[sllug-members]: Comcast has problems

[Brandon Beattie]

On Mon, Jan 22, 2007 at 10:57:19AM -0700, Corey Edwards wrote:
> Generally what you see is service providers will define "unlimited" as
> "unlimited, but with limits if we feel like it". For example, unlimited
> dial-up doesn't mean you can keep your modem dialed in 24/7. You can see
> how that impacts how many other people would be able to get online since
> an ISP can't afford a dedicated modem for everybody. Go buy a 64k
> dedicated frame relay and you'll see the difference in cost. I take it
> this is especially true because of how cable networks are built.
> 250GB/mo is about 100kbps sustained. That really is a lot more than your
> typical user.
> 
> According to http://www.securityfocus.com/news/7940 Comcast has been
> cracking down on "abusers" more so than most ISPs. The article is a few
> years old so who knows if they're still up to it. The way they're going
> about it seems somewhat heavy handed to me, but the TOS and AUP also
> read heavily handed, so I'll be surprised if you have any remedy. I bet
> this is the section they would cite:
> 
>         viii. restrict, inhibit, interfere with, or otherwise disrupt or
>         cause a performance degradation, regardless of intent, purpose
>         or knowledge, to the Service or any Comcast (or Comcast
>         supplier) host, server, backbone network, node or service, or
>         otherwise cause a performance degradation to any Comcast (or
>         Comcast supplier) facilities used to deliver the Service;

I've heard a little of this discussed from time to time and it's
something that is going on in markets around the US.  The way most
contracts are written are such that companies like comcast can get rid
of you for any reason.  They then run marketing campaigns of "unlimited
usage" to get customers who don't want a limit but probably won't ever
use it.  Then when comcast sees people who are using near full bandwidth
most of the time, or if they get complaints in the area about slow rates
(since you share the same data line as your neighbors) you may just be
the unlucky person they feel is taking advantage of their system and
that it isn't financially wise to let you keep using them as you have so
they get rid of you as a customer.  Trying to get them to uncancel your
account will be tough.  You won't be the first to threaten them and it's
not likely you'll be able to convince them "you'll change your ways"
lines either.  Virus problems don't make them feel bad because they'll
either think you're not smart enough to keep a new virus off or you're
using that as an excuse.  So in short just be careful and make sure you
have a ligit reason for the usage.  If you were downloading iso's of the
new suse, or sharing things that was a one time thing then you may be
able to convince them you're not trying to take advantage of them or it
was a one time thing.  But companies are looking to stop extreme power
users of ISP's because they lose money off of them.  

If you have a business account and were cut THEN that's a completely
different situation and you should not have been cut and any reason for
using that much bandwidth should be allowed (within some content
reasons) because you're paying more to use more bandwidth than the
average user.

--Brandon