10mb drops to 2mb after 30 mins of iPlayer

[RichBos]

I have a 10mb Virgin Media cable connection and after a year on the same IP number I noticed the other day the IP had changed. Since the change I am now experiencing jerky iPlayer, C4OD and ITVPlayer streaming, with the connection for all three dropping to 2mb after 30-60 minutes.

I am aware of the Virgin Media traffic management policy but aren't downloading anything or using peer to peer networking. I have read that streaming iPlayer is not a factor for traffic shaping anyway, unless this has recently altered as my viewing habits haven't changed in the past year.

Anyone else experienced this? 

[Ernie_C]

Of course streaming is affected by Virgin Media's STM policy. In fact, it is possibly one of the highest contributors.

As a BB M 10Mb users, I see the STM limit being hit and the quality reduced if I watch streamed tennis during the STM peak period.

[RichBos]

I would have expected that too, however streaming iPlayer and/or internet radio hasn't being a contributing factor for me for the past two years, I've only experienced the traffic management after downloading past the statutory amount (which is fair enough), it's only now, with the change of IP, that this has started to happen.

And, to quote from the Virgin Media website - 

"This policy does not impact any applications other than Peer to Peer and Newsgroups, so things like watching iPlayer, online gaming, making calls via Skype, downloading music tracks from iTunes or streaming them from Spotify and sending an email or normal browsing are unaffected."

Which seems ambigous and confusing. 

[slated]

ambiguous and confusing because you are confusing two separate issues:

1. overall usage cap - if you exceed it then your speed is throttled for the next 5 hours to 25% of your tier. AFAIK the all usage accrues towards the cap.
2. 'File Sharing'  use, which is 'managed' throughout peak periods independently and regardless of other normal usage, something along the lines of total P2P traffic all shares a restricted network bandwidth for the duration of the peak periods. It is this restriction which does not apply to iPlayer etc.

You need about 3.5Mbps to stream HD iPlayer, so you should not hit the cap (1500KB on 10 Meg tier evenings) until just over 57 minutes of viewing.

Of course you may well have already used some bandwidth anyway, so maybe about 30 minutes of HD iPlayer sounds about right?

[RichBos]

Ah, ok, I see, so they manage File Sharing (P2P etc) during peak hours irrespective of other use, i.e it's just 'Managed'. Fair enough, that's fine, however that's a side issue, the issue I'm highlighting is the fact that for two years I haven't had this problem. My package hasn't changed, I've had, and still pay for 10mb, and I've happily streamed internet radio all day + iPlayer HD for hours without it contributing to, and incurring, traffic management restrictions. What's happening now has started to drop in since my IP changed last week (It had been the same for 2 years, I even used to host from it...!).

It seems then that I may have been having a free ride (so to speak) for iPlayer streaming for the past two years as your stats are absolutely bang on with regard to contributory times and limits.

Ah well, it was good while it lasted :-(

[slated]

what was your old IP address, and - pretty please Richard B - can I have it?

[RichBos]

Indeed, I'm missing it already, that was some IP....! Shame they sussed me out, but, two years of uncapped iPlayer streaming, I suppose I shouldn't complain. 

In my ignorance I just thought you could stream iPlayer all day. I knew streaming data contributed to certain packages (i.e dongle based access) but didn't think "real" connections (supposedly uncapped) were affected.

It's good to know, and I'll be moving to an uncapped provider post haste.

Bah, and it was all going so well.

[slated]

no need to change provider, just change the package. No cap on XXL

http://www.virginmedia.com/images/tm-table-fu-large.jpg

Beware of all providers terms because all of them will also have a fall back 'abuse' limit. If they decide that streaming HD iPlayer 24/7 is abusive then they will start sending you letters, then cut you off, irrespective of any 'unlimited' promises.

[qippy]

I'm not sure this is correct or my account is set up wrong!

I have a 50M service and my iPlayer is capped during peak hours.

I'm not a heavy user at all, I'm just prepared to pay for decent bandwidth when I want it and this traffic management policy is doing my nut in and when I finally get through to them I'm going to cancel my subscription.

grrrrrr

[slated]

just iPlayer is capped, or your general service is capped (i.e. speed tests show slower than normal)?

What results do you get from:

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/diagnostics
• www.speedtest.net