How To Purchase Data Blocks

Data Blocks can be purchased at any time by logging in to My Internode with your Internode username and password, and selecting 'Purchase Data Blocks'. This will advise you of your plan's basic monthly quota; plus any Data Blocks that you've already purchased this month; how much you've used this month; and hence how much you have left.

You'll also be informed of how many days until your next rollover - and hence how many days you have to use the Data Block that you may purchase. Finally you'll be presented with a list of available Data Blocks (see notes under 'If You Are Already Shaped' above), their cost, and when you will be invoiced for them.

You'll then be asked to confirm your purchase, and (within 90 minutes) your quota will be increased, and Shaping (if applicable) will be removed. This may take longer if you purchase the Data Block between 2:00 am and 6:00 am in the morning.

If you find that you are regularly purchasing data blocks, you may find that scheduling an upgrade to the next highest quota plan is more cost-effective - Data Blocks are designed for an occasional & instant upgrade - but it's entirely your choice.

When Do I Get Charged for Data Blocks?

Any Data Blocks that you have purchased are charged to your account 'monthly in arrears' - in exactly the same way that NodeLine or NodePhone VoIP call charges, excess dial hours usage, or iPass usage is charged.

I cannot buy data blocks online, why is that?

Data blocks can be purchased online by Internode customers with Home or SOHO broadband services; as well as Easy services (with or without a Power Pack). Data blocks are not available if you are on a Business broadband plan, or an Easy service with a Business Pack.

Some customers who are not direct customers of Internode may be unable to purchase data blocks online at this time. If you find that you cannot purchase data blocks and you signed up through an Internode affiliate, please contact them directly to purchase a data block.

How Do Data Blocks Work?

Essentially, purchasing a Data Block will increase your quota for that month only. You can purchase a Data Block at any time - either before or after you have used up your monthly quota :

• Say you are on a plan with a 10 GB monthly quota, and have used 8 GB already. You have another 2 GB of 'full speed' download, and then you will be 'excess shaped' to a slower speed. You can purchase a 5 GB Data Block for $10; and this effectively makes your monthly quota 10 + 5 = 15 GB. So, you won't be shaped unless you download another 7 GB during this billing month.
• Say you are on a plan with a 40 GB monthly quota, and have used 41 GB already. You're already in 'excess shaping', and have been for the last 1 GB of traffic. You can purchase a 10 GB Data Block for $15; and this effectively makes your monthly quota 40 + 10 = 50 GB. So, you'll be 'unshaped' and can download another 9 GB of unshaped traffic during this billing month.

What if I am already shaped?

If you've already used up your monthly quota and are shaped, you'll only be offered data blocks that are large enough to take you out of Shaping. So if you've already used 2.5 GB of excess shaped traffic, the smallest data block that will be offered to you is 5 Gigabytes.

Note also that it can take up to 90 minutes after you've purchased the data block for shaping to be released from your service.

In the unlikely event that you purchase a Data Block between 2:00 am and 6:00 am in the morning, for systems reasons it may take longer than usual for the increased quota to take effect.

Do Data Blocks Rollover to the Next Month?

No, Data Blocks do not roll over to the next month - exactly like your monthly quota, it's a 'use it or lose it' arrangement.

It's also worth noting that Data Blocks do not reset your billing date or usage date, nor do they make any changes to how we record your current usage amount. Data Blocks simply increase your quota for the current month - that's all they do.

Other Notes relating to Data Blocks

Multiple Warn-o-matic Emails and Data Blocks

Note that it will now be possible to receive more than one warning email at each level - this isn't a bug! By way of example, if you are on a plan with a 10 GB monthly quota you will receive a 70% warning email when you've used 7 GB. You may then chose to purchase a 10 GB data block, effectively taking your monthly quota to 20 GB - and so you'll potentially get another 70% warning email, if you use 70% x (10+10) = 14 GB for the month.

Internode Website (Account Information)

The Account Information tool is part of My Internode, and is available by entering your Internode username and password here. This tool will show any Data Blocks that you've purchased in the current billing month.

Usage Meter Applications

Usage Meters (such as 'MUM') that you may have installed on your computer (available here), will recognise the extra quota provided by any Data Blocks that you have purchased.

Please note that for various reasons your download figures in the Usage Meter application may vary slightly from the usage figures in My Internode. This includes delays in updating the information used by Usage Meter applications, and the effects of 'unwinding' unmetered traffic. In all cases, the Usage data in My Internode is to be considered 'definitive'.