Download Meter available?

[ntjstpretty]

How can I tell how much bandwidth I've used in a month? Is there something in the 2Wire router that keeps track? Or is there somewhere on AT&T billing site where I can see what my monthly usage has been in GB?

Thanks.

[Lucretia_1]

Hi ntjstpretty,

We understand your concern about the Internet usage.

You can visit the following website to check your current Internet usage at www.att.com/internet-usage

AT&T will provide a website with two options to assist members in managing their High Speed Internet usage.

First, AT&T will provide a personal usage report at www.MyUsage.att.com where customers can view how much actual data they have used in a given month from the January 2011 bill cycle to the most recent billing cycle.  To protect confidential customer information, this site is password-protected.  The login process requires your Internet access login and password.  The login is your AT&T primary account email address (e.g., John_smith@att.net).  The password is the same password used to access your att.net homepage and primary email account.

AT&T initially will report usage data on a weekly basis.  When a member uses 70% of their monthly usage allowance, we will supplement their personal usage report on a daily basis.  A member's usage will be posted on the website within 1 - 4 days after it is collected.

Second, AT&T will provide a website with examples of what kind of Internet activity can impact your actual usage.  In addition, on the same site AT&T will provide a usage calculator, which will enable members to input data about how they typically use their Service and calculate an estimate of how much data they are likely to use in a given month.  This website will be available in late April 2011.

[ntjstpretty]

When is AT&T going to TURN ON the usage site? I just went there and it says:

AT&T is not able to capture usage data on all of its customers. Customers whose usage is not available for viewing should not be concerned about their usage patterns for billing purposes.

To learn more about how to manage your usage, please visit www.att.com/internet-usage

If I'm going to get an idea of where I stand as far as internet usage goes (based on the 2 May 2011 changes), then I think I have a right to see what I'm using now... Right?

If all of a sudden in May I'm going to get tagged for $20 or more extra a month based on my "normal" monthly usage, I should be able to know what that usage is NOW, so that I can adjust - I don't want to pay any more for internet usage than I do now...

I'd love to hear from the company again on this one...

Thanks.

[turbocharged110]

If you have the U-Verse router you can log into it by going to 192.168.1.254 in your browser. Then click on image of the dial under "Summary" where it says "Broadband." On that page it will tell you Traffic Statistics and show your trasmit (upload) and receive (download) activity in bytes. Add those numbers together and divide the answer by 1073741524 to get how much bandwidth you have used in Gigabytes.

Yes it is a hassle, but I set up and Excel spreadsheet where I put in the raw up/down data and it spits out how much I have used since the last time I checked.

Just as a note...I have the 18 Mbps service and I monitored my use while playing PC games last night w/ skype running for voice communication. In 4 hours I used 7.98 GB of bandwidth. So in other words...I'm screwed. I have only had U-Verse for 1 month and can guarantee that if this cap does come through, I will be cancelling my U-Verse Internet/TV service. Go back to DirecTV and hope TimeWarner has fixed their issues in my area.

[jagdpanther]

turbocharged110: I believe your recommendation for calculating bandwidth won't be accurate because it includes bandwidth used by uverse TV, which for many people will be the largest contributor to total bandwidth. I have read that AT&T will NOT include uverse TV usage in the cap.

[seichi]

Same thing happens to me on the  www.myusage.att.com link.  I just got off the phone with level 2 tech support and they can't tell me when it'll be available. 

Their best response was "check back next week or some time in April".

Not good planning on AT&T's part.

[Lucretia_1]

Hi ntjstpretty,

Thank you for responding to the post.

AT&T would be sending e-mail notifications about the usage information beginning March 18.

For further clarifications/queries and if you are located in the one of the following states AR, CA, CT, IL, IN, KS, MI, MO, NV, OH, OK, TX, & WI, please contact e-Chat support from the web link provided below

https://pattta.att.motive.com/netagent/questionnaire_c2c_dsl_sw.aspx

[megamawax]

turbocharged110: The number you get from that calculation, is that for the last month or since the device was last turned on?  I have DirecTV and Uverse phone and internet, so my number shouldn't include any television.  However, I do use Netflix, etc., and I use a network back-up program for my pc, so I too will be screwed.  

This particularly ticks me off because I know that ATT's decision has nothing to do with congestion.  If it did, they would make use of a hard cap to limit the internet traffic rather than willingly sell you an addition 50GB for $10 ad infinitum.  Additionally, their phone, tv, and internet all go through the same "pipes."  Do you think internet usage sucks up more bandwidth or their television service? It's probably not even close - all those HD channels, all those hours of SD channels.  Yet they aren't doing anything to limit television watching.  It's just a ploy to keep people from turning to internet-based content providers and dropping their television service.  It makes me sick.  Unfortunately, we have virtual monopolies across the country, so Comcast, ATT, etc. can do whatever they want, and we get screwed.  I think my choices for internet service here are Comcast or ATT...greedy, evil corporation one way, greedy, evil corporation the other.    

[Davadlynn]

This cap is just what ATT needs to polish their reputation.  Nothing like commiting fraud to make everyone love you.

[Killercod]

WHY...do Uverse customers automatically get 100gb per month MORE than us poor old regular DSL customers, if the TV usage is NOT going to be counted in the cap!!??!?!?  If not for the TV, why do they get more ceiling than I do?

I can't even GET Uverse where I am, but I'm getting discriminated against due to issues beyond my control...

[ntjstpretty]

Lucretia - I went to the Chat link you listed, and the person there said no usage data would be available until May 2!!! You seem to know more than the person on the Chat.

What can I do to find out what my usage has been, BEFORE the plan goes into effect? My kids play XBOX online, we subscribe to Netflix and stream movies, I stream Pandora on my iPhone when I'm at home on my WiFi.

I'd like to know beforehand if I'm using enough bandwidth to hit the 65% mark in week 2 of the month, you know?

Can you help me out please?

Thanks

[megamawax]

It's funny - I know this whole cap thing is just a money grab and a way to discourage tv competition from internet content providers, but at least for me, it will have the opposite effect.  My DirecTV contract expires this summer, and I had originally planned to switch to AT&T's Uverse tv, but I will no longer be doing that do to this cap scam.  Additionally, my Uverse internet and phone contract expires this summer as well.  I definitely plan on looking at other options.  Granted, my only other option might be Comcast (ughh...), which also has a cap, but abandoning AT&T might be the only way to show them that what they are doing will not be tolerated.  

[3rd party link removed per Guidelines]

[Lucretia_1]

Hi ntjstpretty,

We understand how important it is for you to calculate the data usage.

For detailed information on the broadband usage, please feel free to contact AT&T billing support at 800-288-2020 ( toll free number) between 8am to 6pm (CST) Monday through Friday.

We value you as our customer and I would like to assure you that they will do their best to resolve your issue.

[EOC_Jason]

AT&T is not able to capture usage data on all of its customers. Customers whose usage is not available for viewing should not be concerned about their usage patterns for billing purposes.

That seems a little discriminatory doesn't it? How is it fair to charge people that go over, but if there are other's you aren't monitoring and they go over, they get a free ride?

P.S. The AT&T new cusomer page STILL shows "unlimited bandwidth" to try and entice people to sign up. If that isn't false advertising then I don't know what is...

[Daelus]

I would like to know how accurate and up to date this usage meter. Already from the 14th of March to date ,bandwidth usage is almost at 45GB.  Yet the details only shows the usage up to the 18th instead of the 21st, and when I add up the total bandwidth usage from the 12th to the 18 (as it says on the page) it adds up to be 45GB, where then is the bandwidth usage from the 18th and on? If it takes days for the site to tallies my usage of the days before, there's no way I can accurately calculate how much bandwidth i'm using at any given time. There's a possibility that I will overuse my bandwidth gap and not even know about it, as the data will not even reflected on the usage meter site until it is too late. I even did a test, downloaded a steam game from my account at a roughly estimated of 6 GB. However, when i checked the usage page, it still haven't update the information. It wasn't until at least 24 hours later that the bandwidth information changed, even then the numbers doesn't match. Note, this doesn't account for the streaming of videos my parents are using, listening music on Pandora, and program updates for the 5 computers in the house alone. So come May 2nd, i can expect my account to be overcharge constantly because of bandwidth usage, as the meter does not accurately and timely measure the usage for my DSL connections. 

[ntjstpretty]

That's one thing I hadn't thought about... OS / Program updates. Some of those (winXP SP3, OS X 10.5.8 rollup) are pretty big... Shoot, I'll be paying extra by the 2nd week of the billing period every month!

Maybe I should just pay the extra $15/month and get a second DSL line into the house...

[megamawax]

Someone else pointed me to a program called Bitmeter OS (it's free, from sourceforge, just Google it).  I don't know how comprehensively it tracks data and how it compares to AT&T's meter, but if it's reasonably close, it would be a good way to keep track of what you are using so that you might be able to prevent overage charges.  Of course, I'm sure AT&T's meter is designed to catch those people that come close but just go over so they can hit them with that extra $10.

[Tecmo SB Guy]

Are they going by calendar month or the billing period?  Because my billing period for DSL starts the 7th and ends the 6th every month.

[EOC_Jason]

First, it will be a miracle if they actually get a bandwidth monitoring system that WORKS and is ACCURATE...

Second, I would assume it would go by calendar month... Trying to calculate based on each person's billing cycle would cause too many issues.

[ntjstpretty]

It's easy. AT&T computes 3G data usage now based on billing cycle, not calendar months. DSL is no different.

[megamawax]

I could be wrong, but I think I read somewhere that Comcast computes data usage per calendar month, not billing cycle.  Of course, I don't think they charge overages for going over - they boot you.  So perhaps AT&T will base theirs on billing cycle.

[Very_Unsatisfie…]

     There have been a few things that have annoyed me with U-Verse.  I had lots of trouble transferring my phone numbers to my U-Verse account.  It took about two and a half months to finally complete the process.  The prices for the package I selected were not what I was quoted.  I'm talking about the base prices for the packages, not the "additional fees".  They were only a few dollars more, so I let it slide.  I'm sure that makes them quite a bit more money.  Only releasing the U-Verse mobile app on the AT&T network.  I've been with Verizon Wireless for ten years.  They've treated me well, so not offering me an app on their network is just going to make me like you a little less.  The data cap is the final straw.  Yes, you are offering many wonderful ways to "manage" our data usage, but that is one thing that I don't care to bother with.  Especially when the television and VoIP telephone use the same "data".  By the way, can we still use those whenever we like, or should we start worrying about extra fees?

AT&T's statement to engadget ended with, "and again, 98% of our customers will not be impacted by this."  It seems to me that there is an "at this time" missing from the end of that sentence.  

[Tecmo SB Guy]

Okay I just finished an online chat with AT&T.  The guy told me it would be the billing period and not the calendar month.

Also when I login to www.myusage.att.com I get this:

We're sorry, but we're unable to display your Internet usage.

You must access this tool using your primary AT&T U-verse or DSL account.

Please try again.

I told him that and he said I'm logging in correctly with the right login and password but I won't be able to see usage till May 2 when all the caps are actually implemented.  I think that's a little odd considering I've seen some people actually have access to this data now.

Mods here or anybody here working for AT&T, can you tell me if that's right?  Or if I am doing something wrong with the login?  Because I am using the same login and password I've had since I first got the DSL service in 2007.

[EOC_Jason]

The download meter doesn't work for my u-verse account, but it does show up for my DSL account... go figure...

It might not impact actual usage for 98% of people, but it affects our perception of what we are getting... Plus, one has to look at the short & long term viability of sticking with this "cap"... How much bandwidth were people using 5 years ago? What about 10 years ago?

HD streaming video is growing like crazy, not just movies but for everything. Why should we take two steps back and be forced for lower quality when the technology avaiable is so much better?

One of my friend's little kid like to video chat with her grandmother whom is on the other side of the country. What do you tell her? Sorry, you can't see grandma until next month? *thumbs up att*

Next thing AT&T is going to be handing out old dial-up modems....

[shelleyp]

---

Tecmo SB Guy wrote:

Okay I just finished an online chat with AT&T.  The guy told me it would be the billing period and not the calendar month.

Also when I login to www.myusage.att.com I get this:

We're sorry, but we're unable to display your Internet usage.

You must access this tool using your primary AT&T U-verse or DSL account.

Please try again.

I told him that and he said I'm logging in correctly with the right login and password but I won't be able to see usage till May 2 when all the caps are actually implemented.  I think that's a little odd considering I've seen some people actually have access to this data now.

Mods here or anybody here working for AT&T, can you tell me if that's right?  Or if I am doing something wrong with the login?  Because I am using the same login and password I've had since I first got the DSL service in 2007.

---

I get the error, but my message is to try again later. Following is a screenshot I get. I've tried now since the news on the caps was first released. Why would AT&T release this news, without having the tools in place for all of its customers?

And who can we contact to get resolution on this problem?

[Lucretia_1]

Hi shelleyp,

We apologize for the inconvenience caused and realize the importance of the issue.

We would request you to contact AT&T billing support at 800-288-2020 ( toll free number) between 8am to 6pm Monday through Friday.

They will provide you all the relevant information related to the broadband usage of your DSL account.

We look forward to speaking with you to resolve this issue.

[ntjstpretty]

Lucretia - Does this mean that if I call that number, I will be given specific usage numbers for either the current or past months? Or will I just be given the same information I've already received, namely "We don't currently have that information to give you, but will be able to give you that information once we start metering your usage May 2, 2010".?

Will I get specifics if I call?

Thanks!

[shelleyp]

---

Lucretia_1 wrote:

Hi shelleyp,

We apologize for the inconvenience caused and realize the importance of the issue.

We would request you to contact AT&T billing support at 800-288-2020 ( toll free number) between 8am to 6pm Monday through Friday.

They will provide you all the relevant information related to the broadband usage of your DSL account.

We look forward to speaking with you to resolve this issue.

---

I appreciate the answer, but what does a phone call provide when the usage meter is obviously not working?

The reason I hesitate on calling is that I have a pre-paid cellphone that costs me minutes everytime I use it. From T-Mobile, actually.I do not have a landline (I'm DSL only, not phone and DSL).

So this call will cost me. The question I have: will it be worth it?

[shelleyp]

---

shelleyp wrote:

---

Lucretia_1 wrote:

Hi shelleyp,

We apologize for the inconvenience caused and realize the importance of the issue.

We would request you to contact AT&T billing support at 800-288-2020 ( toll free number) between 8am to 6pm Monday through Friday.

They will provide you all the relevant information related to the broadband usage of your DSL account.

We look forward to speaking with you to resolve this issue.

---

I appreciate the answer, but what does a phone call provide when the usage meter is obviously not working?

The reason I hesitate on calling is that I have a pre-paid cellphone that costs me minutes everytime I use it. From T-Mobile, actually.I do not have a landline (I'm DSL only, not phone and DSL).

So this call will cost me. The question I have: will it be worth it?

---

This is just the general customer service phone number -- with nothing specific to this change. Then you have to play 20 questions to figure this out. Only, I'm sure, to be told the same blather in the FAQ -- which is equivalent to, "We're not ready for this change, but we're not going to tell you this. And you'll probably be charged for incorrect usages, but that's not our problem."

Tell me something: AT&T made this decison on its own, right? So why on earth is the company not prepared and ready for this decision?

Why one earth roll something out when the company knows it doesn't have the infrastructure in place to make the change?

And why don't you even provide phone numbers to call that are directly related to this change?

You all realize, too, don't you that part of the new FCC rules requires that you have to provide this usage information if you're going to be billing on it -- don't you?

[shelleyp]

I did make my way through the menu by dint of forceful enunciation of intent, and according to the tech support person, supposedly the people that have the usage meter now, are the ones who are being metered right now.

Well, we know this isn't true.

But evidently, AT&T does not have its act together so not everyone will begin to be metered right on May 2nd. But if we are metered we do have access to the usage meter. Well, they have to provide this: it's FCC ruling.

You guys...why roll something out when you're not prepared? That just shows that the broadband congestion is more likely technical inefficiency than bandwidth hogs.