Over run and throttled back how does this work?

[#1]

I interpret satellite images, hence have the need to often transfer large images (up to around 2GB), normally only 4 or 5 times per month, this month has been a bit heavier.
I try to use peer-to-peer transfers and run overnight for 2-3 nights, this has worked remarkably well (well done plusnet)
About 6-7 months of the year I’m away from my base/broadband connection (working overseas), the other 4-5 months I’m on the end of a bank of screens (and Plusnet).
Planning from month to month I’ve no idea what my transfer usage will be so speaking to those good folk at Customer support, I was steered to PAYG level one 12 months a year, keep an eye on usage and upgrade on a more or less daily basis as and when required when in the UK, downgrade beginning of each month then start again. If I’m shunted off to a earthquake zone, and don’t use plusnet for 2 months, all I have is the £10 per month charge to collect emails etc, it’s a good service, I’m happy with it
SO far so good.
Twice I failed to ‘catch’ and monitor usage, hence an overrun and penalty costs for additional GB transfer.
Since then I’ve unchecked the box and have to manually decide.
This month I’ve had an overrun and have been throttled back to 128Kbs until the end of my billing month (9th) which is tomorrow, which is no train crash.
The question is, having been throttled back to 128kbs, I don’t notice anything different, everything takes the same time, email, web browsing, internet searches all take the same time:-  file transfers may take a wee-bit longer, but in the scheme of things I don’t notice, I’ve done a line test and its correct I’ve a download transfer rate of less than 128kbs.
Could it be I’ve been restricted to 128kbs all along (exchange, geographical location?), was there a need to be throttled back as I’ve a line restriction already in place.
Am I wasting money buy extra data transfer usage? when it makes little difference
(NB I live ‘in the styx’, the rest of the UK has been cut off for the past week, you’all be pleased to know according to the news they are OK!!!!. The nearest exchange to me is about 5 miles away)
Next question, Just how long on an average internet connection should it take to transfer a 2GB file (some examples please).

[#2]

Please run the BT speedtest: http://speedtester.bt.com/ and post the full results.
What does https://portal.plus.net/my.html?action=stable_rate say for your current line speed?

[#3]

If you were downloading routinely at 128kb/s (16 kB/sec) you would only be able to download ~ 400 MB  in the 8 hour free period - from the sound of it you are getting at least 5 times that rate overnight.

[#4]

Thanks Dave and Jelv for response
400mb during the night is 128kbps, means I'm getting 1.2GB over three nights, best I've got over three nights is close on 2GB (normally about 700mb per night)
From plusnet
Estimated line speed:
0.5 Mbps - Checked on 2009-01-14 11:41:32

Cannot get into the
http://speedtester.bt.com/ ; site, I don't appear to be registered as a user, doesn not take my email address
but on a different speed test was getting 121kbps this morning, whih is expected as I've been cut back to 128

[#5]

The login on the BT speed test is the login you have in your router it will probably be username@plusdsl.net

[#6]

Have a look at this page for example files and download times. You can try downloading them and matching your download times to that listed against each file, that way you'll get a fair idea of your speed capability.
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/download/
Podman

[#7]

If you have trouble running the BT speedtester, can be iffy to get running, posting your router ADSL stats will be informative - that's DS & US sync speed, attenuation & noise margin (SNRM).
Also when you went to the portal, you only quoted the estimated speed and not the current line speed.

[#8]

Quote from: podman

Have a look at this page for example files and download times. You can try downloading them and matching your download times to that listed against each file, that way you'll get a fair idea of your speed capability. http://www.thinkbroadband.com/download/ Podman

I tried those last night, stopped part way on several.  thought might be throttling, so tried this morning before 0700, again even the smallest only got to 20% and my genuine throughput is around 7000.
I would say that test is rubbish

[#9]

Rubbish would be personal opinion.
I recommended it after use and found it to be accurate and correlating well with other speed test results, obviously though the speeds achived will be subject to gerneral net congestion/constipation.
Podman

[#10]

on Netmeter when it was downloading it was 110-125 kB  and as I said got to about 20% on all the ones I ran and stopped, left one for an  hour and it didnt get any further - what does that prove?  nufin

[#11]

I am testing it as i type on a line sync of 5920 my speed  current download speed 510-520kbps I'm on Pro
Podman

[#12]

my profile speed is 7150, and for normal download at 0700 should not be restricted, P2P is on my package, dont know what the ports refer to on your test, not into that, but all the files are pseudo MP3, what are they classed as?  Pro of course is not managed