Or you can just buy one of those LAN Traffic Monitoring software... tracks your bandwidth traffic in and out.
FWIW, that will only work on the individual machine to which it is installed and will not measure all usage if one has multiple devices on a home network. Perhaps you are referring to one of those "third party router firmware" loads like DD-WRT which are typically open source and free ?
FWIW, that will only work on the individual machine to which it is installed and will not measure all usage if one has multiple devices on a home network. Perhaps you are referring to one of those "third party router firmware" loads like DD-WRT which are typically open source and free ?
My thoughts exactly. I plan on purchasing another router that is dd-wrt friendly and monitoring my own usage. The more I look at areas of my usage the more I think my meter here far to exaggerated.
I have had my doubts on my usage meter but I just don't know if it is incorrect or not. Comcast hired an outside firm to test the accuracy of there meter and there results said it was correct within 1GB.
I mean even if we did monitor our own usage it would take two legs and an arm to get Comcast to listen to the complaint and take your own evidence on how much data you are truly using.
I use a Netgear WNDR3400v2 router and the usage meter in this unit has matched Comcast within 1GB at any time. The Netgear is more accurate as it goes down the byte and Comcast is basically +/- 1GB.
I use a Netgear WNDR3400v2 router and the usage meter in this unit has matched Comcast within 1GB at any time. The Netgear is more accurate as it goes down the byte and Comcast is basically +/- 1GB.
I have the same router and that's my experience as well.
Some customers have reported that their measurements differ from the Comcast meter significantly. I suspect this is usually due to an error in Comcast's database, so it's showing someone else's usage.
I still see 250G in the usage meter and I can see it's increasing. So, does it mean the limit is still 250G right now? The 300G limit is not yet effective?
They haven't made any changes yet to the software that gathers and displays usage statistics. They've just changed their policy so that they won't enforce the limit.
Sometimes in the future they're going to try out new policies in some areas. When this happens, if you're in one of the areas where they're trying it, you should be notified. Hopefully they'll modify the usage meter to reflect the new policy in your area when they do this. But given Comcast's track record, I wouldn't bet on it.
At least with the 250 GB cap all I faced was a warning and then termination. I would go over it some months, but I haven't gotten a call or letter yet.
A 300 GB cap with $10 per 50 GB over sounds like they plan to hard-enforce the caps and then automatically bill you for the overage. That is much worse. I don't monitor my usage. Some months it is double digits and some months it hits quadruple digits.
The problem I have with this is that this is all Comcast's excuses to avoid upgrading their network. With wireless, this is understood: there is a physical limit to the amount of data you can push through the airwaves. You simply can't break the laws of physics. With a land-based ISP, however, you simply lay down more wiring. Fine, increase my rates if you need to. I'm using my Internet more than I did 10 years ago, it stands to reason that I should pay more for it. But instituting an artificial cap just slows innovation, forcing more people to subscribe to the expensive cable services that we are so desperately trying to drop.
The worst part it that Comcast can bully me all they want: I can't get HSI from anyone else.
Don't worry about it until (and if) they actually decide to charge extra. You already said you have no choice on ISP. Comcast won't ask for our input. You could ask your local government to impose some limits or safeguards. But mostly, we don't have much input on this decision.
Funny how when I called to ask why my usage meter was gone.. they had no clue as to what I was talking about there being no "Cap" and testing of a 300 GB limit...
She told me there still was a 250 GB cap and I should reset my modem for my usage meter to come back..
if there really is not cap, you might want to inform your Phone Support of such...
That just happens when you have a big company like Comcast. Information doesn't come down the pipe very fast and when it does they are probably not informed asap.
Plus Comcast probably doesn't want all their customers knowing they can go crazy on their BW.
I have not been streaming any radio or netflix or hulu.. for fear of hitting the cap.. but if this is the case, I'm going to start to listen to online radio agian.. and watch some things on Hulu and Netflix!
You will come nowhere close to 300GB (or eve 250G just from streaming radio, hulu, and netflix - unless you are literally streaming all 3 of them at the same time 24/7.
Actually it is very easy. Netflix can run 1Gb up to 2.3GB per HOUR. Do the the math. 300GB is only 12 days of continues streaming for one item at 1GB per hour. Using HD at 2.3G/hour is 55GB in only 24 hours.
I downloaded some things from iTunesU recently. Checked the usage meter the next day and it was already up to 8 G used and that was 8 days into the month.
Of course still a long way to go but that was just about 25 videos or so.
A couple of months ago I did a couple of days of updating my iTunesU library and some podcasts and it popped the usage up to the 50 G range. Granted I don't use Netflix(yet) and some Hulu at times along with online radio streaming at times so for me at present it could take a while.
Well, I am going to download someting things from Steam that I have not been and watch some netfilx.. while I can.. thanks for the responses one and alll
Download as much as you want. There is no cap as of right now and 300gb is only being implemented in test markets, which as I can tell havent disclosed to the public yet. They did say they would monitor the usages and only contact those who use lots of data. (IMO, terabytes)
So go download games in Steam, watch 1080p movies on Netflix/Hulu, stream radio as much as you want without hesitation until further notice
Be sure you are looking from your primary account or one that has billing access. You can call Comcast and ask for a roll and reprovision of your modem. It may be that there is a problem between your account and the modem registered to it.
If you have run the Xbox 360 Xfinity app, that may have hidden your usage meter. That's a known bug.
But in any case, Comcast is not currently enforcing the usage cap. Just use your connection as if there was no cap.
I don't have cable, just local channels (6 I think) so I download all of my shows and watch them later. Every month I get up to at least 200gb easily, and that's not streaming everything.
The most I've gotten until they lifted the cap was 301, but this month I'm up to 280gb as of now. Of course I have gotten a few more this month than normal, with the cap lifted, but not that much more.
"In markets where we are not trialing a new data usage management approach, we will suspend enforcement of our current usage cap as we transition to a new data usage management approach, although we will continue to contact the very small number of excessive users about their usage"
So... how do I know what Market I'm in? I should assume that since I wasn't approached with any new info that I'm NOT in a test marked and therefore there is no cap?
And this is just off the top, there's a lot in here that's far from 'clear'.
"In markets where we are not trialing a new data usage management approach, we will suspend enforcement of our current usage cap as we transition to a new data usage management approach, although we will continue to contact the very small number of excessive users about their usage"
So... how do I know what Market I'm in? I should assume that since I wasn't approached with any new info that I'm NOT in a test marked and therefore there is no cap?
And this is just off the top, there's a lot in here that's far from 'clear'.
There are not yet any trial markets. As a result, we're not yet testing any different approaches to usage. If you live in a market where we do end up testing you will surely know - I expect quite a lot of communication.
just from streaming radio, hulu, and netflix - unless you are literally streaming all 3 of them at the same time 24/7.
