[WXC/VFX] The Torrent plan and what it's done...

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49 posts

Geek

#175149 1-Nov-2008 19:28

sbiddle:
People seem to think they are being hard done by in NZ and paying too much for internet access and getting low speeds and caps. The reality is you aren't. Prices here in NZ are better than many people are paying in Aussie and speed issues are something affecting everybody.

I disagree with this, I was on IInet in Australia for 2years, and the service was awesome, was on a 60gig plan, 20gig peak and 40 gig off peak and I was only paying $79.95 australian for this.....can you point to anywhere in NZ that has similar? And that was with ADSL2

I had phenomenal speeds and I wish I still had it.

I think the difference in Aussie is ALOT of ISPS have their own network in telstra exchanges.

Realistically we still dont have decent competition until ISps start their own DSlams.

photoman

217 posts

Master Geek

#175240 2-Nov-2008 12:55

Talkiet:
photoman:snip]Not quite the potential FREE 75GB I'm entitled to. I say entitled to as I'm paying higher rates during peak hours for the priviledge of the free downloads.[snip]

I wish people would stop trotting out this rubbish. It's just been clearly proven that 75GB uncharged for between the hours of midnight to 8am, even on a subset of the Xnet customer base brought the system to it's knees. Xnet are entitled to do pretty muwhatever they need to do to restore sane network usage and performance.

I'm aftraid they are entitled to manage their customers' usage FAR more than you are 'entitled' to your free 75GB.

And that line about being entitled to it because of the higher rates you pay during the rest of the day? Rubbish. Even at $1.50/GB, they are among the very cheapest on the market - plus add to that the fact that the serious torrenters don't want to use ANY real traffic (a few gig for browsing mostly) outside of their "free" time, and it's clear that the higher per GB charge does nothing to contribute to the free usage.

You get what you pay for - and that's currently what the torrent users are experiencing.

I presume people aren't annoyed because they are getting the service they pay for - I presume that are annoyed because they are NOT getting a VASTLY better service than they are paying for.

As many people have found - switch off the torrent plan and things get a whole lot better.

Perhaps after the compulsory minimum period you signed up to the torrent plan for expires, you can switch back to the Pay Per Gig plan yourself? How long ago did you join and how long till you're allowed to switch plans?

Cheers - N

It isn't rubbish! They offer a plan which entitles you to download up to 75GB per month without being charged. Even if I could find 75GB worth of stuff to download, it is physically impossible for me to do so at present speeds. For this, I pay extra during peak hours.

I suppose if you went out and bought a new holden with the current offer of saving $1 a litre for the next two years, and when you went for a fillup it was only a saving a 25 centds, that in your book would be OK.

cafeg

697 posts

Ultimate Geek

Trusted

#175241 2-Nov-2008 13:04

Ok, a question.
If we are on the torrent plan are we being shaped by xnet between the hours of 12am to 8am and are the people not on the torrent plan not shaped ?

Once it hits 8am you can see everything startup just like a switch has been flicked..

Baboon

386 posts

Ultimate Geek

#175243 2-Nov-2008 13:16

We wouldn't be angry with Xnet if only the description of their plans bore some resemblance to reality. And really, even though they now admit (if only on their website! Not necessarily over the phone with a supposedly new customer *cough*) the Torrent plan is only good for torrents, I don't think that is good enough. It's like selling a car that's only good for driving down avenues and lanes, but not streets. People expect - quite reasonably IMO - a broadband internet connection to allow them to do more, e.g. browse the web, IM, game, etc. Not just download with BitTorrent - and slowly with constant extreme packet loss at that!

I really don't understand how anyone can reasonably defend Xnet at this point. It would have been good business to either have altered the plan and/or their network to make it work (not break it more as they did!), or done away with the Torrent plan altogether. Xnet seems to believe they can fix the situation by making the Torrent plan worse. That just isn't right in my book.

"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us."

- Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)

Tunk

35 posts

Geek

#175250 2-Nov-2008 13:55

Baboon: We wouldn't be angry with Xnet if only the description of their plans bore some resemblance to reality. And really, even though they now admit (if only on their website! Not necessarily over the phone with a supposedly new customer *cough*) the Torrent plan is only good for torrents, I don't think that is good enough. It's like selling a car that's only good for driving down avenues and lanes, but not streets. People expect - quite reasonably IMO - a broadband internet connection to allow them to more, e.g. browse the web, IM, game, etc. Not just download with BitTorrent - and slowly with constant extreme packet loss at that!

I really don't understand how anyone can reasonably defend Xnet at this point. It would have been good business to either have altered the plan and/or their network to make it work (not break it more as they did!), or done away with the Torrent plan altogether. Xnet seems to believe they can fix the situation by making the Torrent plan worse. That just isn't right in my book.

This is exactly how I feel.
If I were to compare it to a electricity company its the same as saying you get 75kw/h free after hours, then having brownouts.
Or a taxi selling you a $70 night owl concession ticket, and driving at 3km a hour after hours.

Its all nice and wonderful for people to say change providers, but quite frankly its got to the point im sick of it.
You pay to connect, you pay to disconnect, and you possibly pay other fees (eg telecom line required, naked switching etc).
Though the early disconnect fee isnt really a issue for old xnet customers it is for new, and pretty much every other isp out there.

Its also nice for people to call others 'leachers' and all sorts of weird and wonderful names mixed with accusations, but keep in mind the targets are also paying customers, you cannot blame them for using the services they are paying for.

It is the providers failure to provide that is the problem here, and they should be the target of your venom.
NOT other customers.

attilathegorilla

213 posts

Master Geek

#175254 2-Nov-2008 14:21

cafeg: Ok, a question.
If we are on the torrent plan are we being shaped by xnet between the hours of 12am to 8am and are the people not on the torrent plan not shaped ?

Once it hits 8am you can see everything startup just like a switch has been flicked..

Hmmm while I was on the Torrent plan, I scheduled utorrent to stop at or just before 8 am. I assume most others would be doing the same, that could be the reason why the network is suddenly back to beyond dial-up speeds at 8.00.

If honest work and justice are not enough - we'll get a lawyer.

Kyro

74 posts

Master Geek

#175262 2-Nov-2008 15:24

photoman :They offer a plan which entitles you to download up to 75GB per month without being charged

So you take the same point of view when ISP's say up to MAX ADSL2+ speeds... ?

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Talkiet

4792 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#175263 2-Nov-2008 15:31

Kyro:
photoman :They offer a plan which entitles you to download up to 75GB per month without being charged
So you take the same point of view when ISP's say up to MAX ADSL2+ speeds... ?

He shoots, he SCORES!!!

Nice call.

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Prime

49 posts

Geek

#175264 2-Nov-2008 15:38

Talkiet:
Kyro:
photoman :They offer a plan which entitles you to download up to 75GB per month without being charged
So you take the same point of view when ISP's say up to MAX ADSL2+ speeds... ?

He shoots, he SCORES!!!

Nice call.

Cheers - N

And you would be happy if you were connected upto ADSL2 but only being delivered a dial up service and paying full price?

Baboon

386 posts

Ultimate Geek

#175265 2-Nov-2008 15:39

Kyro:
photoman :They offer a plan which entitles you to download up to 75GB per month without being charged
So you take the same point of view when ISP's say up to MAX ADSL2+ speeds... ?

With all due respect, I don't believe anyone who's been online for as long as most of us have that can fail to see the difference. For example: would you tolerate (and please forgive the tortured analogy :-D I'm tired and it's the best I can come up with) going to a pizza joint with your co-workers to partake in a ten pizzas for $50 deal valid between the hours of 11am and 1pm, only to discover the pizza joint was taking 30 minutes to cook each pizza one at a time, thus ensuring you could never even get half the pizzas you expected?

Would you consider that fair? I certainly wouldn't.

"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us."

- Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)

Talkiet

4792 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#175267 2-Nov-2008 15:48

Prime:
Talkiet:
Kyro:
photoman :They offer a plan which entitles you to download up to 75GB per month without being charged
So you take the same point of view when ISP's say up to MAX ADSL2+ speeds... ?

He shoots, he SCORES!!!

Nice call.

Cheers - N

And you would be happy if you were connected upto ADSL2 but only being delivered a dial up service and paying full price?

No, I wouldn't be _happy_, but I also wouldn't expect the supplying company to build extra network (a new cabinet, or replacing copper lines) unless it also worked financially for them.

The point I believe Kyro was making was that the 75GB is "UP TO 75GB" and not in fact "We guarantee you that you will be able to DL 75GB in the offpeak hours as defined for the Torrent plan".

Fortunately, there is a very, VERY simple solution to all these problems. Vote with your wallet. Either pay for a better account, or take your money elsewhere. Continual whining about how people feel entitled to 75GB free (and no, the slightly higher offpeak doesn't make up for it) is even more tiresome than me pointing out that no company should be required to continue supporting a money losing product.

Xnet could have handled it better, but when it comes down to it, we're all willing consumers and we're free to take our money elsewhere.

The fact that people are whining but STILL STAYING says to me that they still believe Xnet offers the best plan for their needs. (Minus a small inconvenience factor for switching ISPs).

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Baboon

386 posts

Ultimate Geek

#175269 2-Nov-2008 15:51

Prime:
Talkiet:
Kyro:
photoman :They offer a plan which entitles you to download up to 75GB per month without being charged
So you take the same point of view when ISP's say up to MAX ADSL2+ speeds... ?

He shoots, he SCORES!!!

Nice call.

Cheers - N

And you would be happy if you were connected up to ADSL2 but only being delivered a dial up service and paying full price?

And that's the point - there is a reasonable expectation by all but the most obtuse users that saying up to 75GB for free means one has a decent chance of being able to achieve that. Certainly when it's no problem downloading that much on any other broadband plan. The fact that Xnet charges two-and-a-half times the usual rate after 75GB's suggests it was supposed to be possible. But really that doesn't matter. What it comes down to is we expected a plan as good as the regular one - simply with different pricing, not different performance.

EDIT: I obviously should have said: "What it comes down to is we expected a plan as good as the regular one - simply with different pricing AND DIFFERENT USAGE PATTERNS ENCOURAGED (e.g. USE OF WASTED OFF-PEAK BANDWIDTH), not different performance."

"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us."

- Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)

Talkiet

4792 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

#175270 2-Nov-2008 15:55

Baboon: [snip]What it comes down to is we expected a plan as good as the regular one - simply with different pricing, not different performance.

I don't believe I snipped anything that would affect context here...

So, you simply expected a plan that would cost a lot less for your usage to have the same performance?

Or to put it another way, you only expected to PAY LESS than the regular plan, and get the same performance?

I rest my case.

Cheers - N

Please note all comments are from my own brain and don't necessarily represent the position or opinions of my employer, previous employers, colleagues, friends or pets.

Baboon

386 posts

Ultimate Geek

#175272 2-Nov-2008 16:08

Talkiet:
Baboon: [snip]What it comes down to is we expected a plan as good as the regular one - simply with different pricing, not different performance.

I don't believe I snipped anything that would affect context here...

So, you simply expected a plan that would cost a lot less for your usage to have the same performance?

Or to put it another way, you only expected to PAY LESS than the regular plan, and get the same performance?

I rest my case.

Cheers - N

Oh give me a break! Need I explain the concept of peak and non-peak hours, unused/overused bandwidth at various times, etc? *sigh*

"The surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that it has never tried to contact us."

- Calvin and Hobbes (Bill Watterson)

attilathegorilla

213 posts

Master Geek

#175283 2-Nov-2008 16:57

He still doesn`t get it, after 22 pages.

If honest work and justice are not enough - we'll get a lawyer.

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