Internet useage basics

[amo_mea_filiis.]

We currently have Verizon, with the highest speed they have by me, which is terrible (3-7mbps download, under 1mbps upload. I need higher upload for speech therapy).

 

I want to switch to cable, but they have useage limits, and charge $10 for every 50GB over your allowance. Since I've never had limits on home internet, I have absolutely no reference for how much we use.

 

I was thinking of going with the plan that has 1000GB per month allowance and watching our useage. But, the speeds are insane compared to what we're used to, and we might use it more because we can!

 

Our necessary useage since the kids are in cyber school with IEPs: dd has 8-9 hour(ish) live lessons weekly. 1 hour live success coach (cameras on her and teacher).

 

Ds has speech 3 times a week for a total of 1hr45min. 12 live lessons.

 

Then there's Netflix, downloading podcasts on my phone.

 

Ds has some games on my phone. Dd downloads all of her podcasts, and she plays some games through Steam. She also has an online boyfriend and will be voice chatting on discord while they watch a movie together or play a game. She tends to split screen school work with YouTube or discord.

 

We have 3 computers, 1 iPhone, 2 iPods, and 2 plain kindles.

 

Can anyone estimate useage? Or tell me what 700-1000GB of useage monthly looks like?

 

A lot of what I can find online refers to music downloads or movie downloads. We don't download music or movies; we stream everything. I don't know if that's better or worse!

[TeenagerMom]

We currently have Verizon, with the highest speed they have by me, which is terrible (3-7mbps download, under 1mbps upload. I need higher upload for speech therapy).

 

I want to switch to cable, but they have useage limits, and charge $10 for every 50GB over your allowance. Since I've never had limits on home internet, I have absolutely no reference for how much we use.

 

I was thinking of going with the plan that has 1000GB per month allowance and watching our useage. But, the speeds are insane compared to what we're used to, and we might use it more because we can!

 

Our necessary useage since the kids are in cyber school with IEPs: dd has 8-9 hour(ish) live lessons weekly. 1 hour live success coach (cameras on her and teacher).

 

Ds has speech 3 times a week for a total of 1hr45min. 12 live lessons.

 

Then there's Netflix, downloading podcasts on my phone.

 

Ds has some games on my phone. Dd downloads all of her podcasts, and she plays some games through Steam. She also has an online boyfriend and will be voice chatting on discord while they watch a movie together or play a game. She tends to split screen school work with YouTube or discord.

 

We have 3 computers, 1 iPhone, 2 iPods, and 2 plain kindles.

 

Can anyone estimate useage? Or tell me what 700-1000GB of useage monthly looks like?

 

A lot of what I can find online refers to music downloads or movie downloads. We don't download music or movies; we stream everything. I don't know if that's better or worse!

 

We have a TB limit each month and we stream EVERYTHING (as in no cable or satellite to watch tv). I have 1 teenager that is a heavy Steam gamer and a  husband who is obsessed with youtube music.  We went over the first 2 months with our limits, then I figured out how to adjust our streaming settings. 

 

Where we are at, I can actually stream at the lowest Netflix settings and still have very little issue with buffering.  The best/hi def setting uses up to 7 gb/hr.  The lowest uses less than 1 gb/hr.  For the hubby, I have him set at medium (3 gb/hr).  Youtube, they make sure to not pick the 1080p (some apps will let you set it automatically but it won't on our smart tv).  I also cranked our Sling stream setting down.

 

[amo_mea_filiis.]

How do GB and TB compare? Lol. I know a TB is more, but that's about my limit.

[TeenagerMom]

How do GB and TB compare? Lol. I know a TB is more, but that's about my limit.

 

Lol. Sorry.  1000 GB= 1 TB

 

[Lanny]

Is ADSL available from your local landline (POTS) phone company?  That IMO is the next best thing to FTTH (Fiber to the Home), which we've had for the past 4 months.  We went from an extremely slow (2 Mbps DL) ADSL service, which was problematic, and we signed up for 20 Mbps, but as of this time we are getting 50 Mbps.  The huge increase in Line Speed has changed what we can do and how we can do it. Things we could not do on 2 Mbps we can easily do with 50 Mbps.  I test daily on SpeedTest.Net,  to a local server somewhere here in Colombia and then to a Comcast server in Miami FL USA. DL speed is typically approximately 42 Mbps. A tiny bit slower from Miami, but on rare occasions slightly faster from Miami.

 

Years ago, where we lived before, we had Cable Modem service, which was a huge leap from "Dial Up" Internet, but as you pointed out, they charge for excess bandwidth. Also, Cable Modem service is shared with your neighbors, so if they are also online your DL Line Speed will decrease.  

 

IMO, ADSL or FTTH are the best options available at this time.

 

1 TB is a huge amount of Data and if your family watches what they do, you will be OK with a limit of 1 TB. There was a thread about this kind of Data  Cap here on WTM several months ago and most  people reported they didn't come close to 1 TB.  

Edited September 10, 2017 by Lanny

[amo_mea_filiis.]

Lanny, my only options are Verizon DSL, or a bunch of cable options with limits.

 

I'm not looking at the TB limit! I'm looking at the GB monthly limit, and hopefully will be able to go down. The price is the same as what I have now, but it's only the 2 year new customer price. Once that's up, I don't want to be paying over $100 a month.

 

I'm bundling phone and internet. I was considering leaving the phone with Verizon, but their overall tech support has been terrible. I've been with them for 7 years and they can't even send me 1 free replacement phone line filter. I've only got 2 phones hooked up!

 

ETA: duh. Extreme. Lol. I am looking at the TB.

Edited September 10, 2017 by amo_mea_filiis.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I'm not too concerned with download. That price gives me up to 30mbps download. We're fine on 4.

 

It's the upload I need. 1+Mbps 3 mornings a week.

[Lanny]

OK if you are currently on Verizon ADSL, and their Tech Support is horrible, I wonder if you can ask them to increase your UL (Upload) speed and then you would be OK?  They can (if they are willing and competent, which may not be the case  for you) adjust the DL and UL speeds, from their office, while you talk with them. 

 

ADSL is Asymmetrical (DL speed is always much more than UL speed). It is the same for our FTTH service, Asymmetrical.  I will test on SpeedTest.Net and show you the difference in our DL and UL speeds:  SpeedTest.Net selected a server in the city of Bogota. We are in the city of Cali.  The DL Line Speed was 42.47 Mbps and the UL Line Speed was 12.08 Mbps.  Usually that's the way one wants it set up, because usually one is Downloading a lot more than they are Uploading.

 

As far as I know, ADSL and FTTH do not have usage caps here, the Line Speed is dedicated to a particular home,  but I have not read the fine print. I am certain that when we had Cable Modem service, years ago, in the city of Cali when it became available in our rural neighborhood, that there was a limit, because we exceeded the limit a couple of times and paid a lot for overage, and then we increased the amount of traffic we could use in one month, which resulted in a higher monthly bill, but no more charges for excess consumption..

[amo_mea_filiis.]

My understanding is that however the lines are run in my area for Verizon, there's nothing more they can actually offer. They possibly run through the old copper phone cables, or something like that.

 

A couple of years ago my father stayed with us for a month. He called Verizon and tried to increase, and there was nothing to increase to. I know nothing has been updated in that time.

 

My last SpeedTest showed 5.43 down, and 0.76 up. (bundled with LOCAL calling) I'm spending $80 a month for this crap.

[Lanny]

My understanding is that however the lines are run in my area for Verizon, there's nothing more they can actually offer. They possibly run through the old copper phone cables, or something like that.

 

A couple of years ago my father stayed with us for a month. He called Verizon and tried to increase, and there was nothing to increase to. I know nothing has been updated in that time.

 

My last SpeedTest showed 5.43 down, and 0.76 up. (bundled with LOCAL calling) I'm spending $80 a month for this crap.

 

ADSL runs over the old "Twisted Pair" cables.  It sounds like either the Verizon network where you are is configured poorly and/or that their Tech Support is as you wrote, rather worthless.

 

Maybe good to try something else.  

 

Our former Provider, the original Telephone company in the city of Cali, had THE BEST tech support we have ever had from an Internet provider. The problem  for us was that  they would not modernize their antiquated infrastructure in our huge rural subdivision.  We realize that is extremely costly and are thankful that another provider spent that $ to install the FTTH infrastructure where we live. 

 

I would try, one last time, with Verizon, and then I would probably move to the Cable Modem provider...

Here's what I would do if I was in your shoes:

 

First, I would call Verizon Tech Support and explain that I need more UL (Upload) Speed and why I need more UL speed. I would ask them to change that in their system. If they said they could not do that for me, then I would sign a contract with the Cable Modem provider.

 

OT but you can ask....   When they began accepting applications for service for FTTH where we live, the new provider offered: Free installation, the first 2 months of service free, double the speed for the first 2 months (tomorrow is 4 months and we are at 2.5x the speed we are paying for) and they gave us a Free Tablet (Huawei is the brand).  We have 3 TV sets running from their Satellite DIsh.  All landline calls within Colombia are free.   

 

BEFORE YOU SIGN THE CONTRACT FOR CABLE MODEM SERVICE, ASK IF THEY WILL GIVE YOU 2 FREE MONTHS OR SOMETHING!