Is "Unlimited" really unlimited?

I do recall something about Time Warner experimenting in the south with capped bandwidth quotas, but I don't remember if speed was a factor in it. I don't think it was.

Keep in mind when you look for an alternate ISP, that some ISPs simply lease the cable from the likes of Time Warner. In San Antonio, for example, you can get Roadrunner and Earthlink, but both use Time Warner to provide the actual service.

Have you asked TWC directly if they are indeed capping your bandwidth? Or, better yet, put in requests for a field technician to come out and figure out why your speed suddenly sucks. Put in a call daily until they send someone over. Rinse and repeat until they either fix the problem (if it's at their end) or admit that you're being capped for some reason.

Mind you, it is also possible that someone in your neighborhood has suddenly decided to start using a hacked modem to uncap some better speeds, which can slow down your connection considerably. At any rate, the longer you can work with your ISP rather than approach them aggressively, the better, although I admit cable providers can be so sluggish about providing support that you need to keep calling, calling, calling - just make sure to keep it cool and friendly. You just want the service you are paying for.

I use opendns too, and it works most of the time, like I said before sometimes I get throttled, but it also may be where I'm located too. I'm about 100 yards from a bunch of businesses as there are five strip shopping centers within visual range of my apartment complex.

I believe that I've solved part of my problem, and the answer was under my eyes, but most refers this to doing illegal things. BitTorrent 6.4 kicks butt! Only into a 4.2GB download for 15 minutes, it's 10.4% complete. I tried all of the other things listed, but to no avail. In fact, that program that davehc suggested loaded other software onto my system, but I do know that he meant well. I had the program before, now I see why I dumped it.

But this BitTorrent deal is a whole different story. The absolute reverse of cable, the more users downloading a particular program, the better. In the short time that's went by since starting this post, it's at 17.8%. Remember, this is a 4.2GB download here, no chump change. If it completes fine, it will become my default method of downloading large files, and depending on the outcome, I may highly recommend it to all.

Core, I have called Time Warner several times, and there has been four service calls by them. I have been very cooperative with the service crews, even helping them look for loose connections, giving them access to my computer for testing, doing all that I can to help. Even offering them something to drink. I want this resolved in a professional manner, not being like a hillbilly and raising hell before their foot is in the door.

I even suggested that mabye a "N" router would help, I have no doubt that it will. Both my desktop and notebook has "N" adapters, and I even have a couple of extra USB ones, and a Netgear card that goes into the slot of my notebook. But they claim that they don't have those routers, and refuse to discount my monthly bill if I provide my own. They say that "breaks the package", just as when I asked about removing the converter box on my TV, which I don't use. They charge $29.99 per service, as a package, all equipment included (except phone), for a total of $112 (after taxes & fees). Then I wanted more speed, so that added $12 to that. If they would allow me to break this package up (which they will, whether they want to or not) and install my router, I believe I could get decent service.

But the phone & TV is going. I realize that I need a "basic" TV connection, but that's only $10/monthly. They can add internet to that, just as at one time, they added phone service with no other features. That's the way my mother-in-law has it, basic TV and 7mbps internet for $39.99/month, plus tax. My current deal is about to expire, and this would be the time to work out a package that meets MY needs, not Time Warner's. I'd gladly purchase my own router, if they don't charge me for theirs. I'm really not hard to work with, in fact I'm far more easygoing than my wife and her mother. Her mother tells me to tell them to take their equipment and not to allow the door to hit them in the a*s on the way out. That's what she told the AT&T people, in front of me and my wife.

I need to explore all of my options before deciding anything, being that my deal is about over. And believe me, I will do just that. I'm tied down to no one come 6/22, and if they don't get their act together before then, I may find myself repeating my mother-in-law's words. If one ISP can't make me happy, then there's others who will.

BitTorrent 6.4 d/loaded the 4.2GB file in a little over an hour. Way to go! Now, why can't my ISP do things this simple? That's all that I want, is fast downloading on demand, and no BS about it. They provide movies on demand, that takes movement of data, so why not do the same for internet service? That's a simple question, and a fair request.

This BitTorrent program really works anytime of day. I know that I've downloaded over 12GB of OS's today, and currently am downloading four at one time, and they all will be finished slightly over an hour. The more on here, the merrier! I'm even "seeding" one OS that I finished earlier.

I wonder why this program isn't suggested more for those with download speed problems. It solves the problem, and you're contributing to helping others at the same time by pooling together. Looks like a good deal for all concerned, as long as you're not doing anything wrong with the software.

"that program that davehc suggested loaded other software onto my system"
Huh! What other programs?

Bit Torrent. Confused again! Bit torrent, as far as I am aware, only downloads torrent files?? It is still out to the jury, but these are considered pirate files by many ISP,s - unfortunately mine being one such.
They are, in fact, often a malicious way for busybodies to load virus's on to your computer.
Obviously you are not downloading from Technet?

LOL. You need a new ISP... Your current one's a bunch of morons.

Not really. Their operation is quite good. Policies change. There is pressure on the ISPs now, since some reputable (very much Linux) started distributing through torrents.
I have no contention with the policy. If I do need something downloaded, as I said, I use a download manger which does the same thing.

BitTorrent is just another way of downloading various files. It is a protocol, nothing more, that uses the "spidering" of the WWW to achieve it's various functions.

Now with anything, there are benign uses and "not so" benign uses. If someone is using a torrent client to download IRON MAN 2, that's not a good thing. However, if someone is downloading Fedora 13 Linux Distro, that's a good thing.

Torrent clients are nothing more than tools to be used as seen fit by the end-user.

Personally, I was one of the first people in my circle to begin using BitTorrent back in early 2002. Bram Cohen developed the protocol back in April 2001 and released it in July 2001.

There are many many perfectly legal programs, free music, even movies available to bittorrent. Having bittorrent is not a crime - only downloading copyrighted music or movies is. I've used Bittorrent for years. My ISP sent out a few notices and I told them I wasn't doing anything illegal; they sent back a "OK but we will comply with any court order", yada yada but then they leave you alone. Just be sure to reply right after the third notice or they will likely shut you off.