April 14, 2026
Unlimited plan, unlimited drama
Ask HN: My ISP is telling my neighbors their slow internet is because of me
Unlimited plan, mega downloads, mystery techs — and angry neighbors
TLDR: A now-deleted post claims an ISP blamed one heavy downloader for neighbors’ slow speeds, sparking a fight over what “unlimited” really means. Commenters split between blaming the mega-user, calling out oversold networks, and advising police if a mystery tech cut service—highlighting murky marketing and messy infrastructure.
Internet whodunnit alert: an Ask HN poster claimed their ISP told the whole block that everyone’s slow speeds were their fault—then the post (and account) vanished. Another version on Reddit? Also deleted. Cue conspiracy vibes and popcorn as HN turns into CSI: Cable Company, with archive receipts.
The community split fast. The “you’re the problem” camp says if you’re hoovering data on an “unlimited” plan, expect trouble. One commenter revealed they run two remote servers (called seedboxes—basically off-site downloading machines) moving a jaw-dropping 300TB each per month. HN’s verdict: that’s not a home hobby, that’s a neighborhood sport. Others blame the ISP for overselling the line—packing too many homes onto one pipe and then pointing fingers when it chokes.
Hot takes flew. The word “unlimited” got dragged for false advertising, with users fuming that it should be illegal to market what doesn’t really exist. Meanwhile, the true-crime crowd said forget bandwidth: if a mystery tech pulled your line, call the cops first, troubleshoot later. Meta-drama hit too: folks praised HN’s edit limits while roasting Reddit’s vanishing threads. The only thing moving faster than the data? The deletes. The only thing slower than the neighborhood? The truth.
Key Points
- •The original Ask HN post alleging an ISP blamed a customer for neighbors’ slow speeds was edited and then deleted, along with the account.
- •Links to an Internet Archive snapshot and a Reddit cross-post of the original post were shared but later deleted as well.
- •A user reported a technician physically disconnected their home line despite the account being in good standing.
- •The discussion emphasized that “unlimited” plans often include usage constraints and that customers cannot force ISP infrastructure upgrades.
- •Technical explanations cited cable network oversubscription (e.g., CMTS capacity) and recommended offloading heavy use to seedboxes (e.g., OneProvider).