Internet/ISP advice [possibly looking at a leased line]...

[Chaoss]

Hi, I really need to change my ISP but am having some problems deciding on what I should do and could really use some outside advice.

So first off what I use my connections for...

I have a dsl 20/20 service with a static IP which has some minor packet loss from BT (using vdsl2 tech I believe) which is hosting the EU west server for the game studio I work for (and packet loss is not an issue, more about this below). I then have a buisiness cable service from Liberty Global (NTL/Virgin Media) which is wholly inadiquet for my use. I do a lot of committing and fetching using Git and can easily get through a terrabyte of data a month (about 400gb uploaded and 600gb downloaded). Ontop of this I use the conection personally, so that's gaming and the very occasional torrent (usually the newest Walking Dead, Doctor Who, etc. episodes as I cannot stream)

I need around 25 upload bandwidth minimum and ideally around 50 down, unfortunately Openreach which seem to have a monopoly on the lines needed to run broadband down will only supply 1 line per house due to being the most congested exchange in the country, and I'm using that one line for my servers connection. This leaves me with only Virgin Media as my only affordable option.

The issue is that this is the fastest speeds they can offer in this area (Angel in London)

On a good day I can sometimes almost get 2Mb and under 800 ping

Their tech support said that our area has the highest congestion anywhere in the country and it has a planned "upgrade" of September 2016 due to planning permissions and being central London.

We have been registered as an broadband slow spot (1 of only 5 based in a major city in the UK and the only one in London) but nothing is getting done as the focus seems to be on getting broadband to rural areas.

This has left me with the only option of going for a leased line, I do not need to pay for installation and the cost is £395 a month for 50/100 (50mb down and 50mb up). I have started the ball rolling, passed the credit checks and had the site survey but I'm still in the "I can cancel if I change my mind" period until the actual installation which will happen in January.

To top this off another provider can offer me 60/100 (60mb down and 60mb up) at £375 or 50 for £340, ideally I could go for this but the sign up or credit check could fail or something could "come up" and then I'd be really stuck lol. Lastly the first leased line provider (which is actually Virgin Media) has ensured me that if I loose my job or come onto financial hardship that providing proof, I can void the contract with no penalty. As far as I know no such provision exists with the second provider.

So far I'm leaving things as they are (letting the first leased line order go through) but I'm still in that area where I can change my mind. The question is am I making the right choice? If I deal with the mega slow speeds I'll loose my job, if I get either leased line that's a large chunk of my wages going onto internet (which to be honest is where I spend most of my time since it's my hobby and pretty much my life, although I do have a real social life as well and like to go out etc).

I'm basically asking am I doing the right thing or is there any advice/input to the situation I can get from anyone here?

 

[Caged]

Those are very low prices for a leased line so I think you'd struggle to do better. There will be no installation charge but there may be ECCs to pay, these should be covered by the £3000 voucher scheme though.

Being in Angel you might be in range of Venus's own fibre network, so it could be worth talking to them:

http://www.venus.co.uk/go/fibre-services/leased-lines/business-fibre-internet

You're unlikely to do better for the price though.

Why don't you co-locate your company game server down the road at Interxion and free up the FTTC line for your own use? Or even convert it to an Ethernet over FTTC connection if you want guaranteed uncontended throughput.

 

[#Chri5#]

My first thought, even before I read Caged's reply was "why not co-lo the server?"

If you need all this bandwidth for the business you work for, why are they not paying for the right connectivity?

Also...

Lastly the first leased line provider (which is actually Virgin Media) has ensured me that if I loose my job or come onto financial hardship that providing proof, I can void the contract with no penalty. As far as I know no such provision exists with the second provider.

Do you have that promise writing? If not, I'd put money on them forgetting about that verbal promise if push came to shove...

 

[Chaoss]

My first thought, even before I read Caged's reply was "why not co-lo the server?"

If you need all this bandwidth for the business you work for, why are they not paying for the right connectivity?

Also...



Do you have that promise writing? If not, I'd put money on them forgetting about that verbal promise if push came to shove...

I have requested it in writing and they've sent the letter, tracked. Their buisiness sector isn't like their residential or smaller buisiness service you get an accounts manager and mines a really sound guy (we've spent almost 4 hours talking about the Oculus Rift and the future of VR lol). But yeh he understands and has sent the letter out signed and tracked (it'll be here Monday)

I have thought about co-locating the server but I prefer to have it here in my rack where I have full control. I sometimes use it for testing and other uses when the player numbers are lower. I am a co-owner of said company (I started as just an environment artist, then lead 3d artist, then lead tech/3d now co-own)

Those prices are good and I'm getting the maximum discount available to me on that.

I do believe I tried calling a number of network providers and I do believe (although not 100% sure) that I called them but will give them a call monday and see if there's any way theyy can help.