MWEB capped (uncapped) ADSL

[427 Driver]

I recently opened an MWEB account - 4Mb (shaped) uncapped. I have been reasonably happy with the speeds. Yesterday I got this email from their abuse admin:

-----------------------------
Dear MWEB Customer

This email serves as a notice regarding your MWEB ADSL service.

Your current ADSL usage pattern shows repeated instances of prolonged download sessions at line, or near line speeds which is placing an undue burden on our network and is not in keeping with our Acceptable Usage Policy.

Please acknowledge receipt of this notice within 24 hours, indicating your intention to rectify the situation. It would also be helpful if you provided us with some feedback on the activities you were engaged in so that we can advise you on the choice of a more appropriate product to suit your specific needs.

Failure to comply with this request will result in additional warnings being issued and will ultimately result in the cancellation of your service.

To review our ADSL Service Terms, please click here.

To review our Unshaped ADSL product range, please click here.

Kind regards
MWEB Operations
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My question: How is it possible for me to (1) download too much, if it's an uncapped service, and (2) put undue burden on their network if it's a shaped service? What am I missing? I sent a response asking what they consider acceptable download speeds are, or amount of data they consider acceptable. The response was non-specific, with vague statements about their acceptable use policy.

 

[MWEBHelp]

I recently opened an MWEB account - 4Mb (shaped) uncapped. I have been reasonably happy with the speeds. Yesterday I got this email from their abuse admin:

-----------------------------
Dear MWEB Customer

This email serves as a notice regarding your MWEB ADSL service.

Your current ADSL usage pattern shows repeated instances of prolonged download sessions at line, or near line speeds which is placing an undue burden on our network and is not in keeping with our Acceptable Usage Policy.

Please acknowledge receipt of this notice within 24 hours, indicating your intention to rectify the situation. It would also be helpful if you provided us with some feedback on the activities you were engaged in so that we can advise you on the choice of a more appropriate product to suit your specific needs.

Failure to comply with this request will result in additional warnings being issued and will ultimately result in the cancellation of your service.

To review our ADSL Service Terms, please click here.

To review our Unshaped ADSL product range, please click here.

Kind regards
MWEB Operations
----------------------------------------------

My question: How is it possible for me to (1) download too much, if it's an uncapped service, and (2) put undue burden on their network if it's a shaped service? What am I missing? I sent a response asking what they consider acceptable download speeds are, or amount of data they consider acceptable. The response was non-specific, with vague statements about their acceptable use policy.

Dear 427 Driver

We have discussed this extensively in the forums. You have a shaped account and when you take away the ability for us to shape your account. This in itself in is contravention of our AUP and grounds to be kicked off our network.

The account is uncapped, however it should not be possible to obtain line speeds all the time. This is a sure sign of bypassing the shaper.

We do not provide a specific amounts that are acceptable on the shaped accounts and instead ask that you abide by the MWEB AUP: http://www.mweb.co.za/legalpolicies/GeneralPage/AcceptableUsePolicy.aspx

 

[AlmightyBender]

Mweb 1 - 0 427 Driver

 

[427 Driver]

Dear 427 Driver

We have discussed this extensively in the forums. You have a shaped account and when you take away the ability for us to shape your account. This in itself in is contravention of our AUP and grounds to be kicked off our network.

The account is uncapped, however it should not be possible to obtain line speeds all the time. This is a sure sign of bypassing the shaper.

We do not provide a specific amounts that are acceptable on the shaped accounts and instead ask that you abide by the MWEB AUP: http://www.mweb.co.za/legalpolicies/GeneralPage/AcceptableUsePolicy.aspx

Thanks for the response. You've said more in the few lines here than all the emails too and fro.

What I gather from your response is that I am somehow bypassing your shaper. I am not trying to be clever... how is it that I am bypassing the shaper? I download files. In my reply to MWEB, I asked for assistance and advice. I got none. This is the first ADSL line I've had, and no nothing about your shaper and obscure network settings etc. I use the line primarily for downloads and playing on-line games. What do I need to do or change? Stop downloading files or using torrent? Is it the games?

Thanks in advance.

Edit: are there any specific settings I need to make? Have I done something on my side to allow this? I'm hoping to get some practical advice on what it is I may be doing wrong.

 

[mika1000]

thats how mweb work. i kno ppl that download terrabytes without ever getting a notice from mweb. others download 50gb and get warnings. still beyond me.

 

[427 Driver]

MWEB Guy has actually been quite helpful. I believe it may be a setting on my side (I'll have to check when I get home) where the torrent program is using encryption to download, thereby passing their filters.

 

[SabreWolfy]

MWEB Guy has actually been quite helpful. I believe it may be a setting on my side (I'll have to check when I get home) where the torrent program is using encryption to download, thereby passing their filters.

Fascinating. Because I have specifically asked MWEB about this and was told that encrypted torrents are fine -- their shapers detect that it is torrent traffic and shape it whether it's encrypted or not. I used to run all my torrents unencrypted so that I did not "bypass" the shapers and was told by MWEB that there is no need to do this -- I could leave encryption "on" and it would be fine ...

 

[Space_Chief]

The problem here of course is that if one receives such an email, i.e. one is labeled an "abuser", one will not want to subscribe to a more expensive MWEB product but go elsewhere, even for a more expensive product. That's how I would feel anyway.

 

[427 Driver]

The thing that annoyed me with the email I got was that I was not told specifically WHAT it was that I was doing that was wrong, or what could be causing the problem. I'm hoping it's the encryption setting. If it's not, then I am stumped.

 

[nic777]

Can you open up then and tell us exactly what you downloading and how you downloading? Not sure if you using torrents or not. Perhaps you downloading via HTTP?

 

[buyeye]

The thing that annoyed me with the email I got was that I was not told specifically WHAT it was that I was doing that was wrong, or what could be causing the problem. I'm hoping it's the encryption setting. If it's not, then I am stumped.

Schedule the DL's don't let them run for long during office hours.

 

[427 Driver]

Using a program called uTorrent to download random torrents of interest. Rest is general browsing (browser) or mail (Gmail) or playing EVE Online. Only other connections are via wireless to a Galaxy Pad and a Kindle (only download books to read).

 

[Full]

Something just not making sense her...
When do you run uTorrent? How much are you downloading?

 

[SabreWolfy]

Something just not making sense her...
When do you run uTorrent? How much are you downloading?

MWEB has said many times that it is not HOW MUCH you download on shaped, uncapped accounts, but rather simply HOW you download it.

 

[427 Driver]

I've now sent an email to their technical department asking if setting the download as "encrypted" could be causing the problem. Another question: if the download speed for the same file is varying between max line speed and 17k (up and down), does that not indicate that it is being shaped?

 

[SabreWolfy]

^ Not necessarily -- it could also mean that the number of seeders and/or the speeds they are seeding the file at are fluctuating.

 

[Kosmik]

Ok, I've seen some of the moaning on the forum lately regarding shaping but have pretty much ignored it as the normal and I've had fine experiances with regards to downloads and other BUT this morning is now really irratating. Its a saturday at 9:30am and a simple youtube vid is buffering every 10 secs, not on 1080p or 720p but normal.

Mweb is not the cheapest anymore and the one thing they had going was good and consistent service. Fix your sh** or you will start losing subscribers.

This was the video in question, posted in this forums "must see" youtube vids.

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthr...st-see-vids!?p=9154522&viewfull=1#post9154522

Fyi, 4Mb account, browsing the web and a single news dl in the background at 55kbps.