Level 2 Premier Peak-Time Usage Management ... WHY ?

I'm a Premier customer £21.99 pm (not sure whether it's Option 1, 2 or
3 and I don't believe it matters).
Last night I received an email saying I'd exceeded the second level of
the Broadband Premier usage policy.
According to PN's usage statistics I'd used (at peak time
16:00->24:00) 4.6 GB and my month is nearly up.
This is less than half my peak time allowance (I thought).
Last night I raised a ticket, asking for an explanation - but I'm
still waiting.
Today I find that my Usenet download speed appears to be restricted to
256 Kbits or thereabouts.
The adslguide.org.uk speed checker measures download at 1.7 Mbits.
I've tried 2 different Usenet sources.
Now the download that I started at 10:30 could well still be running
when PN's peak-time comes along.

Am I misunderstanding PN's rules ?

Eric


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Remove the dross to contact me directly

Eric Parker wrote:
> I'm a Premier customer £21.99 pm (not sure whether it's Option 1, 2 or
> 3 and I don't believe it matters).
> Last night I received an email saying I'd exceeded the second level of
> the Broadband Premier usage policy.
> According to PN's usage statistics I'd used (at peak time
> 16:00->24:00) 4.6 GB and my month is nearly up.
> This is less than half my peak time allowance (I thought).
> Last night I raised a ticket, asking for an explanation - but I'm
> still waiting.
> Today I find that my Usenet download speed appears to be restricted to
> 256 Kbits or thereabouts.
> The adslguide.org.uk speed checker measures download at 1.7 Mbits.
> I've tried 2 different Usenet sources.
> Now the download that I started at 10:30 could well still be running
> when PN's peak-time comes along.
>
> Am I misunderstanding PN's rules ?
>
> Eric
>
>

Mmmm, if you've only downloaded 4.6GB between 4pm and midnight then you
would not be managed by the new system. I'm guessing that you are yet to
be billed this month which would mean you are still being managed via
the old manual procedure that monitors P2P, Usenet and non-Plusnet FTP
between the hours of 8am and midnight. When you check view my usage are
you looking at the new version that splits traffic into protocol types?

Regards,

--
|Bob Pullen Broadband Solutions for
|Training & Project Liaison Home & Business @
|PlusNet plc www.plus.net
+ ----- PlusNet - The smarter way to broadband ------

"Plusnet Support Team" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:4448dbe4$0$9241$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Eric Parker wrote:
> > I'm a Premier customer £21.99 pm (not sure whether it's Option 1,
2 or
> > 3 and I don't believe it matters).
> > Last night I received an email saying I'd exceeded the second
level of
> > the Broadband Premier usage policy.
> > According to PN's usage statistics I'd used (at peak time
> > 16:00->24:00) 4.6 GB and my month is nearly up.
> > This is less than half my peak time allowance (I thought).
> > Last night I raised a ticket, asking for an explanation - but I'm
> > still waiting.
> > Today I find that my Usenet download speed appears to be
restricted to
> > 256 Kbits or thereabouts.
> > The adslguide.org.uk speed checker measures download at 1.7 Mbits.
> > I've tried 2 different Usenet sources.
> > Now the download that I started at 10:30 could well still be
running
> > when PN's peak-time comes along.
> >
> > Am I misunderstanding PN's rules ?
> >
> > Eric
> >
> >
>
> Mmmm, if you've only downloaded 4.6GB between 4pm and midnight then
you
> would not be managed by the new system. I'm guessing that you are
yet to
> be billed this month which would mean you are still being managed
via
> the old manual procedure that monitors P2P, Usenet and non-Plusnet
FTP
> between the hours of 8am and midnight. When you check view my usage
are
> you looking at the new version that splits traffic into protocol
types?
>
> Regards,
>
>
> |Bob Pullen Broadband Solutions for
> |Training & Project Liaison Home & Business @
> |PlusNet plc www.plus.net
> + ----- PlusNet - The smarter way to broadband ------

Bob

Yes, today is the last day of my billing month. If my 08:00-16:00
usage is also taken
into account I can understand there being an issue. Are you saying
that peak time
is 08:00-24:00 or is it just an anomaly caused by a change over to a
new usage
monitoring system ?
My usage just lists 3 sets of figures (8am to 4pm, 4pm to midnight and
total). there
is no mention of protocol. I wouldn't know whether this is new or old.

Should my bandwidth be restricted ?

If it helps the ticket is 19218611.

Regards

Eric

--
Remove the dross to contact me directly

Eric Parker wrote:

>
> Bob
>
> Yes, today is the last day of my billing month. If my 08:00-16:00
> usage is also taken
> into account I can understand there being an issue. Are you saying
> that peak time
> is 08:00-24:00 or is it just an anomaly caused by a change over to a
> new usage
> monitoring system ?

The old system monitored traffic between 8am and midnight yes. The new
policy is outlined here (and is much more favourable, logical and easy
to understand IMO):-
http://www.plus.net/support/broadban...nagement.shtml
As soon as you are billed you will have all restrictions lifted and be
moved across to the new platform where peak time is monitored as
4pm-Midnight.

> My usage just lists 3 sets of figures (8am to 4pm, 4pm to midnight and
> total). there
> is no mention of protocol. I wouldn't know whether this is new or old.

Old. You should be plesently impressed with the new system that breaks
down traffic into about 9 different traffic times and shows you how much
of each you've used and when.

>
> Should my bandwidth be restricted ?

From what you are saying, yes.
>
> If it helps the ticket is 19218611.

I'll close it back to you. Reopen it if I haven't answered your
questions here.

Kind Regards,

--
|Bob Pullen Broadband Solutions for
|Training & Project Liaison Home & Business @
|PlusNet plc www.plus.net
+ ----- PlusNet - The smarter way to broadband ------

"Plusnet Support Team" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:4448ed3c$0$9241$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Eric Parker wrote:
>
> >
> > Bob
> >
> > Yes, today is the last day of my billing month. If my 08:00-16:00
> > usage is also taken
> > into account I can understand there being an issue. Are you saying
> > that peak time
> > is 08:00-24:00 or is it just an anomaly caused by a change over to
a
> > new usage
> > monitoring system ?
>
> The old system monitored traffic between 8am and midnight yes. The
new
> policy is outlined here (and is much more favourable, logical and
easy
> to understand IMO):-
>
http://www.plus.net/support/broadban...nagement.shtml
> As soon as you are billed you will have all restrictions lifted and
be
> moved across to the new platform where peak time is monitored as
> 4pm-Midnight.
>
> > My usage just lists 3 sets of figures (8am to 4pm, 4pm to midnight
and
> > total). there
> > is no mention of protocol. I wouldn't know whether this is new or
old.
>
> Old. You should be plesently impressed with the new system that
breaks
> down traffic into about 9 different traffic times and shows you how
much
> of each you've used and when.
>
> >
> > Should my bandwidth be restricted ?
>
> From what you are saying, yes.
> >
> > If it helps the ticket is 19218611.
>
> I'll close it back to you. Reopen it if I haven't answered your
> questions here.
>
> Kind Regards,
>
>
> |Bob Pullen Broadband Solutions for
> |Training & Project Liaison Home & Business @
> |PlusNet plc www.plus.net
> + ----- PlusNet - The smarter way to broadband ------

OK I think I've got it now.

I was still on the old system but the email directed me to look at
managing usage with the new system.

I look forward to seeing the new usage traffic data.

Lets have no more changes now (for a few months at least).

Thanks for the help.

Regards

Eric

--
Remove the dross to contact me directly

On Fri, 21 Apr 2006 13:02:28 +0100, "Eric Parker"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I'm a Premier customer £21.99 pm (not sure whether it's Option 1, 2 or
>3 and I don't believe it matters).
>Last night I received an email saying I'd exceeded the second level of
>the Broadband Premier usage policy.
>According to PN's usage statistics I'd used (at peak time
>16:00->24:00) 4.6 GB and my month is nearly up.
>This is less than half my peak time allowance (I thought).
>Last night I raised a ticket, asking for an explanation - but I'm
>still waiting.
>Today I find that my Usenet download speed appears to be restricted to
>256 Kbits or thereabouts.
>The adslguide.org.uk speed checker measures download at 1.7 Mbits.
>I've tried 2 different Usenet sources.
>Now the download that I started at 10:30 could well still be running
>when PN's peak-time comes along.
>
>Am I misunderstanding PN's rules ?
>
>Eric
Eric,

If you want you can complain to ofcom as Plusnet are clearly in breach
of their terms and conditions that state:

6.1.1 ....The Broadband Internet access component of your account is
based on a contended service. This policy contains guidelines on how
you can use this Service. We manage our network using prioritisation
techniques to ensure that during busy periods time sensitive
applications such as VoIP, email, gaming and web browsing are given
priority over bandwidth intensive, non-time-sensitive applications
such as Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing. Traffic shaping is used to a
greater or lesser extent on all our Broadband Services. The effects of
this should be virtually un-noticeable to Business customers and
should only result in a small percentage reduction in peak-time
throughput for Premier customers. You can find more information on
contention and how we manage our network here.

The above states that you should only see a smal percentage reduction
in service, you are clearly seeing more than a small percentage
reduction hence Plusnet are in breach of their t&c's. It doesn't
matter what they say elsewhere as it's the t&c's that are legally
enforceable.

Regards

Terry