Internet Solutions Acceptable Usage Policy

Alestorm said:
I understand that you have some inside knowledge, but Imagine/IS call this a "basic" uncapped product, and right on the front page of their site they say it is meant for home users that want uncapped access for browsing, email etc and that if you want to do serious downloading and streaming you should look at the more expensive IS uncapped accounts. Obviously with IS having two different uncapped accounts, and this one being the cheaper product, it can't really be true uncapped. Why do you see this product as being the one true uncapped account when Imagine definitely do not seem to think so, and neither do IS from what I can see. They give guidelines for how to minimise bandwidth being used for online gaming on their AUP.. doesn't sound like they want you to be moving much data at all.
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Ahh, thanks for pointing that out, I never even got as far as those examples. Sounds bad to me....

To help ensure that all customers have fair and equal use of the service and to protect the integrity of the network, Internet Solutions reserves the right, and will take necessary steps, to prevent improper or excessive usage thereof.

Examples of use, which may result in excessive data transfer, include, but are not limited to:

Activity: Downloading large files or large quantities of files
Usage Behaviour: Downloading files such as movies, MP3s, games and software using software such as Napster, Kazaa, E-donkey etc. How to minimise this type of usage: Refrain from using automated download programs. You may not install automated search and retrieve programs or similar automated and manual routines, which generate excessive amounts of network traffic

Activity: On-Line Gaming
Usage Behaviour:On-line gaming can average data transfer of between 10 - 60 Mb per hour.
How to minimise this type of usage:
Limit the usage of data transfer when playing games on line. Alternatively use local gaming sites

Activity: Mail / News Groups / CHAT
Usage Behaviour:e-Mail, Newsgroups and Chat clients are used to communicate online, however when files with suffix of "avi", "jpeg", "mpeg", "gif", etc are sent to customers they can contain very large amounts of data.
How to minimise this type of usage:
Be careful when subscribing to sites, which automatically send information with large attachments. Be aware of “background download” programs.

Activity: Fraud
Usage Behaviour:Customers who do not protect their equipment by using a firewall or proxy server create a possibility for remote access to the PC, which may, by using the use of various programs, determine their username and passwords or the PC can be used to transfer data via the owner’s account.
How to minimise this type of usage:
Secure your PC by setting up a firewall or proxy server.

Activity: Browser
Usage Behaviour: Use Automated copying of website content can result in high usage levels. How to minimise this type of usage: Manually select the content that needs to be copied.
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They even warn about emails with attachments resulting in excessive usage :eek:
 
Alestorm said:
Okay, but that doesn't really help if practically Afrihost may (or may not) have the better product. I don't think anyone cares about the technicality of being able to call the product uncapped, we understand that bandwidth is still quite expensive and ISPs are going to have to implement some kind of AUP/shaping rules so we want to know what those are in reality. Using some vague language so that it can pass the ASASA test means nothing to us. It sounds to me (definitely from Imagine's description) that this product is intended to being far lower usage than Afrihost's.
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Of course it matters. I don't think providers should get away with mislabeling their products. I believe in truth in advertising.

But yes... only time will tell. So we will have to wait a month or two and see what happens. If people are getting booted off these products for downloading too much then we will have a case with the ASASA. if not, then we will know that the providers intend to live up to the "uncapped" description of the product.
 
Alestorm said:
It sounds to me (definitely from Imagine's description) that this product is intended to being far lower usage than Afrihost's.
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And at least Afrihost has gone as far as saying "100s of gigs" so you have an idea of what they are referring to. Stating "excessive usage" is vague to say the least. For some users 10Gb is excessive!
 
LancelotSA said:
And at least Afrihost has gone as far as saying "100s of gigs" so you have an idea of what they are referring to. Stating "excessive usage" is vague to say the least. For some users 10Gb is excessive!
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it is precisely that specification that precludes them from offering an "uncapped" product. "100s of gigs" can be calculated to a set amount and an "uncapped" can never be limited to a specified amount. Go look up the word uncapped in a dictionary and then report back here.
 
Yeah Gary, I'm with Lance on this one (*pukes a little in mouth:D).
Their T&C are every bit as vague as Mwebs and yet you defend them. Also, why the hell would they have two uncapped offerings which differ so much in price if they are both *truly uncapped...?
I think now is the time to take a step back and breathe in some fresh air :)
 
Garyvdh said:
it is precisely that specification that precludes them from offering an "uncapped" product. "100s of gigs" can be calculated to a set amount and an "uncapped" can never be limited to a specified amount. Go look up the word uncapped in a dictionary and then report back here.
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Gary, with all due respect now, you are being silly about this. As someone said on the other thread it is all semantics. They say exactly the same thing, just the wording differs. Threatening disconnection for "excessive usage" is also insinuating a cap. 100s of gigs could be 900Gbs. Excessive on the other hand could be 100Gb.
 
Zenbaas said:
Yeah Gary, I'm with Lance on this one (*pukes a little in mouth:D).
Their T&C are every bit as vague as Mwebs and yet you defend them. Also, why the hell would they have two uncapped offerings which differ so much in price if they are both *truly uncapped...?
I think now is the time to take a step back and breathe in some fresh air :)
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Mwebs Terms and Conditions are horrendous enough, and I strongly suspect that they will be cutting people off next month, BUT... they do not specify any amount, and would therefore probably pass the test of what uncapped is. It's Afrihosts' that are the problem. They need to remove any reference to a specified amount.
 
LancelotSA said:
Gary, with all due respect now, you are being silly about this. As someone said on the other thread it is all semantics. They say exactly the same thing, just the wording differs. Threatening disconnection for "excessive usage" is also insinuating a cap. 100s of gigs could be 900Gbs. Excessive on the other hand could be 100Gb.
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I don't see any amount being specified in these terms and conditions... and we will decide who is being silly about it AFTER the ASASA rule on the matter. :)

Did you do your homework yet?
 
I'm still having a problem with Uncapped = Unlimited.

As far as I'm concerned, Uncapped means that I will always have Internet access, albeit at a slower rate, should I download more than some large amount on a regular basis. Unlimited would mean that I download an infinite amount of data at the same unthrottled rate. This what Telkom did for a short period prior to their total block / local / unuseable speed incarnations.

I certainly would not have a problem were an ISP to implement something along the lines of first 200G at 100% speed, next 100G at 50% speed, then 50% of current speed per 50G thereafter.

That would still give me access to large amounts of data. If I require infinite download then I will purchase a product which offers it.
 
Zenbaas said:
Yeah Gary, I'm with Lance on this one (*pukes a little in mouth:D).
Their T&C are every bit as vague as Mwebs and yet you defend them. Also, why the hell would they have two uncapped offerings which differ so much in price if they are both *truly uncapped...?
I think now is the time to take a step back and breathe in some fresh air :)
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It propably has to do with the shaping/throttling they enforce on basic and business uncapped
 
This is what makes this industry so screwed. The term "excessive usage" is readily accepted, in fact encouraged yet a more accurate reference, which gives the client a clearer idea, is frowned upon! As a consumer I'd rather know where I stand.

If we really had to push for change I'd be happier for these companies to drop the word uncapped, to appease the nit pickers, and give a clear definition of the cap they are satisfied with the client using every month. I fear, however, that they would not want to do this as they are relying on the vagueness to "scare" users into using less rather than more. Experience shows that when you give someone 100gb, they will try their darndest to download the full 100Gb every month....
 
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@Garyvdh,you normally make a lot of sense, but in this thread I think you've lost the plot. TBH, I'm a lot happier with the Afrihost AUP. That IS one is draconian.
 
LancelotSA said:
This is what makes this industry so screwed. The term "excessive usage" is readily accepted, in fact encouraged yet a more accurate reference, which gives the client a clearer idea, is frowned upon! As a consumer I'd rather know where I stand.
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Oh for Pete's sake... only with uncapped products. An uncapped product cannot by definition have an amount attached to it, otherwise it would not be uncapped. Seriously, did you ever do any math in your lifetime?

CAPPED PRODUCTS HAVE A SPECIFIED AMOUNT.
UNCAPPED PRODUCTS HAVE NO SPECIFIED AMOUNT.

Clear enough for you? You want it in another language?
 
Gatecrasher said:
@Garyvdh,you normally make a lot of sense, but in this thread I think you've lost the plot. TBH, I'm a lot happier with the Afrihost AUP. That IS one is draconian.
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We shall see. Give it a month or two and we will revisit this topic.
 
I think most people would like an rough estimate, the fact excessive usage are scaring some :P
 
Garyvdh said:
Oh for Pete's sake... only with uncapped products. An uncapped product cannot by definition have an amount attached to it, otherwise it would not be uncapped. Seriously, did you ever do any math in your lifetime?

CAPPED PRODUCTS HAVE A SPECIFIED AMOUNT.
UNCAPPED PRODUCTS HAVE NO SPECIFIED AMOUNT.

Clear enough for you? You want it in another language?
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Fsuk Pete, for Gary's bloody sake, it has nothing to do with Math it has to do with English! You are so far up ISs ass that you cannot see the light. Both wordings result in limitations being imposed on the user!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
LancelotSA said:
Fsuk Pete, for Gary's bloody sake, it has nothing to do with Math it has to do with English! You are so far up ISs ass that you cannot see the light. Both wordings result in limitations being imposed on the user!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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ooooh, Sir Whinealot loses his cool again. Let me know when you are able to act like an adult again.
 
Garyvdh said:
ooooh, Sir Whinealot loses his cool again. Let me know when you are able to act like an adult again.
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Gary, as noted by others you have seriously lost the plot in this thread. I fear I may have made you start thinking irrationally. Rather funny that you make an accusation that I have lost my cool when my post was in response to your CAPS-LOCK filled, insult riddled post. We won't even go into your earlier insult insinuating that I should get my school fees refunded. Shame, poor Gary.

I have made my point. I have had my say. Good luck convincing everyone else that "excessive usage" is far superior to "100s of gigs".
 
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