Do they throttle download speeds in the lounge
Oct 25, 2016, 10:04 am
#1
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Do they throttle download speeds in the lounge
Slightly frustratedly trying to download something to watch on the flight and a film which should take 5 mins to download is taking 90. Annoying give the cost of data to BA.
Oct 25, 2016, 10:10 am
#2
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I don't think so, but if loads of people are doing heavy downloads it could use up a lot of bandwidth ...
Oct 25, 2016, 10:12 am
#4
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Lots of people + not enough original bandwidth... slow downloads. End of.
Airport lounges are not the place to download content IMO. The line BA are using is probably just about good enough for checking email and a little basic browsing, anything above that in any lounge is a big bonus.
Airport lounges are not the place to download content IMO. The line BA are using is probably just about good enough for checking email and a little basic browsing, anything above that in any lounge is a big bonus.
Oct 25, 2016, 10:16 am
#5
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I think it's just contention, I get reasonable download speed when the lounges are quiet but much slower at busier times. I'd agree it's not the place to download content for a flight...
Oct 25, 2016, 10:18 am
#6
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I was reasonably impressed with the lounge Wifi yesterday afternoon in Galleries South. 140MB file downloaded in 3 or 4 mins. I expected worse.
Didn't look like it was being shaped, just contended. It started slowly and sped up as time went on.
Depending on which airport/lounge you're in if you're stuck you could try jumping on the airport WiFi instead.
Good luck!
Didn't look like it was being shaped, just contended. It started slowly and sped up as time went on.
Depending on which airport/lounge you're in if you're stuck you could try jumping on the airport WiFi instead.
Good luck!
Oct 25, 2016, 10:29 am
#7
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Oct 25, 2016, 10:30 am
#8
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Oct 25, 2016, 10:30 am
#9
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I presume you were legally downloading a film you've purchased..
Oct 25, 2016, 10:36 am
#10
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My experience is that the lounge wifi speed is relatively generous for a 'public place' - I generally have no trouble watching videos on YouTube, for example. And it is certainly sufficient for email and web browsing.
However I would agree that a lounge is probably not the place to expect to be able to download films quickly. I've done it before myself and some lounges the speed is sufficient for this, but I wouldn't go to a lounge expecting to be able to do it.
However I would agree that a lounge is probably not the place to expect to be able to download films quickly. I've done it before myself and some lounges the speed is sufficient for this, but I wouldn't go to a lounge expecting to be able to do it.
Oct 25, 2016, 12:32 pm
#11
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Maybe it's worth doing that at home before you leave...
Oct 25, 2016, 12:41 pm
#13
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I wonder if the Q is less about the cost of connectivity per month per location to BA and more how much they'd need to pay if everyone wanted to download (film/ whatever/ doesn't matter) and expected decent throughput *at the same time*
100 passengers/ hr doing a (For the sake of argument) 1Gb file download, in a timely manner, while others also expect half decent speeds on general browsing/ email etc, is a *large* pipe.
DSLreports says it would take 3.6 Mbs to get a 1Gb file in 5 mins for one person.
http://www.dslreports.com/calculator...=0+bps&c3=Calc
You don't mention which lounge it is. Even for T5, say, 100 people trying to do that is a serious connection. For an outstation it's a big cost.
100 passengers/ hr doing a (For the sake of argument) 1Gb file download, in a timely manner, while others also expect half decent speeds on general browsing/ email etc, is a *large* pipe.
DSLreports says it would take 3.6 Mbs to get a 1Gb file in 5 mins for one person.
http://www.dslreports.com/calculator...=0+bps&c3=Calc
You don't mention which lounge it is. Even for T5, say, 100 people trying to do that is a serious connection. For an outstation it's a big cost.
Last edited by happyintheair; Oct 25, 2016 at 12:43 pm Reason: added clarification about lots of people doing downloads at same timne
Oct 25, 2016, 12:55 pm
#14
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There is a number of data centres within minutes of Heathrow, so access to networks should not be an issue. Thinking outside the box, the fibre that is used to serve Virgin station wifi at T1-3 & 4 could be brought into the buildings and provide the backbone for an array of access points. But let's face it, Heathrow doesn't want what pax want: Heathrow want as many pax as possible and they want them to spend as much time and money in the shops as they can and not be glued to their devices.
Oct 25, 2016, 1:29 pm
#15
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While there is a very well connected datacentre across the road from Heathrow just opposite the ambulance and fire station (at least until it's replaced with a taxiway to the 3rd runway), I suspect that HAL infrastructure and bureaucracy make it tricky to have an easy connection from there to the lounge.
Howver in my experience the lounge wifi is fairly speedy; several Mbit/sec is adequate for most people's uses and it's at least that fast.
Meanwhile Heathrow has fairly good wifi of its own, although they have the outmoded idea that it's not a basic resource like toilets to be included in the airport usage fee and so try to charge for it after an hour or two.
Howver in my experience the lounge wifi is fairly speedy; several Mbit/sec is adequate for most people's uses and it's at least that fast.
Meanwhile Heathrow has fairly good wifi of its own, although they have the outmoded idea that it's not a basic resource like toilets to be included in the airport usage fee and so try to charge for it after an hour or two.