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Has anyone hit a wall with Road Runner bandwidth?

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jimoblak

Instructor
Oct 23, 2001
3,620
US
I received a letter and phone call from Road Runner indicating that I had exceeded the 15 Gb/month bandwidth for my highspeed internet residential package. They offered a 40Gb package for $89/month or an a la carte option. The CSRep said that one could still go over the 40Gb limit (how is that a limit then?). I also asked if they had a utility where I could monitor my bandwidth (much like how one can read their water or electric meter) -- they said such a utility was not available yet. I also asked if the excessive bandwidth use was upstream or downstream. They could only offer the combined value.

The whole matter has confused me. If I am using an excessive amount of data, I would like to be able to know how. If Road Runner does not really offer unlimited access, why do they advertise such? I searched the site for other access packages but found none for my location. The packages that the CDRep offered could not be explained online. Has anyone else in the US encountered Road Runner offering differing packages for 'unlimited access'?

Luckily, there is a competing phone company that also offers high speed access - - so if I get fed up with Road Runner marketing/billing differences, I can go elsewhere.

- - picklefish - -
 
sounds like a sales call to me... take it all with a pinch of salt. If they advertise "unlimited access" then even if there are limits in the ToS small print, the company will probably be breaching trade descriptions acts for misrepresentation.

<marc> i wonder what will happen if i press this...[pc][ul][li]please give feedback on what works / what doesn't[/li][li]need some help? how to get a better answer: faq581-3339[/li][/ul]
 
The TOS does state that the service provider can evaluate usage and make modifications to the service. I am just surprised that they market unlimited access and then come back with 'not really'. It's not like I am trying to download the entire internet.

I was blown away with the speed when I went from phone to cable. With the recent call from RoadRunner, I am now being frugal with my web use. There was no need to be frugal on a phone modem. It makes little sense to pay twice as much for highspeed access but have this kind of cloud hanging over me. I might be better off with going back to phone lines (shudder).

- - picklefish - -
 
In the northeast U.S., Road Runner had become AT&T Broadband, and now Comcast. I've never heard of a specific bandwidth number, and would have exceeded it myself. I did read that they were going to start to grade out users in this manner in the future to nail us on cost (again!), but have not received any word of it yet.

Newposter
&quot;Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment.&quot;
 
I just recently got cable (Cox.net) and was too blown away with the speed. No one has mentioned this to me yet, but I do a lot of d/l of songs, images and movies now that I ahve cable. Will see what happens. I believe the dial ups went through this phase too, and I believe some dialups (AT&T for one) have different levels of service, but it's based on time (so many hours per week, or whatever) not bandwidth.

Personally I think it's a sales scam, but thanks for the heads up anyway.

PV

PhiloVance
Other hobbies, interests: Travel, Model RR (HO Gauge), Genealogy.
 
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