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Do NTL/UPC throttle Usenet traffic?

FrankGrimes

I'm on the allegedly 20MB package in D12 and though I never get what should be full speed for a 20MB connection, I can download from websites at about 900KB/s.

I have an account with usenetmonster and downloads from there should be maxing out my connection, and sometimes they do. But it's never too long until they slow down dramatically. I'd say during the week they go to about 500KB/s and then at times, seems to be mostly at the weekend, it goes to about 90KB/s. At those same times I have tested the download speed for HD samples from microsoft.com and I can get 900KB/s on these but yet at the same time my usenet client (GrabIt) can only get 80KB/s.

This points to a level of throttling that would lead me to either go elsewhere entirely or else drop down to one of their cheaper packages as I'm not getting the service I'm paying for right now.

My usenet client normally uses port 119 but I've tried changing it to a few others the provider says they accept but it's no different. One of those ports is 80 and I would have thought I'd get the same speeds on that as I do through my browser (IE7). But instead it starts at about 800KB/s and then rapidly drops to under 100KB/s.

Before I go spend a lifetime getting through to NTL (which involves more than getting the call answered), I thought I'd check to see if anyone else has experienced this or if anyone knows a workaround or can confirm that NTL do throttle usenet.

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Sudsy86

www.opensuse.org

4 options

1 32bit
2 Live Cd
3 Standard http or FTP
4 Live Gnome(its a download mirror)

4Gb file on 20Mb through a linux server,
You should be getting 2.5MB on a 20Mb connection if you have a full DL speed...Anything less than 1.8Mb is a problem...Please direct connect when trying and dont post results done through a router...

You are checking the transfer rate on the file...Leave it DL for about 2mins before checking rate and cancel download after testing...

quarryman

heh? what's that got to do with usenet?

kaimera

working fine for me

quarryman

interesting...

i have to give that sabanazzedd program a go.

Tazzle

I've always got upwards of 2.3MBs on mine too. UPC Cork. Dutch Server.

hightower1

wayne040576 wrote: »

I know I can't prove any thing ins this regard but I have some suspicions. I think they auto throttle people if they've had a lot of activity over a short period. I usually don't do much downloading except when I buy games over steam etc. I usually notice my speed going down after downloading a new game for a few days.
For example, I bought a game on Thursday night over Gamersgate. It was an 8GB download and I left it running through the night. My connection speed has dropped considerably since then over the last 2 days on a 20mb line. I've had a lot of connection timeouts on many websites.

Of course, it could be argued that because it's a long weekend, more people are online bringing down the total speed.

Even if they were to throttle connections its stated in their terms and conditions that they reserve the right to do so at any stage if they deem its needed. Seems harsh but it was part of their conditions openly available to read to any potential customers.

http://www.upc.ie/termsandconditions/

paragraph 23.1 reads...

INTERNET SERVICES TERMS AND CONDITIONS
23. Internet Services
23.1 We reserve the right to monitor and control data volume and/or types of traffic
transmitted via the Internet Services as well as monitoring the Services for abuse or
breach under the Agreement or User Policy. We reserve the right to restrict access to
the Services and to impose data traffic restrictions at our discretion, in order to
implement new facilities, allow data retrieval and maintain Service levels. You expressly
accept that any such actions on our part may affect the quality and availability of the
Internet Services.

As I said, seems harsh but its what you signed on the dotted line to agree with.

nickhx

Just wondering whether any one else is experiencing low speeds with Astraweb recently?

I am wondering whether UPC have started throttling Usenet / Astraweb traffic as the download normally starts at around 1000k per sec and then reduces to around 400k per sec...

Anyone else experiencing similar issues?

Cheers

FloatingVoter

No, I'm getting 2 MB/s most hours. Maybe slowing to 1.3 or 1.4 in the evenings.

[Deleted User]

nickhx wrote: »

Just wondering whether any one else is experiencing low speeds with Astraweb recently?

I am wondering whether UPC have started throttling Usenet / Astraweb traffic as the download normally starts at around 1000k per sec and then reduces to around 400k per sec...

Anyone else experiencing similar issues?

Cheers

Fine here also, i believe Astraweb have been having a few problems of late, im getting a few missing filles here and there.

Elessar

Make sure you're using the SSL connection aswell. I'm generally always getting 2MB/s except in the evenings.

nickhx

Which server are you using? I'm using ssl-eu.astraweb.com tonight and only getting 200k download speed...

aidodo

I was getting 1 Mbs with UPC/Astraweb up until about 2 weeks ago and am only less than 200k usually.

Tazzle

I'm still getting a solid 2.3 all day every day with my usenet provider, Cork City.

AlmightyCushion

Still haven't moved into my new place yet but I was downloading off astraweb at over 2MBps. Doesn't seem like they are.

FloatingVoter

Still maxing out my connection here most times (EU Astraweb server). I just hope they don't start throttling when/if the torrent kiddies fleeing from TPB and Mininova climb on board.

ozt9vdujny3srf

Only scanned through the thread, so his may have already been mentioned, but anyone who finds their bandwidth is too low who is on a wireless connection should first make sure the bottleneck isn't their wireless link.

craichoe

Was getting 13.4 megabytes / second on Astraweb with 8 concurrent connections with UPC Netherlands.

Getting around 3.7 megabytes /second since i've gone back down to 30mbit.

Skittle

You're obviously not in Ireland then

cassette50

Having been using Astraweb with UPC/NTL 10mb service for the last year so, however for the last day or so I'm only getting pretty crap speeds (around 150-200kbs intermittently). Each article is downloading very slowly in little bursts....

Before I could max out the connection.

Anyone have trouble downloading from Astraweb this weekend?

FloatingVoter

Nope, downloaded about 2 GB in 10 minutes this morning.

Though I am on the 20 Mb package from upc.

aidodo

Astraweb is the problem here not UPC. I was having problems so I changed news providers and getting getting over 1Mbs again.

aaronm13

I'm on NTl 20mb connection and signed up to Astraweb since March and always get my full connection if not more all of the time but over the weekend speeds have slowed to a crawl for me maybe 100-300 kbs. Just trying now and speeds are still crap, wonder what my problem is.

cassette50

Everything seems to be back to normal again.

bob123456

Why use usenet when there's Megaupload, Rapidshare ect and programs like Jdownloader to automate your downloads.

Not sure if I can mention here the main sites for downloading here?

AlmightyCushion

bob123456 wrote: »

Why use usenet when there's Megaupload, Rapidshare ect and programs like Jdownloader to automate your downloads.

Not sure if I can mention here the main sites for downloading here?

No download limit when usenet plus there are programs that automate your downloads with usenet. I can also get my pc at home to download from usenet from anywhere in the world as long as I have an internet connection. Even from my phone which is nice.

Bu11et_Proof

Have to say Usenet is great, I'm on 20mb UPC highest I've gone to was 28mb one day. I'm with astraweb unlimited, leave my popcorn box on 24/7 and it takes care of everything unraring, repairing, the lot.

1 million times better than rapidshare and anything I've come across in my years online. Mainly use NZBmatrix, nzbindex.nl, filesharingtalk to search for my NZB's

The odd time there is slowness but I find this is sometimes down to the age of the file

kida

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

No download limit when usenet plus there are programs that automate your downloads with usenet. I can also get my pc at home to download from usenet from anywhere in the world as long as I have an internet connection. Even from my phone which is nice.

sorry for digging this up - but curious as to how you do this?

j4vier

sorry to dig up an old thread but having the same issue as described in the op

basically i ve always been getting top speeds from astraweb

i am on the 120 mb

but for the last 2 nights i have been going as fast as a 2 mb

as far as a speedtest reveals, there are no issues there so either its

1 a problem with astraweb or

2 upc limiting my speed with astraweb only

anyone has any idea?

FloatingVoter

It is looking like a distinct possibility. Same here - getting less than 1 Mb/s speeds over the weekend and today. Speedtests confirm my 100 Mb/s line is performing OK.

Its also covered in this thread http://www.boards.ie/ttfthread/2056899120/1#post83585201

kleefarr

Do you get max download speed with a download manager?
I use www.freedownloadmanager.org with Easynews and generally max out all the time on 8mb.