02 broadband versus Be - Who Will Win!?!

SqualidChimp · 11 Jan 2008 at 21:18

To celebrate getting my MAC code from Virgin Media

, I thought I would post here to see which of these two providers you think I should go with.

O2, as far as I know, own Be. So, is their broadband product rebundled Be, or is it a different animal (in terms of reliability and quality)?

I have heard very good things about Be, but O2 have always impressed me in terms of their other product, over the mobile competition. And since they are more or less the same company - well you see what I am getting at.

Thoughts?

no_1_dave · 11 Jan 2008 at 21:45

02's FUP is stricter then BE's

ste_bla · 11 Jan 2008 at 21:55

well;

Cheaper = o2
Better limits = Be

SqualidChimp · 11 Jan 2008 at 23:15

looks like it may well be Be then. I guess anything will be better than the nightmare that was Virgin Media. I just want a ping for gaming thats slightly better than 300ms. Is that too much to ask??

EDIT: Be and 02 seem to have the same (as in almost word for word from what I can read) fair usage policy. And 02 dont have a setup fee. I need to look into this more...

muon · 12 Jan 2008 at 01:58

SqualidChimp said:
looks like it may well be Be then. I guess anything will be better than the nightmare that was Virgin Media. I just want a ping for gaming thats slightly better than 300ms. Is that too much to ask??

EDIT: Be and 02 seem to have the same (as in almost word for word from what I can read) fair usage policy. And 02 dont have a setup fee. I need to look into this more...

Use quidco to get £40 cashback. This basically means that the monthly cost for be unlimited over 12 months is £14.67 a month. Also, there are free connection promotion codes on the net.

Caged · 12 Jan 2008 at 02:15

I moved from Be to O2 and have noticed no change, I think my IP address even stayed the same. Well worth it if you haven an O2 contract.

SqualidChimp · 12 Jan 2008 at 09:42

Caged said:
I moved from Be to O2 and have noticed no change, I think my IP address even stayed the same. Well worth it if you haven an O2 contract.

I do have an 02 contract phone, as a matter of fact. From what I can tell, 02 is just Be rebranded as I first thought. Same FUP, slightly different pricing structure.

Caged · 12 Jan 2008 at 16:03

It's O2 not 02 by the way, it seems an OcUK trend to write it wrong.

Rainmaker · 12 Jan 2008 at 16:12

O2 own Be*, so that's why the poster above kept the same IP - same backhaul. Personally I'd go with Be*, as they seem to be running as a separate business (a la UK Online, Sky and Easynet).

Current promotion codes are:

Sales1 = Free connection
Sales2 = Free connection and a month free

SqualidChimp · 14 Jan 2008 at 18:32

Rainmaker said:
O2 own Be*, so that's why the poster above kept the same IP - same backhaul. Personally I'd go with Be*, as they seem to be running as a separate business (a la UK Online, Sky and Easynet).

Current promotion codes are:

Sales1 = Free connection
Sales2 = Free connection and a month free

So, if they are running as a separate business that is better how? With these promo codes for Be, if you work it out, comes to about £20 a month over a year for their premium package. O2 is £15 (as long as you have an O2 contract mobile - which I do) a month for their top end package. Be offer up to 24mbps download / 2.5mbps upload, whilst O2 offer up to 20mbps down / 1.6mbps up.

EDIT>> I just found an O2 code from quidco saving £25 over a year which makes O2 top package £12.92 per month. With cashback + promo codes, Be works out at £16.84 per month.

Isnt that slight price difference related to the slightly higher rates with Be? I'm confused but that seems to be the only difference and reason for the difference in my eyes?

SqualidChimp · 23 Jan 2008 at 18:27

o2 won btw...

sayonara, mr. branson!

Van Diemen · 23 Jan 2008 at 18:38

@SqualidChimp, what package are you on mate? I'm dumping Virgin & want go with O2. want to do this by the end of the week

britain · 23 Jan 2008 at 19:04

Hi all

Got my mac code from Demon and also looking for a new ISP.Have spoke to SKY and looked at the 8m/40g service.
Rang Be* and can only get the 1 maybe 2m connection whereas SKY tell me can get 3.5m connection.
I use my pc for gaming/surfing and little else. (a lot of gaming!)
My last dealings with SKY were not very good and find them difficult.So i really don't want to get let down by them.
The price for SKY is a fiver which is a little cheap IMO.

What do you guys think?

SqualidChimp · 23 Jan 2008 at 19:48

Van Diemen said:
@SqualidChimp, what package are you on mate? I'm dumping Virgin & want go with O2. want to do this by the end of the week

Ultimate (20mbps) package. I will see how it pans out over the next few days. I live less than 1km from the exchange just so you know.

Van Diemen · 23 Jan 2008 at 20:33

SqualidChimp said:
Ultimate (20mbps) package. I will see how it pans out over the next few days. I live less than 1km from the exchange just so you know.

What are you syncing at? (it will show under one of the menus on the router).

I'm 1.19Km from the exchange, I dont want to have a 20mbps service that only gives me 10. At least with VM I get 18-20 95% of the time

SqualidChimp · 24 Jan 2008 at 10:52

The standard interface on the o2 wireless box does not give you detailed info. It's designed to be very easy to use and noob friendly. It has gone from 12mb yesterday (when connected) to 14mb today, so maybe its got a bit to go. Give it a few days.