Broadband

**weegie** · 13-Jul-09, 12:44

I have just left BT as a result of the poor service and im shopping around , had a look at the virgin bundle excl. TV and it seems the best option but does anyone have any reccomendations for broadband ?

**hoopy1406** · 13-Jul-09, 12:51

What was wrong with your BT weegie? Im with them too and find that i get cut off with the slightest blow of wind and then as well for no reason at all - its starting to grind my gears!

**muffin** · 13-Jul-09, 13:19

We have Tiscali and have had no problems and good download speeds but I think that depends where you are.

**telfordstar** · 13-Jul-09, 13:24

Im with orange broadband ive touch wood ive never had a problem with them at all.

**Matthew** · 13-Jul-09, 13:36

I've recently been having problems with BT also. The homehub keeps randomly losing internet connection all the time.

**bish667** · 13-Jul-09, 14:02

From the sounds of it I think I'm the only person with BT broadband thats not having a problem with it.

**weegie** · 13-Jul-09, 14:35

The broadband was fine never lost my speed up or down, great kit and wireless options etc but they overcharged me continually, downgraded my package without my permission , sent faulty equiptment and didnt replace , had me offline for 60days when moving home and still charged us .

**Connor.** · 13-Jul-09, 14:39

I'm with VirginMedia and i never get any problems. Been with them for a while and they often do little deals i.e. upgrade your speed. Pretty good with technical support(their online support is free and very helpful). I would say VirginMedia from my own experience, but i don't know what they are like with anyone else?

**Metalattakk** · 13-Jul-09, 16:15

Originally Posted by Connor.

I'm with VirginMedia and i never get any problems. Been with them for a while and they often do little deals i.e. upgrade your speed.

Exactly how do they "upgrade your speed"?

**Stefan** · 13-Jul-09, 16:43

They make your connection faster by changing a number in a bit of software that restricts your speed in the first place...

**Metalattakk** · 13-Jul-09, 16:47

Originally Posted by Stefan

They make your connection faster by changing a number in a bit of software that restricts your speed in the first place...

Why would your speed be restricted in the first place?

**tonkatojo** · 13-Jul-09, 17:01

Originally Posted by Metalattakk

Why would your speed be restricted in the first place?

to make you pay for better speed probably.or make them look good by giving a freebie.

**pink25** · 13-Jul-09, 17:09

We're with Tiscali, never had any problems with them

**Metalattakk** · 13-Jul-09, 17:12

Originally Posted by tonkatojo

to make you pay for better speed probably.or make them look good by giving a freebie.

Either way, that's two good reasons not to sign up for Virgin Media then, isn't it?

By the way, I'm, not entirely sure of the veracity of both Stefan's and your own comments.

I don't think a single ISP in this country would limit a user's speed and then offer to upgrade it later, either for a fee or for free. The user's speed is generally set by the exchange you are connected to, then the DSLAM that you are thereafter connected to.*

Neither of which are governed or controlled by the ISP.

*Not withstanding the internal and external telephonic wiring to and from your house, and the dreaded contention ratios etc.

**Connor.** · 13-Jul-09, 17:25

Well, just because you have 2mb broadband doesn't mean you're getting your full monies worth. Virgin Media put me up to 8mb for free but i told them to stop it because it was interfering with my latency while gaming(yes, i'm THAT cool

) plus my line won't even go up to that(countryside BOO!) so it's relatively pointless.

Most companies(not just VM) are not giving out as much as they could.

**tonkatojo** · 13-Jul-09, 18:53

Originally Posted by Metalattakk

Either way, that's two good reasons not to sign up for Virgin Media then, isn't it?

By the way, I'm, not entirely sure of the veracity of both Stefan's and your own comments.

I don't think a single ISP in this country would limit a user's speed and then offer to upgrade it later, either for a fee or for free. The user's speed is generally set by the exchange you are connected to, then the DSLAM that you are thereafter connected to.*

Neither of which are governed or controlled by the ISP.

*Not withstanding the internal and external telephonic wiring to and from your house, and the dreaded contention ratios etc.

the reason I was flippant is I don't use any land line service provider because non can give me any service.

**Bookworm** · 13-Jul-09, 19:41

I've had a BT homehub for several years and never had a problem with either location that I've been.

Now cable, before it became Virgin Media, was crap. Always problems and tried to bill me for 6 months after I left them. They also wouldn't come and pick up their gear, had to deliver it to a local depot for them (made sure I got a receipt too).

**poppett** · 13-Jul-09, 21:02

Have a phone line rental, free calls to 01,02 and 03, and unlimited 8mg broadband package with Pipex (now part of Tiscali) for £23 per month. International calls are capped at 2pence a minute. Online billing with two weeks notice of the direct debit being paid out of the bank, and they have never asked for the money in advance of a bank holiday, unlike BT who never got one bill correct in 17 months.

**Metalattakk** · 13-Jul-09, 21:54

Originally Posted by Connor.

Most companies(not just VM) are not giving out as much as they could.

Yes they are, if you're willing to pay for it. Most of the big guns in the ISP world are happy to oversubscribe their basic services, and offer a better (or what I would call "a normal") service at business rates. That's why I don't go with a "big gun", as it were.

Again, if VM are not offering me the maximum capacity that my line can deliver, I'd not give them another penny of my money.

You however, might think that's acceptable. Each to their own.