Download Speeds - Value For Money

[Zero]

*Read The Post Before You Vote*

Are you getting value for money for your download speed?

Lets say that whenever you're downloading a file from the internet or a torrent or whatever; 70-80% download speed is what you really want to get out of your ISP. You will not really get full speeds because of distance from your exchange, quality of phone line, overheads, other people using the net on the same ISP, peak times (with most ISP's). So 70-80% is a pretty good value for money?

Lets use me as an example. My ISP is BE Broadband. I'm paying £13.50 a month for 8-Meg connection. I get on average 800kB/s download speed. Now there is a difference between BYTES and BITS. Data storage is measured in BYTES and Data transfer is measured in BITS. So my download speed is KILOBYTES not KILOBITS; because I'm downloading a FILE i.e storage.

By standard notation, the uppercase B represents bytes and the lowercase b represents bits.

8 bits = 1 Byte.

8 Megabits = 1 MegaByte

Therefore 800kB/s download:

800kB/s (kiloBytes per second) multiplied by 8 = 6400mb/s (megabits per second)

So thats 6.4 Meg download speed I am getting out of a total of "UP TO 8-MEG" download.

Now lets work out the percentage. 6400 divided by 8000 then multiplied by 100 = 80

I'm getting 80% out of my Broadband package. Pretty good if you ask me.

Work yours out and vote!

[mindstate]

i can tell you straight without working shit out...that i'm not getting value for my money...wtf is BE broadband...might switch them...

but torrent speeds depend on a lot of things...server, peers, seeds etc....so i dont think they should be used as an example..

there's also another variable factor...how far is your house from the *i dont know what they're called* ISP's broadband hub power station..or whatever...

i'm paying more than you..
i was promised the same speed
my d/l speeds have gone only as high 500 kbs...rarely though...

[Zero]

Yeah you're right, I get 800kB/s download speed on torrents, even more sometimes. I think the highest I've ever peaked is 850 kB/s on torrents.

However with normal downloads, say if I downloaded a file from the internet, or even used speedtest or broadbandspeedchecker, I would end up with the same, approx. 6 meg download speed. But the method in the first post is accurate to a T, given the accuracy of the download speeds given. That thing you were talking about, how far your house is from the ISP hub = the "exchange" btw.

BE Broadband is a Subsidiary of Telefonica Europe; Telefonica also own O2 as well, and I know for a fact that O2 broadband and Be Broadband are probably one of the best providers I've seen around.

[mindstate]

what about BT they doing better speed for lower prices...free calls to 0844 numbers also....was considering switching to them...

thought i doubt im gonna get 20 mb speed

[Zero]

Bt offering 20mb? Yeah I would doubt you'd even get 15 meg. I think SPig was on BT and he never even got anything near 20mb. Or it could've been Sky Broadband. But they're terrible anyway.

If you have an O2 phone, pay as you go (or MAYBE pay monthly) you can get a discount on your O2 broadband. It's pretty good shizzle.

[Enchantress]

We got BE broadband at my parents place - it sucks butt!

Connection keeps failing

[Zero]

You didn't even do the calculation you n00b. Reason for this thread is 'cause Im doing research. BEESH lol.

[Enchantress]

Too long to read.. I just read about the BEES... don't hate on me I'm fitting this around all my work. Ok I lie, I'm not doing any work..but shhh... no-one knows that!

According to my calculations, you 100% deserve snuggles




.....from my sock bunny, Mopsy

[Spider Pig]

I'm on 10meg, cnt remember how much I pay but each time I've done tests I get about 9.2-9.5meg dl speeds. altho my comp and my router hinder that somewhat cos they a flop. virgin internet.

[mindstate]

another thing i just realised is that the 800kbs ur getting when downloading a file is what the host is allowing u to download at. EX: sites like RapidShare, Megaupload etc. could cap their down speeds at 1meg, so even if u have a 100mbps connection, your only downloading from them at 1meg..

[Guji-Ji]

I'm on virgin 10mb as well and from speed tests that i've done in the past I usually hit 9.

[Iroquois Pliskin]

you'd be shocked as to what speeds im getting. without calc but a screeny if you request it. exchange seems like in a different country. whatever provider i go to, if i do, i'd probably still get shit net speeds. kings park is a shit place to live in. i was very happy with the speeds at my last location but the flat was inadequate for me.

[Ritz_Crackers]

I got BE Broadband as well.

I pay £18.50 a month, and I know for a fact that I am getting value for money.

I initially signed up for "upto" 24meg broadband. But since they upgraded my exchange as a "test" to the new 21CN fibre optics lines, I now get download speeds of anything north of 30mb.

[Iroquois Pliskin]

one phone call and they'll take it away. lol

[SweetSuga]

you'd be shocked as to what speeds im getting. without calc but a screeny if you request it. exchange seems like in a different country. whatever provider i go to, if i do, i'd probably still get shit net speeds. kings park is a shit place to live in. i was very happy with the speeds at my last location but the flat was inadequate for me.

Woah lol saying things like that.. Forgetting I'm a Glaswegian lol.. Oh really, and you travel to my hood to work?

Mines is about 10meg and hitting just over 7, 7.5 and I think it's with TalkTalk. Was AOL back in the day.