Internet Usage allowance question

[ihaveaproblem]

Hi,

I have a question about internet usage.

My brother has recently moved house and looking for an internet provider. On some of the packages they have 5gb, 10 gb monthly usage allowances.

He's been asking me how much he can get done with this, but i'm a bit unsure.

Is it as simple as if he downloads a 5gb file it would use up all the 5gb monthly usuage?

 

The main things he will be doing is, general web browsing, messenger/skype chat, bbc Iplayer/youtube etc and playing the PS3 online.

Ive got no idea how much of the usage stuff like viewing a video or playing a game takes up.

 

Thanks for any replies.

[synaesthesia]

Yes it is that simple however these days it's rarely a problem - i.e. there are enough providers with decent allowances or just a fair use policy for the same or lower price than those that do.

5GB is more than enough for general browsing and email and a couple of iPlayer programs a week. Gaming uses particularly little - a 2 hour frag-a-thon for instance will move around 40MB of data, however it's the silly season updates that will push that number up.

[Steve21]

It is that simple pretty much.

 

However, nearly all ISPs have some limit (even "unlimited" is "within reason" limits normally 30gb etc).

 

Normally the ISPs wont disconnect you after the limit, they'll either slow the internet until the end of the month, or do nothing. They'll "generally" only disconnect you totally if you constantly go over month after month after month, (but obviously its down to individual ISP)

 

In terms of "normal" usage, browsing/skype etc 5/10gb is more than enough, In terms of iplayer etc it's nowhere near enough if you consider downloading an episode from it can be 500mb or so, you're still downloading the information just streaming it instead. So if it's used to watch programs everyday I'd suspect you go way over.

 

Personally I wouldn't worry about it too much, I've never seen an ISP that gives "truly" unlimited, and I've downloaded way over my limit some months and it still works.

 

BUt as always, best check with individual ISP terms etc

 

Steve

[ihaveaproblem]

Thanks both.

5gb sounds tiny to me then.

 

He's limited to either Sky or BT so I will see what deals they are offering.

[CAM]

If he is a Steam user then any limit is pushing it. Steam sales can result in tens of gigs being downloaded in a day or two here (there are 3 Steam users on one connection!).

[Achandler]

With Sky, tell him to get the lower one, even if he wants unlimited. Then just go over it to many times, and you get put onto the more expensive one (£5 more). Saves you between £15 and £30 depending on how fast you abuse them, as you have to go over 3 times in a 6 month period.

[arwen]

With Sky, tell him to get the lower one, even if he wants unlimited. Then just go over it to many times, and you get put onto the more expensive one (£5 more). Saves you between £15 and £30 depending on how fast you abuse them, as you have to go over 3 times in a 6 month period.

 

I did simmilar with BT. I was on the 20GB one, but they charge you if you go over the allowence two months in a row. What I did was on the 'even' months used between 15GB-19GB and 20GB-25Gb on the 'odd' months. Within 6 months they upp'ed me to a 40GB package for free

 

I use it for streaming telly, PS3 and browsing, and easliy reach the 20GB mark...

[Flakes]

Hi,

I have a question about internet usage.

My brother has recently moved house and looking for an internet provider. On some of the packages they have 5gb, 10 gb monthly usage allowances.

He's been asking me how much he can get done with this, but i'm a bit unsure.

Is it as simple as if he downloads a 5gb file it would use up all the 5gb monthly usuage?

 

The main things he will be doing is, general web browsing, messenger/skype chat, bbc Iplayer/youtube etc and playing the PS3 online.

Ive got no idea how much of the usage stuff like viewing a video or playing a game takes up.

 

Thanks for any replies.

 

word of warning i recently bought a broadband connection with 10Gb thinking that would be enough, used the full amount in 3 days just using BBC Iplayer after work... you tend to use more than you realise...

[Oaktech]

yup... amen to that. i've caned a 10gb allowance in a weekend doing nothing illegal!

 

the people i was staying with were not amused.

 

oops.

[mac_shinobi]

How much are you willing to spend per month on an internet connection, I know with bethere ( www.bethere.co.uk ) who are under BT / 02 they do an unlimited connection for £18 a month, just checked and it is now £22 per month for the unlimited package

 

I used my own router, kept the router that they sent me which I think has a one off charge of £24 to one side and the only time I had to speak to there tech support was once to find out the relevant settings for the router ( VCC etc ) Can't remember as not configured an ADSL or DSL type router for quite some time.

[Rawns]

If he is a Steam user then any limit is pushing it. Steam sales can result in tens of gigs being downloaded...

 

I hear that!!!!

 

My bandwidth got raped during the Steam summer sale!!! Also, pre-ordering/buying any new Games on Steam result in bandwidth going quickly as they can come in at up to 10Gb these days. Also, if your game library is full and you have auto update enabled on all of your games, then patches and updates can drain a bit more from you!

 

I'm with TalkTalk and have a 40Gb limit but doubled it up to 80Gb as for 3 months in a row, I was hitting 60Gb+ and they said they would start charging me a quid per Gb.

[synaesthesia]

Have any contracts with Sky or O2 for instance? You'll be able to get "unlimited" for around a tenner a month. When I was with O2 it was 7.50 a month for 8mbit and fully unlimited. And trust me, it got *abused*. (Nothing illegal, mind! - circa 80gb a month)

[Arthur]

I'm with ADSL24 and I thought my 60GB (peak) usage allowance was small (offpeak usage is "unlimited" so it's not too bad). I don't know how anyone could cope with 5-10GB.

 

I used my own router

I buy my own routers too, but that's only because I don't want to be tied to my ISP for 12-18 months or end up with a naff router. If required, I can switch to another ISP after one month.

[mac_shinobi]

Have any contracts with Sky or O2 for instance? You'll be able to get "unlimited" for around a tenner a month. When I was with O2 it was 7.50 a month for 8mbit and fully unlimited. And trust me, it got *abused*. (Nothing illegal, mind! - circa 80gb a month)

 

+1 to that , I've got a contract with 02 , only reason I didn't use them for broadband was because I could get 50mbps with virgin media which is clearly a lot faster then the max of 24mbps DSL ( ADSL or otherwise )

[plexer]

I'm with ADSL24 and I thought my 60GB (peak) usage allowance was small (offpeak usage is "unlimited" so it's not too bad). I don't know how anyone could cope with 5-10GB.

 

 

I buy my own routers too, but that's only because I don't want to be tied to my ISP for 12-18 months or end up with a naff router. If required, I can switch to another ISP after one month.

 

Unless you choose sky in which case you cannot use your own router.

 

Ben

[Arthur]

^ Do you know why Sky do this?