PDA

View Full Version : Broadband - 500k unlimited Vs 1Mb Limited


BALIX
27th Oct 2004, 20:35
I'm currently with Wanadoo broadband having been with Freeserve. The Freeserve service was unlimited at 512 kbs and costs £27-99 per month. Wanadoo will, for the time being, honour those agreements made with Freeserve but are obviously wanting to switch people to thier limited packages.

On offer is a 1mbs service with a monthly limit of 30 gb for the same price. Is this a good deal? Does the double speed make any real difference? Am I likely to reach that 30 gb limit before the end of the month? Is this 'download' limit affected by uploading?

I currently have two PCs connected to the unlimited service, one of which is used only for prooning and other surfing so I suspect it wouldn't scratch the surface of 30 gb. The other, however, is connected to a hub and is constantly transferring files both in and out, mainly video streaming.

I guess I'll get advice telling me to kick Wanadoo in to touch and find a decent ISP but I can't really be arsed changing provider. However, if the pros of limited 1MB otweigh those of unlimited 512kb I will change packages.

Thanks in advance...

EGLD
27th Oct 2004, 21:19
I download a serious amount of stuff, and just about hit 1gb a day on average, so if you're a normal web user, who doesn't download - ahem - CD's worth of stuff per day, 30gb will be fine, and that sounds like a very good deal

I'm on an unlimited connection with Zen for a shade under 40 quid a month

EGLD

SoftTop
28th Oct 2004, 05:28
I'm with Pipex on a 1meg unlimited package for (from memory) about 30 quid.

The only benefit I've noticed is on download speeds. The uplink stayed at 256 so the boys' gaming didn't benefit from an improved ping. They're gutted.:ouch:

mikedurward
28th Oct 2004, 07:11
Hiya

The main problem with upgrading is the fact that on the whole you will not see a heap lot of difference. This is because MOST sites you visit or download from are limited to the speed you can draw info from them. Some are choked at 256K. So you MAY be able to download from 4 sites at once but in my experience this is a rare occurance. I personally would stick to the umlimited version.


Cheers

Mike

cuthbeg
3rd Nov 2004, 13:39
One thing to bear in mind is that your limit eg 30Gb per month is calculated as download AND upload not just download.

30Gb is a lot of data why not put on net meter or something similar (easily downloaded and installed) this will give you an idea of your monthly usage before you take the plunge.

Have you asked what the price per Gb is f you exceed your capped limits?

Chipzilla
3rd Nov 2004, 14:03
There are plenty of cheap, unmetered ISPs. Have a look on http://www.adslguide.org.uk/isps/summarylist.asp

You can sort them by cost vs. speed...

BALIX
3rd Nov 2004, 17:17
Thanks for the advice. I'll probably stick with what I've got for a while as the unlimited bit seems to be better value than the double speed. Especially since my son reckons he uploads well over a gig a day. Not sure I believe him but just to be on the safe side...

Front_Seat_Dreamer
3rd Nov 2004, 19:33
BALIX

I download enormous amounts of data and also use my system to support others so get a lot of daily traffic. I have access to both 512 and 2mb connections. Granted the 2mb is super fast in the morning but come wakey wakey time across the pond it drops noticably. Hence most of the time you are paying for extra bandwidth that you will struggle to use.

I would suggest trying a demo copy of DU Meter available on a 30 day trial from www.dumeter.com it will let you know exactly what kind of data you are shifting. It will certainly be an eye opener.