Best BB Provider?

The Mad Rapper · 27 Mar 2006 at 14:24

I have just moved in with my GF and we'd like to get a BB connection. I'd prefer BT ideally because if anything goes wrong I'd hope the response would be faster.

Are there any other providers I ought to look at? Perhaps that give something extra like cheaper calls or whatever?

They must be reliable and prompt at fixing issues though, reliability takes presidence over fluff.

TIA

Burbleflop · 27 Mar 2006 at 14:28

The Mad Rapper said:
I'd prefer BT ideally because if anything goes wrong I'd hope the response would be faster.

In an ideal world, yes. In reality, no.

Are there any other providers I ought to look at? Perhaps that give something extra like cheaper calls or whatever?

They must be reliable and prompt at fixing issues though, reliability takes presidence over fluff.

If reliability and quick fault turn around are your principal concerns then you need to look at a connection with an SLA - ADSL doesn't.

www.adslguide.org.uk is your friend when it comes to questions like this.

tolien · 27 Mar 2006 at 14:28

The "response" is no quicker with the BT Retail ISPs than any of the other hundreds of ADSL providers.
Majority don't offer any calls setup, but just the ADSL.

ADSLguide is your friend, as is Samknows. The latter should give some clues as to what (if any) LLU services you can get.

The Mad Rapper · 29 Mar 2006 at 11:41

Thanks all.

I have looked at ADSL Guide, and noticed an advert for Pipex which seemed good value. I decided to search old threads here and found quite a few posts where people have complained about the quality of the service.

I play MMORPGs, and need a reliable connection, so Pipex seems to be out. I'd hate to subject myself to a 12 month contract then find the service is inconsistant and slow.

Are any of you with an ISP you can recommend?

OllyM · 29 Mar 2006 at 12:29

What's your budget? Can you live with a cap?

Also, using a BT Retail ISP's does not make any difference to how quickly a fault is dealt with, BT Retail have to pass faults on to Openreach, the same as any other BTW ISP has to.

ghandi · 29 Mar 2006 at 12:33

Pipex are probably the best just now.

I was going to go with them until i found out my exchange on supports 1mb :mad:

so i went with toucan who seemed like second best.

OllyM · 29 Mar 2006 at 12:35

ghandi said:
so i went with toucan who seemed like second best.

Er... whoops.

Toucan resell Tiscali, and their reputation isn't particularly good at all. In fact, it's dire.

red11 · 29 Mar 2006 at 14:12

ghandi said:
Pipex are probably the best just now.

Pipex are now one of the worst I think. There's no value for money, and the port throttling ruins the quality of their service. I'm in the process of migrating to Nildram, and although they have a 50GB cap during peak hours (which is more than enough for me), they are £8 cheaper a month for a 2MB line. Pipex seem to have gone down the crapper in the last year, and the fact that my broadband is now as fast as it ever was now that I'm leaving them, reeks of desperation trying to get me to stay a customer with them.

gam3r · 29 Mar 2006 at 15:29

Bulldog for LLU

Blazing 8mbit connection

Only qualm is the phone line, but if you can deal with it its ok..should be using VOIP now anyway

phill · 29 Mar 2006 at 15:47

Zen are quite good I've heard. Pipex own Nildram afaik

www.spitfireuk.net

my provider..

tolien · 29 Mar 2006 at 16:07

ghandi said:
I was going to go with them until i found out my exchange on supports 1mb

Or more accurately, your line can only do 1Mbps (by BT's prequalification rules).

ghandi · 30 Mar 2006 at 09:56

OllyM said:
Er... whoops.

Toucan resell Tiscali, and their reputation isn't particularly good at all. In fact, it's dire.

Tiscalli couldnt give me phone package at the same time and i refuse to go with bt due to past experiences.

tolien said:
Or more accurately, your line can only do 1Mbps (by BT's prequalification rules).

Is there anyway around this to get a better connection.

Gaijin · 30 Mar 2006 at 14:11

I went from Pipex to Zen, and that was only because Pipex got cross because I was being naughty

Both are excellent from my experience

red11 · 30 Mar 2006 at 15:21

phill said:
Pipex own Nildram afaik

****! any Nildram customers here notice a chance since Pipex bought them over?

tolien · 30 Mar 2006 at 17:18

ghandi said:
Is there anyway around this to get a better connection.

Hard to say without attenuation, SNR margin etc.

Scottland · 30 Mar 2006 at 17:27

Tony Soprano said:
****! any Nildram customers here notice a chance since Pipex bought them over?

I've been with Nildram on ADSL for 3 years, never noticed any degredation in service since Pipex bought them about 18months ago, and would certainly class them as one of the better ISP's at the moment.

Skilldibop · 30 Mar 2006 at 17:32

ghandi said:
Tiscalli couldnt give me phone package at the same time and i refuse to go with bt due to past experiences.

Is there anyway around this to get a better connection.

New line. But even then if your miles from the exchange the very finest copper will still attenuate like a female dog.

red11 · 30 Mar 2006 at 18:11

Scottland said:
I've been with Nildram on ADSL for 3 years, never noticed any degredation in service since Pipex bought them about 18months ago, and would certainly class them as one of the better ISP's at the moment.

Good stuff.