Email and web speed restriction on "Extra" package.

[#1]

Hi all.
Was just looking into the "Extra" package. I am wondering why email and normal web browsing come under "Other" on the speed lists (confirmed with CS this morning), and these 2 most important and basic internet needs are having a ridiculous 256Mb cap on them at peak times?
I was all set to move to the Extra package (I'm currently on a legacy "Yourway Option 2" deal) but this is offputting as I currently enjoy FULL line speed at all times on email and WWW on my existing contract, and I do a LOT of online selling, therefore need high speed web and email access to save me tearing my hair out.
I have no problem with speed caps on P2P, FTP etc (thats what schedulers are for!), but restricting basic email communication during peak time seems ridiculous when the (much more bandwidth intensive) gaming and streaming services have no such cap. Can someone from Plusnet explain or justify  this decision, and why I should pay 2.50 a month more for "Yourway 2" to get full speed email but 1/4 the download cap, and then be charged £5 if I go 0.1Mb over?

[#2]

That's stupid! Looking at http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/speed_guide/download_speeds.shtml#extraSpeeds general browsing and email will be slower than download sites!
Edit: Although you need to read that table in conjunction with http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/speed_guide/traffic_prioritisation.shtml Some clarification is needed!

[#3]

Looking closer at those tables I suspect the Other in the Expected speeds table corresponds to the Other in the prioritisation table. If that is the case I believe email and general browsing is Gold queue with no rate limiting which will be near line speed (depending on what else you are doing at the same time).

[#4]

CS confirmed to me this morning that email and browsing in the speed table for "Extra" are counted in the "Other" category.
Gold prioritisation is theoretically still subject to the 256k cap, so yes, they do prioritise email and browsing, but only up to 256k.

[#5]

I'm not sure about that. Other in the second table is the Silver queue (unidentified traffic) whereas email and browsing are Gold. I don't think Gold is subjected to a rate cap unless it is explicitly listed in the expected speeds table.

[#6]

Hi there,
The CS person you spoke to this morning was, frankly, wrong (I'll pick that up with the individual concerned).
HTTP (web browsing) and email are not listed in any of the expected speeds tables, as they're not restricted. There's some text about that on the expected speeds page:

Quote

Activities not listed are not restricted but are subject to Traffic Prioritisation

That links to the traffic prioritisation page which states that browsing and email are classified as Gold traffic.
Unrestricted + classified as Gold = line speed at all times.
Sorry for the confusion.

[#7]

Thanks Mand.
Perhaps you could add email and browsing to those tables, just to clear up any further confusion, as the CS I spoke to also believed anything not listed was "Other".
Apart from the slight shuffling of priorities and caps, what (if anything) would I lose by going from "Yourway2" to "Extra"? Seems I am paying over the odds by staying on the legacy contract!
Oh, and whats the chance of a new router? I got nothing when I joined up 5 years ago and nothing since, my old D-Link is looking well long in the teeth!

[#8]

Apart from marginally lower speeds on P2P/Usenet in the evening there isn't really a difference shaping wise, but if you move to Extra you can get a new router, ADSL2+ if it's available and a price saving to boot!
You can do your own comparison here.

[#9]

Thanks for the info, I have switched packages now.
Cheers!

[#10]

Don't forget changing account types takes place on your next billing date (unless Mand or someone pushes it through early!).

[#11]

Yep, looks like I will have to pay the extra fiver for bandwidth this month. Oh well, at least Im off the legacy package now. 

[#12]

If there's an account change already scheduled we'll refund £5 if you do go over the usage limit

[#13]

Very kind, thanks!