View Full Version : I may have been throttled back - How can I tell?
NormCash
04-03-2009, 13:49
I think I may have gone over my monthly download limit, and as a result I believe that my web access has been chopped severely. However, as its never happened to me before, I just wanted to check with you guys to make sure! I'm on the L package.
For several weeks, I'd been downloading torrents of old US TV series. I may have pulled down about 50Gb of material in a fairly short time. Then about 2 weeks back, my web browsing capability just stopped. After a short time, maybe a restart, I found that I'd be able to browse for little while before I once again got "cut-off" (I should mention here that I'm not presently trying to download torrents, etc, simply doing ordinary browsing such as checking email, news sites, and such like). There seems to be a correlation between the length of time that I stay offline and the amount of browsing time that I have before I'm once again disabled.
Does this sound as if VM have limited me due to over use? If so, how long can I expect this to go on before "normal" usage is restored?
Stabhappy
04-03-2009, 13:51
Are you a virgin national or cable customer?
NormCash
04-03-2009, 13:53
Cable customer with a cable modem rather than an STB
Cable customer with a cable modem rather than an STB
Cable customers do not have a monthly cap, I did way more than 50gb a month and recieved no warning or disconnection.
Stabhappy
04-03-2009, 13:56
As you're having problems with even loading webpages, would it be possible for you to navigate to http://192.168.100.1 in your browser, log in if necessary using username and password 'root', and posting information in regards to:
Download frequency, power, SNR
Upstream power
Cheers :)
NormCash
04-03-2009, 14:25
Stabhappy,
Can you give me a little guidance on how to acquire that info?
---------- Post added at 14:25 ---------- Previous post was at 14:04 ----------
Stabhappy,
Sorry about that...I see what you mean now.
Unfortunately, I haven't had occasion to access my account for many years, and I'll be damned if I can remember what my bloody user name is!! Aarrggghhhh!
On the face of it, does my described problem look like something I need to call Technical Support about? If so, will they be able to establish my identity without my username?
click here (http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/internet/traffic.html) for details on Virgin Media's traffic management download/upload limits and times.
An easy way to check is to do a speedtest from www.speedtest.net. If your upload speed is around 500kb/s you're not STM'd and if it's around 128kb/s you've hit the downloaded or upload limit for this time period.
Unfortunately, I haven't had occasion to access my account for many years, and I'll be damned if I can remember what my bloody user name is!! Aarrggghhhh!
You dont need your Virgin username to log into your modem(sorry)....just "root" for both the username and password:)
NormCash
04-03-2009, 14:38
Thanks, guys! Here are the details:
Cable Modem Downstream
Downstream Lock : Locked
Downstream Channel Id : 5
Downstream Frequency : 402750000 Hz
Downstream Modulation : QAM256
Downstream Symbol Rate : 5360.537 Ksym/sec
Downstream Interleave Depth : taps32Increment4
Downstream Receive Power Level : 1.5 dBmV
Downstream SNR : 40.5 dB
Cable Modem Upstream
Upstream Lock : Locked
Upstream Channel ID : 4
Upstream Frequency : 37500000 Hz
Upstream Modulation : QPSK
Upstream Symbol Rate : 2560 Ksym/sec
Upstream transmit Power Level : 49.0 dBmV
Upstream Mini-Slot Size : 2
Anything look strange? (Please keep in mind that I'm not too technically proficient :dunce:, so layman's terms if poss!)
---------- Post added at 14:38 ---------- Previous post was at 14:35 ----------
click here (http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/internet/traffic.html) for details on Virgin Media's traffic management download/upload limits and times.
An easy way to check is to do a speedtest from www.speedtest.net. If your upload speed is around 500kb/s you're not STM'd and if it's around 128kb/s you've hit the downloaded or upload limit for this time period.
Upload speed is about 500kbps. So I guess its something else causing my difficulties?
Turkey Machine
04-03-2009, 16:27
Those numbers are fine, my 2Mbit modem has exactly those and absolutely no probs with it. I reckon something's going on further down the line, anybody else wanna come in?
I know you say you're not currently downloading any torrents, but is the torrent program still running in the background.
NormCash
04-03-2009, 20:27
I know you say you're not currently downloading any torrents, but is the torrent program still running in the background.
No. I fully exited from the programs when the problem started occurring, and haven't loaded them up since.
This is certainly a weird one, but there must be a reason why this is happening. If it keeps up over the weekend, unless anyone has some insight it looks as if I may have to suffer the indignity of a call to Tech Support.
No. I fully exited from the programs when the problem started occurring, and haven't loaded them up since.
This is certainly a weird one, but there must be a reason why this is happening. If it keeps up over the weekend, unless anyone has some insight it looks as if I may have to suffer the indignity of a call to Tech Support.
Have you checked in the DOS screen for > netstat -b < to see what is running.
takisawa
04-03-2009, 22:09
My 10mb service does exactly this.
I download torrents now & again but there doesn't seem to be any correlation with me downloading & the slow service.
Its like someone flicks a switch every 10 mins or so. It will hang, waiting to load pages etc, then works again nice & fast for a few mins, then stops, then works, etc etc.
Be keen to hear any possible solutions...
My 10mb service does exactly this.
I download torrents now & again but there doesn't seem to be any correlation with me downloading & the slow service.
Its like someone flicks a switch every 10 mins or so. It will hang, waiting to load pages etc, then works again nice & fast for a few mins, then stops, then works, etc etc.
Be keen to hear any possible solutions...
Are you on XP or Vista
As you mentioned laymans terms :)
If you don't know how to get the DOS screen up.
`Start' > then select `Run' and this should bring up a new small window above the start button (short cut is `windows key and R' at the same time).
Type in cmd in the new window and click OK and this should bring up the DOS screen, then type in the above netstat -b and post the results.
To Copy text from DOS prompt:
1. Right-click on the black backgroud and select Mark.
2. Move mouse pointer to the start of the text you which to copy and click and hold left mouse button
3. Drag the mouse over the text you want to copy and release left mouse button.
4. Press Enter to copy the selected text to the clipboard.
5. Paste copied info like you would do with any other info in clipboard, right click and paste or ctrl +V
takisawa
05-03-2009, 09:29
Moldova...I'm on XP.
A speed test shows about 8 - 9 mb/s & close on 500kb upload when its working as above. Obviously when it stops the speed test doesn't run at all...
When its working it is fast. When it stops its...aaaarrrrghhhh.
Cable customers do not have a monthly cap, I did way more than 50gb a month and recieved no warning or disconnection.
Deffo no warning, been doing 50G a night and nothing has been said to me. :angel:
Moldova...I'm on XP.
A speed test shows about 8 - 9 mb/s & close on 500kb upload when its working as above. Obviously when it stops the speed test doesn't run at all...
When its working it is fast. When it stops its...aaaarrrrghhhh.
Post what modem you have and your power levels from your config pages of your modem. The should be a sticker on the bottom saying what model.
Open a browser and in the address bar put or click the link > http://192.168.100.1/ the password and username are both root if required.
What I want you to post is the Downstream power levels including the SNR and the Upstream power levels for me thanks.
DO NOT POST YOUR MAC ADDRESS OR SERIAL NUMBER
max-hammond
09-03-2009, 17:08
Hi all, I thought I'd just pipe up and let you know that virgin media have changed there policy on download limits.
I found this out the hard way, I'd download a lot up till end of feb 2009 and in March I took 16Gb in a day and was throttled back to 8kb download and 8kb upload.
I rang the support team as I have a virgin phone (Number 150) and was told about the t&c's. I was also told it will revert back to normal if I do not use the service for 24 hours.
I then checked the new t&c's and found they have changed. They can do as they want and can brand you when they see fit.
http://www.virgin.net/terms/bb_bundle_tc.shtml Section F subsection P made me think about canceling and moving on.
max.
Hi all, I thought I'd just pipe up and let you know that virgin media have changed there policy on download limits.
I found this out the hard way, I'd download a lot up till end of feb 2009 and in March I took 16Gb in a day and was throttled back to 8kb download and 8kb upload.
I rang the support team as I have a virgin phone (Number 150) and was told about the t&c's. I was also told it will revert back to normal if I do not use the service for 24 hours.
I then checked the new t&c's and found they have changed. They can do as they want and can brand you when they see fit.
http://www.virgin.net/terms/bb_bundle_tc.shtml Section F subsection P made me think about canceling and moving on.
max.
I think Virgins DSL service has always had that in place Traffic Management (http://www.virgin.net/helpme/broadband/faq/basics_traffic.html). And I think you should be getting 512 Kb/s (64KB/s) download while managed and not 8 kb/s.
If you're after truly unlimited download service, as far as I know the only company that offers it is SKY with their MAX package. All the others have some sort of FUP policy in their T&C's, so they can limit you if they wish too. But I saw on last years Gadget Show that O2 (bethere) haven't actually throttled or cut anyone off for downloading too much.
Turkey Machine
09-03-2009, 22:52
Hi all, I thought I'd just pipe up and let you know that virgin media have changed there policy on download limits.
I found this out the hard way, I'd download a lot up till end of feb 2009 and in March I took 16Gb in a day and was throttled back to 8kb download and 8kb upload.
I rang the support team as I have a virgin phone (Number 150) and was told about the t&c's. I was also told it will revert back to normal if I do not use the service for 24 hours.
I then checked the new t&c's and found they have changed. They can do as they want and can brand you when they see fit.
http://www.virgin.net/terms/bb_bundle_tc.shtml Section F subsection P made me think about canceling and moving on.
max.
Unless they notified you by email, they broke their own rules.
NormCash
26-03-2009, 11:23
I've been away from this thread for a while, trying to figure out what's going on with the problem that I described in my original post.
After doing a bit of googling, it seems that there is a known compatibility issue with Vista and some routers/modems. Another forum subscriber seems to be having exactly the same issue as I am, the discussion of which can be found in the thread entitled "internet timing out".
I'd appreciate it if some of you more knowledgable chaps could have a look at my contribution to that thread, and see if you can come up with any bright ideas regarding this particular issue.
Cheers for now!
moaningmags
26-03-2009, 11:40
I have 2 laptops running Vista Home Basic.
2 Laptops running Vista Home Premium.
1 laptop running Vista business.
1 desktop running Vista Ultimate.
Webstar EPC2100 modem and Netgear WGR614v7 router.
I've never experienced any of the issues you've mentioned.
NormCash
26-03-2009, 12:00
I have 2 laptops running Vista Home Basic.
2 Laptops running Vista Home Premium.
1 laptop running Vista business.
1 desktop running Vista Ultimate.
Webstar EPC2100 modem and Netgear WGR614v7 router.
I've never experienced any of the issues you've mentioned.
Mags, quick question.....
Is that a USB modem, and if so do you have USB enabled in your Power Plan options?
moaningmags
26-03-2009, 12:02
The modem has a usb connection but I've never used it.
Ethernet is definitely better.
USB selective suspend setting is disabled for both battery and plugged in options.
NormCash
26-03-2009, 12:25
The reason I asked is that I've just discovered that Vista defaults the USB setting in some Power Plans to disabled (my modem is connected via USB). It seems that these disabled power settings generate random disconnections from USB devices. I've made sure that my power settings are enabled, did a restart and set things running again.
I thought I'd cracked the problem, but after about 20 minutes my connection has just dropped out again. Damn! Back to the drawing board......
soup dragon
26-03-2009, 12:42
i would try it with an ethernet cable and see if you get the same problems
NormCash
26-03-2009, 12:47
i would try it with an ethernet cable and see if you get the same problems
Yep, I'm going to try that next. Need to get an ethernet cable though!
NormCash
27-03-2009, 08:41
Good news (I hope).
I took delivery of a wireless router yesterday, which necessitated the need to connect via ethernet cable rather than USB. This simple change seems to have solved my intermittant connection problem, as some downloads I set up have been running quite happily for over 12 hours now.
Thanks to everyone for their input on this matter!
/Going by my previous message, you may wonder how I jumped from just a simple ethernet cable to a full wireless router set-up in a matter of a few hours. In fact, I had the router on order but hadn't expected it to arrive so quickly. I was a bit surprised when it was delivered yesterday afternoon!
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