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Best or Worst ISP

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toastyghost View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote toastyghost Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 January 2009 at 8:54am
Originally posted by Matute Matute wrote:

Just spotted this...

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20090112-actual-uk-broadband-speeds-only-50-of-advertised-maximum.html

Cheers,

Matias


It does surprise me that people are surprised that an analogue circuit designed to carry only mw of power has large amounts of signal loss. Regs only state that 64kbit/sec is required alongside telephony service, so it's pretty tough to push for something reasonable.

That said, 4Mbit/sec isn't exactly dog slow and people seem to forget that it was only about 4 years ago that 2Mbit/sec fixed rate was launched to the public!

ADSL is still affected by all the cable losses that we have to deal with in sound day by day - can you imagine working with 3-4km of soggy, 40 year old copper wire significantly less than 1mm thick? Confused

We're already compliant with the code of practice, but the real dilemma is that unless regulations are altered and BT stop advertising lines as capable of handling the maximum (which I and around 10% of people happen to get!) then it makes absolutely no sense for any ISP to only advertise the 4Mbps average because they just won't get any customers in the face of their competitors plastering "(up to) 8Mbps!".


Edited by toastyghost - 13 January 2009 at 8:57am
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jazomir View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jazomir Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 January 2009 at 10:57am
I've used BT broadband for over 7 years now, and have only had 4 problems with the service - two of which were line/exchange problems, 1 was with some BT bundled software (which I duly ditched) and one was with one of their sub-contracted salesmen who mis-sold an upgrade package to me (I came out golden as I got the upgrade for nothing in the end as compensation). I am reasonably happy with speed (3.2 -3.5 Mb/s), I have no complaints about the download limits (I use digiatl vault as a backup system and these uploads don't count towards my totals). However, as an ex-BT employee and shareholder, I am somewhat pissed off with the delays in introducing fibre to every house. This was proposed, then implemented and  tested by one of the teams I worked alongside 10+ years ago, but nothing has materialised yet. Now, their argument is the cost and the fact that ADSL over copper wire is becoming faster and faster, but in the same period speeds over fibre have risen even faster, hence the cable companies upgrading their networks to offer 50Mb/s systems. The long term cost to the nation by delaying such an implementation must be almost incalculable, but it also gives BT the chance to make extra money by offering fibre packages to businesses at a premium.
On the subject of download limits, IIRC BT rarely charges for over-runs except if these are very large and/or on a regular basis but I doubt if the introduction to fibre would allow the download limit to be raised proportionately. I have a 20GB per month limit which is usually ample for my needs, but then again, I don't download lots of Torrent/FIle-sharing videos which seem to be the main culprit here - one answer may be to order BT Vision which I think by it's very nature may allow unlimited downloads.
For sidefills, can we have two enormous things of a type that might be venerated as Gods by the inhabitants of Easter Island, capable of reaching volumes that would make Beelzebub soil his pants.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote nickyburnell Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 January 2009 at 1:21am
I have a 20gb limit, have loads of PC's on the bench each week, do a fair bit of Torrent and never get near it. I have a friend who spends his life on You Tube and he gets through shed loads. Video is one of the biggest hogs.
It's everything, not everythink!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote darkmatter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 January 2009 at 7:33pm
Virgin media have started severely capping my downloads. We pay for 10meg and get about 2 at the moment. We have 4 people in the house, I work from home, we all use streaming TV/video and download Linux distros using bittorrent etc.

We bought the 10 meg over the 2 meg because we want the speed, if they're going to cap it at 2 megs surely that's ridiculous?

Their acceptable usage policy doesn't mention any of this, I'm really tempted to try and cancel the contract half way through.

Anyone know what the legal situation is with this? Would I be wasting my time?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote RosscoPico Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 January 2009 at 9:57am

I was tempted to move over to Virgin to save money on having to have a BT line but I've heard some bad stories from friends recently, the've had quite a few problems with them.

When I choose an ISP I go to www.thinkbroadband.com and compare the different ISPs in tables of statistics which compare monthly comsumer ratings.

I use 02 and as I have a mobile phone contact with them I pay under £10 for uncapped broadband upto 20Mbit.  I actually get 12Mbit in tests due to the fact I live a couple of miles from the exchange.  There customer service is very good.

Current statistics show that they are still one of the best, ranking alongside Zen internet.  The only ISP that appears to have a better score is KeConnect.  However looking at how much these other providers cost, O2 still appears to be by far to have the best ratio of price to performance.  Check out the link below to see comparisons of those I've mentioned alongside a well known provider, BT internet: 

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/isp/compare.html?isp_7=1&isp_45=1&isp_86=1&isp_84=1&isp_6=1&commit=Compare

That website is very useful.



Edited by RosscoPico - 28 January 2009 at 10:50am
.:ELEMENT 5 SYSTEMS:.
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toastyghost View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote toastyghost Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28 January 2009 at 12:22pm
Originally posted by darkmatter darkmatter wrote:

Virgin media have started severely capping my downloads. We pay for 10meg and get about 2 at the moment. We have 4 people in the house, I work from home, we all use streaming TV/video and download Linux distros using bittorrent etc.

We bought the 10 meg over the 2 meg because we want the speed, if they're going to cap it at 2 megs surely that's ridiculous?

Their acceptable usage policy doesn't mention any of this, I'm really tempted to try and cancel the contract half way through.

Anyone know what the legal situation is with this? Would I be wasting my time?


http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/internet/traffic.html

Part of the AUP, I'm afraid mate. You're screwed, they'll not let you cancel before the contract is up.
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darkmatter View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote darkmatter Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 January 2009 at 5:13pm
expected no less haha, cheers man.

interesting that they mention the throttling periods, because mine was being throttled outside of those times and it wasn't just cut to 75% - it was reducing all the way to zero for bittorrent connections then ramping back up.

i reckon they must've been testing some new traffic shaping software or summat.

in a house where 4 people watch online TV its really easy to exceed those limits without being an 'excessive' user.
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toastyghost View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote toastyghost Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 30 January 2009 at 7:08pm
TCP resets is what you're seeing, it's known they do it on and off but they won't admit it.

Try this:
http://www.measurementlab.net/

From Google, no less.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote lukehaze1 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 15 October 2011 at 10:39am
all i can say is not sky
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SamV Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 04 November 2011 at 2:46am
Don't touch Talk Talk with a barge pole.

As for the best, it's Andrews & Arnold. Small friendly outfit.
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mitalisharma34 View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mitalisharma34 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 November 2011 at 10:34am
I am using BSNL and fully satisfied from this.Its services are very good.




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Edited by mitalisharma34 - 11 November 2011 at 10:36am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote andycw Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 November 2011 at 10:41am
Plus net.....
Will not even give our MAC code to change provider...
Over charging for 3 years...
Still over charging to this day.


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