Broadband Packages

[colonelsun]

I wonder if somebody could explain the difference, for the average user, between the ADSL Home Max & Home Super Max packages to me?

As i alluded to in another post, i have gone from just me using the computer to 3 or 4 people, 3 of them studying, and i'm obviously getting perilously close to busting my current 30GB download limit on the Home Max package.

My problem is understanding what, if anything, i would be gaining from upgrading from the Home Max package to the Home Super Max package? As i understand it they both carry a 30GB & 60GB download limit and yet the last one has another 30GB to use during off-peak hours....am i correct? I  was all ready to switch to the Home Super Max package when i suddenly realised, for us, there is little between the two packages, unless the kids started their homework after midnight every night.LOL. Basically, surely the other 30GB allowed to me on the Max package would be wasted every month as rarely would anyone be using the web after midnight.

And yet our problem remains: we only have basic ADSL (not ADSL2) at our exchange, my circumstances have changed dramatically but the IDNET packages appear to be inflexible, i don't mean that as a complaint, if i could get an extra GB allowance i'd rather give my money to IDNET than anyone else!!

I'm sure there must be others here with a similar problem, lots of demand via kids for bandwidth, there's your own demands and yet the download allowance sticks stubbornly at 30 GB whether you're on the Home Max or the Super Max product. Apart from some incidental frills like exchange priority both packages seem exactly the same to the average user. If i'm looking for a bigger download allowance it appears i have exhausted the basic ADSL IDNET packages, am i right?

As a loyal IDNET subscriber i'd hate to leave, and i'm sure some will think i should look at other ISPs if i'm dis-satisfied.....but i'm not.....IDNET have been good to me and i'm very grateful for their superb service, it just galls me that i find myself having to consider switching ISPs because of a change of circumstances.

IDNET....any chance of you looking again at the broadband packages please? I'm a loyal subscriber who doesn't want to go anywhere else. I've experienced the best why should i settle for second best or worse?

[Dangerjunkie]

Hi,

Max has 30GB to use per month.
Supermax has 30GB per month to use during the daytime and another 30GB to use from midnight-9am.

Max is on standard domestic priority so when everyone comes home at 6pm and starts downloading your connection may slow down if the exchange becomes congested.
The big plus on Supermax is that you are on business priority so when everyone comes home at 6pm and starts downloading music and movies your stuff wins and you don't see a slowdown if th exchange becomes congested.

Cheers,
Paul.

[Steve]

Have you any idea how much download a month you need?

[Colin Burns]

im on the supermax package....

to avoid going over my peek time bandwidth usage plan big downloads to be done at night but i leave my PC on 24x7

[Simon]

Super Max is £10 per month more than Home Max, Dave, but as you say, you would only benefit in off-peak hours.  However, if the £10 per month is disposable, then it might be better spent on excess bandwidth on the Home Max package, which would then give you an extra 10Gb to use at any time.  It's obviously not the most economical way to do things, but it could be a means to and end, and at least you'd only be paying for the extra that you use.  Just a thought. 

[Steve]

They were my thoughts as well.

[colonelsun]

Hi,

Max has 30GB to use per month.
Supermax has 30GB per month to use during the daytime and another 30GB to use from midnight-9am.

Max is on standard domestic priority so when everyone comes home at 6pm and starts downloading your connection may slow down if the exchange becomes congested.
The big plus on Supermax is that you are on business priority so when everyone comes home at 6pm and starts downloading music and movies your stuff wins and you don't see a slowdown if th exchange becomes congested.

Cheers,
Paul.

Thanks Paul. I had an inkling the benefits of Super Max were of a business or telephone exchange-nature.

Ideally, IDNET could do with a package higher than Super Max but with more convenient download usage hours that better suits families. This after midnight off-peak thing is absolutely useless for people like us unless we keep the hours of a badger!!

[colonelsun]

Have you any idea how much download a month you need?

Well probably 40GB or 50GB, although ideally 60GB....but that's just a dream.

About 40GB or 50GB would stop me having a coronary every time the kids logged on, i'd still be clock-watching but at least i'd know that we'd have at least 10GB in the bank, so to speak, if i only used the computer 3 days a week.

[colonelsun]

Super Max is £10 per month more than Home Max, Dave, but as you say, you would only benefit in off-peak hours.  However, if the £10 per month is disposable, then it might be better spent on excess bandwidth on the Home Max package, which would then give you an extra 10Gb to use at any time.  It's obviously not the most economical way to do things, but it could be a means to and end, and at least you'd only be paying for the extra that you use.  Just a thought. 

Hi Simon

What do you mean by " an extra 10GB to use at any time "?

Could that mean in peak hours?

What's the IDNET shame cupboard like when you go over your allowance? Is it bad? That's what i'm most afraid of...the label.

Ideally i'd like to have 10GB in the IDNET bank, so to speak, just in case. I don't suppose there's a way i could by GBs in advance and avoid that shame cupboard?

[Simon]

There's no shame cupboard, Dave.    You'd simply be paying £1 per Gb for excess bandwidth, which can be used at any time, as far as I know.  Maybe, though, if that's the route you choose, it might pay to give them a call, or drop them an email to explain, so that they don't keep trying to move you up to SuperMax.  You never know, you may be able to come to an arrangement.  

[colonelsun]

Cheers Simon

When i get a moment to myself i'll do just that.

I don't want to leave IDNET, i'd be stupid to do that, and anyway moving ISP means another activation fee and then there's the cost of a router....it all adds up financially.

I managed to log into my account and things don't look too bad on the monthly usage front. If i'm right i've only used around 17GB plus of my 30BG allowance....i think i'm right, details below if anyone can reassure me.

Meanwhile i'll buy some glove puppets for the younger kids and distract them, can't do that with the eldest one though.....he's a prize winning boxer in his spare time. LOL




14.23 GB Download - (Peak: 11.23 GB | Off-Peak: 3.0 GB)
0.85 GB Upload - (Peak: 0.71 GB | Off-Peak: 0.14 GB)

17.3 GB Download - (Peak: 13.48 GB | Off-Peak: 3.83 GB)
1.0 GB Upload - (Peak: 0.84 GB | Off-Peak: 0.17 GB)

[Rik]

You appear to have used 14.23G, with a projected usage of 17.3G from that...

[Niall]

You can come and join me in the shame cupboard, I'll put the kettle on

Although with this new package I wont be there long

[Simon]

If that's for nearly the whole of January, you've only actually used about half of your allowance, Dave. 

[colonelsun]

You appear to have used 14.23G, with a projected usage of 17.3G from that...

Yikes!! I'm under then. I'm so embarassed.

And there was me sat in the corner hugging a tumbler of whisky and praying for a power cut when the kids logged on.

[colonelsun]

You can come and join me in the shame cupboard, I'll put the kettle on

Although with this new package I wont be there long

New package? I'm envious.

[colonelsun]

If that's for nearly the whole of January, you've only actually used about half of your allowance, Dave. 

Oh God!! Where have i been....the Twilight Zone?

Actually i think the estimates of the broadband usage are some hours in arrears...but like you said....looks like i'm actually over estimating my usage.

I won't tell the kids though....it's kinder just to watch them sweat it out and think the worse. LOL

[Technical Ben]

Yep. No need to feel bad Colonelsun and Niall. It's not like bank charges or late payment fees (horrible things!) but just like mobile phone call charges.
You get 30gb a month free, and £1 per GB after that. It's not a fine or a bad thing, it's just the price for extra usage.
I tend to run my mobile phones that way. I pay just £10 a month for the contract, get a few free calls/txts and if I use a little bit more it will only add a pound or two to my final bill. If I used alot more though, then I'd need to look at changing contracts, or using the home phone more!

[Niall]

New package? I'm envious.

Yeah, my exchange just upgraded to the 21cn network so I'm now on that, and there's a slightly higher bandwidth allowance. I was only ever going over by a couple of gb each month, mainly because I seem to be buying games through Steam again (and may again tomorrow ).

[Lona]

I'll definitely be in the shame cupboard this month. and I'm not telling you how much I'm over. Blame it on Celebrity Big Brother. I need to 

[Rik]

Get the accordion out, Lona.

[Lona]

Get the accordion out, Lona.

I think I will have to one of these days and go around the streets where nobody knows me on a Sunday morning playing The Old Rugged Cross.

[Rik]

About 6am should be perfect...

[Lona]

Seriously Rik, it was when I was a small girl I used to lie in my bed on a Sunday morning listening to an old man you used to go round our street and that's what he played on the accordion.

I made up my mind I wanted to learn how to play one and that is one of the first tuned I mastered.

I can still play it, note perfect to this day.

[Rik]

As can most pipers. It's very much part of the culture, isn't it.