What causes me to exceed my monthly cable modem included throughput?
Overview
Issue
How To
What does 1 GB (gigabyte) mean? 1 GB is approximately equal to 200-250 mp3 files, or 10,000 websites.
What can cause me to exceed my monthly included amount? . File sharing programs, downloading MP3 music files, streaming videos or movies are the most common cause for exceeding your cable modem included throughput. Additionally, running a server of any kind over the Internet, hosting Internet web pages, and transferring graphics or pictures all have the potential to use excessive amount of data. All of these items can add up quickly and may cause you to exceed your included usage.
What throughput does the cable modem track? The cable modem tracks all data that passes through it, including both upstream (you requesting information) and downstream (information you receive) data.
What is a file sharing program and why could it dramatically impact my usage? File sharing programs such as WinMX, Kazaa, Gnutella, Blubster, eDonkey, Napster and many more advertise themselves as P2P (peer to peer). They are a means of sharing many types of files (most commonly MP3 music or movies). Unless you properly configure these programs, you may allow others to freely access these large files on your computer, allowing those users to share, or in some cases steal, your bandwidth. You must make sure not enable file sharing when installing or configuring these programs.
Why are downloading MP3s or other music files, movies, streaming video files bandwidth-intensive?
- MP3s can range widely in size from a few hundred Kb to several MBs.
- A single movie can be 3+ Gigs in size.
- Graphics and pictures can also be very large, so be sure to check the size of the files you are transferring.
What are my options?
- First and foremost, determine what programs you are running and how much data they are using, then check that the programs are configured the way you want them be.
- Second, monitor your cable modem usage regularly. Click here to view the steps on how to check your cable modem usage.
- Third, ensure that any file sharing Programs, such as Kazaa, WinMX and Morpheus, have peer-to-peer file sharing disabled. Many of the file sharing programs are configured by default to run continuously in the background. The normal process of closing the active window does not guarantee that the program has actually closed. An application running in the background may allow individuals access to your files or to download data using these programs. This configuration allows those individuals to consume your included throughput. See the links below, or do a search on the Internet for file sharing programs, to learn more about disabling peer-to-peer sharing or removing these programs.
- Finally, if all your programs are working the way you want them to, and you are still exceeding your monthly included usage, you should consider upgrading your Internet plan. Contact GCI Internet Customer Support for more information. You can e-mail us at support@gci.net or call us at 868-0316 in Anchorage or 1-800-800-4800 Statewide.
It is important that you check your usage regularly to ensure you do not exceed your monthly included amount to avoid extra charges. Click here to see the article "What is my monthly included throughput for my cable modem?"
Some suggested links addressing file sharing:
Products
- HyperNet
Categories
- Internet/Cable Modem/Com21/Usage
- Internet/Cable Modem/Docsis/Usage