advice on signing up to broadband

Steptoe

What a waste.
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I'm a complete computer novice and want to go over to broadband, i'm currently with supanet ! if i change to ( for instance tiscali ) will i have to change my email address or is it possible to keep it. Whats currently the best deal around, and who shouldn't i touch with a barge pole --- thanks in advance

:confused:
 
ADSL

Neil, my Dad used this site http://www.adslguide.org/ to compare all the offerings, and found it dead handy. Depends what your email address is. Some of them are provider specific, so for example, you could be NH@tiscali.com, so if you moved to NTL, it would be a different domain...If you use something like Hotmail, or my preference, yahoo.com, you can read your email from any computer anywhere you can get access to the internet...
 
I used ADSLGuide for info and found the support from ISP's there better than dealing with pre-sales with the respctive companies direct.

I plumped for www.plus.net as their offering for 512K broadband was the best for a big company (can't be doing with these here today gone tomorrow types) and they supported migration as I was with BT Openworld.

When I left BT they downgraded my account to PAYG which means I kept my old email address, useful for the transition though to send I need to connect to their webmail offering or dial-up as they ban relaying (where you connect to their servers via someone elses pipe).

Your outgoing ISP if they offer a PAYG service will probably offer the same for you. Of course if you do opt for Plusnet's excellent service they have a referral screen and you could mention me I get a bonio or something :D
 
Beware, Tiscali Broadband is only slightly wider than a dialup connection - nothing to worry about really until you want to download thta big mpeg or photo.

Remember, if it's much cheaper than all the rest it's probably not as good.

Iain
 
Tiscali

Tiscali are Bolloxs,
Went with plus.net a few months ago and not a problem, so would recommend them, :D
 
Well we're out in the sticks according to BT so Broadband is in the dim and distant future if at all. Oh well, at least I don't have to research it and BT Midband is an Ok half way house.

Paul
 
Moved away from cable connection area 3mths ago Neil and had to settle for 56k speed BT crap for a while.

Have a brother in the industry who recommended a company called Eclipse - says they were award winners for '03.

Have a look at www.eclipse.net.uk

This was the deal:

Broadband Router Starter pack @ £84.99
3 mths payment in advance @ £61.14 (£20 a month)
Set up via BT (Some wart flicks a switch at BT) £50.00
Total £196.13 plus VAT = £230.45

Sounds a lot to start with but I am one very happy chicken - service is excellent - connection is as fast as I had with cable.




:beerjug:
 
www.plus.net

I second Judges comments. Use ADSL Guide for information on ISPs and activated exchanges. I was with a reseller thro my computer supplier who closed down. Fortunately Plus Net was the primary ISP and migrated me for nowt. I have subsequently had good service and only occasional loss of service usually as a result of problems on BT backbone infrastructure.. The cheapest Plus Net 512 ADSL connection is about £22 per mth including VAT. Sometimes they do a deal on the USB ADSL modems and microsplitters which retail set you back about £60. Also check that your telephone exchange is ADSL activated and you are close enough in distance to the exchange to get a good signal. The BT website has a test where you enter you phone no which then indicates if ADSL is available.
 
BT, get £20.. to join!!

I know everyone says BT rips us off, but have had excellent service and connection with them at full band width, how did we all cope before!!., I remember when we got our first Fax machine on board ship back in 87, it was like black magic!!, and the first mobile, where six of us at a meeting, filled the table with our "Bricks".

Anyway back to broadband, go wireless at the the off, if you have more than one computer and kids, it also gives you a second line, handy when you or the Kids are on line all the time.

i got a Voyager 2000 with aUSB card and connect my laptop directly with the cable in the office but can go outside in the summer to work when I want and the lad uses his anywhere as well, don't see any differnce most of the time when we're both on line.

If you are a mastercard holder or if you go to MSn I think you can get a further discount, phone BT and say you can get a better deal they were helpful with me, they all want the sale.

Wireless is expensive to start with, but you'll end up there in the end so you might as well go there to start with.

best of luck.

Gary.
 
I had a dial up account with Supanet. When I changed ISP they deleted the email account after about 30 days.

Tiscali customer service is pants. The only advantage with them is that they never seem to delete an account which is handy if, like me, you want to dial up via modem from your Mum's house now and then.

I note you are in London. Investigate the cable option.

I'm in Cardiff. We have NTL cable bband without the need to have a telephone line installed. This saves the 10 quid a month line rental to BT. We can have up to 1Mbps for 35 quid a month. We chose the 512Kbps at 25 quid as it is plenty quick enough.
 
Forgot to add- telephone line always available also - not sure if that's the same with others - I'm sure we'll find out....
 
adsl guide site is excellent for all sorts of pc queries, not just broadband.

i'm with nildram myself. fantastic connection, but customer service not what it used to be.
 
jim mcsharry said:
Forgot to add- telephone line always available also - not sure if that's the same with others - I'm sure we'll find out....
Plusnet also, and a fax2e-mail number for those stuck in the dark ages who insist on sending faxes. And a good solid Yorkshire based company to boot (albeit with a bigger Yank parent now), not nearly the disaster that is the Demon/Thus Plc partnership :mad:
 
Re: Tiscali

enabb said:
Tiscali are Bolloxs,
Went with plus.net a few months ago and not a problem, so would recommend them, :D


Cheers for that was thinking of going with them, wont bother now, currently on a Freeserve Dial up, anyone know if there Broadbands any good.

~Stef~
 
cookie said:
i'm with nildram myself. fantastic connection, but customer service not what it used to be.

just heard nildram have got a new head of customer services in to sort things out.

his last job was head of customer services at BT openwound FFS.

seriously!
 


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