Leave Sky BB to Virgin ?

BEN_UK · 25 Sep 2009 at 11:40

Hello,

I am currently on Sky Broadband and i believe it the connect package, allows up to 8Mb, the router is syncing at 5.5Mb

Early hours of the morning and day time the internet is fine, speed tests report close to 5Mb speeds so all is good.

However after 4pm the internet is rubbish, do a speed test then and its reports back 0.5M's !!!!! what the hell not even a meg :eek:

Its the same every day between 4 and midnight.

Sky say there nothing they can do

its just my exchange and the package i am on.

Would cancelling Sky and moving to Virgin broadband help ? i am not in a fibre optic area so it would still come down the phone line. But with virgin would i get 5Mb speed all day all the time ???

Thanks Ben

TBirdUK · 25 Sep 2009 at 11:47

Noooooooo!

Dont go to virgin - I had exactly the same as you had with Sky - and its a known issue - albeit most of the time it was a ping issue but the download did drop quite a lot too - always 4pm till about 0100!

I moved to ADSL24 which is much better - stable pings and decent, although a little slower (only 6.5mb) connection it is stable!

mp260767 · 25 Sep 2009 at 12:00

as per tbird, had a mate on virgin (via phone line rather than cable) and he switched to o2 llu.

look at your exchange on sam knows and see what llu packages they have available.

i switched from non-llu o2 to adsl24 and pings are far better.

BEN_UK · 25 Sep 2009 at 12:44

Thanks for the replies

Just looked at ADSL24 and looks like an option.

I check my exchange with my phone number, heres the results they any good ??? http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/EMWOODB

Could i get on with ADSL24 ??

TBirdUK · 25 Sep 2009 at 12:54

Think I'd either go cable (even though its Virgin) or ADSL24.

mp260767 · 25 Sep 2009 at 13:55

have virgin comfirmed you can't get cable ?

as samknows can be a bit behind if it doesnt get updates.

BEN_UK · 25 Sep 2009 at 14:12

TBirdUK said:
Think I'd either go cable (even though its Virgin) or ADSL24.

If i went with ADSL24 would i get the same speed all day then ?? like 5Mb even in the evening ???

Skys good in the day time just at night its rubbish, 0.5Mb carnt do anything. I want to game (PS3).

TBirdUK · 25 Sep 2009 at 14:22

Check which of the closest is your main hub, then keep an eye on it for a couple of days - thats how I checked mine - I get fully stable download and pings at all times.

use this to check your closest hubs

http://noc.enta.net/21cn-interconnect-status/

Sonea Fifer · 26 Sep 2009 at 00:41

BEN_UK said:
Skys good in the day time just at night its rubbish, 0.5Mb carnt do anything. I want to game (PS3).

If you're on the Connect package with Sky then they're basically providing your broadband service using BT's equipment in a BT exchange, as opposed to Sky's equipment in a BT exchange (unbundelled). Because of this BT are "throttling" the ADSL signal in order to provide a fair service (speed) to all the customers connected during peak times. This is why you're speed is dropping.

BEN_UK said:
Sky say there nothing they can do its just my exchange and the package i am on.

That's true - Sky dont own the equipment in the exchange and have no say over how it's run. As I understand it Virgin apply the same process on their Cable broadband service as well - I'd advise looking into whether that would affect you should you decide to make the move from Sky BB to Virgin.