| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 3/13/2007 7:31:43 PM | I've just made it onto broadband with SKY, just £5 a month for upto 8 meg speed and it was all quite quick to set up not the 15 day thing thats just nonsense you will be up and running within days of letting them know.
The netgear wireless router was free too which is always a bonus. I'm on a 3 for £26 a month deal, so i get my broadband, free off peak calls, and all the satelite channels under the sun, all for £26 a month,
oh and Customer Services are very fast to get through to, hardly any wait to get through if at all. Only catch is that it doesnt carry newsgroups. And as part of the installation process it tries to upgrade your internet explorer to the latest version 7 and you have to do a genuine windows validation check online first, so i skipped that and cancelled the installation cos i couldnt get past that but i checked my internet and i appear to be online without any problems lol
I would have kept my NTL if I hadnt moved to an area that didnt have NTL cable in the area, as i been with them problem free on a fast connection (upto 10 meg) for ages. The orange deal looks good though. | |
|
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/28/2007 1:04:18 PM | i was also with bulldog. had no problems with speed or modems but i had loads of problems with billing. i paid them over £400 one time as they didnt take money when they were supposed to and they restricted my service. so i called them and paid them by card. this was a year ago. they reinstated my service but would not acknowledge that i paid them the cash even though there was plenty of proof and they even found the payments on the computer but noone would add it to my account... so when i refused to pay anymore money til it was acknowledged that i had paid i got them to cut me off.... i then had the hassle of trying to get another isp as they would not give out my mac code or something. they now to this day are saying that i owe them over £1000 for breaking a contract ..... i wasnt even on a contract lol
Steer clear of Bulldog they have been brought out by pipex now | |
|
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/28/2007 1:10:39 PM | For general broadband advice, refuse any connection / service that comes with a USB broadband modem
Those things - and I speak of all USB modems, not just a specific one - are trouble. What you want for reliable DSL or cable is a router that connects to an ethernet port on your PC, or a wireless router and wifi adapter if you can't run cable (ethernet is more reliable than Wireless)
If you insist on a free router you'll probably get one.. avoid netgear generally, also avoid BT Voyager routers or unbranded ones. the best routers currently around and available from ISPs are probably the thomson Speedtouch series (516/536/576)
If you're on NTL, the modem has an ethernet port anyway.. you only need a router if you havent got a firewall (routers provide a degree of network firewall protection) or if you want to connect several computers | |
|
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/28/2007 1:12:26 PM | TalkTalk is sh1te, almost everyday my pc loses it's connection, some times I can't get back on that night. Some mornings I can't get the connection and it p1sses me right off
Also when you phone the help line, which you have to pay for, the person that you eventually get through to is in a call centre in Indian, some of them can hardly speak understandable English
The only saving grace is the price, about £22 per month all in. Broadband, free line rental and land line calls. | |
|
Mufski
|
Joined: 4/14/2007
Msg: 30 | |
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/28/2007 1:14:28 PM | I am with AOL, although i have had a few disconection problems every once in a blue moon...
And haven't the Carphone Warehouse subsequently purchased AOL in the UK to use their network to help bolster up the trouble stricken Talk Talk broadband service, as featured on Watchdog!
I'm afraid that if AOL was my ISP then I'd be asking for a MAC migration code and would definitely be switching elsewhere at the present time. I believe as a consequence that Talk Talk are now larger then BT Broadband after the AOL deal, both in terms of the volume of customers, and poor customer service.
The only serious services are BT (or one of their competitors if you are served by a large exchange and the BT competitor have their own DSLAM hardware in situ!) and what that basically means is that, for anyone who does not live in a cabled area or a large city, BT are your best bet because you will be reliant on BT's hardware no matter which ISP you choose. | |
|
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/28/2007 1:17:44 PM | changed from supanet dial-up to madasafish broadband and had no probs with it (even though customer ratings were 50/50).
dont even bother with madasafish telephone service though complete rip-off, gone back to PO for that. | |
|
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/28/2007 1:27:05 PM | | I have been with BT for 6 years..I used to be with orange, years ago, then one day it just was not there.. I did think about switching, but then BT upgraded me to 10 and a free wireless with no line rental for 6 months, so I stopped put !!! I think I will stop with BT, it's running 3 pc's, a laptop, a psp, a ps3, and an xbox on wireless, and thats good enough for me ... | |
|
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/28/2007 1:58:34 PM | I was originally with Freeserve, which changed to Wanadoo, and had no problems with them whatsoever.
That all changed when Orange took them over tho.
Now we get cut off any time of the day or night sometimes for hours at a time.
Does me 'ead in it does!!!!
I'd change to someone else, but need a MAC code or something, and apparently ISPs dont like giving it away lightly. | |
|
Mufski
|
Joined: 4/14/2007
Msg: 34 | |
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/28/2007 2:08:02 PM | If any ISP refuses to give you a MAC code then refer them to the appropriate body
that governs their conduct... and there are two for the UK... 
http://www.ofcom.org.uk/
http://www.otelo.org.uk/ | |
|
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/28/2007 2:21:24 PM | I was with Tiscali, had nothing but problems with them for months and it cost me around £60 in calls to them. Finally got my MAC code and they told me as soon as i used it to go to the next people my Broadband would be stopped. I used it that day and then connected straight away to Sky Broadband.
Six months down the line i get a bill from Tiscali saying i owed six months broadband rental. I rang them telling them when i went to Sky and they said my MAC code hadn't been applied. I sent copies of the email with the MAC code but they still refused to admit it had been used but like i put it to them, i wouldn't of been able to change without it. The only way they stopped sending me letters was when i said i was talking them to court to get back all the money i lost by ringing them, by claiming money for the nine hours i spent on the phone to them and also told them i was chraging them £25 for all the letters i had to send.
I have been with Sky now since last August and fair enough there was teething problems especially with the exchange which BT had to sort the problem but i received every single penny back i had made on calls and also got free broadband for a while. I am now happy to say that since the teething problems i have not had any trouble at all. | |
|
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/28/2007 2:43:30 PM | | I agree with midlandstaurus and huggablecaro - avoid Bulldog at all costs. They are utterly, utterly useless. I would go into more detail but I'd be here all day! | |
|
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/29/2007 2:32:44 AM | I have only changed my broadband supplier 4 times in 7 years, and I must admit I have had no problems with changing over.
I am now with Eclipse, after being with BT, Metronet, AOl ( for one month) and now with Eclipse. I have got my MAC code from Eclipse last week, because their speed was so slow, but now it have improved, so I think I will be staying.
Going from BT to Tiscali is like jumping from the frying pan into the fire, do you change because of costs? | |
|
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/29/2007 3:33:10 AM | | I really don't like BT i find them extremly expensive and their service is crap, for the money you pay, I left BT and I am still arguing over the Bill, for £14 worth of calls and hit and miss internet connection they wanted just over £300, in a quater, I am now with Pipex Broadband, and I pay £30 a month, for my internet connection and my phone, all my calls are free, and I never have any problems with being disconnected. | |
|
Mufski
|
Joined: 4/14/2007
Msg: 39 | |
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/29/2007 4:14:36 AM | BT are expensive, they have shareholders and were strapped with maintaining and upgrading a massive and aged public telephone network following privatisation (and since when, incidentally, the charges went spiralling...)
Having said that, in the great broadband shopping trolley there are several ways to go should you have the choice of cable - because you can hook up, for instance, to an ISP like NTL/Virgin, and if you have the choice of cable then you should go for it as future upgradeability is more assured.
DSL2 will soon be with us, offering 24Mbps. Cable networks are going to be prepared earlier than any telephone lines to carry DSL2, and cable will do so more reliably.
If you don't want to go the cable route, or have no cable service, then you'll probably need to use a BT line, with the provider of your choice.
But there are things to be aware of!
The actual BT exchange contains hardware known as a DSLAM which is basically a massive hub to connect all the subscribers to the broadband pipe.
In many exchanges the only DSLAM equipment belongs to BT Wholesale, nobody else, and is sub-leased to the actual ISP's. BT Internet naturally get first choice.
Therefore you will get better service from BT Broadband than from any other ISP offering you broadband through the same exchange.
Only in the biggest exchanges will some ISP's (other than BT) will have installed their very own DSLAM equipment. In these cases your actual ISP can offer the same sort of reliability as BT in theory.
If you have to use a telephone line to connect then do check with your ISP about the provision of DSLAM hardware at your local exchange. If your ISP are piggybacking onto a BT provided DSLAM unit then you will have the following disadvantages:
1) Your contention ratio may be poor, resulting in lower speeds and bandwidth, in other words the ISP cram too many of you onto one DSLAM to allow everyone to benefit from the fastest possible connection!
2) In the event of a problem your ISP's helpdesk will be wholly dependent on BT, meaning during outages you may be ill-informed as to fault repairs etc.
The other thing that's important with a BT line is the line quality, and distance you are from the exchange. The longer the signal has to travel the slower the speed becomes, so when you sign up for 8Mbps broadband and only actually get 12-20% of that then it's due to the line quality and distance.
When people complain about broadband being unreliable there are often a number of fundamental errors in their actual home setup too.
USB cable modems are less reliable and slower than Ethernet Routers, fact. They rely on software drivers in the computer to power them, whereas an Ehternet Router does not. So if you can get rid of USB and use Ethernet you're better off.
Your router needs to be connected to your master socket. The heavy gauge copper wire coming into your home can carry the broadband signal - the thin little extension wires you may have running around your skirting boards or under the carpets won't, and if you experience frequent disconnections this is often the cause.
If your computer(s) is/are not close to your master socket and/or you don't use WiFi then it is far better to run an ethernet cable to the computer than anything else, since ethernet cable can carry the broadband signal 300 feet without loss of quality.
The other minefield area is your ADSL contract. Some are for a minimum of a month and others can be for up to eighteen months. Some offer unlimited downloads and no surcharges for high volume users, others offer only... say... 2Gb a month, with extra bandwidth charged at so much more per Gb of data.
Personally I use BT's option 3 which covers heavy home users best, unlimited traffic but costs run out at about £26 a month PLUS the phone line rental PLUS calls (although there's also a VOIP handset option at reduced costs but which stupidly only really works between BT customers).
Anyway. Since people often hop from one broadband ISP to another in the hope of getting better, more reliable, or faster, service I thought I would mention the points above because I've known oodles of people switch when the problem has actually been with their own home wiring or choice of modem and not with their line or ISP at all.
When choosing an ISP here's a good place to read a few facts:-
http://www.futureinsites.co.uk/broadband-speed-comparison.htm
When you want to look up your exchange and see how it's rated:-
http://usertools.plus.net/exchanges/
When you want to check your connection speed:-
http://www.speedtest.bbmax.co.uk/
Forum which specifically rate various ISP's and discusses options:-
http://www.ispreview.co.uk/talk/index.php
I hope this helps a few people... | |
|
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/29/2007 5:36:35 AM | Interesting reading.....
I've been with Pipex for over 3 years and the only problem I had was that the modem was not delivered for three weeks.
Although it is quite expensive at £23.99 per month.
I am thinking of swapping to Sky and heard both good and bad reports. | |
|
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/29/2007 5:52:59 AM | | TalkTalk are the worst!!!!!!!! I signed for the free internet deal when it came out and had nothing but problems with my internet since then. It kept disconnecting all the time. Last month they *upgraded* my street and killed my modem box in the process. It took them 3 weeks and endless phone calls for them to send me another one. I'm now with BT and my internet hasn't disconnected once. | |
|
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/29/2007 10:21:32 PM | | Im with Tiscali at the mo. Can be a little slow sometimes, but other than that, no problems whatsoever... | |
|
| Broadband Suppliers.
Posted: 5/29/2007 10:39:35 PM | i changed from BT to Orange and im a happy chappie ............BT helpline was in outer mongolia........Orange is in Newcastle Upon Tyne......not much difference i know.... but its fookin cheaper man!!! | |
|
Home
login 
