Band width

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: May 30, 2005 Posts: 1

Can anyone tell me how much band width Voip uses and will it affect my cabel bill?

Thanks

Posts: 78 · Posted: Mon May 30, 2005 2:51 pm Post subject: Bandwidth Usage

Your bandwidth usage depends on your Vonage settings. I run at the 90kbps max.

For a point of reference, a circuit switched phone line is converted to 64kbps before it enters the the digital switch matrix.

Your cable provider gives you an asynchronous pipe that in my case is 4mbps down, 384kps up. They don't charge me based on usage because it's all IP packets being sent. Granted, they could do port filtering but this would get them in hot water with regulatory agencies though I have seen complaints that Comcast watches overall usage and bills accordingly. Luckily Cox hasn't decided on that predatory practice, they'd rather screw their CATV subscribers.

Posts: 188 · Posted: Mon May 30, 2005 6:56 pm Post subject: Re: Band width

SJ wrote:

Can anyone tell me how much band width Voip uses and will it affect my cabel bill?

Thanks

Not likely, Voip is all about the upload anyway. It won't be a problem for you. Port blocking hasn't reared its ugly head in Canada yet as far as I know. Cable companies are benefiting from third party Voip right now as people are leaving DSL due to the requirement of most DSL providers to bundle their service with a residential phone line. Port blocking has been an issue in the US but the FCC has intervened in favour of third party Voip providers. There is no such protection in Canada right now but I don't believe that any Canadian provider, other than Rogers, would have the gaul to port block. Rogers, Shaw, and VideoTron are offering or planning to offer Voip services (fixed) this year but at a much higher cost than any third party provider. Despite this, I don't believe that they will port block as they (the cable cos) believe that their product is superior to third party offerings and port blocking would suggest that they feel threatened by these "inferior" products.

Posts: 1 · New Forum Member Joined: Jun 03, 2005 Posts: 1

SJ wrote:

Can anyone tell me how much band width Voip uses and will it affect my cabel bill?

Thanks

Hi!

Here's alink to great website that will allow you to calculate your monthly bandwwidth usage. its especially handy if your Internet provider imposes a monthly bandwidth cap.

http://ben.cheetham.me.uk/data-usage-calculator

Cheers!