Not long after AT&T confirmed that it would begin to implement bandwidth caps on DSL and U-Verse customers beginning in May, some of the more technically savvy customers began to notice that the bandwidth meters supplied by AT&T for customers to check usage online are reporting major discrepancies in data usage compared to customer router logs. A detailed explanation of AT&T’s current measurement methodology follows below:
“This is the problem. DSLAM’s are layer 2 devices in the OSI model. Unlike Uverse which uses IPDSLAM, the counters for an ATM based DSLAM are going to include the PPPoE overhead and ATM overhead. Conservative estimates would put PPPoE and ATM overhead at 30%. Of course it all depends on the type of data sent and the size of the packets. If AT&T is indeed pulling it’s usage statistics from the DSLAM then they are billing customers for the overhead injected by their use of PPPoE (1500 – 8 = 1492) and for the overhead necessary to transport a packet over ATM (due to the minimum 53 byte atm cell size).â€
This means that AT&T’s own tools for data usage measurement are counting the overhead bits necessary for transferring data from the switch to the router, which would explain the sudden increase in data usage from one month to the next. Other reports also make note that depending on the date, the same tools will under report data usage by as much as 80% of actual usage compared to router logs, which could lull unsuspecting customers into a false sense of security about actual data usage and setting up a situation where overages can occur, making the next bill much more expensive than expected. AT&T has so far not commented on the reports.
Simply disgusted @ AT&T, everyday something else with this disfunctional company, they are so poor in providing quality service, that one sincerely hopes that the M&A, will get shot down by the FCC & DOJ !
Thank You
All I know is that on the 27th my dsl will be disconnected and shortly after cox cable will be my highspeed provider. Luckily they are offering a special 1 year promotion right now online. I get 15mbps for only 24.99/month for 12 months. Yes it jumps up to 54.99 at end of the year but I can then drop to the 9mbps for only 42.99. Att offers only 6mbps in my area for 42.99 so it will be worth it to switch.
Sad thing is, that if the tmobile deal goes through there is a high chance sprint will have to merge with someone else also and this means higher prices. Then no consumer will have the options that we have now. Hopefully sprint has something up their sleeve.
So much can change within the next year, so enjoy your new plan while it lasts!! It seems to me that VZW, is playing the “not interested” card regarding a potential SPRINT buyout…thereby SPRINT, following the stock value drop of their failed merger attempt, will become more & more desperate and thereby a better, more attractive target for a takeover…this is virtually guranteed, pending upon FCC & DOJ clearing the path, if they deny the M&A, we all as consumers, will have dogded the bullet for now. SPRINT can not afford any further account losses, they have to revisit their legacy-policies, that is if they care to salvage the company. Thank You
Of course AT&T is gonna include the overhead in determining data usage– their argument will be that the data overhead is part of the cost of doing business– so until they are challenged legally about it, they will include that as data consumption on every subscriber’s billing for the same exact reason that a dog licks himself……because he/they CAN……
When given the choice, has AT&T ever done anything that is fair or beneficial to the consumer? All I ever see is AT&T making decisions that are blatantly bad for the consumer, when they could easily make a different decision.
What a horrible company. No wander the federal government broke them up back in the day. They should be broken up again.
Boycott AT&T. All they want to do is limit you. So lets limit them and go somewhere else.