ISP - which one best value for money??

Naresh

Naresh

Registered User
Joined
Jan 7, 2003
Messages
261
Reaction score
1
Points
18
Location
Essex
Hi can anyone tell me their experience of using broadband ISP's - the best in terms of customer service and value for money? I'm looking for at least 600K, preferably 1MB.

Currently with NTL who have messed me around for the past 7 weeks while my broadband has been down, and since found out a cable needs to be replaced, so want to rip up my newly laid driveway in order to do so!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burningmad.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burningmad.gif
Like hell I'm gonna let them do that!! I'm currently connected to the NTL phone line in my study although there is a BT line in the adjacent room!

Do I have any other options which can avoid ripping up the new driveway? Can I go with another ISP and hope they can route the cable from somewhere else?? Its all a mess and I've really lost my rag with this Micky Mouse NTL company!!! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burningmad.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/burningmad.gif
 
Check out ADSL Guide, they have lots of information about ADSL providers, including costs. I use freedom2surf but like the look of Bulldog (I think 2Mb is £40/month!).
 
Hello Naresh,

If you have a BT line and are close enough to the telephone exchange (5KM I think) you can get ADSL down your existing phone line, so no need to route new cables. The only thing you have to do is fit "splitters" to your telephone outlets to split the telephone and BB lines.

As Ming says, ADSL Guide is a good site to choose your provider. I've heard good things about Nildram, Plusnet and Bulldog. I currently use freeserve but will be changing when I move.

Kev.
 
I'm with PLus.net (been so for almost three years)

Superb ISP 250meg webspace 512k ADSL all for 21.99 per month (not 19.99 1gig per month cap!)

Never had any problems with them, always quick to answer support questions

User Portal is very friendly too

Good luck with whoever you go with
 
im with www.freedom2surf.net and they are excellent! Never had a single problem with them. Costs me £22.50/month for 512k with 50mg webspace (supports MySQL .etc too!) and unlimited email addresses. Superb company. Teir tech support are really useful too, and the service is not capped at all so downloading 15gb of 'stuff' in a month isnt a problem /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Wanadoo. Currently doing 1Mb connections from £17.99 a month. They have various download limit packages, but are very good. They also do a wifi box with PCI card and PCMCIA card for your laptop.
 
Best one by far has to be Blueyonder (Telewest) they r upgrading all their cables by 1/3 so anyone who has 3meg will have 4 Meg and get an increase upload to 400k from 246k for 50 quid a month at no extra cost by end of January and also the connection ratio is 1:1 so u have maximum use of line all the time unlike BT where the ratio is 20:1 which means 20 other people in your street can use the same exchange and then you get lag. Hope that helps.
 
Avoid Supanet like the plague!
I moved to them from BT Broadband when i moved house. I didn't go back to BT as they've recently put download limits on. I found Supanet to be sooo slow and when i complained they said they're sorry but since the reduction in price for their 1Mb service they've taken on too many customers and they're hardware can't cope. They are currently upgrading all of they're hardware.
I found it sooo slow that even web pages were timing out and when i did a bandwidth test it confirmed my findings reporting my connection as 'slow'.
I lasted with them for a whole grueling month before i cancelled and migrated accross to Pipex. So far, fingers crossed, Pipex have been excellent.
 
Pipex for me,

you can always message me for a referal before signing up. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
AndyMac said:
Anyone know why you can't you get BB from your Sky box?

[/ QUOTE ]

...because that wouldn't give you an upstream to send data (i.e. request a web page, send email etc..). There are satellite ISPs in the UK, uses a standard dialup or ISDN line for the upstream - only really suitable for very download heavy applications though, not really suitable for surfing.

I've been with Pipex for 2 years now and very happy with the service. Just upped to 2Mb, nice for big downloads but surfing is no quicker than 1Mb. No download limits and they dont appear to throttle ports that are used for p2p or gaming unlike some others.

A
 
We use Demon and have had no problems with them at all, really helpful. Had wanadoo at home and its /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shutup.gif wouldn't touch it again with someone elses barge pole, let alone my own. My housemate used to work for NTL, he summed it up in one word; Don't.
 
The one good thing about Demon is that they give you a static IP address so if you want to host your own webserver or mail server then great! Shame others dont follow suit!
 
Plus net, static IP, £15 per month - 2mb. Also give you money off for each person you recommend (25p per month I think).
 
Telewest at 1/2 mb 1 to 1 contention has to be the bargain, probably better performance than most 2mb packages out there with a 20 to 1 contention ratio!

Remember you're only as quick as the server you're connected to, doubt you'll appreciate 4mb unless you're using an edonkey type program to download lots of stuff at the same time from different connections!
 
I have Blueyonder 4Mb/sec connection providing services for personnel use and public use.

Ive had no real problems apart from over this weekend (apperently - I was not home to vouch for the downtime but people say the DMZ was knocked out for sometime...)

BY don't support Private Home Networks but...

Blueyonder Motorola Surfboard Cable Modem
Smoothwall, A linux dedicated rig - Router | DNS Proxy | DHCP | Firewall | VPN | Web server & Proxy

On the DMZ I have a AAO Game server, JO:E Game server, Teamspeak Server and will be introducing a web server. All running off a Cisco 1900 Switch.
On the LAN I have my game rig and a File & Print server running off a Cisco 1900 Switch

By is the best deal by far.
 
Well next year the ISP's will be offering 18-20 Meg connections with ADSL +2. Nice! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/woohoo.gif
 
Sounds good but if ADSL is anything like the states idea of Broadband [jibe]or middleband as its otherwise known[/jibe] then 18 meg will be like a 4 meg line as speeds are not guarnteed...
 
[ QUOTE ]
Well next year the ISP's will be offering 18-20 Meg connections with ADSL +2. Nice! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/woohoo.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

Any links to this info?

Kev.
 
Cables isn't quite 1:1 contention. You have to be careful cause the local loop (the fibre running on your street to the juction box) is shared by the whole street. So your for your 4mb, if you have 20 houses on that loop, you have a 20:1 contention ratio.

So it all depends on the number of connections on your particular fibre run as to what the contention ratio is. If your really unlucky it can be worse than ADSL
 
Yep BY does have a 20:1 cotention ratio.

To Auroan - BY will not allow the contention to be worse that 20:1 (so I'm told). Some ADSL providers provide anything from 20:1 to 50:1 .
 
Thats why TDI is so deprived the rest of us are sick looking at it...overdosed on Porn! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/lol.gif
 
So if i ditch AOL, after my contract, who would you recommend for Broadband.
 
Telewest, come on CJ, a more indepth reasoning is required. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif
 
Cause actually they are one of the most reliable if not the most reliable IMO. Never have problems and bandwidth is always at the highest or there abouts......downloads are not capped and for their existing customers they upgrade them free of charge when they upgrade the lines. Good customer service and i'm with them is that good enough reason! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_2.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
Cause actually they are one of the most reliable if not the most reliable IMO. Never have problems and bandwidth is always at the highest or there abouts......downloads are not capped and for their existing customers they upgrade them free of charge when they upgrade the lines. Good customer service and i'm with them is that good enough reason! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh_2.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm with them too, which kinda makes it special /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yes.gif
 
IMO= In My Opinion.

BT is ok and a good price at £24.99 for 2 meg but you only have 15 gig a month download so if you donwload like 3 or 4 4gig movies or games then thats it you've cained your limit which is crap.... especially if more than one of you on the house uses the pc and downloads alot!
 
audi upgrades
If you go for cable broadband then I would go with Telewest Blueyonder
(there is little choice in this dep. other than NTL)

If you go for ADSL then I would recommend BT only because they own the physical line in the first place which is linked straight to the BT exchange. With this you advoid CPS wich in essence can cause the majority of network related issues.

*BUT*

Don't let that put you off getting a better deal else where, its a competitive market out there so just get the best deal that suits your needs.
 
Ok, but we've only got a BT phone line, and no cable laid on.

Anyway, cheers guys. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beerchug.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

wilko
Which ISP?
Replies
6
Views
2K
Gti Jazz Blue
Gti Jazz Blue
JJBS3
Netbooks...Which one?
Replies
2
Views
1K
JJBS3
JJBS3
voorhees
Smart Tv which one ?
Replies
25
Views
3K
Vincent Hill
V
voorhees
which is the best tv
Replies
19
Views
2K
alphamail
alphamail
Andy101
Recommend a broadband ISP / Package ?
Replies
13
Views
2K
TDI
TDI
Top
Back