[TelstraClear] Internet usage alert email from TelstraClear

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freitasm

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Geekzone

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# 94726 17-Dec-2011 10:42

I have received an alert saying I was at 80% of my usage, and today I got one about having used six blocks already.

Is just me, or do people notice the email notifications are not that reliable in terms of timely delivery? I mean, I never got the 100% usage alert, neither an alert for any of the previous five blocks of data.

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Master Geek

# 559028 17-Dec-2011 17:20

I get the 80% ones, but the last couple of times I've never received the 100%

th3r3turn

258 posts

Ultimate Geek
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# 559069 17-Dec-2011 19:06

yea we get them way too late! most times when i get 80% mark email, i get one just after saying im 6-8 blocks over.

Behodar

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# 559082 17-Dec-2011 19:46

I've received 80% (and probably 100%) notifications in the middle of the night when I don't even have any computers turned on. They're definitely not timely.

Tinshed

277 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 559259 18-Dec-2011 16:33

Me too. Received a 80% usage about 24-36 hours ago, and now a 100% usage. Web-site is down so can't check the actual usage but I am surprised, to say the least.

Tinshed
Wellington, New Zealand

Ropata

262 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 561299 24-Dec-2011 22:45

I'm getting them every ten minutes at the moment. Oh by the way, all i'm doing is downloading a game on their so called "unmetered" steam server. Honestly, why the hell do they bother.

shry

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

# 562834 30-Dec-2011 11:46

Ropata: I'm getting them every ten minutes at the moment. Oh by the way, all i'm doing is downloading a game on their so called "unmetered" steam server. Honestly, why the hell do they bother.

Funny you should say that, i have my firewall to block all outgoing steam traffic execpt for telstraclears servers, and i have used over 40 gig that seems to be metered... just this morning on my first day of the new month, downloading from steam has cost me 9 gig

Ropata

262 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 562924 30-Dec-2011 16:01

Yeah i have been running all the third party apps too. Nothing works. In fact it seems to want to connect to anything but telstra.

shry

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

# 562948 30-Dec-2011 17:41

wow so i called telstra, 1 min wait (yay) followed by 37mins of arguing (boo)

the guy told me that if i was using the 3rd party applications to block steam and it was set up correctly it wouldnt be metered, of course he couldnt say what the settings where (fair enough), and if it was still metered then it was probably due to updating steam or due to load of their servers steam switched to another server (but hang on, he just said if it was set up properly it wouldnt be metered)

anyways i told him it seems to be since they did the unmetered weekend, and on the same pc with the same settings it was unmetered beforehand (130gig one weekend!) so without any changes changes at my end how could it suddenly be metered

37 mins later and its going to (probably) be investigated, but geez was it difficult to get it that far

At the end of the day i accept that there may be some leakage... but nearly 50 gig, i dont think so

DonGould

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# 562952 30-Dec-2011 17:56

shry: wow so i called telstra, 1 min wait (yay) followed by 37mins of arguing (boo)

the guy told me that if i was using the 3rd party applications to block steam and it was set up correctly it wouldnt be metered, of course he couldnt say what the settings where (fair enough), and if it was still metered then it was probably due to updating steam or due to load of their servers steam switched to another server (but hang on, he just said if it was set up properly it wouldnt be metered)

anyways i told him it seems to be since they did the unmetered weekend, and on the same pc with the same settings it was unmetered beforehand (130gig one weekend!) so without any changes changes at my end how could it suddenly be metered

37 mins later and its going to (probably) be investigated, but geez was it difficult to get it that far

At the end of the day i accept that there may be some leakage... but nearly 50 gig, i dont think so

Isn't this really an issue you should take up with Steam to provide some software that can be locked to a specific host and only that host?

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Behodar

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# 562953 30-Dec-2011 17:57

shry:
Ropata: I'm getting them every ten minutes at the moment. Oh by the way, all i'm doing is downloading a game on their so called "unmetered" steam server. Honestly, why the hell do they bother.

Funny you should say that, i have my firewall to block all outgoing steam traffic execpt for telstraclears servers, and i have used over 40 gig that seems to be metered... just this morning on my first day of the new month, downloading from steam has cost me 9 gig

I downloaded Rage (22 GB) on Tuesday and it was definitely unmetered because my total for this month is only 16 GB. Therefore the metering itself seems to be OK.

shry

10 posts

Wannabe Geek

# 562955 30-Dec-2011 18:04

DonGould:
shry: wow so i called telstra, 1 min wait (yay) followed by 37mins of arguing (boo)

the guy told me that if i was using the 3rd party applications to block steam and it was set up correctly it wouldnt be metered, of course he couldnt say what the settings where (fair enough), and if it was still metered then it was probably due to updating steam or due to load of their servers steam switched to another server (but hang on, he just said if it was set up properly it wouldnt be metered)

anyways i told him it seems to be since they did the unmetered weekend, and on the same pc with the same settings it was unmetered beforehand (130gig one weekend!) so without any changes changes at my end how could it suddenly be metered

37 mins later and its going to (probably) be investigated, but geez was it difficult to get it that far

At the end of the day i accept that there may be some leakage... but nearly 50 gig, i dont think so

Isn't this really an issue you should take up with Steam to provide some software that can be locked to a specific host and only that host?

People have already provided the software (admittely 3rd party but it did the job before), what im saying is it was working before the unmetered weekend, after that, it isnt and nothing has changed (at my end), telstraclear are the ones who monitor the usage, bill me, provided the content server, and links to the tools

Ropata

262 posts

Ultimate Geek

# 562975 30-Dec-2011 19:32

Behodar:
shry:
Ropata: I'm getting them every ten minutes at the moment. Oh by the way, all i'm doing is downloading a game on their so called "unmetered" steam server. Honestly, why the hell do they bother.

Funny you should say that, i have my firewall to block all outgoing steam traffic execpt for telstraclears servers, and i have used over 40 gig that seems to be metered... just this morning on my first day of the new month, downloading from steam has cost me 9 gig

I downloaded Rage (22 GB) on Tuesday and it was definitely unmetered because my total for this month is only 16 GB. Therefore the metering itself seems to be OK.

R age is the game i got too. Looks like the whole thing was counted.

johnrambo

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Geek

# 569392 16-Jan-2012 12:05

I've had some experience with the 80% notifications.

Have tried some third party apps to monitor my usage more actively but it seems like TelstraClear has done something to block these services (either that or the third party broadband monitoring software I've got is inefficient).

I wish TelstraClear would have more options to control what happens when you reach X amount of your monthly quota.

Eg: When I go over 50% of my limit I want my broadband speed reduced to X etc. Over 100% turn off internet or 56k equivalent.

Skolink

1080 posts

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# 569435 16-Jan-2012 13:26

johnrambo: I wish TelstraClear would have more options to control what happens when you reach X amount of your monthly quota.

Eg: When I go over 50% of my limit I want my broadband speed reduced to X etc. Over 100% turn off internet or 56k equivalent.

Haven't you seen their advertising? That's an advantage of being with TelstraClear, no slow down when you reach your quota ;-)

I now use a Gargoyle router so that I can do just that. At 95% usage (measured by my router, not Telstra) I set it to throttle way down. Also, when I was sharing with the neighbour I gave her a seperate small quota which throttled when that was exceeded.
It's also very handy for seeing where all your quota went to. I used to have months where I seriously wondered if I had malware lurking.
I used to live in fear of massive overage charges, if for example I accidently left a torrent client running.

jaymz

1094 posts

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# 569480 16-Jan-2012 14:47

For those complaining that their steam download was on the metered connection, i suggest you read this:
http://www.telstraclear.co.nz/sub-sites/gaming-steam/steam-faqs.cfm

Particularly the point that says:
"While TelstraClear have aimed to mirror all of the available Steam content, due to the extensive games catalogue Steam offers which is regularly being added to, neither TelstraClear or Valve can guarantee that any content downloaded through the Steam client will be sourced from the unmetered TelstraClear Steam Content Server. We do expect the majority of users content to come from our server none the less."

As for the emails regarding the usage, mine seem to arrive mainly on/around time, but i have seen a few arrive hours late. It doesn't worry me as my Sonicwall monitors all my download and upload traffic and alerts me when i get close to my cap anyway :)

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