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Your average consumer likely isn't rocking a 100Mbps+ connection

I would bet the majority of Stadia customers will have 100Mb+ connections in the US. People get hung up on average connection speeds in the US but some of that is people choosing lower speeds than the maximum available and most of these customers will be kids in relatively urban areas where DOCSIS 3.1 and fiber are routinely available. 300-500Mb/s cable modems are pretty normal these days, even in third tier cities. I used to live in a city of 50k people and the local cable provider offered 300Mb/s for $70/mo and fiber from AT&T starting at $50. At work we deploy broadband service al over the south east using local providers for direct internet access for VPN backup and we see anything from 300-500Mb/s as the standard these days from the local cable MSO. Now I live in a second tier citiy of about 600k people and I have three different gigabit options (AT&T, Google and Comcast). Neither AT&T nor Google Fiber have caps on their 1Gb service. (see here for AT&T under the "Internet 1000" plan - "No internet usage data caps").

So while the average consumer in the US might not have 100Mb/s, that does not really matter. What matters is the connection speed of Stadia customers.

See my other reply. Most everything that you're worrying about were theoretical abuses. The Netflix issue is the only thing you mention that actually happened and it's still unclear to me how much of that was Reed Hastings trying to offload his cost of doing business onto others -- Netflix does not have completely clean hands here or elsewhere -- and how much was the ISPs being dicks. I suspect a little bit of Column A and a little bit of Column B.

Meanwhile, as I said in my other post, caps and zero rating are fait accomplis, and they're doing real damage to the internet. This is and always was FUD. This and this are real and the FCC is doing nothing about them. Color me skeptical that they're likely to intervene at this point, as I said, they're fait accomplis. We spent a decade fighting over abuses that never actually happened while the ISPs were busy building a fence around one killer app (video) that directly competes with them, while precluding the emergence of future killer apps, and massively increasing their own revenues to boot.

USC 17512 Limitations on liability relating to material online

(i) Conditions for Eligibility.â"

(1) Accommodation of technology. â" The limitations on liability established by this section shall apply to a service provider only if the service provider â"

(A) has adopted and reasonably implemented, and informs subscribers and account holders of the service provider's system or network of, a policy that provides for the termination in appropriate circumstances of subscribers and account holders of the service provider's system or network who are repeat infringers; and

Nobody has dared poke this part of the law with a stick, what the heck does "reasonably implemented", "appropriate circumstances" and "repeat infringers" mean? None of it is defined any closer. I'd go for the simple two-pronged defense:

1) The policy is clearly spelled out in our terms of service, where we may terminate your contract:

By using the Service, you agree to abide by, and require others using the Service via your account to abide by the terms of this AUP. The AUP will be updated from time to time, so you should consult this document regularly to ensure that your activities conform to the most recent version. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS, YOU SHOULD IMMEDIATELY STOP THE USE OF THE SERVICES AND NOTIFY THE COX CUSTOMER SERVICE DEPARTMENT SO THAT YOUR ACCOUNT MAY BE CLOSED.

1. Prohibited Activities. You may not use the Service in a manner that violates any applicable local, state, federal or international law, order or regulation. Additionally, you may not use the Service to:
(...)
Breach of Agreement: If You breach this Agreement, or any other agreement referenced herein, Cox has the right to terminate this Agreement and retrieve its equipment.

2) Our customers are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Something tells me this is going to get overturned on appeal.

I recently updated my router with Gargoyle to monitor usage because I received an email stating that I exceeded my plan limit.
http://www.cox.com/aboutus/pol... (Updated 11/18/13)
Starter 50 GB at 1 Mbps down, 384 Kbps up for $32.99 -
Essential 100 GB at 5/1 for $47.99 -
Preferred 250 GB at 25/5 for $61.99 -
Premier 300 GB at 50/10 for $73.99 -
Ultimate 400 GB at 100 Mbps down, 20 Mbps up for $99.99 -
Discounted prices available for new customers or bundled services. Faster speeds help reach the limit quicker. A while back they stopped offering web site space and turned off the Usenet/Newsgroup servers, but now they offer online storage space. I guess limits were introduced because some users were hogging all the bandwidth and making a bad experience for other users. It might also have something to do with the rise of online video, like Netflix, which competes with their OnDemand service. It's good that they notify customers, for cases of neighbors using open or hacked wifi, or some kind of malware, or Fire TV screen saver bugs. "Very few customers - up to 5% - exceed their data plans in any given month."
Electricity and water here are also priced by tier usage.

Cable and DSL require a remote.

Bullshit.

There's plenty of cable boxes with an up-down channel button on them. You know, for example nearly every Scientific Atlanta, Cisco, Pace, Samsung and Motorola used by pretty much everyone.

http://ww2.cox.com/residential...
http://customer.comcast.com/he...
http://www.timewarnercable.com...

If I had an option of changing channels on the TV like in the old days I would not worry about a remote either.

It's your lucky day!

Yes, let's step back into the real world:

1. Being held liable for guest's actions: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/24/unsecured-wifi-child-pornography-innocent_n_852996.html

TL;DR - Man was accused of downloading child porn after a neighbor used his AP to do so. He was cleared after some time, but not after being raided by SWAT; arrested; and having his name and reputation smeared all over the media.

2. ISP TOS: http://ww2.cox.com/aboutus/policies.cox Part 1 "[...] You may not use the Service to: [...] Resell or redistribute the Service to any third party via any means including but not limited to wireless technology." Break the TOS and I break the contract, which is terms for Cox to drop my service. Get another ISP? Well, maybe you have a surfeit of broadband choices in SF, but in my neck of the woods, there's only two -- and the other has the exact same TOS clause.

Every bit of this comes back to my main point. There are risks and rewards associated with running an open AP. I've detailed the risks. Are the rewards worth taking those risks? For you -- yes. For me -- no.

Do you have broadband?

They all come with a free security suite.

http://xfinity.comcast.net/constantguard/Products/CGPS/norton/
http://www.cox.com/css
www.att.com/esupport/article.jsp?sid=KB402441
http://www.rr.com/security
http://www22.verizon.com/home/utilities/security-backup

Now if they can just resolve the CCI-bit issues, those of us that are Tivo users will once again be happy. Cable companies are exploiting customers by not allowing DVR devices to transfer in-between them (CCI-bit 0x02) and cite federal laws for doing so. And yet, they ignore those federal rules in order to offer identical multi-room-viewing products.

After a little looking around for him, I saw someone had been squatting on his connection and then locked it up for him. Despite he explained someone apparently used his network without his permission and broke the law, Cox didn't give a rat's ass about it. It's much easier and cheaper for them to shoot now and ask questions later.

He was in violation of Cox's Acceptable Use Policy:
http://ww2.cox.com/aboutus/lasvegas/policies.cox
(these policies are the same for all Cox service areas generally)

First, from the intro:
"Violation of any term of this AUP may result in the immediate suspension or termination of either your access to the Service and/or your Cox account."

See section 6 (Misuse of service),
"You may be held responsible for any misuse of the Service that occurs through your account or IP address, even if the misuse was inadvertent. You must therefore take precautions to ensure that others do not gain unauthorized access to the Service or misuse the Service, including conduct in violation of this AUP."

and section 8 (Security)
"Any wireless network installed by the customer or a Cox representative that is unsecured or 'open' and connected to the Cox network is prohibited."

The article mentions that law enforcement considers Cox Communications "uncooperative". That's because Cox Communications' procedures are legally correct.

Cox insists that all requests go through their Records Custodian in Atlanta. Local offices aren't allowed to deal with law enforcement. There's a worksheet to be filled out. "Please complete with all relevant information and fax with court order". Cox flatly refuses to do anything without a court order. They do accept "emergency requests". The "Emergency Request" form requires law enforcement people to sign this:

• "The requester states, as representative of a governmental entity, that this request relates to an emergency involving danger of death or serious physical injury to a person and the information provided shall not be used for any unlawful or harmful purpose. Requesting party represents that he or she has the authority to execute this form and agrees to indemnify Cox Communications, its subsidiaries, employees, and agents harmless for any claim, demand, loss, or injury, including attorneys fees brought against Cox by a third party, including the subscriber, as a result of Cox's compliance with this request."

That makes whomever signs that personally responsible if there's anything illegal about the request.

Then there's billing. Trap and trace, $2500 for 30 days. Wiretap, $3500 for 30 days. Inaccurate requests (for non-Cox phones), $25 each. Payment may be required in advance. Visa, Master Card, and AMEX accepted. Cox reserves the right to withhold delivery until payment.

Cox refused to cooperate with NSA's warrentless wiretapping program.

Cox is obeying the law. Law enforcement hates that when it applies to them.

Unlimited = Use the internet 24/7. Always on. Example - Cable, DSL, FIOS.
Limited = Pay per Min. Example - AOL Dial-up.

Unlimited != Uncapped downloads.

Unfortunately, most ISPs in the US have a download cap. Some are in the ToS, some aren't. Some are enforced, some aren't. I live in AZ, have Cox Com., pay for the 13Mbps plan (they have 1.5, 13, 20, and 28Mbps tiers) and have an official cap of 40GB down/15GB up a month. Luckily Cox doesn't seem to enforce their caps because I have exceeded this many times, both down and up. FYI, even though I have the 13Mbps plan I routinely see over 18Mbps and rarely get under 10Mbps.

Cox TOS

funny, I just looked at it a bit closer and they call it "enhanced error results". Clever. Also at the bottom of the page is a link called "Visitor Agreement", which if you click on takes you to a terms of service for using this "service". Of course cox customers are literally forced to this page everytime they mistype a domain name. for their part, though, after doing a bit of digging through the "about this service link" I did find that there is a way to "opt out". They way of opting is for the user to configure their IPv4 adapter to use different DNS server addresses. instructions: http://support.cox.com/sdccommon/asp/contentredirect.asp?sprt_cid=c8daf50a-61ba-442d-90b9-8d2e18ceb58d

http://ww2.cox.com/aboutus/policies.cox#sub

15. Management of Network
Cox reserves the right to manage its network for the greatest benefit of the greatest number of subscribers including, without limitation, the following: rate limiting, rejection or removal of "spam" or otherwise unsolicited bulk email, anti-virus mechanisms, traffic prioritization, and protocol filtering. You expressly accept that such action on the part of Cox may affect the performance of the Service. Visit Congestion Management Technology Trial to learn more about new technology Cox is testing to manage traffic during times of network congestion.

Cox here in RI is a bit more sensitive to the fact that Verizon has cabled up the entire city with FiOS. Competition is good.

Same here in Virginia. Cox's 'Preferred' package is 40Gb/15, at speeds of 12/2, and the 'Premier' is 60/15, at speeds of 20/3.
I routinely go over the 40Gb dl limit, and have never heard anything from them.
So far.

Cox cable (Hampton Roads) has download/upload bandwidth caps based on what level of service you have.

At my current service level, it is 40Gb down, 15 up per month. Speeds of 10/2, which is quite consistent.
The strange thing is, I know I exceed this regularly. And have never gotten any notice about it, or seen a throttling of speed.

oops, I did it now.

I'm sure a lot of people would love to fire Cox, but I don't see that that has to do with this discussion.

I have Cox too and like the service other than the almost daily outages (usually less than 1 minute) and the "Maximum monthly consumption cap [of] 40 gigabytes downstream; 10 gigabytes upstream". Source: http://www.cox.com/policy/limitations.asp

Really? 40 GB downstream? That's nothing.

The set of tools, at MeasurementLab.net, includes a network diagnostic tool, a network path diagnostic tool and a tool to measure whether the user's broadband provider is slowing BitTorrent peer-to-peer (P-to-P) traffic.

Will there be a tool to tell me if Digital Max is really my friend in the digital world, or if he's just bullshitting me?

> doesn't have the infrastracture (sic) to handle what they sold me
and to:
> they can no longer deny that they support VOIP or gaming[...]
IMHO, I'd add that selling a 10-20 Mb package (Cox) and their first thought of my usage is web pages...I know msn is bulky, but Jeez Louise!

Also, do you know how quick you can blow through a monthly consumption cap of 60 GB (480 Gb). You can probably do the math in your head, so I won't bother.

Yes you can save a little money if you just ask your ISP. Cox in Fairfax, VA has their rates http://www.cox.com/fairfax/highspeedinternet/rates.asp on their site.

Just buy what you need!

As has Cox Communications, at least in Omaha. For example, when trying coxnxdomain.com, a non-existant domain. The worst part is that the page's URL also includes a unique id and the refer(r)er (both which I removed), which lets the owner of whatever link you click know who you are (pseudonymously with the id) and where you came from.

Fortunately you can opt out of it with the DNS servers 68.105.28.13 and 68.105.29.13.

I really don't think that these NX domain redirections are necessary, and I shouldn't have to opt out of this stupid "service". Honestly, most modern web browsers already do something like this and redirect you to google.com/msn.com/whateverthehellthebrowserdoes.com.

Cox

Arkansas
$45 for 9mbps
$60 for 12mbps
http://www.cox.com/gocox/HighSpeedInternet/

Arizona
$45 for 12mbps
$60 for 20
http://www.cox.com/arizona/hsi.asp

Santa Barbara
$50 for 5mbps
$65 for 12mbps
http://www.cox.com/santabarbara/highspeedinternet/packages.asp

Idaho
$42 to $56 for
7 mbps to 12 mbps
http://www.cox.com/idaho/highspeedinternet/pricing.asp

Cox

Arkansas
$45 for 9mbps
$60 for 12mbps
http://www.cox.com/gocox/HighSpeedInternet/

Arizona
$45 for 12mbps
$60 for 20
http://www.cox.com/arizona/hsi.asp

Santa Barbara
$50 for 5mbps
$65 for 12mbps
http://www.cox.com/santabarbara/highspeedinternet/packages.asp

Idaho
$42 to $56 for
7 mbps to 12 mbps
http://www.cox.com/idaho/highspeedinternet/pricing.asp

Cox

Arkansas
$45 for 9mbps
$60 for 12mbps
http://www.cox.com/gocox/HighSpeedInternet/

Arizona
$45 for 12mbps
$60 for 20
http://www.cox.com/arizona/hsi.asp

Santa Barbara
$50 for 5mbps
$65 for 12mbps
http://www.cox.com/santabarbara/highspeedinternet/packages.asp

Idaho
$42 to $56 for
7 mbps to 12 mbps
http://www.cox.com/idaho/highspeedinternet/pricing.asp

Cox

Arkansas
$45 for 9mbps
$60 for 12mbps
http://www.cox.com/gocox/HighSpeedInternet/

Arizona
$45 for 12mbps
$60 for 20
http://www.cox.com/arizona/hsi.asp

Santa Barbara
$50 for 5mbps
$65 for 12mbps
http://www.cox.com/santabarbara/highspeedinternet/packages.asp

Idaho
$42 to $56 for
7 mbps to 12 mbps
http://www.cox.com/idaho/highspeedinternet/pricing.asp

This bandwidth cap is somewhat like setting a highway speed limit of 670616629 mph.

No, it's more like they set the highway speed limit to 55 mph and you're complaining that you can't possibly go that fast on your 3 speed bicycle.

How many people have substantially more than 3 Mbps of upstream bandwidth to play with at home? I'm on my service provider's fastest available connection, and upstream bandwidth maxes out at 1 Mbps.

The "enhanced user experience" is nothing more than a smoke screen to spy on you, and get more ad revenue for their own personal gain. It's utter bullshit. Recently COX communications implimented nation wide DNS poisoning similiar to what versign does on domains it can't resolve.

http://support.cox.com/sdccommon/asp/contentredirect.asp?sprt_cid=e047dc81-18c4-485f-bcf3-1263d0b7b904

How to opt out of the "enhanced user experience"

How does injecting ad's into my browser "enhance" my experience? Give me more fucking bandwith you money grubbing cheap fucks, and that MIGHT enhance my experience.. I hate them.

These are the limitations: http://www.cox.com/policy/limitations.asp

Actually I was wrong, it's 40GB for the normal base level (holy crap that's low).

Hi.
I'm using Cox High Speed Internet in Santa Barbara, CA.
I have a 12 Mbps connection, and yes, I do get those speeds consistently.
I pay about $125 a month for that connection, digital cable, HD service, and the rental of the HD DVR.

http://www.cox.com/santabarbara/highspeedinternet/packages.asp?campcode=sab_coxCom_hsiRtTopBox

For any interested here is the equivalent info on Cox Communications: http://www.cox.com/policy/leainformation/default.asp http://www.cox.com/policy/leainformation/CoxLawfulInterceptWorksheet.pdf

For any interested here is the equivalent info on Cox Communications: http://www.cox.com/policy/leainformation/default.asp http://www.cox.com/policy/leainformation/CoxLawfulInterceptWorksheet.pdf

It would but I also paid Cox for the bandwith(40GB per month) for my file and for the amount I'm paying they better have the network infrastructure to handle all the traffic. http://www.cox.com/policy/limitations.asp

The unlimited internet promise appears to be made outside the US more than what I see here. I just don't see those claims made much, if at all in the US. A search on google for unlimted internet for me (mostly because google gives geography related search results) gives results for unlimited internet, but by that they mean an unlimited number of dialup internet minutes via 56k modem. Most of the large US ISPs will not show up in the first couple pages of google search results when one searches for the term "unlimited internet"--mostly dialup companies show up. Here are some of the main internet providers in the US--cable and phone companies:

ATT

Charter Communications

Time Warner

Verizon

Cox Cable

Qwest

And even evil Comcast

Find any claims of unlimited internet bandwidth from any major US ISP? Keep looking...you'll even find dislaimers saying explicitly that speed and bandwidth is not in any way guaranteed. Certainly those disclaimers are not front and center, but many have their disclaimers asterisk'd with notes on the main service description pages, so the disclaimers are not hard to find. The US has fairly clear and well enforced truth in advertising laws. Doesn't the UK?

I don't think anyone has any right to unlimited internet if I make no such claims, guarantees, or promises and especially if I specifically disclaim any such guarantee. The vast majority of US companies wouldn't make such a claim for fear of losing a class action lawsuit. It seems companies can make untrue claims about their products in the UK and not get sued? I certainly cannot in the US. That's a problem with your consumer rights laws, if they even exist.

Just to let you know, I live in phoenix (well, a bit north of phoenix actually), and really do get my full 8mbps.

I live in the southwest corner of Las Vegas. I replaced my cable modem yesterday...the old one was taking hours to reconnect to the network after a power outage or reset, and it was maxing out around 1-1.5 Mbps on service that's supposed to deliver 10 Mbps (and it had delivered that speed in the past). Playing around with Speedtest.net yesterday with the new modem up and running, I maxed out at 22 Mbps and usually pulled 5-8 Mbps, depending on which test server I picked (the fastest connection, FWIW, was to San Francisco).

Just saying, cable doesn't suck everywhere..

I've noticed most of the complaints have been aimed at Comcast. Occasionally, you hear complaints about Time Warner (my parents moved from Phoenix to Dayton, OH, and they had trouble getting both their TV and data services working right there). I don't think I've ever seen anyone say anything bad about Cox. I know I've never had any trouble with them, and my parents didn't either.

Faster than Cox Communications' Crazy Fast?

What? No Digital Doofus?

You must have worked for some shitty ISPs. I've never heard of such a clause and would never join an ISP with such a ludicrous limitation.

From Cox Cable:
6. Servers. You may not operate, or allow others to operate, servers of any type or any other device, equipment, and/or software providing server-like functionality in connection with the Service, unless expressly authorized by Cox.

This is what they claim:

http://www.cox.com/policy/limitations.asp

Mr. Coward Understood, but take, for a brief moment this juxtaposition. It's almost funny if you aren't on the receiving end of this.... Read and weep. http://www.cox.com/arizona/highspeedinternet/ http://www.cox.com/policy/limitations.asp

Mr. Coward Understood, but take, for a brief moment this juxtaposition. It's almost funny if you aren't on the receiving end of this.... Read and weep. http://www.cox.com/arizona/highspeedinternet/ http://www.cox.com/policy/limitations.asp

Here you guys are, in the flesh the Cox Nastygrams. I've had about 65 over the course of two months, even after upgrading my service. compare with their PR page and slogan, " It's the Internet without limits!!!" "Dear Cox High Speed Internet Customer: In order to provide all Cox High Speed Internet customers with an optimal online experience, Cox must effectively manage network resources for our users. As part of our network management activities, we proactively identify accounts that may be utilizing excessive network bandwidth. Our records indicate that your account may be exceeding our bandwidth usage policy. Please note that if the situation is not corrected, your Cox High Speed Internet account may be suspended. Privacy note: Cox does NOT track Internet sites that you visit or files you download - it only measures total bandwidth used for purposes of network management. Below are frequently asked questions regarding excessive bandwidth usage. - What Are the Current Cox High Speed Internet Residential Bandwidth Limitations? The Limitations vary based on your level of service. The complete list is available at http://www.cox.com/policy/limitations.asp. Preferred Package - 40 gigabytes downstream; 10 gigabytes upstream Premier Package - 60 gigabytes downstream; 15 gigabytes upstream Value Package - 4 gigabytes downstream; 1 gigabyte upstream - What Might Cause My Account To Use Excessive Bandwidth? 1. Often a peer-to-peer file sharing application such as KaZaa, Morpheus or Gnutella may be the problem. These programs operate as file servers by default and offer files from your hard drive to other Internet users, possibly causing your account to use excessive bandwidth without your knowledge. 2. If you have a wireless home network, there is a possibility that other people are using your wireless network without your knowledge and greatly increasing your network usage. Please refer to the documentation provided with your networking equipment to secure your connection with a password. 3. Your computer may be affected by a computer virus. A virus will often send out mass emails from your computer without your knowledge. Installing antivirus software on your computer and scanning for possible infections may resolve this issue. 4. In some cases, excessive usage indicates the presence of a commercial Internet server. Customers using servers and/or bandwidth above normal amounts may be best served by a commercial account available from Cox Business Services (www.coxbusiness.com). - Does Using A File Sharing Application Violate the Cox Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)? No, using a peer-to-peer file sharing program to download files does not in itself violate the AUP. If your software is already configured not to share files to other users, you should not have a problem. Please visit support.cox.net for more information and instructions for securing most common file sharing programs. - Does Having A Wireless Home Network Violate the Cox Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)? No, however Cox does not provide support for your home network and you must take precautions to secure any wireless home network. - What Will Happen If My Account Continues To Use Excessive Bandwidth? If the excessive usage is not corrected, your account may be suspended per the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). - Where Can I View The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)? The AUP is available online at http://www.cox.com/policy/#Acceptable_Use_Policy. If you have further questions regarding this policy or feel you have received this notice in error, please visit http://support.cox.com/sdccommon/asp/contentredire ct.asp?sprt_cid=ad888fb1-7447-4a80-bcb5-47131d31e3 07 or send an email to support@cox.net. Thank you for your cooperation, The Cox High Speed Internet Team"

Here you guys are, in the flesh the Cox Nastygrams. I've had about 65 over the course of two months, even after upgrading my service. compare with their PR page and slogan, " It's the Internet without limits!!!" "Dear Cox High Speed Internet Customer: In order to provide all Cox High Speed Internet customers with an optimal online experience, Cox must effectively manage network resources for our users. As part of our network management activities, we proactively identify accounts that may be utilizing excessive network bandwidth. Our records indicate that your account may be exceeding our bandwidth usage policy. Please note that if the situation is not corrected, your Cox High Speed Internet account may be suspended. Privacy note: Cox does NOT track Internet sites that you visit or files you download - it only measures total bandwidth used for purposes of network management. Below are frequently asked questions regarding excessive bandwidth usage. - What Are the Current Cox High Speed Internet Residential Bandwidth Limitations? The Limitations vary based on your level of service. The complete list is available at http://www.cox.com/policy/limitations.asp. Preferred Package - 40 gigabytes downstream; 10 gigabytes upstream Premier Package - 60 gigabytes downstream; 15 gigabytes upstream Value Package - 4 gigabytes downstream; 1 gigabyte upstream - What Might Cause My Account To Use Excessive Bandwidth? 1. Often a peer-to-peer file sharing application such as KaZaa, Morpheus or Gnutella may be the problem. These programs operate as file servers by default and offer files from your hard drive to other Internet users, possibly causing your account to use excessive bandwidth without your knowledge. 2. If you have a wireless home network, there is a possibility that other people are using your wireless network without your knowledge and greatly increasing your network usage. Please refer to the documentation provided with your networking equipment to secure your connection with a password. 3. Your computer may be affected by a computer virus. A virus will often send out mass emails from your computer without your knowledge. Installing antivirus software on your computer and scanning for possible infections may resolve this issue. 4. In some cases, excessive usage indicates the presence of a commercial Internet server. Customers using servers and/or bandwidth above normal amounts may be best served by a commercial account available from Cox Business Services (www.coxbusiness.com). - Does Using A File Sharing Application Violate the Cox Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)? No, using a peer-to-peer file sharing program to download files does not in itself violate the AUP. If your software is already configured not to share files to other users, you should not have a problem. Please visit support.cox.net for more information and instructions for securing most common file sharing programs. - Does Having A Wireless Home Network Violate the Cox Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)? No, however Cox does not provide support for your home network and you must take precautions to secure any wireless home network. - What Will Happen If My Account Continues To Use Excessive Bandwidth? If the excessive usage is not corrected, your account may be suspended per the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). - Where Can I View The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)? The AUP is available online at http://www.cox.com/policy/#Acceptable_Use_Policy. If you have further questions regarding this policy or feel you have received this notice in error, please visit http://support.cox.com/sdccommon/asp/contentredire ct.asp?sprt_cid=ad888fb1-7447-4a80-bcb5-47131d31e3 07 or send an email to support@cox.net. Thank you for your cooperation, The Cox High Speed Internet Team"

Here you guys are, in the flesh the Cox Nastygrams. I've had about 65 over the course of two months, even after upgrading my service. compare with their PR page and slogan, " It's the Internet without limits!!!" "Dear Cox High Speed Internet Customer: In order to provide all Cox High Speed Internet customers with an optimal online experience, Cox must effectively manage network resources for our users. As part of our network management activities, we proactively identify accounts that may be utilizing excessive network bandwidth. Our records indicate that your account may be exceeding our bandwidth usage policy. Please note that if the situation is not corrected, your Cox High Speed Internet account may be suspended. Privacy note: Cox does NOT track Internet sites that you visit or files you download - it only measures total bandwidth used for purposes of network management. Below are frequently asked questions regarding excessive bandwidth usage. - What Are the Current Cox High Speed Internet Residential Bandwidth Limitations? The Limitations vary based on your level of service. The complete list is available at http://www.cox.com/policy/limitations.asp. Preferred Package - 40 gigabytes downstream; 10 gigabytes upstream Premier Package - 60 gigabytes downstream; 15 gigabytes upstream Value Package - 4 gigabytes downstream; 1 gigabyte upstream - What Might Cause My Account To Use Excessive Bandwidth? 1. Often a peer-to-peer file sharing application such as KaZaa, Morpheus or Gnutella may be the problem. These programs operate as file servers by default and offer files from your hard drive to other Internet users, possibly causing your account to use excessive bandwidth without your knowledge. 2. If you have a wireless home network, there is a possibility that other people are using your wireless network without your knowledge and greatly increasing your network usage. Please refer to the documentation provided with your networking equipment to secure your connection with a password. 3. Your computer may be affected by a computer virus. A virus will often send out mass emails from your computer without your knowledge. Installing antivirus software on your computer and scanning for possible infections may resolve this issue. 4. In some cases, excessive usage indicates the presence of a commercial Internet server. Customers using servers and/or bandwidth above normal amounts may be best served by a commercial account available from Cox Business Services (www.coxbusiness.com). - Does Using A File Sharing Application Violate the Cox Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)? No, using a peer-to-peer file sharing program to download files does not in itself violate the AUP. If your software is already configured not to share files to other users, you should not have a problem. Please visit support.cox.net for more information and instructions for securing most common file sharing programs. - Does Having A Wireless Home Network Violate the Cox Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)? No, however Cox does not provide support for your home network and you must take precautions to secure any wireless home network. - What Will Happen If My Account Continues To Use Excessive Bandwidth? If the excessive usage is not corrected, your account may be suspended per the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). - Where Can I View The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)? The AUP is available online at http://www.cox.com/policy/#Acceptable_Use_Policy. If you have further questions regarding this policy or feel you have received this notice in error, please visit http://support.cox.com/sdccommon/asp/contentredire ct.asp?sprt_cid=ad888fb1-7447-4a80-bcb5-47131d31e3 07 or send an email to support@cox.net. Thank you for your cooperation, The Cox High Speed Internet Team"

If more ISPs would let us use even our measly aDSL uplinks (that we pay for) . . .

The Cox AUP seems to disagree. I thought it did say that, but it doesn't. I also thought NAT's were also banned, but there not. Though "servers" are banned. Which irks me, but what are you gonna do.

isp is not. but the court won't see the user with an open wlan as an isp.

ISPs still are not responsible for actions of their users.

Interesting, because my ISP (Cox Communications) explicitly says in their Acceptable Use Policy that "Any wireless network installed by the customer or a Cox representative, that is unsecured or 'open' and connected to the Cox network, will be deemed to be operating as an ISP." Makes me wonder if that would hold up in court!