Does Virgin Media selectively throttle streaming video?

[jamievicary]

I am having some problems with constant buffering when streaming iPlayer HD programmes at peak times, although my internet connection remains fast at peak times, and iPlayer Diagnostics always gives excellent results. I have a 20 Mbps cable broadband connection provided by Virgin Media. I can watch iPlayer HD programmes off-peak without any problems.

I have noticed that when I am connected to my university VPN, which is encrypted, the problems with buffering go away, and I am then able to watch iPlayer HD streams at peak times without difficulty. As soon as I disconnect the VPN connection, the buffering problem returns.

One possible conclusion is that Virgin Media selectively throttles iPlayer streams in the evening. Virgin Media does have a traffic management policy, which restricts download speeds after a large amount of data has been downloaded, but I am definitely not downloading enough to trigger this --- the effect is clear even when I haven't used my connection for 24 hours.

This is clearly an important issue! I would be interested to hear whether others agree that traffic-shaping seems likely.

[Sirius]

I am having some problems with constant buffering when streaming iPlayer HD programmes at peak times, although my internet connection remains fast at peak times, and iPlayer Diagnostics always gives excellent results. I have a 20 Mbps cable broadband connection provided by Virgin Media. I can watch iPlayer HD programmes off-peak without any problems.

I have noticed that when I am connected to my university VPN, which is encrypted, the problems with buffering go away, and I am then able to watch iPlayer HD streams at peak times without difficulty. As soon as I disconnect the VPN connection, the buffering problem returns.

One possible conclusion is that Virgin Media selectively throttles iPlayer streams in the evening. Virgin Media does have a traffic management policy, which restricts download speeds after a large amount of data has been downloaded, but I am definitely not downloading enough to trigger this --- the effect is clear even when I haven't used my connection for 24 hours.

This is clearly an important issue! I would be interested to hear whether others agree that traffic-shaping seems likely.


Not that i am aware of. I am in Warrington and iplayer runs fine at all times of the day including HD.

[Kymmy]

You'll probably find that there's a bottleneck somewhere in the route and when you go via the uni network you're bypassing it.

Remember that the internet is only as quick as it's slowest point ;)

[jamievicary]

You'll probably find that there's a bottleneck somewhere in the route and when you go via the uni network you're bypassing it.

Right, I agree that sounds like a plausible explanation! How can I go about getting evidence for this, and getting Virgin Media to do something about it? Is it possible that the problem is with the iPlayer servers rather than Virgin?

[sparkyork]

hi im new so be easy on me!

i reckon you have reached the throttling point on your virgin connection, dont know the starting point of this but i reeckon its around 1.5Gb, so hd streaming has gotta soon reach this point (u blu-ray hd disk is 25Gb) for say 2 hours worth of film, so your defo gonna get to the throttling point during peak hours

im leaving virgin tomorrow because of this exact problem, they say up your connection to 20Mb and when it throttles you'll get 6-7Mb, but im for another tenner a month, taking my bill to £25 per month, and still not 10Mb and still not 8Mb o2 either that i can get for £7.50 per month plus line rental = £18.50

virgin suck big time, they think 1.5Gb is a lot of info lmfao! there answer machine is useless and the whole operation now feels cheap (sept the gear in the exchange of course!)

rant over!

rich

[Welshchris]

i had major buffering problems when they changed my modem and i was put back onto old docsis 1 UBRs instead of the new Docsis 3 BSR as there were bandwith issues on the old network.

Phaps this is the same or similar problem with urs jamie.

[Ben B]

Welcome Rich, you aint gonna get much better service on an ADSL connection, just download in peak times or if you are such a big downloader, get 50meg.

[sparkyork]

hi thanks for the welcome,

my coax cable limit is 20Mb so i could only achieve 6-7 when i get throttled, this is what the guys problem is above, he is defo getting throttled, where do they get this puny 1.5Gb limit from.

i was with 02 before and they were great rock solid 8Mb all the time and much better upload aswell. plus i didnt get throttled,i am financiallt better off without virgin cos they cant give me what i want, at least when im awake anyway....perhaps i could learn to use mr pc whist im asleep to get the full speed?

if they cap it you should at least get a monthly reduction in monthly bill worked out on the basis of the amount of time the service is in a throttled state, branson has well and truly robbed every one imo of course!

rich

[BenMcr]

hi thanks for the welcome,

my coax cable limit is 20Mb so i could only achieve 6-7 when i get throttled, this is what the guys problem is above, he is defo getting throttled, where do they get this puny 1.5Gb limit from.No it's not the problem above. Even when on traffic management the XL Broadband runs at 5Mbit - more than fast enough for iPlayer HD.

Also the OP said that when he connects using the VPN he has no issues - so again nothing to do with Traffic Mangement

[moaningmags]

hi thanks for the welcome,

my coax cable limit is 20Mb so i could only achieve 6-7 when i get throttled, this is what the guys problem is above, he is defo getting throttled, where do they get this puny 1.5Gb limit from.



1.5Gb? Rubbish !!
On a 20Mb connection the limits are 7000MB 10am - 3pm or 3500MB 4pm - 9pm for download.
Upload is 1400MB only between 3pm and 8pm.

And as Ben said a throttled connection is a constant 5Mb on a 20Mb connection.

[sparkyork]

1.5Gb? Rubbish !!
On a 20Mb connection the limits are 7000MB 10am - 3pm or 3500MB 4pm - 9pm for download.
Upload is 1400MB only between 3pm and 8pm.

And as Ben said a throttled connection is a constant 5Mb on a 20Mb connection.

then why is it my friend that this all i have downloaded today at peak time, that i get cut under the throttling *******s, it was no where near 3.5GB that i downloaded.

virgin themselves said this is why im throttled. im going on what has been happeniing to me regularly, download a wedge of data then get capped at a certain point which seems to be 1.5 for me.

i know a throttled connection on 20 is 5 ish maybe 6, as on 10 it becomes just less than 3

if the op is connected to virgin and getting throttled then imo 1.5GB is soon gonna get downloaded whilst watching hd streaming, i disagree that all you need is 5Mb to view hd id say to view it succesfully you need between 6 - 10 Mb, which is why the op can watch it ok during off peak times, virgin are going the same route as ntl etc

---------- Post added at 00:50 ---------- Previous post was at 00:30 ----------

theres 576p all the way to 1080p dont forget, all classed as hd but requiring differing bandwidth

[adzii_nufc]

I've Downloaded Over 20gb in one night, Been throttled and still Buffered Fine On youtube iPlayer etc.

That was when i was Back on 20mb so This is a variable situation

[Ignitionnet]

my internet connection remains fast at peak times, and iPlayer Diagnostics always gives excellent results

I can watch iPlayer HD programmes off-peak without any problems.

I have noticed that when I am connected to my university VPN, which is encrypted, the problems with buffering go away, and I am then able to watch iPlayer HD streams at peak times without difficulty. As soon as I disconnect the VPN connection, the buffering problem returns.

Selective snippery.

All ranting about totally unrelated issues aside, for those ranting note that via VPN, which yes children will be using the VM connection, all works fine it's nothing to do with STM, it could only be application throttling which VM do not do.

OP you've answered your own question somewhat here. There is evidently a capacity problem somewhere between VM and the BBC. Alternatively there may even be a capacity problem on the server that you hit from your VM connection, while you hit another server in the BBC server farm from the University.

Testings:

When getting stutter-o-vision pop open a command prompt (http://commandwindows.com/command1.htm) and do a netstat (http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/netstat.mspx?mfr=true), from the DNS it should be quite clear which is the iPlayer node.

Repeat when connecting via VPN and watching an iPlayer stream.

If the same node at the BBC shows then:

Traceroute to the iPlayer node you saw in the first netstat.

Traceroute to the VPN endpoint at your University.

The issue lies with one of the differences in the traceroute.

If they are different nodes it gets harder as you need to find a way to force a test via the VM network to the other node :(

[BenMcr]

i disagree that all you need is 5Mb to view hd id say to view it succesfully you need between 6 - 10 Mb, which is why the op can watch it ok during off peak timesMaybe you should tell the BBC that then? As they quite clearly state that their HD streams (Which is what we are taking about here) are 3.5Mbit

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/diagnostics