Best broadband provider

jay · Tue 17 Jan, 2006 12.02

Who would you suggest is the best broadband provider, in terms of cost and value for money?

I've just signed up with BT Broadband as I'm moving to a non-ntl area - did I make the right choice?

marksi · Tue 17 Jan, 2006 12.21

It's certainly not the cheapest, but once it's installed and working (and that was a fucking nightmare of epic proportions - 3 weeks of no broadband when I moved house half a mile despite having ordered a "simultaneous" connection and no department at BT taking responsibility) it has been very reliable. I've had BT Broadband for about two years and the total number of hours I am aware of the service being unavailable is in single figures.

PS, from what I have been told they have no way of measuring usage, so don't pay for the higher usage allowances!

jay · Tue 17 Jan, 2006 12.26

marksi wrote:It's certainly not the cheapest, but once it's installed and working (and that was a fucking nightmare of epic proportions - 3 weeks of no broadband when I moved house half a mile despite having ordered a "simultaneous" connection and no department at BT taking responsibility) it has been very reliable. I've had BT Broadband for about two years and the total number of hours I am aware of the service being unavailable is in single figures.

PS, from what I have been told they have no way of measuring usage, so don't pay for the higher usage allowances!

Glad to hear it! I've only gone for the cheapest Option!

They're supposed to be delivering the stuff to my new address on Monday - I take it I'll have to set it all up myself.

Gavin Scott · Tue 17 Jan, 2006 13.07

My Telewest has been reliable, but I'm concerned to note that the 4 meg connection never seems to get above 1.5 - 2 meg.

At least there is no usage allowance.

Jamez · Tue 17 Jan, 2006 13.14

If you sign up to PlusNet, don't forget to put my username in the referal box on sign up!

'Provox'

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Gavin Scott · Tue 17 Jan, 2006 13.30

Oooh oooh - if telewest can you use me as a referral? You get cheap installation and I get a free month.

(Not that I'm one to steal anyone's thunder of course!)

jay · Tue 17 Jan, 2006 13.32

I'm moving to a non-cabled area, otherwie I'd be sticking with ntl!!

I've signed for BT Broadband now anyway, I just wondered if I'd made the right choice!

Chris · Tue 17 Jan, 2006 13.45

Glad to hear it! I've only gone for the cheapest Option!

Which, I would guess is the "basic" one?

If so, then don't use your connection for anything intensive as you'll get through your 2Gb cap fairly quickly.

It depends what you use it for - I feel you've not made the right choice. The cap is enough to put me off, and so is the 12 month contract, so if you think a few months in their service is shit, you're lumbered with it for some time. I would never give my money twice to a company. BT already get enough for phonecalls and line rental and they're not getting extra quids off me for the internet [no wonder why BT are so rich].

I can't speak for the service but they've apparently moved their callcentre out into deepest India, so if anything does go bust or if you have any problems, good luck.

jay · Tue 17 Jan, 2006 13.53

Chris wrote:
Glad to hear it! I've only gone for the cheapest Option!
Which, I would guess is the "basic" one?

If so, then don't use your connection for anything intensive as you'll get through your 2Gb cap fairly quickly.

It depends what you use it for - I feel you've not made the right choice. The cap is enough to put me off, and so is the 12 month contract, so if you think a few months in their service is shit, you're lumbered with it for some time. I would never give my money twice to a company. BT already get enough for phonecalls and line rental and they're not getting extra quids off me for the internet [no wonder why BT are so rich].

I can't speak for the service but they've apparently moved their callcentre out into deepest India, so if anything does go bust or if you have any problems, good luck.

I'll only be using it lightly anyway, about an hour in the evenings and then a bit longer at the weekends, mainly for checking work emails and working on projects from home from time to time.

The cap is a bit off-putting I must admit, but if I start to exceed it or whatever I can always upgrade to a different package.

I also did not want to sign to a 12 month contract, however, after trying to apply for Virgin Broadband (that has no 12 month contract), I couldn't complete the registration as you have to set up a direct debit through your Visa or MasterCard, neither of which I have.

And as for the call centre in India - it's nothing worse than ntl (who told me I'd have to get a new computer when my braodband connection failed :roll: - it was fine again hours later), and at least BT are one of the "trusted" companies, if you know what I mean.

marksi · Tue 17 Jan, 2006 14.57

Chris wrote:
Glad to hear it! I've only gone for the cheapest Option!
Which, I would guess is the "basic" one?

If so, then don't use your connection for anything intensive as you'll get through your 2Gb cap fairly quickly.

BT do not, as far as I am aware, have any facility to measure individual usage.

I have asked on a number of occasions for them to tell me what my usage was in the last few months (with the intention of reducing the price of the package I was on). They were unable to do so, and the person I last spoke to said that they had no way of measuring it. I did then suggest that the price points were rather silly, and he agreed. He did seem quite clued up on the issue.

If someone knows better...

DAS · Tue 17 Jan, 2006 16.43

marksi wrote:I have asked on a number of occasions for them to tell me what my usage was in the last few months (with the intention of reducing the price of the package I was on). They were unable to do so, and the person I last spoke to said that they had no way of measuring it. I did then suggest that the price points were rather silly, and he agreed. He did seem quite clued up on the issue.

If someone knows better...

I wouldn't use that as pure evidence though...

In another life I work for a call centre and we take calls for about 150 companies at the same time. One of those companies is a cable provider who also do internet in the London area. Answers on a postcard please. If their lines are busy (they are without fail), we get calls for all departments - including technical support and billing.

I am not allowed to say I don't work for that company, or even that I am on reception or switchboard or something like that. I have to go along with it as though I am whatever department they've asked for.

If you asked me a question like that I would have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. I would have to say something like... "I have no way of measuring that, I'm afraid". To get you away from it, I'd likely make up some technical gibberish to baffle you a bit.

Moral of the story: don't take their word for it!

(However, because I'm only there temporarily and am rebellious and demob happy, I generally tell you that I'm an overflow service, have no idea, will get someone to call you back who knows, and if they can't give you an answer call us back and we'll put through a complaint. Over the summer I told someone they'd be better off going with Sky, and nobody has picked me up on it)