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General => Technical Help => Topic started by: Gatacre on Thursday 18 February 10 15:20 GMT (UK)
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Having digested the information about changing the AOL provider which ISP would people recommend ...maybe that is a silly question but after the last few months of AOL I do not want to make a mistake .
I have been receiving quite a lot of info in the post during the last week from BT about their eventual £15.99 per month package which gives the free most upto date!!wireless hub. However, if they are on such a publicity drive it makes one wonder if they are losing out to others . I think I would have to pay their £20.99 monthly fee to get what I now pay for.
Any opinions welcomed
Gatacre
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This is a good place to start:
http://www.top10-broadband.co.uk/packages/
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Thank you. I will check it now
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I use O2
It's about £7 a month
To get that price you have to have an O2 mobile - which I do
It's a good no frills service
Bob
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I am just checking the top ten providers but I think it important to hear what others have experienced with their ISP and appreciate your answer. Thank You
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I'm with virginmedia, which is cable broadband, and apart from 2 small spats recently its been trouble free.
And yes you do get the advertised speeds unlike some of the other ISPs Virgin do deliver the speeds specified.
I should add that I've been with them since 1996
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One of my sons advised Virgin but we do not have cable here. I must say that they must be good if you have had them since 1996.
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well broadband hasn't been around that long....
we had virgin dial up first then went over to NTL cable broadband when it was available which was later taken over by virginmedia, so its been a bit of a circle.
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Hi Gatacre
We have been with BT for 18 months, surf with int.explorer, use BT for emails, on windows xp, had no problems at all, get lousy speed, but everyone does round here. We are probably "light users" maybe 2 hrs aday, dont download much. I guess it may depend on how much you use the service, but for complete novices it has been fine for us, maybe, like everything else you get what you pay for.
Reards Mazi and OH
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For reference:
I use a 3G mobile usb modem.
Pro's:
Very easy to set up, no wires or hubs.
Mobile, if you use a laptop, you can take it with you.
I pay £15 per month, for 15gb worth of downloads (I've yet to use more than 5).
The customer service is among the most polite I've encountered.
Con's:
For my postcode the download speed is slow (typically 200-500 mbs), although 3G are currently trying to rectify this.
I would be perfectly happy with 3G if I could get near the advertised speed.
'Hat.
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i would never advise someone on broadband unless it was same area and they would get similar,
ie no good me telling you that bt/sky etc was superb/bad/indifferent.
Maybe best to find out if you can what your neighbours are using and what speeds etc, check the broadband speed checker
so you know what they are SAYING, if you can find out what others in your area are using then maybe ask on here what others think of the isp you are thinking of, as above some recommend virgin which obviously is no good to you,
are you going to be d/l, browsing, need plenty of bandwidth etc etc
it is good to read what others are using etc but MY opinion you deffo' need to find out locally what works ;)
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First & foremost, what budget do you have in mind?
Do you want an all inclusive package, phone & broadband?
Do you want excellent support?
What sort of usage are we talking?
What LLU ISPs are available at your exchange? see link below, you`ll need to enter some details...its a reputable site.
http://www.samknows.com/broadband/checker2.php
Don`t rush into anything....I can`t stress that enough....salestaff will promise almost anything!!!
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We've been with Virgin since 2000, cable at our previous house and now dial up. We've had no problems with them, apart from last year when their server seemed to have some glitches. Overall, we have found them to be pretty good.
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The best value packages are LLU ones - these are packages offered by companies other than BT. Most ISP's are only re-selling a BT Wholesale product, and BT Wholsale prices don't allow for many bargains - cheap prices will be the result of too many people sharing the service, and speeds will suffer.
The problem is that LLU providers (O2/Be, Sky, Talk Talk) are not available at every exchange, but you can go to www.samknows.com (http://www.samknows.com) to find out what is available at your exchange, or simply put your number into the checker at one of the company websites.
I'm with Be Unlimited LLU, and it's the best I've found so far, but O2 offer similar packages which can be cheaper if you have an O2 mobile.
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One of my sons advised Virgin but we do not have cable here.
You don't need to be on cable in order to have Virgin Broadband. Anyone can have broadband if they have a landline etc.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/082k/
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One of my sons advised Virgin but we do not have cable here.
You don't need to be on cable in order to have Virgin Broadband. Anyone can have broadband if they have a landline etc.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/082k/
Virgin broadband supplied via a BT line will be a re-badged BT Wholesale product, and it doesn't have a great reputation. Cable and LLU products and BT Wholesale products are a world apart.
There's a web forum- "Think Broadband" (http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/) discussing broadband providers, where you can read reviews from actual customers.
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Gateacre
As Downside said, you don't have to have cable to use Virgin. Like I said, when we first used Virgin (then called NTL), we had cable, but when we moved house there was no cable, but we still use Virgin via a landline.
Lizzie
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Thank you for all of the replies. It is good to have the information. I have checked the Sam Knows site and we are well catered for altho this is a small village exchange. The trouble is that when AOL is working it is excellent and I do get a speed of 4+kbps. It has been the non-connection and AOL not responding which has caused so much trouble. My neigbour who works with computers thought it was excellent but he could not give any reason for the change in AOL. At the moment I am getting a good connection.
Unfortunately, as far as BT is concerned we have signed for one of their packages for a period in order to obtain cheaper international calls and I was not very satisfied with one of their staff who answered my query on the phone about the current offer of the home hub. I am certainly no expert but he was not on the ball at all.
This computer is not used very much. Apart from the grocery order and that for medication. I use Ancestry and keep in touch with our family with Emails..not very many :( and the webcam AND read RootsChat :).
RootsChat has been a God send and for older people nothing can match the real help there is from so many people.
I will have to think about what to do next but thank you, all, for your replies.
Norah
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You don't have to lose BT phone services to get LLU broadband. You can have LLU broadband from Be/O2, Sky, Tiscali and a few others and still keep BT for your phone calls. That's what I have here - Be LLU broadband and BT phones.
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I wondered if that could be the case instead of having to take the packages offered.
We have a mobile phone but one that we top up occasionally so all that we need is the ISP.
Best wishes Nick and thank you.
Everything alters so quickly these days. Makes one wonder if one should buy the I Pad or whatever it is called to try and get ahead ::) By the time one reached the end of the learning curve it will be old hat!!
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Virgin broadband supplied via a BT line will be a re-badged BT Wholesale product, and it doesn't have a great reputation. Cable and LLU products and BT Wholesale products are a world apart.
Haven't a clue what that means Nick. We have a BT landline which we pay separately for, but have Virgin broadband and the package includes 'phone calls. However we haven't had any problems other than the glitches that happened last year to one of Virgin's servers or whatever, and my daughter had those problems too, even though she is on cable (same town, different part).
Lizzie
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Virgin broadband supplied via a BT line will be a re-badged BT Wholesale product, and it doesn't have a great reputation. Cable and LLU products and BT Wholesale products are a world apart.
Haven't a clue what that means Nick. We have a BT landline which we pay separately for, but have Virgin broadband and the package includes 'phone calls. However we haven't had any problems other than the glitches that happened last year to one of Virgin's servers or whatever, and my daughter had those problems too, even though she is on cable (same town, different part).
Lizzie
OK, I'll try to explain it better. When broadband first came into the UK, the only place you could get it was BT, because only BT had the necessary kit in the telephone exchanges to be able to supply it. Then people complained that BT had a monopoly, so BT started selling their broadband at Wholesale prices to other companies, so although you think you are getting broadband from Demon or Zen, you are actually getting a product delivered by BT through BT's own network. The ISP's actually buy a certain amount of "bandwidth" from BT, and it's down to the individual ISP to limit the amount of people who will share this bandwidth. ISP's who sell broadband cheaply are sharing the bandwidth amongst a lot of users, and this means that throughput will slow down to a crawl if there are a lot of people online.
Then later, Ofcom forced BT to allow other suppliers to put ADSL kit in their exchanges, linked by the suppliers' own networks - this is called LLU (Local Loop Unbundling). Because these suppliers were not having to pay BT for their bandwidth, they could also sell the products cheaper, and not have to squeeze so many people in. And an added bonus is that LLU suppliers are also able to offer the higher speeds that most BT & BT Wholesale customers won't be able to get until their exchanges are upgraded for 21CN, which hasn't happened yet for a lot of people.
If you get an LLU broadband service, the only thing that BT are involved with is the copper pair that runs from your house to the exchange - everything else is supplied by other companies.
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Don't think anyone has mentioned this yet, but aol is now talktalk. And that may be the reason for the glitches. I've had aol for years with no problems, but lately ............. quite a few cut-outs. And last Monday I lost the internet for about 2 hours.
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I think I metioned that since Talk Talk became AOL broadband I had experienced the trouble , the same as when AOL Europe was taken over by Carphone Warehouse who now has Talk Talk. It is interesting to know that you had experienced trouble..The difference this time is that connection to the internet had become impossible.
Like you, when AOL is working it is very good and since the connection has been restored after having a repair man, it puts one in a quandry as to whether it is better to change from AOL or stay with it unless it starts to play up again.
I put the query to the Help Line about Carphone acquiring Talk Talk but received no answer.
Best Wishes
Norah
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I've also started getting an advertising phone call, about how to not pay my debts.
I let it roll and pressed 2 to get through to someone, and had a moan. Said I was on the telephone preference service, and they asked was it the general one or talktalk.
I'm going to give it a bit longer, and then I think I will ask them for my migration code, in order to change.
But as you rightly say - where to?
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OK Carphone Wharehouse has & always has been TalkTalk, it now owns AOL (which remains a independently run company IIRC), they also own Tiscali, which means they own Pipex plus numerous others....Tisacli is/has been assimulated into TalkTalk & now is TT..no more Tiscali...probably an image thing.
Now Nick has posted a fairly good description of LLU etc. what isn`t pointed out is that many will have taken TT`s lovely cheap all in one package & now on TT`s network which means if you wish to switch you`ll have to then rejoin BT which if memory serves will cost £125 (yep same as a new line), then you`ll get a charge for re-enabling ADSL with an ISP (some ISP`s will absorb the cost, but lumber you with a 12-24mth contract).
I `m with Be like Nick, but it allows me pick & choose ISPs, either via BTW or via LLU & I retain BT for my phones. Cost wise its likely more than a fully unbundled package, but its gives us choice & freedom.
I know much of this is techie, so this might help.
LLU = Local Loop Unbundling (ie: the ISP has their kit/hardware in your exchange).
BTW = Brtitish Telcom Wholesale.
BT = British Telecom.
OR = Open Reach.
ADSL = in simple terms Broadband
BTW, BT & OR are all effectively BT, but have to run themselves independently or is it offer the same services to ALL companies irrespective. Some say there is a conflict, I don`t know.
BTW resell the network connections to any ISP that wishes to use it, price must be the same to ALL ISP`s including BT.
BT is the retail side & talks to Us the mere people who use their phone service or perhaps their ADSL services.
OR is the company that fixes the faults on the network, now I`m a little unsure if they do both phone or only ADSL, I believe its only ADSL faults.
Yes it gets complicated & confusing.
Just to add a bit more confusion...in the case of ALL LLU ISPs the copper cable from the exchange is owned/maintained & therefore fixed by BT/OR.
There are another couple of bits to confuse people more, Virgin "Cable" which IIRC was Telewest & a few other names, now collectively Virgin Media use a completely separate system from BT.
Another bit is in Hull which is Kingston Communications they effectively have a monopoly on supplies of both Phone & ADSL.
I`m sure some will now be totally confused....sorry...just trying to explain.
Steve
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Yep, totally totally confused.
If Gatacre is with aol originally, then like me, will probably still have line with BT.
Who is on offer with a bt line, apart from bt?
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Yep, totally totally confused.
If Gatacre is with aol originally, then like me, will probably still have line with BT.
Who is on offer with a bt line, apart from bt?
Almost any ISP that uses BTW`s network.
Depends on what you want from the service?
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What about Virgin Media's fibre optic broadband?
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/broadband/fibre-optic.html
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OR is the company that fixes the faults on the network, now I`m a little unsure if they do both phone or only ADSL, I believe its only ADSL faults.
Yes it gets complicated & confusing.
Just to add a bit more confusion...in the case of ALL LLU ISPs the copper cable from the exchange is owned/maintained & therefore fixed by BT/OR.
Openreach own, operate and maintain the entire cabling infrastructure of BT's networks, and that includes the fibre and microwave trunk networks that link exchanges and the copper (and dreaded aluminium !) cables that link the exchanges to our homes. Openreach "engineers" (and I use that word very loosely) also detect and repair faults on both telephone and ADSL, but they do have people who specialise in ADSL problems.
LLU only means that other comms companies are allowed to interface their infrasructure to BT's customer-facing lines - BT Openreach are still the ones who will maintain the copper pair to your house, no matter who you buy your broadband from.
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What about Virgin Media's fibre optic broadband?
http://allyours.virginmedia.com/html/broadband/fibre-optic.html
That is an entirely different network - they use their own cabling and it is not available in all of the UK. We have Virgin cable in this town - it has three customers - the high school, the library, and the council offices. Everyone else is still waiting to be cabled (10 years now).
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Yep, totally totally confused.
If Gatacre is with aol originally, then like me, will probably still have line with BT.
Who is on offer with a bt line, apart from bt?
Any ISP that is a reseller of a BT Wholesale product, because there is BT ADSL equipment in all UK exchanges. To get services offered by LLU companies, they need to have equipment installed in your exchange, and you can find this out by entering the name of your exchange or town into www.samknows.com (http://www.samknows.com) and you will get a list of the LLU providers in your exchange.
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I think I will go and bury my head in the sand and hope for the best which is not a responsible statement . I was with AOL originally before it was bought out. I spent some time on the Sam Knows site and realized that I cannot get the connections I thought there were. Most of everything had a cross against them except some thru BT.
Then I came across the DSL and had to lookup that but I think your explanations are very good.
Being on AOL since late 2004 does that mean that BT was a provider for their set up as they were not strictly an ISP?
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I think AOL supply both LLU and BT Wholesale products - it just depends on what your exchange can supply. Sky have a similar system where customers who can't get the Sky LLU product can get a BTW product called "Connect" (which is rubbish, by all accounts).
Gatacre, if you'd like to post the name of your exchange or town (or PM me with it), I can double check to see what's available, if you wish :)
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One more thought from us. If you are with BT and you have problems make them fix it, they cant pass the buck.
Our neighbour had months of problems with her provider blaming BT and Bt saying they had found no fault
Mazi and OH
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That's par for the course for BT. They don't like spending money if they can avoid it. These days they try to scare you off by saying that they'll charge you if they don't find a fault. I had a fault on my business broadband that went on for months, and in the end BT walked away, alleging that the fault was in my premises. This was after at least 30 "engineers" had been to my premises, including three technical specialists. When BT wouldn't have any more to do with the problem, I asked my ISP to move my connection to an LLU one which was a wholesale product supplied by Be. Strangely, when this happened, all the problems ceased, and I was getting twice the speed. I can only conclude that BT's equipment is somehow inferior, because I changed absolutely nothing at this end.