Yeah, all these problems about the BT network are long overdue for probing further.
98% of the network is still two copper wires going into the loft of your house and then down to the phone socket in your hallway/kitchen etc.
Then there's the issue about having to live within 5km (3.5 miles) from your local exchange in order to receive broadband.
Unfortunately, my mums house is about 3 miles (as the crow flies) from the exchange and about 4 miles on the road. With fibre optic cables, you can send a hell of a lot more data down them, and distance isn't much of an issue. They have fibre optic cables under the Atlantic ocean sending voice/internet data back and forth from the Americas.
Why is a country so "modern" still using an antiquated telephony network which really should have been upgraded 20 or 30 years ago. The copper wires simply weren't designed for large data transfer!
It's OK if you live in the big towns or cities because you have the option of cable internet - but that has its downsides too. Saying that, cable could do with upgrading to fibre-optic lines too. Digital Co-Ax is soooo 1980's, dear.
Too good to be true . . . ?
I'm currently on Supernet dial up & I am planning to go onto broadband in August \ September. Seeing as a lot of you guys have broadband who would you recommend to go with. I have been told AOL, Bulldog, BT & UK Online, are any off these any good?
Johnny
Harry Hill : "What is it about people that repair shoes that makes them so good at cutting keys? Try going in there with a shoe shaped like a key and see how confused they get."
Harry Hill : "What is it about people that repair shoes that makes them so good at cutting keys? Try going in there with a shoe shaped like a key and see how confused they get."
All I can say is beware of 12 month contracts that tie you in with penalty. If you subsequently find that the service is shit and want to leave - tough titty - you'll have to pay for the rest of your service period if you're within the 12 months.Johnny wrote:I'm currently on Supernet dial up & I am planning to go onto broadband in August \ September. Seeing as a lot of you guys have broadband who would you recommend to go with. I have been told AOL, Bulldog, BT & UK Online, are any off these any good?
I would avoid the "consumer" ISPs (i.e. the ones that tend to advertise heavily in the press) as they tend to offer a poor service and not much value. For example, BT Broadband Basic (spits) offers a very measly 1Gb download limit for £18. 1Gb these days won't get you far. Of course, it's OK for the occasional internet user who does nothing other than read a few emails, browse graphic light websites and does not use peer-to-peer filesharing. But the again, if you are such a light user then why not use dial-up instead?
I would avoid BT's ISP completely. 12 month contact, rather measly download limit depending on how much you choose to be ripped off, and, well, who wants to fill the coffers of an ISP with a stone age telephone system twice over? (you can tell I don't like BT very much here
).AOL sound OK, but again, beware of the 12 month contract. And the overblown crud they call their software that encroaches onto your computer.
UK Online sound OK, but again 12 month contract. Plus they have various port blocks to prevent you from running servers from your PC. If only they had no blocks on ports and a month's contract, then I'd probably jump ship as they have LLUed the local exchange and the price seems fairly favourable.
Thanks for the info
Well my Supernet contract had to be on a minimum 12 month contract but I have been with them for 16 months & had no probelms with them, excpet they are s-l-o-w. I'm not sure about their broadband service though?
Well my Supernet contract had to be on a minimum 12 month contract but I have been with them for 16 months & had no probelms with them, excpet they are s-l-o-w. I'm not sure about their broadband service though?
Johnny
Harry Hill : "What is it about people that repair shoes that makes them so good at cutting keys? Try going in there with a shoe shaped like a key and see how confused they get."
Harry Hill : "What is it about people that repair shoes that makes them so good at cutting keys? Try going in there with a shoe shaped like a key and see how confused they get."
The only broadband provider I would recommend is http://www.plus.net.
Their speeds, customer service and reliability are excellent. Hence the number of awards they've won!
Their speeds, customer service and reliability are excellent. Hence the number of awards they've won!
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Andrew Wood
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Seconded. No problems with Plus.net at all and their customer service is very quick and helpful.Jamez wrote:The only broadband provider I would recommend is http://www.plus.net.
Their speeds, customer service and reliability are excellent. Hence the number of awards they've won!
I was going to go for AOL but will now have to reconsider, I will have a gander at their website & may go with them instead, thanks for the info.Andrew Wood wrote:Seconded. No problems with Plus.net at all and their customer service is very quick and helpful.Jamez wrote:The only broadband provider I would recommend is http://www.plus.net.
Their speeds, customer service and reliability are excellent. Hence the number of awards they've won!
Johnny
Harry Hill : "What is it about people that repair shoes that makes them so good at cutting keys? Try going in there with a shoe shaped like a key and see how confused they get."
Harry Hill : "What is it about people that repair shoes that makes them so good at cutting keys? Try going in there with a shoe shaped like a key and see how confused they get."
AOL is bloated shit. AND it's designed to work only on Windows. Doesn't like to be shared either. You *must* go with PlusNet, it's much more flexible, reliable, and much cheaper. If you don't use P2P or Bittorrent too much go for Broadband+ (£14.99). If you do go for Broadband Premier (£21.99). Don't pre-subscribe to a 4/8meg service, waste of money. I use BB+. Only difference between that and BB Premier is the P2P is traffic shaped (at peak time only). There are no usage limits, except for "Broadband PayG", but that's a pointless package.Johnny wrote:I was going to go for AOL but will now have to reconsider, I will have a gander at their website & may go with them instead, thanks for the info.Andrew Wood wrote:Seconded. No problems with Plus.net at all and their customer service is very quick and helpful.Jamez wrote:The only broadband provider I would recommend is http://www.plus.net.
Their speeds, customer service and reliability are excellent. Hence the number of awards they've won!
Andrew Wood wrote:Seconded. No problems with Plus.net at all and their customer service is very quick and helpful.Jamez wrote:The only broadband provider I would recommend is http://www.plus.net.
Their speeds, customer service and reliability are excellent. Hence the number of awards they've won!
Another satisfied PlusNet customer here... No problems with them at all, fast and helpful customer service, etc.
Just remember to enter the username of the customer who recommended you into the signup form!
So much has changed:Fireboy wrote:it's designed to work only on Windows.
Some person on that Wikipedia thing wrote:In October 1989, Quantum launched its AOL service for Apple II and Macintosh computers, in February 1991 AOL for DOS was launched
But that has always been true (for as long as I've known AOL, anyway).Fireboy wrote:AOL is bloated shit.