Fellow blogger Freethinker SOS-ed me the other day. He subscribed to Maxis Broadband and noticed his torrent download is very slow — less than 1kb/s. That is extremely slow indeed. There is no doubt that even a dial up connection can be faster than that.
After checking the Maxis Broadband fair usage policy, there is a few sections that indicated download activities such downloading torrents is prohibited and may result in bandwidth throttling.
5.2.1 Certain software/applications which is used by a small number of customers to send and receive files containing very large amounts of data (including without limitation traffic from peer-to-peer software/applications (such as Bit Torrent, eDonkey, Gnutella) or file sharing software (such as Limewire)). These activities may cause network congestion and can negatively impact the speed at which other customers can access the internet.
5.2.2 Maxis does not guarantee a service level and/or connectivity to users of peer-to-peer or file sharing software/applications.
5.2.3 The system that is used to provide the Maxis Broadband service can identify very high bandwidth users and Maxis seeks to manage the customer’s usage by throttling their bandwidth to a much lower broadband speed to ensure fairness to all customers.
If you plan to download files using P2P programs, you are better off not using Maxis Broadband. In case this is not enough to deter you, there is yet another section in the Maxis Broadband fair usage policy that you may want to take a look at.
5.3.1 Each customer’s total usage per month shall NOT exceed 3GB of data volume transmitted (total upload and download usage). This is to ensure that no individual hogs the bandwidth at all times.
If you plan to use more than 3GB of data transfer per month, you will need to have a written request to Maxis. The approval of your application is entirely up to Maxis.
You got to love the broadband services provided by our Malaysian providers. It is like going for a buffet dinner that costs RM100 per head and having the below conversation/situation happen to you.
Manager: I am sorry sir but you will have to stop eating now.
You: Huh? I thought buffets are for me to eat as much as I can?
Manager: Yes, sir. However, you have been eating too much, more than what we can afford you to eat. In fact, you are eating other customer’s portion. You really have to stop now, sir.
You: Shut up. I am going for that turkey over there. Try stopping me if you can.
[At this point, the manager calls 5 security guards and straps you to your chair preventing you from eating anymore food.]
Manager: I will bring you your dessert and bill. Thank you very much. Do come and dine in our wonderful buffet restaurant again.
This policy isn’t new. Jeff Ooi reported it a year ago.
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So we never have a good choice
this is total bull, everyone in china can use net with no throttle, and p2p is running at speed of 800kb, and they still get good speed. anyway, can bypass it by using a china software
i heard that the speed is not really capped, but for p2p or torrents, downloads are not capped after midnite …
yea i just subscribed to maxis. pretty slow compare to streamyx, almost like using dial up. but what to do beggars can choose, just in case I shift again so with streamyx troublesome. counting down 18 more months in the maxis contract
Wah that bad ah? I heard there is a 4G one out there. Anybody tried that?
I have already registered the maxis broadband. I found its really true when the speed of downloading is so poor. The speed better if you’re in HDSPA coverage or 3G. Anyway i can view the web anywhere as long there is Maxis signal. I think all the broadband’s provider not really provide good services to its customer. All they want is making more profit with more customer and the services is questionable…they all are the same…….
well, u got to accept the point that maxis’ broadband is wireless. not wired. there’s other environment factors that will disrupt signal. Heck, even placement of ur speakers near the wireless modem can disrupt the signal.
but back to the point, maxis caps p2p and bt traffic but not other traffic. VPN may work if you wouldn’t mind spending a little more.
If you were to use maxis broadband in the city (eg: lowyat) you’ll get about 1.5 mbps because of hsdpa. so really, depends where you are and your surrounding structures + objects.
@KennyP
We never did. At least people around Klang Valley has more options. Other areas that do not have other better options will have to stick to Streamyx, no matter how BS the service is.
@clement
What China software? Tuotu? I can’t read Chinese so it’s tough for me to know what’s going on with the program.
@earl-ku
Hmmm…when you talk about it then I remember reading something like that — after midnight the line is somehow faster.
@lazyfellow
I also planned to get one of those mobile broadband previously but luckily didn’t. I tried their demo at megamall and giant the other day — blardy slow. Not much faster than dialup really.
@nicktay
It isn’t really 4G. It is “4G”. No idea how the speed/reliability is though.
@hobbyracingtune
The quality of broadband networks in Malaysia will never improve if they stick to their current mentality. WiMAX is supposedly coming out next year and much faster than what they have now. Let’s see if that is just another BS joke.
@CincauHangus
Oh, didn’t know that some objects will affect the connection. Anyway, even if some areas like Lowyat has better quality connection, it only remains at that areas. What we need is to have a wider and faster coverage. Something that I don’t see happening in the near future (if ever).
LOL… anyway, mine is the MAXIS USB Braodband, it is not bound by the 3GB rule. P2P software is not welcomed exactly in the sense that during day time ( non 1 am to 6 am ) , it shuts the door right up for all P2P. Well… that’s the con, but since the major point I like is its portability, so it weights a lil better than the con ( P2P lar )…. yeah, will be cutting off streamyx next month… nowadays… I’m a streamyx user until 1 am then I’m a Maxis user until 7 am, then I’m back to streamyx again… HAHHAHA… until i cut off streamyx next month
@Freethinker
Haha. Well, it’s true that maxis broadband and the others provide more mobility. That one of the pros against Streamyx.
I understand your points of capping p2p bandwidth, but we also must understand why some ISPs need to capped p2p bandwidth. As you will know, p2p bandwidth (BT) can consumes a lot of international bandwidth, when Malaysia pay expensive dollars to buy international lines.
In order to “by-pass” telco’ bandwidth throttling, actually, you can do some tricks, to get decent BT download speed.
@hanneng
Yeah, I heard people suggest to use VPN to bypass them. And it works.
I guess it’s time for me to move out to Sweden then. Their speed is 50 mbp.
sweden? 50mbp? r u kidding? I used to stay in korea everyhouse in korea got 100mbp line. that was really fantastic. downloading one movie needs just 10min thats why korean people dont try download they just delete movie immedialtly after click because they might finish their watching movie haha. korea is the fastest country in the world. ah there are two broadband providers in korea. they offer wide coverage sevice. so many korean young people web surf when they drive a car or subway that means that is the real broadband which can surf while it is moving even 80km per/hour
Joey, yeap your rite korea have 100mbp everyhomes,for malaysia to get 4mbp leased line cost me around MYR 80k - 200k per year.
Maxis broadband is getting me sicked and mad.The downloading speed is sooooo poor !! Anyway,using Maxis broadband would be a risk.
try to use internet download manager at internetdownloadmanager.com.
you can get the download speed up to 100kbs.
The truth is, maxis is using that policy as excuses that they have a really bad service, sometime it could take me to 3 minute to just open google.com.my, and I’ve never use any p2p program, and please know that I’ve subscribed with 3.6Mbps package for RM 138/Mth that should give me at least 60 kB/s download, instead of pathetic 10.xx kB/s…
3GB for 30 days? That 100MB per day, for someone that often to watch vids on YouTube and other streaming/flashy site such as Myspace, it could be up to 250MB per day,
1 minute on youtube will cost about 2.5MB (depend on quality of the vids), average length is 5 minute, that will be 12.5MB / 5 minute, just imagine someone on youtube for 2 hours,… that will be 150MB, plus streaming radio or mp3, averagely will be 5MB per song… and that certainly be more than 3GB/mth..
Policy yang berat sebelah…
I wonder what actually they mean by saying “Unlimited Broadband”
and sorry for my grammar, I didn’t finish my highschool, but good enough for someone like me…lol
A warning from one consumer to another:
DO NOT SIGN UP TO MAXIS BROADBAND!
If you love your kids, don’t let them use Maxis broadband.
Kids who surf slower, learn slower and with the added pressure from having an unstable internet connection and constant disconnection could lead them to having suicidal tendencies at such a young age.
IF YOU LOVE YOUR KIDS, SAY NO TO MAXIS BROADBAND!