I'll have to find a windows machine and try it.

In reply to a post by RevK:

I'll have to find a windows machine and try it.

A link to the calculator without any real navigation would be better too.

If you click on Broadband, then the small Price link you are faced with the Units system straight from the outset which is confusing. You then have to find the small More link to find an explanation.
It's all very neat like an essay, but not very clear at all and I believe research says that people will close the page altogether if they can't navigate reasonably quickly.

The units system is great when you understand it but I'm sure many will be perplexed to find a headed "BROADBAND Prices" page that doesn't really give you a clear price indication from the second you see it - making quick ISP pricing comparisons almost impossible.
It would be good if some of the familiar type price points were added to a comparison foot note, just so potential customers could immediately understand and see a known competing comparison.
Something like my ideal scenario for instance:-
21CN
2GB Peak
30GB Eve/Weekends
100GB Night
= £17.56 inclusive

To Add, Opera 10.10 auto calculates with no problems.

In reply to a post by RevK:

I'll have to find a windows machine and try it.

What are you using at the moment?

Hi,

I don't want to create a brand new thread as my question is very similar to the OP.
I am thinking about signing up but have to query the way the quotas work.

During the signup process I'm told that I can download 2.5GB during peak or 200GB off peak. Am I literally given a choice of whether I use the Internet during the day or evening, or can I run up 2.4GB during peak and 199GB off peak and still be within my 2 unit quota?

Another possibility is that if I only downloaded in the day (unlikely) and reached my 2.5GB, I would not be able to download in the evening as I'll have eaten up my quota?

Damn this is confusing...

It's complicated at first but a very good system. You have in fact pretty well got the hang of it, but not quite.

It isn't a choice. If you haven't seen this page have a go at it with any browser except Internet Explorer, the calculator/estimator doesn't work in that. It's good for seeing different combinations and working out ones it doesn't actually have itself.

I gather you are on 21CN or FTTC/FTTP, not 20CN.

Let's deal with your second question first - that's easy. You would indeed have used up your quota (if the days were all Mon-Fri). You wouldn't be stopped from downloading but you would be eating into the following months quota because of the carry-forward of over/under-use system. Unless you buy some extra, I'm not quite sure if/how you can do that.

Now the first question - looking at the page I linked to. Open it if you can while you are reading this.

1GB peak takes 0.8 units. Similarly 2GB takes 1.6 units. So 0.4GB take 0.32 units. 2.4GB as you specify = 1.92 units. You therefore have 0.08 units left, giving 8GB off-peak or 80GB night-time.

Similarly you can do different combinations of how you would use the 0.08. So 4GB off-peak and 40GB night-time.

Any clearer?

Edited by RobertoS (Wed 06-Jan-10 20:19:53)

Thank you so much for your response.
Basically, if I only download after 6pm and at the weekends then I'll have no problems with the limits as I've only ever downloaded up to 30 - 40GB in a month.
Is there a monitor of sorts that can be checked? I've read about a control panel so I imagine it's in there.

Only problem I have now is trying to find a wireless router to replace the homehub.
Been recommended looking for one that can have the dd-wrt firmware on it.

Oops nearly forgot. I believe that my exchange is 21CN. The exchange checker on Plus.net states so and aaisp puts me in the same pricing band.

Edited by Fantasmo (Wed 06-Jan-10 22:29:11)