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Can anyone recommend an ISP broadband supplier that...

  • Thread starter Thread starter McSmelly
  • Start date Start date

McSmelly

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... Meets the following criteria?

1. Costs 17.99 or less a month for a 8mb MAX service
2. Does not have a usage cap, or if it does is no less than 20gb
3. Does not force you to switch to a "free phone calls" package to get broadband.
4. Does not traffic shape, block ports, or otherwise restrict bandwidth.
5. Has a fair usage policy (e.g. if there's no cap) that is actually fair.
6. Has a good record of fast speeds and low latency ping.
7. Has a good record of good quality connections (e.g. not many drops or sync problems).

Or doesn't an ISP with that criteria exist? I was looking at Fast4 initially but then I looked at the forum on here to do with them. My first impression was "Oh dear". Speed problems left right and centre. I'm with Tiscali now (Urg) and I get horrible connection quality, my line always seems to desync and often takes hours if not days to resync. However one thing about it is that I don't very often get poor speed, which is an odd one for a Tiscali customer I know but its true. Don't want to switch to another supplier that supposedly offers an otherwise better service (MAX, no traffic shaping and no bandwidth cap for one pound more than what I'm already paying Tiscali), only to find two weeks later my connection speed is worse than it was when I was with Tiscali.

Added to which, what is it with these free inclusive phone call deals? Free my arse. What's the catch?
 
Personally, I would go with an Entanet reseller - I was looking at UKFSN (http://www.ukfsn.org/home/internet/adsl/maxallowance.html) before I eventually chose Be.

Since Be doesn't fit your criteria (either £14 for 4Gb or £24 for unlimited, both at up to 24mb using ADSL 2+) - take a look at UKFSN
 
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Personally i'd recommend Adsl24 but thats just my opinion, there also an Entanet reseller, previously I was with Freeola another Entanet reseller, the only reason I changed was because Adsl24 is £5 cheaper per month for 30gb peak, 300gb off peak + static IP + 1 mysql DB £19.99 per month . Whereas Freeola was 3 GB Peak / 27 GB Off Peak £21.99 pay extra for mysql DB

Like its already been said, you get what you pay for
 
If your line is losing sync and you are not on an unbundled (LLU) connection with Tiscali ( excuse me while I spit to get the bad taste out of my mouth), then you probably have a problem with the BT gear in your local exchange.

Good luck with getting them to escalate the problem through to BT though.

I would guess you either have a physical line problem, such as a tree pushing against the cable causing problems; or a DSLAM that is not working correctly.

I have been having that problem, but, thanks to the flood damage, BT have had to replace their ("It's working perfectly, it must be your PC"), DSLAM, and now everything is just peachy.

As for your shopping list, no chance; as I have said in another thread, work out roughly what you d/l a month and look for an ISP with a cap to match, and one that people in here can recommend.
Steer clear of "Too good to be true" offers, cos they usually are.
 
Many thanks for the suggestions.

And I didn't really think my desyncing problems was something to do with BT and DSLAMs, although that would explain a lot. I just thought it was Tiscali being crap. I had a 512kbps service with them for just under a year, then I upgraded to 1mb for the same price I was paying. It all worked okay, but then after two weeks something went boom and my line desynced, and it took me two poxy weeks of phoning the dreaded Tiscali customer support to get them to stop saying that the line tests were saying my line was ok and that my hardware broken to finally fixing my line. So after 2 weeks I had my connection back at the speed it was before (1mb) but ever since then, for a year, I've had sync problems.

I don't dare even bother trying to raise the issue with Tiscali, and haven't done over a year later, because I really don't want to lose my connection for weeks or get pants speeds or something drastic like before. But as I say I always assumed it was just Tiscali's crap service. I didn't really think that it might be my exchange.

Actually, whenever I've had a problem with broadband in the past its always gone back to my friggin exchange. Purley. Poxy Purley.

Anyway, thanks again for the suggestions everyone. I'll take a look at the other ISP suggested. Even if my desync problem is a BT **** up and not just Tiscali, I'd still like MAX, Tiscali do the service for 17.99 but they have that inclusive phone call crap tacked onto them now with no opt out so, sod that.
 
Many thanks for the suggestions.

And I didn't really think my desyncing problems was something to do with BT and DSLAMs, although that would explain a lot. I just thought it was Tiscali being crap. I had a 512kbps service with them for just under a year, then I upgraded to 1mb for the same price I was paying. It all worked okay, but then after two weeks something went boom and my line desynced, and it took me two poxy weeks of phoning the dreaded Tiscali customer support to get them to stop saying that the line tests were saying my line was ok and that my hardware broken to finally fixing my line. So after 2 weeks I had my connection back at the speed it was before (1mb) but ever since then, for a year, I've had sync problems.
It sounds like your line may have been unbundled by tiscali :crap: put your phone number in an adsl checker eg:- http://www.ukfsn.org/cgi-bin/availability.cgi - if you are offered a free migration you're still on BT Ipstream, otherwise it will say something about your broadband service being with a LLU provider.
 
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I didn't really think that it might be my exchange.

Actually, whenever I've had a problem with broadband in the past its always gone back to my friggin exchange. Purley. Poxy Purley.

Purley? http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange.php?ecode=LSPUR

Local loop unbundling presence
AOL: Enabled
Be: Enabled
Bulldog: Enabled
CPW / TalkTalk: Enabled
Easynet / Sky: Enabled
Edge Telecom: Not available
HomeChoice: Enabled
Lumison: Not available
Node4: Not available
Orange: Not available
Pipex: Not available
Smallworld: Not available
Tiscali: Enabled
WB Internet: Not available
Zen Internet: Not available

www.bethere.co.uk http://broadband.sky.com or www.ukonline.net might be worth a look.
 
It sounds like your line may have been unbundled by tiscali :crap: put your phone number in an adsl checker eg:- http://www.ukfsn.org/cgi-bin/availability.cgi - if you are offered a free migration you're still on BT Ipstream, otherwise it will say something about your broadband service being with a LLU provider.

This is what the check says;

Our tests indicate that you can order ADSL on your line

If you already have an ADSL service on the line you will need a MAC to move to us

BT have indicated that the maximum speed possible on your line is 500Kbps or greater.The actual ADSL Max line rate supportable will be determined during the first 10 days of use, after which time the highest stable rate possible will be set.If you decide to place an order, a further test will be performed to confirm if your line is suitable for the service you wish to purchase.Thank you for your interest. Do note however that this is indicative only and actual speeds may vary based upon your how well your line performs and conditions at your local exchange.

Order a New ADSL Activation - OR - Migrate from your existing ADSL service.

Your broadband service is currently with an LLU provider. To switch to us you will need to obtain a MAC. Note that while there is a migration process it is not free as it is actually a managed (seemless) cease and reprovide process.

I know Tiscali does have a lot of LLU customers but I wasn't aware that I was one of them. Although having said that I've never seen any evidence to suggest otherwise. There I go assuming. again though... I've really got to stop doing that.

Mel said:
www.bethere.co.uk http://broadband.sky.com or www.ukonline.net might be worth a look.

Thanks. That samknows is an interesting site actually. My beef with the Purley exchange stems from the fact its miles away from me. Means I get crap broadband speeds. I probably wouldn't even get much more than 2mb speeds on a MAX connection.
 
I might go with UKOnline. Problem is they seem to get bad reviews every other time.

Is there no ISP that can't do it right for once? So frustrating.
 
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Too true. Shame I can't afford much more than what I already pay. These sorts of things generally always do wind up affecting the low income peeps more than anything.

I got a MAC now from Tiscali, but they're stupid website buggered up something last month (my credit card was due to be transferred to a different account so I changed the details some week prior to the cut off date. But I got a letter from Tiscali today telling my account was overdue indicating despite the new credit card now being on file, they haven't taken payment... Duh...).

Now I've had it confirmed my line is LLU now though, which with UKOnline is apparently the better option since the unbundled contention ratio on their service is lower than if I was on one of the other two formats.

Oh, wonders will never cease.
 
It would probably be worth having a look in the adslguide ukonline forum http://bbs.adslguide.org.uk/postlist.php?Cat=&Board=ukonline as well to see if there are any serious issues.

Do bear in mind that if you go with an ISP that uses a LLU supplier, should you wish to go back to a regular BT supplied ISP you'll have to pay an activation fee, or enter a 12 month contract with one that does "free" activation. The advantage of LLU is their bandwidth costs are less, so they tend to be cheaper than BT IPstream based ISPs
 
I went with UKOnline in the end, the 9.99 1mb line. The connection should be transferred on the 8th next month apparently. None of that free inclusive phone calls crap and since I'm LLU so I get the lower 33:1 contention ratio as opposed to BT's 50:1. They do have a cap apparently, although one guy somewhere that I was reading stated he downloaded something like 10GB a week and had yet to be "FUP'd" so I guess I'd be okay because I barely download that much over a period of months, let alone a single week. Anyway thanks all for the help and suggestions.
 
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