On Dec 21, 2007, at 11:41 AM, Becca Price wrote: > --- Kirk McElhearn <kirkmc at mac.com> wrote: > >> >> No, sounds more like your ISP has blocked some kinds of >> traffic... > > I didn't think we had nannyware on our ISP, but given the > problems they've given us in the past, it wouldn't surprise me. > If we download too much in a 24-hour period (like my Friday > science podcasts!) the ISP decides that I'm either uploading a > virus or downloading illegal files, and cuts us back to dialup > speed for 24 hours. It's a real pain, and I understand there > have been a lot of complaints about the low level they've set > for this... we can't look at any videos, for example, without > this "feature" cutting in. > > -becca Becca: our satellite provider does the same thing -- they call it their fair use policy, but what it means to me is that they have too many subscribers and they can't keep up with the demand during busy times. Ironically, they're giving their subscribers a strong reason to go somewhere else, once an alternative is available. Not a good business model, in my view. For iTunes, I've found a simple way around it -- I download my podcasts and videos late at night, when very few people are on. The downloads then come in at full bandwidth instead of being cut back. Or you do what we all did with dialup -- start a download and go have a full-course meal, read the newspaper or watch a movie. The big problem with this approach is time-outs (as it was with dial-up). Jeff ----------------------------------------------- Carruthers Communications Tel: 613-278-0390 678 2nd Concession N Sherbrooke Cell: 613-720-2350 R.R. 1, McDonalds Corners, ON K0G 1M0 Fax: 613-278-2929 www.carruthers.com e-mail: jeff at carruthers.com "There's no such thing as a dumb question." (Anon)