Editing NTL Incorporated (section)

=== Internet ===

NTL offered [[broadband Internet access]] connections through [[cable television|cable]]. The service operates through SACMs (Stand-alone [[cable modem]]s) and [[set-top box]]es (STBs).

In NTL areas customers could also access a 512&nbsp;kbit/s download-speed; and both NTL and Telewest offer [[dial-up]] Internet services on a pay-as-you-go basis, or at a fixed monthly fee of £14.99 for unlimited usage.

The broadband services did not have a bandwidth-cap or a fair-usage policy; this means that customers have unlimited usage and need pay no extra charges related to the amount of data downloaded. However NTL has admitted introducing [[traffic shaping]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cableforum.co.uk/article/292/ntltelewest-admits-traffic-shaping-on-its-network |title=ntl:Telewest admits traffic shaping on its network |publisher=Cable Forum |date=4 October 2006 |access-date=3 August 2013}}</ref>

NTL started trialling 20&nbsp;Mbit/s, and temporarily upgraded some 10&nbsp;Mbit/s subscribers to this speed in October 2006.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=475832&page=1&pp=25 |title=Have NTL Upgraded 10MB ? |publisher=Digital Spy Forums |date=19 October 2006 |access-date=3 August 2013}}</ref> Furthermore, NTL started conducting trials of a 100&nbsp;Mbit broadband service on its cable network.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telecompaper.com/default.asp?ArticleID=13405|title=Telecompaper|website=www.telecompaper.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Walker |first=Dave |url=http://www.techdigest.tv/2006/02/ntl_trials_100m.html |title=NTL trials 100MB service |publisher=Tech Digest |date=13 February 2006 |access-date=3 August 2013}}</ref>

After trials in the Guildford area from mid-1999, NTL launched its original broadband services at the same time that NTL acquired the Cable business of Cable and Wireless (early 2000). In the "original NTL" (also known as "Langley") areas, NTL has always supplied broadband services via [[DOCSIS]] cable-modems. In these areas the digital television [[set-top box]]es used an incompatible standard, DAVIC.

Initially, NTL decided to terminate service to approximately 90,000 ex-Cable and Wireless subscribers on short notice.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.zdnet.com/home-and-office/networking/ntl-pulls-the-plug-on-cwc-internet-users/ |title=NTL pulls the plug on CWC internet users |publisher=ZDNet |date=17 October 2001 |access-date=30 October 2013}}</ref> This threatened to leave customers stranded and without access to their email or websites and was due to NTL's lack of infrastructure capability in some areas. Before termination of services, Boltblue struck a deal with NTL and Cable and Wireless Communications to save 90,000
<ref>{{cite news | last=Welsh | first=James |date=22 November 2001 |title=Boltblue to take on non-cabled customers |url=http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a4291/boltblue-to-take-on-non-cabled-customers.html | newspaper=Digital Spy |access-date=30 October 2013}}</ref> and later an additional 210,000 customers. The roll-out of broadband services in the ex-Cable and Wireless franchises started in mid 2001.

NTL provided ex-Cable and Wireless subscribers with broadband through the set-top box (STB) also used for [[digital television]] services, adopting the rationale that subscribers could self-install. Initially, NTL supplied a "Self Install Kit" consisting of connecting cable, adapters and an install CD. Following demonstrated problems, NTL gradually introduced cable modems and phased out the self-install approach. The [[Pace Micro Technology|Pace]] STBs proved highly problematic, exhibiting two major flaws.

Firstly, large numbers of connections (for example, those with [[peer-to-peer]] (P2P) software) would cause the connection to slow down and eventually freeze the modem part of the STB (also required for interactive TV services, which suffered a similar effect when downloading). Customers in these circumstances had to re-boot the STB.

Secondly, the single processor and sharing the internal modem between television and broadband services made the television part of the box slow and unresponsive, for example making it extremely difficult to change channel using the remote. This became particularly evident when using the lower "Tiers of Service" such the 128&nbsp;kbit/s downstream 64&nbsp;kbit/s upstream, as the digital television set-top box without broadband service actually enjoyed a 256&nbsp;kbit/s upstream.

Although capable of higher speeds (up to 4&nbsp;Mbit/s), NTL did not make speeds higher than 1&nbsp;Mbit/s available due to degradation of the DTV service.

NTL eventually replaced the Pace set-top boxes with [[Samsung]] models that used a dual-processor architecture, overcoming the shortcomings of the Pace, and capable of much better downstream performance. However, with the advent of higher "Tiers of Service" of 10&nbsp;Mbit/s downstream and higher, plus the reducing cost of NTL's cable modems (supplied by Ambit Broadband) NTL now supplies all subscribers with cable modems.

The NTL network runs through transparent proxy servers. Up to 15 server addresses host each area. These transparent proxy servers also override the user's [[hosts file]] and prevent manual [[Domain name system|DNS]] updates. This makes it easier for NTL to provide a more reliable connection as well as being able to monitor traffic requirements in each area. This also causes many problems for websites which record IP addresses to ban and/or track users. This means that if a website bans one offender, it bans everyone in the same area. Also, many on-line games automatically ban IP addresses with multiple usernames associated with them. Small-scale games do not cause too many problems, but when friends attempt to spread the game around, the system prevents everyone (including the original player) from using the game.
On the other hand, advanced users can easily create a large number of illegitimate accounts on the aforementioned websites, allowing one user both to prevent all other users on the NTL network using the game, as well as to become untraceable.

NTL has used MAC addresses to track and register customers to the NTL internet service. As NTL had not supported the use of routers, or Xbox on the minority Set Top Box based Broadband Internet service, users had to use a clone MAC address feature to connect to the Internet when using an STB. This has become a common problem for people wishing to connect their Xbox to the existing internet connection through a router or PC connected to their STB, if they fail to use the official registration process. (These comments do not apply to the majority (>90%) use of cable modems).