Keeping Track of Data Usage in GB Per Port

Wed Oct 15 20:32:04 UTC 2014

You may want to start learning more at http://www.netforecast.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/NFR5116_Comcast_Meter_Accuracy_Report.pdf. This report is written by Netforecast – the same firm interviewed by GigaOm in the story link you provided.

Their first audit was in 2009: http://www.netforecast.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/NFR5101_Comcast_Usage_Meter_Accuracy_Original.pdf

Their 2nd audit was in 2010: http://www.netforecast.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/NFR5101_Comcast_Usage_Meter_Accuracy.pdf

And here is a report on best practices for data usage in cable networks: http://www.netforecast.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/NFR5110_ISP_Data_Usage_Meter_Specification_Best_Practices_for_MSOs1.pdf

- Jason Livingood
Comcast

On 10/15/14, 12:06 PM, "Colton Conor" <colton.conor at gmail.com<mailto:colton.conor at gmail.com>> wrote:

I see in past news articles that cable companies are inaccurately
calculating customers data usage for their online GB of usage per month. My
question is how do you properly determine how much traffic in bytes a port
passes per month? Is it different if we are talking about an ethernet port
on a cisco switch vs a DSL port on a DSLAM for example? I would think these
access switches would have some sort of stat you can count similar to a
utility meter reader on a house. See what it was at last month, see what is
is at this month, subtract last months from this months, and the difference
is the total amount used for that month.

Why are the cable companies having such a hard time? Is it hard to
calculate data usage per port? Is it done with SNMP or some other method?

What is the best way to monitor a 48 port switch for example, and know how
much traffic they used?

https://gigaom.com/2013/02/07/more-bad-news-about-broadband-caps-many-meters-are-inaccurate/