RootsChat.Com
General => Technical Help => Topic started by: Barnes75 on Tuesday 11 November 08 17:06 GMT (UK)
-
Hi
My broadband contract has just came to an end and am looking at changing provider would like some advice on what provider is the best to go with. I am currently paying £19.99 a month for 8GB usage am quite often going over this usage and having to pay for the extra usage. Going to take about 5 working days to get migration code didn't seem to happy to pass it on.
Sorry didn't know where to post this probably a website forum for this sort of inquiry but don't know where to look.
Thanks
-
Hi :)
I swear by this site:
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/
Gadget
-
Hi Gadget
Thank you for the link will check out the website. Seems to be a bit of a minefield out there. I had a broadband provider in mind but when i contacted my provider for the migration code they warned me that this company have a lot of hidden extras. So i am completely lost again. But will go and check out this site now.
Barnes75
-
Hi Gadget
Would have been OK but got totally confused by it all. Are they relying on the fact that we won't be technically minded so that we stay with the same company.
Barnes75
-
There's a selection on the left had side of the home page which says something like 'Compare provders'. If you click on that, you are able to check 6 at a time for comparison. I'd put in my own ISP and 5 others and repeat this with as many as needed. Then narrow them down until you have just a few that are worth examining in detail.
Gadget
-
Hi Barnes
BT do a 10 GB monthly usage for £15.99 a month, which is what I am on.Have to sign up for a 12 month contract
http://www.productsandservices.bt.com/consumerProducts/displayTopic.do?topicId=25161&s_intcid=con_intban_btcom_con_BBLIFE_hmpage
ricky
-
Hi Ricky
Already with BT was looking at going away from them i quite often go over 10GB usage as well so this would be no good to me. Have a teenage son who spends a lot of time on the internet.
Thank you for your suggestions.
Hi Gadget
Will have another look and see if i can make any more sense of it.
Barnes75
-
I'm also with BT in two locations and have unlimit on both. I think it's about £21 per month and they give discounts for 'loyal customers' ::) ::) ::)
Gadget
-
Hi Gadget
I was just going to say the same about loyal customers with BT, cos my last contract I had with them was unlimited use for £19.99 a month, but I asked to be down graded as only use about 5 or 6 GB per month
ricky
-
Hi Gadget
May look like that i stay with BT then but done a couple of speed tests on my broadband the last one done a couple of minutes ago with broadband doing nothing else and the results weren't very good. Download was 1856kbps and upload was 382kbps. My son was of the opinion that i could get a better deal that has just come to an end. Have been with them since i took broadband out about 4 years ago.
Barnes75
-
Hi Barnes
Broadband speed fluctuates during the day anyway, and this time of night you get all the kids chatting amoungst them selves in chatrooms etc. There are certain times of the day when mine drops off, all depends what country is firing up there computers , and when offices start up in the morning and at dinner time over here. ;)
ricky
-
Mine varies with the time of day - it's all to do with contention ratios (how many other people are using the connection in your area) and the max speed of your exchange.
Up here, in the Highlands, the exchange can only cope with 512 kb ( I get about 460). i pay the same in N/c for up to 7.5 mb but it varies between about 1.2 and 4.2.
BT is fine as long as things run smoothly.
Gadget
Added - i see Rciky is saying the same. Try doing speed tests at different times and get an average.
-
Thank you both for that information didn't know it could change like that. Will have to test it at different times like suggested to see if it improves at all.
Barnes75
-
You could have a look at http://www.which.co.uk/reviews/broadband
Stan
-
Hi Stan
Thankyou i would have had a look at the site it looked like it could have been good, but they wanted me to pay to use the service. Which at the moment I'm trying to save money.
Barnes75
-
Quite. I'm amazed that stan gave the link. Most of us know that you have to pay on that site to see any reviews.
Gadget
-
I'm very happy with Virgin (that looks very strange in print!). The odd outage from time to time, but generally good and fast (well, here in SW London). Cheaper than many, too, especially if you buy the TV/telephone package.
meles
-
Hi Meles
Can't get virgin where i live its done under the ground by cables isn't it. I've narrowed it down to two at the moment just can't decide which one. AOL 40GB usage and free laptop for £19.99 a month contract 2 years or Sky as i already have TV with them and that's 40GB usage for £5.00 a month and unlimited for £10.00. The things is do i really need the free laptop or not.
Barnes75
-
No - not AOL- you'll regret it for ever :-\
-
Hi Meles
Can't get virgin where i live its done under the ground by cables isn't it.
It is. ::) Plan B, then. ;)
meles
-
Hi
Is there a problem with AOL i should know about. Looks like its looking more like sky when i get the migration code takes up to 5 working days. Thank you for all your help, wouldn't have known where to look.
Barnes75
-
Most people that I know who have used AOL, including my sister, have been less than happy with it, whereas I've heard quite a few good reports of Sky.
Gadget
-
Thank you for that.
Looks like its going to be sky for me then a lot cheaper than what I'm paying now.
-
Sky is excellent, but not all exchanges offer the Sky Max service, which is the £10 a month up to 16M speed and no download limits, or the £5 a month Mid service. You need to be a Sky TV subscriber to get these.
If you're not sure whether your exchange is Sky enabled, go to http://www.samknows.com and choose "Exchange Search" and type your exchange name or town in. Then look at the part which says "LLU Operator Presence", and look for a green tick beside Sky / Easynet.
-
Barnes
The site Gadget pointed you to - Think Broadband - allows you to record your broadband speed test. You do have to register bu tit costs nothing and then you cansave the tests for future comparisons.
One ISP that is sometimes advertised on here (the banner at the top of the board) is Plusnet and they seem to have some fairly good deals.
will keep an eye on your replies as I am thinking of moving from my current ISP
regards
dinie
-
Hi
Nick29
Thank you for the useful website looks like i will be able to take up the option Sky max. Already a sky subscriber looks like i might be taking my telephone service to them as well as there telephone deals look good as well.
Dinie
I had a choice of two that i wanted to go with and if i look at any more deals may start getting confused. So as soon as i get the migration code will be contacting sky to change.
Thank you to everyone for your help on this topic wouldn't known where to go without you and might have ended up taking another deal with my current supplier.
Barnes75
-
Hi Barnes
You had better look at this before deciding on Sky
http://www.reviewcentre.com/reviews107118.html
ricky
-
Before I switched to Sky Max I was with Zen - one of the most expensive ISP's in the UK. When I left Zen, lots of people told me that I would regret it, but since Sky was £24.99 a month cheaper than Zen, I could afford to buy myself out of the Sky contract without breaking the bank, if it all went pear-shaped. I'm a little bit "out in the sticks", and with Zen, I was getting a download speed of about 2500kbps, and I was limited to 50GB a month downloads, and Zen's customer support is only open slightly longer than office hours, because Zen is primarily a business broadband supplier. When I switched to Sky Max, my download speed nearly doubled to 4500kbps; I have no download limits, and their support (which I've never had to phone) is open 24/7/365. I've been with Sky Broadband just over a year now, and I've not regretted the switch, especially since my broadband is now costing me nearly £300 a year less :)
Don't take too much notice of review sites - talk to actual users.
-
Hi
Thank you to all the people that helped me with broadband suppliers. It's looked like a daunting task and without all your help i would have stayed with my current supplier which would have ended up costing me more money as my usage is bound to go up now my sons got his new gaming machine that he's connected up as well.
I am pleased to inform you that i changed suppliers to Sky and everything went through without a hitch on the 16th December.
While i was at it i changed my line rental and call service to them as well.
Thanks again and a Happy New Year.
Barnes75
-
I'm glad it all went well for you ! :)
-
Possibly it is in the area in which you live. I was advised to go for BT in my area by an IT mate locally as he said that here we have a fast connection.
I'm happy with this, but i would reckon you should ask locally?
Spring
-
The problem with BT is that they use "traffic shaping" which means that if they think you are over-using the service, then they will reduce your download speed. I should add that they are not the only ISP that does this, and Sky is one of the few that don't. :)
-
I used to pay £15 a month BT dial up
I now have broad band ,digital TV (various packages but admittedly not all)
and free phone calls after 6pm and on a weekend for £ 16-99 with sky. :)
-
I was with Aol for five years. Their service was appalling especially this last year. Last month, i changed to Sky. Its absolutly super. I switch my computer on and im connected within seconds.
The plus side is that we are now saving at least £40 a month.
Regards jackandtom