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Real-life MMD: Should gamers pay for faster broadband?

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  • Surfer wrote: »
    If they are students, they should be studying and not playing games all the time! I would refuse to pay the extra if I was hardly using the Internet.

    Hey man, lighten up! Everyone is entitled to some free time, and what they do with it is up to them. No one said they are gaming "all the time" instead of studying. Better that they are gaming rather than wasting their student loan at the pub risking their future health and causing a nuisance to others with their drunken antics. :beer:

    I would check out what is causing the problem as suggested by previous posters. If the outcome shows that a more expensive package is needed I would go equal shares - shared house, shared bills and all that.
  • Surfer
    Surfer Posts: 361 Forumite
    spikyone wrote: »
    It doesn't matter who is using the bandwidth - as you say, it's affecting the gamers more than the OP. If gaming is the only time the other housemates feel that the connection is too slow, then they should be the ones paying the additional cost of higher-speed internet. If there is an issue where everyone is experiencing slow downloads or poor quality streaming at other times, then everyone should pay for it.

    And to those saying "they should be studying, not gaming", I assume there are things you do to relax when you're not at work?
    When I went to university in 2000 for 3 years, I devoted my time to studying as I felt an obligation to the taxpayer who partly funded my course. I am pleased to say that I achieved my degree with honours.
    Reading the OP, it indicates that the gamers spend a lot of time using the Internet however there is free use of the Internet at the university or colleage. However the thread is not about my achievements, but what the OP wants to achieve without extra cost to themselves. If they want faster speeds, then they should pay the difference.
  • HKitten
    HKitten Posts: 156 Forumite
    If they upgrade the internet speed and you don't contribute, you'll still benefit, which seems a little unfair. It's not like with food or drink, where you can just choose not to partake. It's a shared utility and it doesn't sound like you're happy with the current speed either - which as others have pointed out, isn't necessarily caused by the gamers anyway.

    I would split the cost with them.
  • spikyone
    spikyone Posts: 456 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker
    Surfer wrote: »
    When I went to university in 2000 for 3 years, I devoted my time to studying as I felt an obligation to the taxpayer who partly funded my course. I am pleased to say that I achieved my degree with honours.
    Reading the OP, it indicates that the gamers spend a lot of time using the Internet however there is free use of the Internet at the university or colleage. However the thread is not about my achievements, but what the OP wants to achieve without extra cost to themselves. If they want faster speeds, then they should pay the difference.

    I also went to university and got a good degree - but I would've gone stir crazy without some downtime. Are you really saying you put your social life and hobbies on hold for three years?

    The OP's definition of "a lot of time" could be coloured by the fact that they are not interested in video games, and therefore consider it to be a waste of time - in which case they might think that playing for 4 or 5 hours at a weekend is a lot of time.
  • fordred
    fordred Posts: 12 Forumite
    Check your router to see if you can turn off interlacing (this will reduce ping time by a few milliseconds). If your router doesn't have that option (my EE box does) then speak to tech support at your ISP. Also, try removing your bell wire from the telephone socket. It introduces large amounts of noise causing packet corruption and re-transmission. Also, move your router to the master BT socket so that you know you're getting the cleanest signal possible.
  • tallgirld
    tallgirld Posts: 484 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture
    You have stated that you would welcome faster Internet so it will benefit you also.

    If you really do not want to pay for it then just tell them. Maybe they will offer to pay the difference anyway.
  • There is an easy solution to this problem. Put a copy of a Net Meter (it measures internet usage on each device) on each computer/device in the house. Then you all will know how much a proportion each individual uses of the Internet connection. Then spilt the bill between yourselves proportionally to your/their usage.

    So simple a solution I'm surprised no one has suggested it yet.
  • canavp wrote: »
    There is an easy solution to this problem. Put a copy of a Net Meter (it measures internet usage on each device) on each computer/device in the house. Then you all will know how much a proportion each individual uses of the Internet connection. Then spilt the bill between yourselves proportionally to your/their usage.

    So simple a solution I'm surprised no one has suggested it yet.

    Well, it's possible performance may not be a consumption issue but due to the number of devices connected, how they're connected and how that affects the 'ping time' as somebody earlier mentioned. Also some devices (PS3, XBOX, Blackberry? etc) may not allow for a Net Metering App to be installed.

    I'm not poo-poo'ing your idea though - it's a good idea to monitor the devices you can check, just saying it may not be a solution in this instance.
  • blastarhymes
    blastarhymes Posts: 44 Forumite
    edited 22 January 2014 at 5:51PM
    ahh, ok read it was a shared house, realistically if you just normal surfing you should all be sharing the basic tariff costs, if the gamers want faster BB they should have to pay the difference!!!! Why should you pay for a service you don't need >!>!
  • I'd suggest running speed tests both when the gamers are gaming & not, speedtest.net is a great site to use & record your results. Compare these with what your provider says you should get & complain / raise it to them if the numbers are far adrift.

    If you're using Wifi, don't - switch to a wired connection & make sure that nobody has "hijacked" your wifi.

    Other than that, welcome to the joys of house-sharing! Split among 6 of you the difference in faster broadband cost per month is probably at most 5 quid a month extra, each? There is a LOT to be said for avoiding arguments / disagreements when house-sharing. If I were you I would take the moral high-ground by not complaining & coughing up if the group consensus is that the faster package should be taken.

    Obviously do shop around as well, if you're eligible for both Virgin services & fibre optic broadband there will be a wealth of "high speed" options available to you.
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