Uncapped vs Capped and Unshaped vs Shaped

[dex_10]

I reckon there is a lot of confusion around the issue of Uncapped vs Capped and Unshaped vs Shaped.

I have already applied for my ADSL line and currently awaiting installation. This gave me the golden opportunity to shop around for an ISP for the data part of my connection.

I have just spoken to a rep from one of the ISP's and fortunately he was pretty honest with me. Yes I agree it seems pretty cool to have unlimited(uncapped) Internet connectivity 24/7/365. The question that arises though is the quality of an Internet connection when it is Shaped. The rep mentioned to me that one will sit with the typical situation where Youtube videos will tend to buffer and the quality of Skype calls and online gaming could be a problem with Shaped Internet connectivity.

To me it would make more sense to have a capped 10Gig account that is Unshaped at R200/month and that gives me a solid quality Internet connection.

At the moment I am used to proper speeds with my 3G/HSDPA connection where I do not have any problems with Youtube, Skype or online gaming, but the 3G package are just too expensive. However when I had a look at the Uncapped/Unshaped ADSL packages, they are just as damn expensive. Everybody just advertise Uncapped Internet connectivity, but nobody tells us the difference between shaped and unshaped.

I don't know, maybe I am wrong so I would welcome any suggestions from current ADSL users to enlighten me on this matter.

 

[deweyzeph]

I have an uncapped 4meg account with Afrihost and I have absolutely no problem during the day with my "shaped" account. Youtube works perfectly, skype works perfectly, downloads work perfectly, news servers work perfecty, only thing that is shaped are torrents, but I can live with that during the day, at night they are flying at full speed.

 

[milomak]

it seems to me that the way shaping is handled by ISPs is that they apply a principle of making available some percentage of your line speed for non priority traffic. the point being that if skype is shaped, the likelihood is that you will feel the impact on a 384k line and not on a 4mbps line.

but from what i have seen, 99% of stuff over the http protocol is not shaped (rapidshare being the most obvious exclusion). i've used skype without problems. i don't game.