Comcast Raises Data Cap

MavericK96 said:
...Pretty much all I do is watch TV shows and movies over Netflix/Hulu/whatever, and download Steam games. Along with normal browsing and file downloads of course.

I don't even go out of my way to download a ton of stuff. So it's not all that difficult.
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I have the HDTV package so I watch TV on TV. I suppose watching Netflix all day would get you there. I am tempted to dump the TV. There is never anything on. :(
 
MavericK96 said:
Ugh...from that article:



That is incredibly disingenuous. Yeah, sure, there's no cap... if you want to pay an infinite amount of money for infinite bandwidth. :rolleyes:
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And things continue NOT to change. Comcast can go suck a bag of dicks.
 
GotNoRice said:
Make no mistake, this is a very clear cut reduction in the monthly data cap.

Right now when you go past the 250GB "cap", this is what happens: Nothing
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Again , wrong. You go past the cap you either don't hear anything from Comcast or you get a disconnection and call asking why you are using as much bandwidth as you are.

If you do it again you get disconnected. A user in this very thread was disconnected for using 1Tb of data in a month. DSLreports has lots of users who've been threatened with disconnection or users who have been disconnected.

Its happening and its not a joke. This is currently the service agreement , this whole 300GB +$10 per 50GB mess in trial only and likely only in certain markets.

If you don't believe me and you think no cap actually exists then go a head and download two times as much data as your cap and you'll understand then when you get a call from them.
 
xxEIEIOxx said:
Verizon dropped our state lot a hot rock and left us to Frontier, who I prompted got rid of for their price increases and poor service. If FiOS isn't in your area, don't expect them, ever.

As for Comcast, what are people doing to hit this cap? I used 23 GB last month and am at 11 GB so far this month with 1 week to go on the billing cycle. I spend a lot of time on the internet. I am much happier with Comcast than I was with FiOS and don't have to worry about hitting their cap any time soon.
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Yea Verizon is acting weird about it but that's because they think LTE will catch on for home use , which is a fucking joke consider its lovely 10GB data caps lawl.

If you watch Netflix HD , you can easily hit that cap without doing much of anything else within a month. Factor in downloading content from content providing programs like Steam , plus other users in the house hold , plus things like VOIP service that isn't provided by the ISP. You could very easily hit that cap making a full back up of your computer to a cloud computing site , perfectly legal but yet takes a ton of bandwidth.

In 2008 when Comcast put caps on its service I could understand some of the counter arguments but this is 2012 .. our data service needs have only increased drastically and yet our data caps have not. It makes little logical sense other than business strategy to prevent "cord cutters" and punish anyone that uses the connection they pay for. This isn't about piracy anymore , its about being charged for a service you already pay for and despite being completely legal about it.
 
SWEET! This is good when you live with 3 other people and you all hit Netflix HD like it could be gone any minute. We usually have to be careful when there's a week left in the month. I would gladly pay more to go over than just disconnected or suspended for a year.
 
Maxx said:
I've been a Comcast user for years. I've kept data that entire time with a regularly-updated and backed up log via Tomato firmware. Whenever I go over about 8GB in a 24-hour period, or 150 GB in a 30-day period, my connection reliability goes to hell. This leads to outright outages - hours, and then days - as I approach 200GB. Past that point, I will end up losing it for about 3 days and then get an entirely new IP (which is otherwise consistently static). I have all of this logged.

It's pretty clear to me that they have an automated system in place to detect, throttle, and then move and monitor "excessive" offenders. Mind you that these caps can be hit entirely with Steam + NetFlix alone if usage is heavy enough. It's at the point where I ration my own video viewing and game purchases/downloads using my own monitoring methods (Tomato). In a way, I'm okay with the concept that nobody over-utilizes the system, and I tolerate it to some degree.
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Sounds like some tinfoil hat shit to me. I've gone up to or over my cap slightly almost every month since Comcast implemented the 250GB cap and I've never lost service for any significant period of time, been throttled, or anything else. My IP remains unchanged for as long as my router's external MAC is unchanged. I had my last IP for 2-3 years. In fact, they routinely increase the speed of each tier in my region every year or so for free.

You're claiming that they are shutting off your access for days before you've even reached the cap? I call bullshit. If that were true on any kind of national or regional scale, we'd be hearing about it. But your post is the first I've seen of it.
 
Pretty generous. I have no problem with it. If you need more than that, there is no reason you should be paying the same rate I do.
 
Godmachine said:
If you don't believe me and you think no cap actually exists then go a head and download two times as much data as your cap and you'll understand then when you get a call from them.
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I have heard of the doing that but its not everyone who goes above the 250 or even 500. When I first built my server I was streaming music from it while at work everyday and I was using and average of 500 a month for a long time and never got a warming until after a year.
I also know someone who has used over 750 for months without an issue. I think it all depends in which market you are at.
 
Well all I can tell you is that its real. I have no idea how Comcast decides on who to call and who not. It might have to due with the results of the traffic that's being monitored , who knows.

But I don't pirate shit and we all used it and that's all that happened. Believe me my family and GF was also quite shocked , we only thought people who pirated a shit ton would get targeted , sadly that is not true.
 
Godmachine said:
Let me post you this (my current connection) and you tell me the advantages :



That's my FiOS connection , 150/35 package (so the upload is even better than provisioned for). Its pure fiber optic to your residence and once its there it gets converted to copper via the ONT (Optical Networking Terminal) and through a QAM box (for TV service). There many advantages over cable (which uses copper almost entirely) and each fiber connection to the hub is a dedicated line so you get a dedicated connection to the hub through the fiber junction near by.

Network outages? Only if the power gets knocked out (even then the ONT comes with a 6 hour battery back up).

Honestly if you can get FiOS in your area , don't even think about it , just sign up. The only downside I can think of is that Verizon's billing department is full of idiots. But considering the quality of service you get (and that many people would kill for it) its completely worth while.
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http://www.techspot.com/news/48638-...r-fios-and-fees-shared-data-plans-coming.html
 
I just checked my account as I have Comcast and it says 15GB of 250GB used so it hasn't taken effect yet.
 
Godmachine said:
Again , wrong. You go past the cap you either don't hear anything from Comcast or you get a disconnection and call asking why you are using as much bandwidth as you are.
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You're not going to get disconnected before you get at least one phone call. Most won't even get the call. It really only tends to happen in crowded areas. Obviously it's cheaper for them to call up a few data hogs than it is to upgrade their network - but there are also plenty of places where the network isn't at capacity yet, and generally they aren't going to bother calling people in these areas.

If you do it again you get disconnected. A user in this very thread was disconnected for using 1Tb of data in a month. DSLreports has lots of users who've been threatened with disconnection or users who have been disconnected.
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1TB is way more than any figure I quoted. There is a difference between going over the cap and going 4 times over the cap.

If you don't believe me and you think no cap actually exists then go a head and download two times as much data as your cap and you'll understand then when you get a call from them.
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I got my call back in 2008 months before they officially implemented the cap, but it was a warning and that's all it was. That was from pulling ~500gb several months in a row, 4 years ago. I never claimed they had an infinite tolerance for high data usage, only that for the regular user who might occasionally go over the cap, it might as well be meaningless. You would certainly never have got a call the moment you hit 251GB. But under the current system you absolutely WILL be billed the moment you hit 301GB...

I'm on Comcast Business now with no monthly caps. I've done as much as ~3TB/month on occasion.
 
AnonymousUser said:
I've always had TimeWarner but FIOS is now available in my area. So quick question: Is FIOS better/faster/less delay/better pings/etc for online FPS games (on average)? Is there any noticeable advantages between fiber optic and coax in real life putting data caps aside as neither service currently has any?



Thanks
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Your question has been answered by others already, but I'll throw mine in too since you asked me specifically. This is my speedtest, I'm on the absolute cheapest Fios plan:

fios.png


What makes Fios awesome is that:

1) It just plain works. I've had it 2 year snow and it has gone out once for like, a minute. Seriously. It just works. It's solid as a rock.

2) The speed is consistent. No matter what day or time I use it, I get the same speeds, has been that way for the entire 2 years I've had it.

3) No data cap. I have 3 kids who all watch netflix, I watch netflix, I download steam games, my wife has her own PC on which she does all the same, yes I torrent legally, I use a lot of bandwidth. I never want to have to worry about what I use, and with Fios I dont.

I sound like a paid shill, I realize that, but I'm really not. I love the service I get and by all means if you have the option, do it. As for online gaming, I've played EVE and LOTRO on it a lot, I never, ever lag. #I'm not much of an online FPS guy but I have a lot of trouble thinking that it wouldnt serve you well. Any time I've ever run speedtest, I've never seen my ping over 30.
 
To add to my previous post, my TV, home phone and internet are bundled and I get it for like 105 a month. That's absolutely dirt cheap for the product I get.
 
GotNoRice said:
You're not going to get disconnected before you get at least one phone call. Most won't even get the call. It really only tends to happen in crowded areas. Obviously it's cheaper for them to call up a few data hogs than it is to upgrade their network - but there are also plenty of places where the network isn't at capacity yet, and generally they aren't going to bother calling people in these areas.
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I haven't heard of them at least not calling once before disconnecting entirely. I'm sure crowding has something to do with it as do repeat offenders but that still doesn't make it right. Comcast in 2008 was not a DOCSIS 3.0 fully upgraded network , it is now. It has the capacity to deal with it but instead its going for as I've stated before (feeling like a broken record) a money grab.

From what Comcast Engineers tell me the entire network in a given area is dynamic so even if everyone was loading it up they can simply take from unloaded areas and vice versa.



GotNoRice said:
1TB is way more than any figure I quoted. There is a difference between going over the cap and going 4 times over the cap.
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I've seen users on DSLreports that have gone over 1TB for a few months in a row and get zero warnings , there doesn't seem to be a real definitive reasoning for shutting users down , at least not one that makes total sense.



GotNoRice said:
I got my call back in 2008 months before they officially implemented the cap, but it was a warning and that's all it was. That was from pulling ~500gb several months in a row, 4 years ago. I never claimed they had an infinite tolerance for high data usage, only that for the regular user who might occasionally go over the cap, it might as well be meaningless. You would certainly never have got a call the moment you hit 251GB. But under the current system you absolutely WILL be billed the moment you hit 301GB...

I'm on Comcast Business now with no monthly caps. I've done as much as ~3TB/month on occasion.
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I went to U-Verse which at the time had zero caps and downloaded to my hearts content. I will only use ISP services from this point forward that are not capped as I would prefer to enjoy the Internet and not panic about if I'm hitting my limits or being overcharged the following month for doing completely legal activities.
 
Watch out tomorrows post will say that they are raising their prices ;)
I wouldn't be surprised though.
 
Well sucks for us we hit 350gb every month for the past year. (we have 10 people in our house and they all use netflix) so I guess we will be looking for a new provider.
 
munkle said:
Well sucks for us we hit 350gb every month for the past year. (we have 10 people in our house and they all use netflix) so I guess we will be looking for a new provider.
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you need to switch to business class no cap there.
 
I routinely do 400ish GB per month for prolly the past 3 years since I moved to my house. I havent heard a peep from comcast about my usage. There has basically never been a cap before. Yes they say 250gb blah blah. If its not enforced, it aint there. Sure they hit some people with it, but all they would ultimately do is cancel your service. Not charge you more for something that costs them almost nothing to provide.

I already pay 170 a month for TV and Internet with them. If this shit goes any higher im going with another provider. Luckily there is a company called TDS that also services where I live that supposedly has really great internet service but their TV lineup is not quite as robust as Comcast. Might do comcast for cable and TDS for internet or just say f it and go with TDS and not watch as much tv and exercise more...

Im a capitalist so it doesnt bother me in the sense that Comcast wants to make more money, but Ill be damned if I dont use the free market to find a better solution for me personally. :D
 
I hated Comcast when I had it. Switched to AT&T U-Verse almost 2 years ago and everything has been so much better. I don't even know if AT&T has a data cap cause I don't use that much data, but the quality of service and HD channel selections are far superior. My internet used to go out randomly with Comcast and it would piss me off like no other. They can't even provide a steady, reliable feed in Houston?
 
ItsVictorB said:
I hated Comcast when I had it. Switched to AT&T U-Verse almost 2 years ago and everything has been so much better. I don't even know if AT&T has a data cap cause I don't use that much data, but the quality of service and HD channel selections are far superior. My internet used to go out randomly with Comcast and it would piss me off like no other. They can't even provide a steady, reliable feed in Houston?
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"AT&T will limit DSL customers to 150 GB per month, and U-Verse fiber optics subscribers to 250 GB AT&T will also charge overage fees of $10 for every additional 50GB of data, with two grace periods to start out -- in other words, the third month you go over the cap is when you'll get charged"

The shitty part is many people don't have options. In my area its Comcast OR AT&T DSL that’s it!
 
Godmachine said:
Of course its there .. why do you think its not? You really don't have any experience going over Comcast's cap have you? I've went over my cap by 56GB one month and 72GB the next , my modem got turned off and I was called by a tech from Comcast asking why I was going over my data cap. He told me not to go over it again and if I did my service would be terminated for a year. Go check out Dslreports.com for similar stories. Comcast doesn't threaten everyone but they did with me , for going my cap for 2 months straight by what I consider to be not much bandwidth. I was using Netflix , along with my mother , brother and girlfriend. Guess that's my bad and my lack of responsibility right? Yea..:rolleyes:
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Nope. I usually do 1-2 TB a month. Never hear anything from Comcast.
 
So what, exactly are the increases for the higher two tiers of service? How much higher are the caps?

We recently dropped our TV service through Frontier (Fios, whatever they are), but went ahead ad moved up from the 20/5 fiber service to 35/35 symmetrical. We moved up a tier because we knew darn well our usage is fairly heavy.

Luckily, neither Frontier nor Verizon seem to have plans to put caps on the fiber service, but for those of you with Comcast, what plan do they offer for users who NEED 500+ GB a month? You don't have to be a torrent junkie to use that kind of bandwidth today. It's easy as hell.
 
Separate question:

Do people running Minecraft servers actually KNOW that if their server has activity every day they are using 2-3GB per DAY?

There's going to be some shellshocked users.
 
HisSvt76 said:
"AT&T will limit DSL customers to 150 GB per month, and U-Verse fiber optics subscribers to 250 GB AT&T will also charge overage fees of $10 for every additional 50GB of data, with two grace periods to start out -- in other words, the third month you go over the cap is when you'll get charged"

The shitty part is many people don't have options. In my area its Comcast OR AT&T DSL that’s it!
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I probably don't even go near 200GB a month.

I hear you on the options. In Houston it's Comcast or if you are lucky enough to live in a U-Verse capable area, then you can get AT&T. I think I waited almost a year for U-Verse to be available where I live. The houses 200ft from me had it but not my street. Finally AT&T upgraded their fiber optics lines and I was able to get away from Comcast.
 
Is this a regional thing for Comcast? I'm in Atlanta, Georgia and use Comcast. I far exceed 300Gb a month and receive no notification or overage charges.
 
This is my average usage
usage.jpg


That is just browsing the web Netflix Hulu and Xbox live. I have had higher months and god forbid if I have to do a reinstall or holy shit if I had to reinstall steam games!
 
ISPs in USA sux.

Fixed internet connections in this country are always without data limit and for mobile devices unlimited data cost 40€.

I currently pay 12€ per month for 12/12Mb/s connection.

 
Rebel44 said:
ISPs in USA sux.

Fixed internet connections in this country are always without data limit and for mobile devices unlimited data cost 40€.

I currently pay 12€ per month for 12/12Mb/s connection.

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It's easy to provide cheap data in a country where the entire population is crammed into an area smaller than most states in the US.
 
mrtheshaggy said:
It's easy to provide cheap data in a country where the entire population is crammed into an area smaller than most states in the US.
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So why is internet connection overpriced crap even in many big US cities which have high population density?

 
lmao i can explain the last two months on that chart.

my sister install frostwire, and i didnt know about it.

Her laptop is now blocked on the router :)

But i can usually do 400~ GB a month by myself....thats with no torrents :)
 
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