In reply to a post by ferretuk:

The multicast data is added in the BT Wholesale network, downstream of the BT Retail metering system.

What about the traffic for on-demand stuff? Surely that's unicast?

Correct, the on demand feeds are unicast - and metered. It's only the multicast channels that don't count to any usage data.

This page: http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/44084...

states that the on demand content isn't charged for if you have an active subscription for TV so I guess they track the source of the data rather than the destination.

Edited by ferretuk (Sat 14-Jun-14 19:17:17)

In reply to a post by ferretuk:

Correct, the on demand feeds are unicast - and metered. It's only the multicast channels that don't count to any usage data

Not so. *All* internet usage via the Youview box is not counted. For example, iPlayer and other catch up service usage is not counted.

Bye the bye, for many users (myself included) their online data monitor is borked and unless and until they fix it *no* internet usage by any connected device is being counted.

Edited by gomezz (Sat 14-Jun-14 22:51:52)

In reply to a post by ferretuk:

The multicast data is added in the BT Wholesale network, downstream of the BT Retail metering system. The system is described here:

http://www.sinet.bt.com/sinet/sins/pdf/511v1p5.pdf

Page 9 describes the way your line profile is reduced to leave room for the IPTV stream and I assume that multiple IGMP Join requests (from more than one box) reduces the profile accordingly.

Aha - You've just provided an answer to something that's been bugging me for a few months now. My connection had dropped from around 73meg to 64meg and we didn't know why. On reading your post, I just checked and lo and behold, it just happens to coincide with the day IPTV was enabled on my account.
Am going to have to read up on this in a bit more detail at a later date.
Am wondering if that is a permanent 'adjustment' of your profile or whether it merely effects the prioritisation of traffic when present?
Mine appears to be permanent in that my profile appears constant whether any IPTV enabled devices are on or off.
If permanent, I wonder how that would effect those on or just above a level by which the profile is capped/adjusted.
i.e. assume it drops your profile by 10Mbits/sec (rate of Premium HD stream), what effect would that have on someone with a profile of 10Mbits or slightly above?
Do they effectively lose the majority of their bandwidth?
Going to have to go read up on that part...

Cheers for the heads up and pointers... hadn't even considered the effect of the IPTV before today.

Chris

Thanks to all who responded.

It's clear that some of the systems involved have become too complex for their own good.

Look here where it says...

"Due to technical reasons, some YouView content is currently contributing to the broadband usage monitor even though it's exempt and you'll not be charged for it. We realise that this is confusing..."

The bottom of page 9 and the page 10 describe the channel leave steps - Your rate should increase again when you stop watching a stream.

In reply to a post by PlutoX:

"Due to technical reasons, some YouView content is currently contributing to the broadband usage monitor even though it's exempt and you'll not be charged for it. We realise that this is confusing..."

You could probably exchange "technical reasons" with "incompetence" there.