Slow radio downloads - a bit off topic

[Nick]

On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 21:36:39 +0000
Marshall Cleave <marshall at brooklandsand.co.uk> wrote:
> 
> >On Tue, 18 Nov 2014 20:20:31 -0000, Peter S Kirk wrote:
> >
> >> Do you have a strong signal from any of the mobile networks? Plenty
> >> of 3G/4G unlimited packages available, ...
> >
> >Is that using an english definition of the word "unlimited" or a
> >marketing speak definition? That is "unlimited" within the limits
> >applied via an Acceptable Use Policy. I could use a back up for the
> >ADSL, use in the order of 60 to 200 GB /month depending on how many
> >kids are home. If you stand near a window on the right side of house
> >up stairs you can get a 3G signal, so a truely unlimited 3G account
> >could be useful.
> >
> 
> 
> My only connection at home is a 3g connection which I use for
> everything including get_iplayer.
> I have a cheap firefox phone tethered to a tp-link router (running
> openwrt).
> Three do the all-in-one 15 tariff on pay as you go. £15 gets unlimited
> internet for 30 days, I've tried to hit a cap but haven't found one
> yet :) 


I'm on that, and there is a limit. I have seen a traffic graph get
quite clearly limited to about 64k/sec or something (a base 2,
computery number), but the limiting seems to be related to how busy the
cells are: I have only seen it since moving house, I think.

But there is a workaround, power cycle the phone and whilst it is
rebooting delete any DHCP lease on the PC. The network will give a
different IP, the anti-customer system will then think you are someone
else and will turn the bandwidth back up. I make a call before pulling
the battery out to power cycle the phone, just to try and confuse the
network more.

I did all the Horizons the BBC posted, that 50 years worth, in
flashvhigh in one go, abut 10gig IIRC. I don't think that triggered any
of the unfair usage policy (aka "how dare the customer use what they
paid for") though.

I think torrents can trigger something, next time it happens though I
will call up and complain and make sure it is an ISO of Android or
something undoubtedly legal. Proxying is enough to make torrents always
go flat-out though (or still dribble in slowly, if it's badly seeded).

Nick