Topic: ISP

[JK]

Hi
I have been with Pipex for a couple of years now, I have the 1M service.
Just recently I have noted very,very slow service. I have used the ADSL speed tests and note that at evenings
and weekends I am getting between 300 and 400K, not even 512. During the day on weekdays I get the full 1M service.
The small print says up to 1M. Any recommendations of what to do?. Can you recomend another ISP that will deliver?
Another question.
I have an internal ADSL modem. When you connect it reports the connection speed( local to exchange, not the ISP connection). It used to say 2M with my 1M connection. Now it says 5M? any ideas, has BT upgraded the local lines or do I have a problem?

[Sandra]

Depends where you are JK.
I recently moved from Pipex on their 1mb service which I had been on for years for £23-44 to BeThere on there up to 24mb unlimited, unthrottled, uncapped for £18 per month plus £2 for email and webspace.

I am very pleased with them so far although I "only" get 14.5mb down and 1.2mb up   

I have just downloaded the file off Renos link for the space plane and it came down at 1.35mbps 

[Clive]

Join the club JK.  I'm experiencing exactly the same problems with BTInternet into which I am foolishly locked for another year. 

[Simon]

It's probably Pipex (Tiscali) over subscribing and getting congested during peak times.  If you want a decent ISP, JK, I would personally recommend www.idnet.com, who I moved to from Pipex last year.  Customer service, should you need it, is just two rings away on the phone, and is also a free number, but apart from a billing query, which turned out to be my fault anyway, I haven't had to contact them.  Most people who join, and use the forums, report better speeds than they had with their previous ISP, and a hell of a lot of Pipex customers are joining!

[Baz]

This will get you loads of different ISPs JK

Me, I'm with www.surfanytime.co.uk/  who also run www.fireflyinternet.com/ great ISP  been with them for years now all through dial up to 512 and now on 2MB. no complaints very very few problems. yes they are a bit dearer than others but it does me and Id rather pay a bit extra and get a good service. if any just a phone call away too. even had them phone me at home to sort out a modem problem in the early days. forums usually manned all hours.

I very nearly twisted Simons arm to join a while back too     dont know what got into him when he went elsewhere, must have had a bang on the head 

[Simon]

There are some dodgy members on that forum, Baz! 

[Baz]

dont know what you mean 

[JK]

Thank you for your advice.
Sandra I cannot get the BeThere in my area, what a  shame.
The other ISP?s that you mention all have appear to have monthly download
limits. Idnet sounds good, ''No contention on our network is achieved by not oversubscribing our broadband services and ensuring that bandwidth investment exceeds customer demand.??
Any views on AOL?

[Rik]

AOL = TalkTalk = run for your life.

[GillE]

I've just left AOL after seven years faithful subscription.  It was simply too pricey for the service offered - £17.99 per month for up to 2mbs and no replacement modem when I needed one for my new Vista machine.  The download speeds were often slower than advertised, although they were uncapped.  Moreover, the software was predatory, trying to take over the computer.

Now I'm with O2 which is much cheaper and is also uncapped.  Downloads are faster and I'm much happier.

[Baz]

How much you planning on downloading JK?. Im on a 30GB limit and find it more than enough only occasionally getting close to it. Some companies say they have unlimited download but have a Fair Usage Policy in place and keep a check on what you download.

its all down to personnel choice in the end though.

[Simon]

Now I'm with O2 which is much cheaper and is also uncapped.  Downloads are faster and I'm much happier.

I wonder how long they will sustain unlimited usage at those prices?  Is there any port blocking or traffic shaping that you know of, Gill?

[GillE]

I don't think there's any port blocking or traffic shaping, but I wouldn't know how to test for it .  All I can say is that both His Lordship and me can connect to the internet simultaneously on separate computers and downloads are still much quicker than before.  I've also been downloading podcasts about 4 or 5 times more quickly.

[Simon]

Port blocking mainly affects torrents, so if you find them to be slower than expected, that might be a clue.  If they are doing that, it should be documented somewhere in the T&Cs, but if you're happy with the service, that's all that matters, Gill.  It's just that truly unlimited ISPs are quite hard to find these days, especially at the prices O2 are offering, hence my scepticism.  I have an 'unlimited' data bolt on with my O2 phone contract, but on further reading, it seems that a 'Fair Use Policy' (FUP) applies, and it is 'unlimited', as long as I don't use more than 200Mb. A bit like saying you can have any colour you like, as long as it's black. 

[Sandra]

O2 is BeTheres parent company, they both are unlimited, subject to a fair use policy.

I think the fair use policy is there just in case, as according to the Be forums, no one has been warned about heavy usage even with one guy claiming to download around 750 gig per month on a regular basis