Skip to content
  • There are no suggestions because the search field is empty.

Contention Ratios

 

What is an ISP contention ratio?

An ISP contention ratio describes how many customers share the same portion of an Internet Service Provider’s network capacity.

For example:

  • A 20:1 contention ratio means up to 20 customers may be sharing the same bandwidth
  • A 50:1 or 100:1 ratio means far more users are competing for the same resources

This sharing usually happens beyond your home or studio, inside the ISP’s local exchange, cabinet, or neighbourhood network.

Contention ratios matter most during busy periods (typically evenings), when many users are online at the same time.

 

Why contention matters for Bonza

Bonza relies on real-time, peer-to-peer (P2P) audio connections, where data is exchanged directly between participants with as little delay as possible.

High contention can introduce problems that are especially noticeable in real-time audio:

  • Increased latency (audio feels ‘late’)
  • Latency variation (jitter) — timing becomes inconsistent
  • Packet loss — causing clicks, dropouts, or distortion
  • Unstable connections — sessions may degrade or disconnect

Even if your headline download speed looks good, contention can still cause these issues.

 

Download speed vs real-time performance

Many ISPs advertise high download speeds, but Bonza is far more sensitive to:

  • Consistent upload bandwidth
  • Low and stable latency
  • Reliable routing between peers

During periods of high contention, your connection may technically stay “fast” for browsing or streaming, while becoming unreliable for real-time collaboration.

 

P2P connections are more sensitive than streaming

Streaming services buffer audio or video in advance to hide network issues.

Bonza can’t do that.

Because Bonza prioritises low latency over buffering, it exposes problems that are otherwise masked by platforms like YouTube, Netflix, or video conferencing apps.

This doesn’t mean anything is ‘wrong’ - it simply means your connection is being used in a more demanding way.

 

When contention issues are most likely

You may notice reduced performance:

  • In the evening (roughly 6–10pm)
  • On shared residential broadband
  • In densely populated areas
  • On connections marketed as “up to” a certain speed

Business-grade or fibre connections usually experience lower contention, but this varies by provider and location.

 

How to reduce the impact of contention

While you can’t directly control your ISP’s contention ratio, you can improve reliability by:

  • Using a wired Ethernet connection instead of Wi-Fi
  • Avoiding heavy Internet use on the same network during sessions
  • Scheduling sessions outside peak evening hours where possible
  • Ensuring stable upload bandwidth (Bonza relies heavily on this)
  • Restarting routers occasionally to clear degraded states

If issues persist, it may be worth asking your ISP about:

  • Local congestion
  • Business or lower-contention plans
  • True fibre vs shared infrastructure

 

A quick reassurance

If Bonza performance changes depending on the time of day, this is often a strong indicator of network contention - not a problem with your computer, audio interface, or Bonza itself.

We design Bonza to adapt as gracefully as possible, but real-time audio will always reflect the quality of the underlying connection.

 

Need help checking your setup?

If you’re unsure whether contention is affecting your sessions, we’re happy to help you investigate. Please email support@bonzamusic.com and share with us:

  • Your connection type (fibre, cable, DSL, mobile hotspot)
  • Time of day issues occur
  • Whether you’re wired or on Wi-Fi

These details will help us point you in the right direction.