Comments on: Is your ISP cheating you? https://habitablezone.com/2011/08/12/is-your-isp-cheating-you/ Mon, 20 Apr 2026 21:56:17 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Eri https://habitablezone.com/2011/08/12/is-your-isp-cheating-you/#comment-4889 Eri Tue, 16 Aug 2011 17:48:22 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=3059#comment-4889 I have Time Warner. My download speed was under par, though not too far, last time I checked but my upload speed sucked. There are times I can't watch a video because it takes so much time to load, it keeps stopping to catch up. Like you, I want what I damn well pay for. I have Time Warner. My download speed was under par, though not too far, last time I checked but my upload speed sucked. There are times I can’t watch a video because it takes so much time to load, it keeps stopping to catch up. Like you, I want what I damn well pay for.

]]> By: Robert https://habitablezone.com/2011/08/12/is-your-isp-cheating-you/#comment-4869 Robert Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:24:23 +0000 http://habitablezone.com/?p=3059#comment-4869 I didn't read it that way, though my personal experience would lead me to expect that they're robbing me blind. The report claims that, <i>on average</i>, the ISPs deliver close to their advertised "up to" speeds. Do you perchance have one of the bottom feeders like CableVision or Qwest? According to the last ComCast tech I talked to, I'm in the 12 megabits/second service tier. Because I've lately been building a media center PC that needs lots of bandwidth for streaming video, I've been testing my bandwidth regularly, using at least three services. I consistently get 5 Mb/S, and it's very stable, +/- 0.5. But there's a mindblowing exception: Sometimes, usually late at night, their "PowerBoost" feature kicks in, and I briefly get <i>36</i>, and once even <i>72</i>, Mb/S speed. Which tells me that the system is capable of delivering 72 to the "top tier" customers, and that what I get is clearly the result of ComCast throttling my cable modem. And they're setting it down to 5, not the 12 that I pay for. I shall be having a word with ComCast SOON. Oh, and my Internet service is going from $55/month to $70/month because I cancelled my cable TV service, thus losing the $15 discount from bundling the services. ComCast is determined to get its pound of flesh one way or another. $70/month for 5 megabits is a ripoff by the standards of modern technology. I didn’t read it that way, though my personal experience would lead me to expect that they’re robbing me blind. The report claims that, on average, the ISPs deliver close to their advertised “up to” speeds. Do you perchance have one of the bottom feeders like CableVision or Qwest?

According to the last ComCast tech I talked to, I’m in the 12 megabits/second service tier. Because I’ve lately been building a media center PC that needs lots of bandwidth for streaming video, I’ve been testing my bandwidth regularly, using at least three services. I consistently get 5 Mb/S, and it’s very stable, +/- 0.5.

But there’s a mindblowing exception: Sometimes, usually late at night, their “PowerBoost” feature kicks in, and I briefly get 36, and once even 72, Mb/S speed.

Which tells me that the system is capable of delivering 72 to the “top tier” customers, and that what I get is clearly the result of ComCast throttling my cable modem. And they’re setting it down to 5, not the 12 that I pay for. I shall be having a word with ComCast SOON.

Oh, and my Internet service is going from $55/month to $70/month because I cancelled my cable TV service, thus losing the $15 discount from bundling the services. ComCast is determined to get its pound of flesh one way or another.

$70/month for 5 megabits is a ripoff by the standards of modern technology.

]]>