ISP Reccomendation

[beermonster]

Currently with Virgin but am not happy with connection speeds which have deteriorated over the last couple of weeks. Have run ping plotter diagnostics and find that my connection often gets routed through NTL servers and suffers from packet loss. (30-40%)

Anyone have any thoughts on a reliable provider, Zen have been mentioned, I have six months left on this contract but don't see why I should pay for a shit service. Virgin have not been of much help referring me to a BT speed test site which always seems busy!

Cheers

Simon

 

[johnnystorm]

I'm happy with plus.net . Not rip-roaring speed but this is East Anglia. Only ever had a single problem in 2/3 years and that was dealt with within a day. Not the cheapest but no hassles.

 

[wessie]

Virgin is NTL. Richard Branson took over NTL a while back. Lots of the servers will still have NTL domain names. Most Virgin customers are on cable and were previously NTL subscribers.

I note you mention BT. My guess is you are a Virgin customer not in a cable area and therefore using a BT phone line.

I am in the same boat. There are no other options for me. I can buy broadband from any ISP but it will always be delivered via a BT line. Guess where the problem is? As BT have no competition in this area they are being very sluggish when it comes to upgrading their equipment.

What I suggest you do is find out if you have anyone in your area that can provide a connection that bypasses BT. You may have something called local loop unbundling (LLU) or even a non-Virgin cable.
http://www.broadbandchecker.co.uk/ will tell you some services available - then go to their websites to see if you can get BT alternatives.

Oh, and finally, Virgin won't give you a MAC until you pay the other 6 months.

 

[Schtum]

What I suggest you do is find out if you have anyone in your area that can provide a connection that bypasses BT. You may have something called local loop unbundling (LLU) or even a non-Virgin cable.

Agreed. We're with Be Unlimited. If it's available in your area, it's worth checking out.

 

[beermonster]

Thanks for the replies, I have got a MAC code, they are now obliged to provide one on demand - OFCOM rules. Still might be an issue regarding cancellation fees but since they will not repond to my emails they can shove that where the sun don't shine.

Yep am stuck with a BT line but don't think that is the problem, I'm convinced it's Virgin, anyone have experience of Sky?

Need to switch as my current speeds are glacial, I am over the road from the exchange so can't get any closer, short of moving my bed in there.

Simon

 

[exeter_lad]

BT Works for me

I have been with BT for 4 years now and have no hassles, unlike my neighbours who are with other providers. We all live about 7 miles from the exchange which other providers blame for crap service, but I get 2 meg which i consider to be abonus this far from the exchange.

My son lives in London, uses a non-Bt provider and has a 8 meg line. But - not the bandwith. He is always amazed at how fast my SLOW line downloads.

I reckon in addition to speed, there is the question of bandwith/loadbalancing. If the exchange is BT, why wouldn't they load balance in favour of BT customers.

 

[sanqhar]

ISP

I have been with Waitrose for the last three years and they seem OK.

Plus points -profits go to charity and freephone helpline (to India!!) minus points -not the cheapest and 5Gig download limit (I think, although I have never exceeded it).

Just run the Speedtest.net and at 17:28 it was 4.2 Mbps

I'm in rural Suffolk.

http://www.waitrose.com/internetaccessfromwaitrose/index.aspx

Check out www.Ispreview.co.uk

tom