With the increasing number of Internet service providers and cell phone service providers, almost everyone is happy to have Internet at their disposal. However, there is a catch to this from the providers. On one hand, the end user may be happy to have unlimited Internet but the provider has a way of limiting your broadband after reaching what has been set as your data cap. This is what is referred to as Internet throttling. Usually, ISPs will do this so that they can control the costs of providing data to their consumers, as these can go quite high when left unchecked. This can happen when trying to get to a certain destination on the web if the ISP has set certain restrictions on the said destination. If you love streaming movies, you’ll notice when throttling is happening as the movie will start buffing mid-streaming.
The question that rings in the consumer’s mind is, is throttling avoidable? And if the answer is in the affirmative, how does one go about it? Here are a few steps that will help you avoid throttling. The first step is to read through the given instructions by the service provider before paying for it. One must read through the terms and conditions even if it is a lengthy one to avoid disappointments later. This is because, at a glance, your service provider may give you “unlimited” data, thus giving you the false impression that you will watch movies and download music all through the month. While in real sense the offer given usually lasts to a certain amount of gigabytes that will not last for the indicated period of time. As a result, your Internet access will get slower towards the end of the month.
How to avoid throttling.
The first proactive step to take to stop yourself from feeling helpless as a consumer is to keep a log. This can be done manually by noting on a piece of paper or even using a spreadsheet. You will need to note when or at what time of the month you undertake the most intense streaming of movies and when the downloads or connections are slow. This will enable you to have tangible evidence when you raise a complaint to your service provider.
Another easy way of checking on your speed is to run a bandwidth speed tester. There are several sites that offer the service. However one has to deal with multiple advertisements but at the end, you will get your required results. This is because the tester provides latency and download speeds.
One can also decide to use plugin. Plugin helps to cache your pages. If you have a website this will enable people to visit your site without database swinging into action.
Last but not least, is to look for an alternative service provider. The number of Internet service provides is increasing by the day. It is therefore important to do a market research in order to find which the best and affordable Internet service provider is. All in all, if you suspect and have solid proof that your current Internet service provider is throttling, it is advisable to talk to the customer service help desk. It is possible to discuss this matter with your ISP and come to a solution that is agreeable to the both of you.
