Best ISP for online streaming?

usignuolo

We pay quite a hefty amount for our Virgin connection and today we got throttled back to 2.5mbs. We don't download anything - but we do stream and it seems it was because my husband was streaming a baseball game for a couple of hours this afternoon. We need a new ISP if this is what is going to happen with Virgin. Any suggestions?

visidigi

The problem is you get what you pay for - what exactly did you need more than 2.5mb for? Were you downloading? Are you putting too much demand on the connection for what you are paying?

You need to check samknows.com to see what line speed you can get on a BT reseller (such as Sky from your other thread) - you may fine your line (which you may need to have to pay to have installed) will only provide you with 3-4mb at all times, dependent on exchange distance and line quality.

You need to look at your usage, look at whats available to you and decide. 2.5mb on Virgin is actually higher than what quite alot of the country can get, and remember, you were only throttled because you used over the allowance in a peak period....

The grass, it is not always greener.

usignuolo

No absolutely no downloading. Acc to Virgin site, half an hour streaming tv program takes 175mb. So an hour is 350mb.

Between 4-9pm our total limit on L (10mbs package) is 1500mb daily. Yesterday OH played on line bridge for an hour or so, then watched baseball intermittantly for 2 hours and I watched iplayer for around an hour. This apparently took us over our daily limit and we were then throttled back 75% to 2.3mb for next 5 hours. This is insufficient to watch HD on iplayer as when I later tried to do this, got message insufficient bandwidth.

Cannot upgrade to faster line and larger %s as we are on fastest line speed 10mbs in our area from Virgin. Not therefore going to be significant improvement even if they manage to double it in summer. Never happened before and think their servers are overloaded locally too.

Sky claims can offer 11-18mbs speed locally and Unlimited offer would be unthrottled.

Been to samknows and all I can find are listings of which providers are available in my area nothing about available or comparable line speeds. Am I looking in wrong place?.

visidigi

usignuolo wrote: »

No absolutely no downloading. Acc to Virgin site, half an hour streaming tv program takes 175mb. So an hour is 350mb.

Streaming is downloading. And the virgin site is a typical file, it depends on the bit-rate of the stream, the stream, if HD for example will use up considerably more than 350mb an hour..

usignuolo wrote: »

Been to samknows and all I can find are listings of which providers are available in my area nothing about available or comparable line speeds. Am I looking in wrong place?.

Go here: http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=25633#navInfinityInfo

click check your speed at the top and enter your details.

usignuolo

Seems ironic that everytime I put on my tv I see some sort of streaming service being advertised, like Netflicks, yet to use it hammers my connection and gets throttled and there is no possibility of my upgrading to unlimited on Virgin.....:(

visidigi

usignuolo wrote: »

Seems ironic that everytime I put on my tv I see some sort of streaming service being advertised, like Netflicks, yet to use it hammers my connection and gets throttled and there is no possibility of my upgrading to unlimited on Virgin.....:(

Its not ironic. Its a service. Netflix clearly state in their terms to check bandwidth regulations with your provider.

Again, you ARE on an unlimited service, but you are also on a throttled service if you exceed basic bandwidth limits. 2.5mb is more than enough for normal web browsing etc.

I must admit, I have never heard of virgin only selling a 10mb cable service - especially confusing as you also state it will go up to 30mb?!? Somethings in your statements really don't make sense...

pcombo

All big companies will throttle your connection regardless.

Try search about for smaller adsl companies.

usignuolo

OK according to the official Virgin site "The estimated broadband speed you can receive to your home is between 7Mb and 15Mb".

In practice, having spoken to the tech, and to sales, although I am currently on L (10mbs) the current download speed I get of around 8mb is to be expected. 20mb service is not available to my area at present let alone 50.

So I am hoping for an increase to 20mb but it could be between 14 and 30mbs technically speaking.

I must be missing something here because to watch HD on iplayer requires bandwidth of 3.5mbs. This is what the BBC recommend and when we were throttled back last night, the iplayer option I was trying to view (only available as HD) would not run, reporting "insufficient bandwidth".

As I said, we would upgrade to XXL but it is not available. Separately I understand I am on the Croydon "switch" which has had a number of issues including capacity issues in recent years, being one of the earlier ones installed.

There is no need to be patronizing you know.

custardy

usignuolo wrote: »

OK according to the official Virgin site "The estimated broadband speed you can receive to your home is between 7Mb and 15Mb".

In practice, having spoken to the tech, and to sales, although I am currently on L (10mbs) the current download speed I get of around 8mb is to be expected. 20mb service is not available to my area at present let alone 50.

So I am hoping for an increase to 20mb but it could be between 14 and 30mbs technically speaking.

I must be missing something here because to watch HD on iplayer requires bandwidth of 3.5mbs. This is what the BBC recommend and when we were throttled back last night, the iplayer option I was trying to view (only available as HD) would not run, reporting "insufficient bandwidth".

As I said, we would upgrade to XXL but it is not available. Separately I understand I am on the Croydon "switch" which has had a number of issues including capacity issues in recent years, being one of the earlier ones installed.

There is no need to be patronizing you know.

8meg on a 10 meg connection is fine

http://help.virginmedia.com/system/selfservice.controller?CMD=VIEW_ARTICLE&ARTICLE_ID=389465&CURRENT_CMD=SEARCH&CONFIGURATION=1029&PARTITION_ID=1&USERTYPE=1&LANGUAGE=en&COUNTY=us&VM_CUSTOMER_TYPE=Cable

the management allowances are here
so either plan around the times/allowance,upgrade or move on
eg start watching at 3pm,have 3.5GB to use till 5pm
then from 5pm you have 1.5GB
dowloading overnight is the easiest way TBH

visidigi

usignuolo wrote: »

OK according to the official Virgin site "The estimated broadband speed you can receive to your home is between 7Mb and 15Mb".

In practice, having spoken to the tech, and to sales, although I am currently on L (10mbs) the current download speed I get of around 8mb is to be expected. 20mb service is not available to my area at present let alone 50.

So I am hoping for an increase to 20mb but it could be between 14 and 30mbs technically speaking.

I must be missing something here because to watch HD on iplayer requires bandwidth of 3.5mbs. This is what the BBC recommend and when we were throttled back last night, the iplayer option I was trying to view (only available as HD) would not run, reporting "insufficient bandwidth".

As I said, we would upgrade to XXL but it is not available. Separately I understand I am on the Croydon "switch" which has had a number of issues including capacity issues in recent years, being one of the earlier ones installed.

There is no need to be patronizing you know.

Are you sure you are on Virgin cable? You might be on the Virgin National ADSL product? If I do the 'what can I get' option on Virgin's website I get told I am in a cable area - it doesn't give me specific speed bandwidths - I would imagine it only does that if its quoting for ADSL services Virgin offer.

I am not being patronizing, I am merely saying the things you are saying don't physically have any way of adding up.

usignuolo

Well I phoned up to complain about my bandwidth a while back and was told I could only expect 8mb locally. But I am beginning to wonder. I have been on cable forever. Maybe they have me down as an ADSL user for some reason or just assumed I was an ADSL user.

I need to phone up and explain I am on cable and then see what they say about an XXL connection.


I think I will need to check that out. a