to agree, infinity is a superior product to VM in almost all ways, although if you do use P2P during the evening hours i'd stick to VM. I do know option 2 is truly unlimited.

Sephiroth · 12-02-2012, 10:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Arthur Hucksake

When your line drops to about 34MBit and your ping is constantly 35ms to speedtest.net for a couple of weeks, rest assured you have been stuck down on their "safe" profile as they put it.

......

Average ping of 20ms is what you should be getting on Infinity.

Nah - that's not right. Speedtest.net is as variable as the internet. I get 22ms ping on London TranceFM and 51 ms on London Namesco.

My speed does indeed drop to 34 Mbps or even lower now that Cab 22 has woken up, but I can't trust speedtest.net when measuring that.

So I don't buy this "safe profile" stuff on a "rest assured" basis.

qasdfdsaq · 12-02-2012, 17:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

My speed does indeed drop to 34 Mbps or even lower now that Cab 22 has woken up, but I can't trust speedtest.net when measuring that.

Dammit

Arthur Hucksake · 13-02-2012, 11:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sephiroth

Nah - that's not right. Speedtest.net is as variable as the internet. I get 22ms ping on London TranceFM and 51 ms on London Namesco.

My speed does indeed drop to 34 Mbps or even lower now that Cab 22 has woken up, but I can't trust speedtest.net when measuring that.

So I don't buy this "safe profile" stuff on a "rest assured" basis.

Not just speedtest.net , used BT's own speedtester and profile checker. It showed it on there plain as day and was eventually confirmed by the guys in NI after getting the usual fob offs from India.

http://speedtester.bt.com/

After the profile reset, my pings dropped and line speed went up. It was basically instantaneous when they resolved it. The line dropped out, retrained and boom.... full speed again.

Wasn't something that could be fixed by just rebooting the modem.

SkyFTW · 13-02-2012, 14:39

The only true unmanaged unshaped network available to home users at a realistic price is Skys LLU product, Sky unlimited.

qasdfdsaq · 13-02-2012, 20:28

Wrong.

Be is also unmanaged and unshaped and I wouldn't call £17 a month an unrealistic price.

Plus as above, BT's is as far as I'm concerned unshaped and unmanaged as the only thing that's shaped is P2P which I don't use.

Sephiroth · 13-02-2012, 20:34

Qasi

I've been trying this site for speed tests and am quite content. True the dial doesn't go pas 20 meg, but the numbers in the box are corrrect time and again at all hours.

Cheers

qasdfdsaq · 13-02-2012, 22:55

Thanks Seph. I'll be giving it a go once I get installed (Thursday hopefully) - though as it stands I still have my own 100mb and 1000mb servers in various locations I can test off once in a while.

AbyssUnderground · 14-02-2012, 12:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by qasdfdsaq

Wrong.

Be is also unmanaged and unshaped and I wouldn't call £17 a month an unrealistic price.

Plus as above, BT's is as far as I'm concerned unshaped and unmanaged as the only thing that's shaped is P2P which I don't use.

I'm with Be and fully agree.

It's good to know on the BT side as when/if infinity finally comes to my area (scheduled for March this year) I'm thinking of switching.