Some truth about Comcast - WikiLeaks style

YosemiteSam

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The following is a post by a guy who goes by the name "Backdoor Santa" and it was posted on some news group. It's quite telling and also clearly shows what a piece of crap company Comcast is.

Link to an archived copy of the post
========================================

Ever wonder what Comcast's connections to the Internet look like? In the tradition of WikiLeaks, someone stumbled upon these graphs of their TATA links. For reference, TATA is the only other IP transit provider to Comcast after Level (3). Comcast is a customer of TATA and pays them to provide them with access to the Internet.

1 day graphs:

http://img149.*************/img149/78/ntoday.gif
http://img707.*************/img707/749/sqnday.gif

Notice how those graphs flat-line at the top? That's because they're completely full for most of the day. If you were a Comcast customer attempting to stream Netflix via this connection, the movie would be completely unwatchable. This is how Comcast operates: They intentionally run their IP transit links so full that Content Providers have no other choice but to pay them (Comcast) for access. If you don't pay Comcast, your bits wont make it to their destination. Though they wont openly say that to anyone, the content providers who attempt to push bits towards their customers know it. Comcast customers however have no idea that they're being held hostage in order to extort money from content.

Another thing to notice is the ratio of inbound versus outbound. Since Comcast is primarily a broadband access network provider, they're going to have millions of eyeballs (users) downloading content. Comcast claims that a good network maintains a 1:1 with them, but that's simply not possible unless you had Comcast and another broadband access network talking to each other. In the attached graphs you can see the ratio is more along the lines of 5:1, which Comcast was complaining about with Level (3). The reality is that the ratio argument is bogus. Broadband access networks are naturally pull-heavy and it's being used as an excuse to call foul of Level (3) and other content heavy networks. But this shoulnd't surprise anyone, the ratio argument has been used for over a decade by many of the large telephone companies as an excuse to deny peering requests. Guess where most of Comcasts senior network executive people came from? Sprint and AT&T. Welcome to the new monopoly of the 21st century.

If you think the above graph is just a bad day or maybe a one off? Let us look at a 30 day graph...

http://img823.*************/img823/8917/ntomonth.gif

Remember that this is not TATA's fault, Comcast is a CUSTOMER of TATA. TATA cannot force Comcast to upgrade its links, Comcast elects to simply not purchase enough capacity and lets them run full. When Comcast demanded that Level (3) pay them, the only choice Level (3) had was to give in or have its traffic (such as Netflix) routed via the congested TATA links. If Level (3) didn't agree to pay, that means Netflix and large portions of the Internet to browse would be simply unusable for the majority of the day for Comcast subscribers.

Love,
Backdoor Santas
 
I think i've only ever had Time Warner cable internet....and never had a problem whatsoever. I've always had my listed speed 99% of the time.

Are there issues with Comcast internet always being slower then what you pay for?
 
kmp77;3746851 said:
I think i've only ever had Time Warner cable internet....and never had a problem whatsoever. I've always had my listed speed 99% of the time.

Are there issues with Comcast internet always being slower then what you pay for?

People complain about Comcast all the time. I have never had Comcast so I really can't comment.
 
Ok. But Backdoor Santas sounds like Gay Santa Clauses have unionized.
 
Have heard horror stories about Comcast and TimeWarner.

I have suddenlink and they have done a pretty good job IMO. The only time there have been problems are during some major storms or when they are upgrading some servers. Other than that it has been great. We got the bundle package with the TV, Internet and phone through them and are satisfied with the service.
 
Cajuncowboy;3746859 said:
Ok. But Backdoor Santas sounds like Gay Santa Clauses have unionized.

Imagine my surprise when I stole your wallet and found your B.ackdoor S.antas union card. :p: ;)
 
BrAinPaiNt;3746928 said:
Imagine my surprise when I stole your wallet and found your B.ackdoor S.antas union card. :p: ;)

Funny that it was you who stole it. I was just returning it to you. Glad you got it back.

:D
 
Cajuncowboy;3746976 said:
Funny that it was you who stole it. I was just returning it to you. Glad you got it back.

:D

Was not my wallet...it did not have a chain on it. :p:
 
The horrible train wreck that is known as Comcast is my only option where I currently reside. And yes, they freaking SUCK.

:mad:

Comast <------------:yousuck:
 
I've had Time Warner for years, love their internet service. The only hang up is that I can't get business class where I reside, although that would be like having a Ferrari and living 35 miles from the nearest asphalt road.
 
only prob i ever had with comcast is that they limit your downloading to 200 gigs a month. basically sent me a warning when i approached my limit sayin my conncection would be disconnected if i continued
 
nyc, the consumer advocate. :)
What can you tell me about Cablevision? These *******s are fleecing me monthly. Great internet though, never a hitch.
 
JustDezIt;3749240 said:
only prob i ever had with comcast is that they limit your downloading to 200 gigs a month. basically sent me a warning when i approached my limit sayin my conncection would be disconnected if i continued
Umm, 200GB in a month is a whole damn lot of bandwidth for a non-business related consumer. :laugh2:

vta;3749279 said:
nyc, the consumer advocate. :)
What can you tell me about Cablevision? These *******s are fleecing me monthly. Great internet though, never a hitch.

I hate Cablevision and specifically James Dolan. He won't give his customers what they want. He only gives them what he wants to give them and then charges and arm and a leg for it. (Sounds just like Steve Jobs) I canceled my Cablevision voice and TV service, but kept the Internet as it's my only option where I'm at. I picked up a VoIP provider and DirecTV to replace the other two.

As you noted though, I've never really had an issue with the Internet service. I pay about $45 a month and it's as fast as I need it to be and unlike JustDezIt, I don't burn 200+ GBs of bandwidth a month. :laugh2:
 
nyc;3746829 said:
The following is a post by a guy who goes by the name "Backdoor Santa"
:laugh2: :laugh2: :laugh2:

Oh and FWIW Comcast SUCKS!!!
 

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