Sorry if this is a dumb question. But how does your broadband allowance get used up? Is it just by surfing the net, downloading music?
the kids and I all use the pc, but each month I am getting emails from BT informing me that I going over my 15GB monthly allowance. I know I can upgrade, but its another £7 quid a month.
goodbyegirl Sat 22/11/08 10:42
To subscribe to this question you need to
sign in to the AnswerBank or register
if you are not already a member. All you need is a valid email address to register.
|
|
Question Author
Thanks Ethel. I am in a contact with BT, so dont think I can get out of it.
Would the kids using youtube be the video streaming you mentioned.. as they tend to go on that a lot.
sorry, really am useless with pc..
|
|
|
EVERYTHING you look at on the internet (text, pictures, sounds, movies etc) is downloaded to your computer.
So this ALL counts towards your monthly allowance.
Having said that, for general surfing then 15Gb is a lot so doubt you would break that just general surfing.
What does really eat up your broadband allowance is downloading music, but more importantly videos or movies.
If any of your family are downloading feature films they could be 1G or 2Gb (or more) EACH so download a few films and you have broken your limit.
Check if any of your family are using products like Limewire, or if they use Torrents, as they are used for download videos or movies.
Normally people who are using Limewire or Torrents leave their computer on all the itme (or over night) so if one of your kids asks for the computer to be left on then they are proabably downloading music or films.
|
|
|
Everything you do.
If you view a web page then that page is being downloaded to your computer so you can view it. If you receive an Email that mail is being downloaded to your computer so you can read it.
Obviously any thing you actually download, like music, movies or any other file is also using up your allowance.
On top of that your computer will be download updates for windows, your anti virus software and probably several other bits of software automatically in the background that will all count towards it.
I would never recomend thaty anyone gets a broadband deal with a cap on it's usage because it's so easy to use it up and not realise.
|
|
|
Question Author
Thanks VHG, I only download the odd tune from Itunes, but 16 yr old daughter does go on Limewire, so that could be it then. Also spends a lot of time on Youtube.
We never download films. And pc is always switched off at night.
Will have a word with her tonight!
|
|
|
Yes you tube very defiantly counts towards it, and will use up a lot of your allowance!
Thats probably where it is mainly being used if they are on you tube a lot.
|
|
|
Question Author
hi Chuck, this is all an eye opener to me (told you I was thick!)
Yeah, I didnt realise about the allowance when I signed up with BT.
I could pay the extra £7 a month to upgrade the to the next package, but then its bringing it to nearly £25 a month...
better get off pc now... and theres me blaming the kids!!
Thanks for your help :-)
|
|
|
>better get off pc now... and theres me blaming the kids!!
As I already said, simple surfing will not each up much of your allowance.
It is the video files that are the killer.
One download of a video could equate to a hours "normal" surfing.
|
|
|
Question Author
Thanks ACtheTROLL for that.. and again to VHG
|
|
|
yeah, using electricity as an analogy... you posting on answerbank is like puttin a low energy lightbulb on..... your kids downloading music is like putting one of them electric bar heaters on full blast for a couple of hours.
|
|
|
Another thing .... almost but not quite explained is that websites are passive
that means that you download the page .... and all the pikkies ... and that's it .... no more usage until you click another link .... so you can leave it up all night .......
and you're not downloading anything ....
if you go to the next page ... if the pikkies are already there ... you only download the new words .... so estimating usage is very hard
|
|
|
Question Author
mandimoo, problem is (and which I overlooked) was that we have a very old pc upstairs in daughters bedroom (with limewire on it) and this lap top, which doesnt.
All the video viewing and downloading is done from the other pc. Have had a word with kids :-)
|
|
|
Question Author
Thanks again AC, will install the program you suggested. I didnt realise15GB was a large allowance, until Ethel pointed it out. But its pretty obvious I am not very well geared up on PC jargon :-(
|
|
|
15 is only big if you surf
if you tube and lime ... it's a drop in the ocean
it's about 3-4 DVDs - so a couple of games and a film ... and you are over your limit
|
|
|
Question Author
so another question then AC, my son has the Xbox, and downloads demos of games. So would this be included in our allowance too?
|
|
|
15gb is a fairly large cap for 1 person that just surfs and emails. For a family it's not enough.
On another note, stop your children using limewire. your lucky if the only problem is going over your download limit so far.
children using limewire is as likely to either result in them downloading a really nasty virus (that could get your on-line banking details and so on) or you getting prosecuted for illegal music downloads
|
|
|
goodbyegirl ,
Everything you download is included in the download count.
So yes xbox counts as well!
|
|
|
Question Author
chuck, I mentioned all this to daughter tonight, she tells me she doesnt used Limewire now, (but it is still on the pc) I never really approved of her using it in the first place.
|
|
Credit Card Debt Consolidation | Find job | Problem Mortgage | Free Advertising | Cheap Hotels in Poland
