Broadband recommendations

Admin · 19 January 2007, 23:27:52

Well I have had enough with that bunch of drop kicks known as Orange!

Had a problem for weeks where the exchange is clearly being overloaded causing my connection to drop out.

Had enough of excuses and then lies! Getting my migration code and off to try and find a comapny that can actually provide the service it claims!

Now I would like to know if someone can say something nice aout their ISP?
Note i am on a BT line and intend to stay on it.

Thanks

Matchless · 19 January 2007, 23:42:33

Himself seems happy with Virgin.

Me...Im on ntl so service is either brilliant or non-existant depending on sunspot activity or the price of cheese

Nickbat · 19 January 2007, 23:49:57

I'm very happy with Madasafish. Up to 8Mb (my exchange can't manage that, though), free install & router, all for £11.99pm. Their customer service was very good when I started out with them about a year ago...haven't needed to contact them much since, which is good in itself.

Here's the link:

http://www.madasafish.com/

Admin · 19 January 2007, 23:55:43

I have to say my investigating is showing Zen internet to be very highly rated.

Pay a bit more (not a problem, cheapest is rarely a wise move), the package is good, and so it seems is the service :-/
Hardware is irrelevant as I have my own (Linksys) modem/wireless router.
Anyone on this?

Oh and also have to say I won't touch BT/AOL/Tiscali...

Nickbat · 20 January 2007, 00:09:45

QuoteI have to say my investigating is showing Zen internet to be very highly rated.

Pay a bit more (not a problem, cheapest is rarely a wise move), the package is good, and so it seems is the service :-/
Hardware is irrelevant as I have my own (Linksys) modem/wireless router.
Anyone on this?

Oh and also have to say I won't touch BT/AOL/Tiscali...

I used to be with AOL. Had a gutful of them!

Markjay · 20 January 2007, 00:49:09

I have a few customers on Zen, they are quite happy with it and when I called their support line I got through immediately and the person I spoke to was both in the UK and knowledgeable (which is a refreshing change...).

Only problem I ever had with them was one customer who also got the Router from them – they supplied a Draytek Vigor which was crap, but refused to admit there was anything wrong with it, finally on our advice the customer binned the Vigor and purchased a simple Dlink router which solved the problem – so not too brilliant service on this particular issue.

I am at home on HomeChoice – very very good reliability and good support – but for technical reasons I can't recommend them to the general public (they provide a Managed service so you get a pre-configured router FOC – which is actually theirs so if it goes pop at any time they send an engineer out to sort it – but most home users will prefer to configure their own routers)

At the office I am with Easynet, good Managed connection with great service but business-only so too expensive for home users.

Markjay · 20 January 2007, 00:55:41

On another note, most random disconnection problems are down to wires, not ISP – either the wires within the premises or the local loop i.e. the copper pair running from the local BT exchange to the premises.

BT have problems with rodents, floods, etc, and some lines are just better than others. If this is the case, then changing ISP will not help because they all rely on the same BT local loop.

Even unbundled line (LLU) ISPs will not help because LLU is only up to the exchange, the copper to the premises is still run by BT. The only real solution to these type of problem is to use different carrier altogether – e.g. cable (NTL, Telliwest, etc – or Wimax if you live in Milton Keynes ...).

But it's worth changing the ISP just to see if the problem is indeed wire-related.

Admin · 20 January 2007, 08:30:49

I would agree that there is a real likliehood that it could be a "wiring" problem.

At least with another company (and Zen having UK customer service is a real bonus!) I may have a chance of actually gettig an engineer out!

Thanks for the comments

TheBoy · 20 January 2007, 09:40:51

QuoteI have to say my investigating is showing Zen internet to be very highly rated.

Pay a bit more (not a problem, cheapest is rarely a wise move), the package is good, and so it seems is the service :-/
Hardware is irrelevant as I have my own (Linksys) modem/wireless router.
Anyone on this?

Errr, this forum....

TheBoy · 20 January 2007, 09:42:00

QuoteHimself seems happy with Virgin.

Me...Im on ntl so service is either brilliant or non-existant depending on sunspot activity or the price of cheese

NTL/Telewest are going to implement traffic shaping soon.

TheBoy · 20 January 2007, 09:44:22

QuoteI would agree that there is a real likliehood that it could be a "wiring" problem.

At least with another company (and Zen having UK customer service is a real bonus!) I may have a chance of actually gettig an engineer out!

Thanks for the comments

Downsides of Zen is that their support is not 24/7. Also the freebie website and email ain't the best feature wise....

Chopsdad · 20 January 2007, 09:45:26

QuoteI would agree that there is a real likliehood that it could be a "wiring" problem.

At least with another company (and Zen having UK customer service is a real bonus!) I may have a chance of actually gettig an engineer out!

Thanks for the comments

I've binned AOL and switched to Virgin. It's ok as long as you avoid 4-8pm when it disconnects all the time. Had some flooding lately and lost use all day, but now it seems better than ever, so maybe they've replaced some wiring between me and the exchange?

TheBoy · 20 January 2007, 09:48:40

Quote
QuoteI would agree that there is a real likliehood that it could be a "wiring" problem.

At least with another company (and Zen having UK customer service is a real bonus!) I may have a chance of actually gettig an engineer out!

Thanks for the comments

I've binned AOL and switched to Virgin. It's ok as long as you avoid 4-8pm when it disconnects all the time. Had some flooding lately and lost use all day, but now it seems better than ever, so maybe they've replaced some wiring between me and the exchange?

disconnects are nothing to do with isp, that is purely Openreach.

Exchange contention may or may not be isp problem depending on product bought from Openreach

tunnie · 20 January 2007, 10:45:58

Quote
QuoteHimself seems happy with Virgin.

Me...Im on ntl so service is either brilliant or non-existant depending on sunspot activity or the price of cheese
NTL/Telewest are going to implement traffic shaping soon.

I left a download going at Uni thats around 8.7 Gb

Telewest have been good, its a reliable service. With good speeds, just get your self a decent router.

Btw NTL / Telewest are going to be re-branded Virgin Media this year i belive.... since Richard Branson owns around 90% of the stocks!

Admin · 20 January 2007, 11:06:37

Quote
QuoteI have to say my investigating is showing Zen internet to be very highly rated.

Pay a bit more (not a problem, cheapest is rarely a wise move), the package is good, and so it seems is the service :-/
Hardware is irrelevant as I have my own (Linksys) modem/wireless router.
Anyone on this?

Errr, this forum....

Good enough for me!

Yours is the one view I was really waiting for Jaime (no disrespect to the rest of you guys!

)

Right, will be switching to them post haste.

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Broadband recommendations

Nickbat

Nickbat