[TelstraClear] Is Steam still unmetered?

Forums › Vodafone New Zealand › [TelstraClear] Is Steam still unmetered?

dancorn

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

Topic # 113042 3-Jan-2013 15:17

As the title says I'm just wondering if steam downloads are still unmetered from the telstra content server?
I've gone over my cap less than halfway through the month after downloading what I thought was unmetered content. I am using 3rd party software to ensure it was downloaded from the telstra steam content server, and I have done it before and had no trouble.
When I called customer support to enquire about this the operator had no idea and could only tell me that I have gone over my data allowance which was the reason I was calling in the first place.

hio77

'That VDSL Cat'
8446 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1816

Trusted

Spark

Subscriber

Reply # 739777 3-Jan-2013 15:45

problem is with steam, is the new download format they are using is done over HTTP rather than their content servers..

last i checked, the tools didnt support limiting access to downloading off only your ISPs server for HTTP downloads due to the nature of how the content is provided..

unmetered of steam downloads is somewhat of a bonus, not to be expected ;) at lest some of yours are unmetered...

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

lurker

658 posts

Ultimate Geek
+1 received by user: 96

Subscriber

Reply # 739784 3-Jan-2013 15:51

Yes, TCL customer service don't know what Steam is unfortunately - I called them recently to see if something would be happening with cable caps since I dropped down to 40GB because of the unmetered Steam content (which accounts for most of my downloads). And like you, I got told about which page shows me the unmetered sites, which I already know thanks.

But, if not already, soon the Steam content server that provided us with unmetered Steam content will be doing diddly for anybody.

Looking around I found that for the same price I can get 200GB off Vodafone's ADSL so might have to change over. It's really annoying because the unmetered Steam content was a big bonus for me. With the limited caps (compared to other ISPs) TCL need to do something, if you check the other forums where this subject is discussed, TCL reps are doing things for people that complain, ie special deals.

Axident

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 740734 6-Jan-2013 19:57

I got a few new/old games in the Steam sale this year. Downloaded a couple and checked that they were in fact downloading from the TCL steam server - the download indicator said they were in fact coming through TCL. I figured that since they were older games they had them cached on their server and all was good. Now, apparently, I've used 20% of my traffic for this month, so obviously they weren't coming from there.

I've been with TCL a long time and have been happy with them, but now I think there's nothing to do but dump them. I simply can't afford any of their larger plans, which at any rate are just hopelessly outdated, outmoded and overpriced. The net has moved on and they haven't. I think it's telling that they were trumpeting their Steam cache for gamers even as Steam was moving to a network model that made the local cache system a relic, yet TCL still thought they were being hip and groovy. When one of the largest content distributors in the world is unusable because of your ISP's completely backward and out-of-touch management and attitudes, you know it's time to look for greener pastures.

hio77

'That VDSL Cat'
8446 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1816

Trusted

Spark

Subscriber

Reply # 740744 6-Jan-2013 20:06

Axident: I got a few new/old games in the Steam sale this year. Downloaded a couple and checked that they were in fact downloading from the TCL steam server - the download indicator said they were in fact coming through TCL. I figured that since they were older games they had them cached on their server and all was good. Now, apparently, I've used 20% of my traffic for this month, so obviously they weren't coming from there.

I've been with TCL a long time and have been happy with them, but now I think there's nothing to do but dump them. I simply can't afford any of their larger plans, which at any rate are just hopelessly outdated, outmoded and overpriced. The net has moved on and they haven't. I think it's telling that they were trumpeting their Steam cache for gamers even as Steam was moving to a network model that made the local cache system a relic, yet TCL still thought they were being hip and groovy. When one of the largest content distributors in the world is unusable because of your ISP's completely backward and out-of-touch management and attitudes, you know it's time to look for greener pastures.

that little box in steam that says where its coming from doesnt mean anything.. steam likes to multithread downloads when coming off content servers thus pulling data off say orcons cache server (as commonly the case is..)

this then still counts on your usage.

you shouldn't rely on the zero rating but take it as a bonus when it happens..

with the way that steam is moving onto HTTP downloads, picking an ISP because they host a content server isn't an option really...

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.

Axident

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

Reply # 740775 6-Jan-2013 21:43

hio77:

with the way that steam is moving onto HTTP downloads, picking an ISP because they host a content server isn't an option really...

Entirely agree. And it shouldn't have to be. Valve are moving to the distributed HTTP model because they didn't seriously think there was any significant market in the civilized world that still dealt with miniscule data caps. Finding a ISP with a content server isn't practical, but finding one with a far more reasonable and realistic data cap is.

hio77

'That VDSL Cat'
8446 posts

Uber Geek
+1 received by user: 1816

Trusted

Spark

Subscriber

Reply # 740777 6-Jan-2013 21:52

Axident:
hio77:

with the way that steam is moving onto HTTP downloads, picking an ISP because they host a content server isn't an option really...

Entirely agree. And it shouldn't have to be. Valve are moving to the distributed HTTP model because they didn't seriously think there was any significant market in the civilized world that still dealt with miniscule data caps. Finding a ISP with a content server isn't practical, but finding one with a far more reasonable and realistic data cap is.

another thing to note is without reasonable peering and transit its actually slower..

cant use my connection as an example... but on a friends, steam content servers pushing 1.8MB/s where as a HTTP server (connecting to their lax servers however..) horrid ..

that was on a slingshot unlimited connection so cant really expect too much in terms of the international transit there.. but yes, totally agree.. seem to think it through at all.

sounds like that may have been rather isolated and down to peering..

heres a list of games that still use the old system.. http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3025212 getting to the point where isps might be better off changing the cache servers to transparent cache servers dedicated to catching steam games (if thats even possible..)

#include <std_disclaimer>

Any comments made are personal opinion and do not reflect directly on the position my current or past employers may have.