VM or BT LLU? query

OrionTC · 28 May 2012 at 15:54

To cut a long story short I currently have Virgin Media at home with my parents. I am planning on moving this year into an area which supports both cable and BT LLU. Having huge issues with VM since the 30mb service upgrade. download speed doesnt matter so much to me, I am a huge gamer

I have 2 options: go with VM again and hope i get into a "good" area, if I am on the same exchange though will it be the same issues? If i did take VM can you cancel it before 7 days is up?

option 2: go with a BT LLU provider such as plusnet or BE broadband. if my estimated line speed is say 4mb is that literally the highest it can go? will BE broadband squeeze more out of it than say the free sky broadband you can get with SKY? I notice on the samknows broadband checker the speeds can vary so much even on the same street.... for example one guy has BE and gets 6mb someone else on the street has BT and gets 1.6mb or so.

Nightglow · 28 May 2012 at 16:16

If BT Infinity was coming to your exchange in the next few months, then I would go with Be, as they offer 3 month contracts.

http://www.superfast-openreach.co.uk/where-and-when/

OrionTC · 29 May 2012 at 09:38

no roll out plans for BT Infinity in my area

mp260767 · 29 May 2012 at 10:04

what other LLU services are available on the exchange, sky seem to be pretty good if there available.

DoneADougalOnSofa · 29 May 2012 at 10:10

For what it's worth, been with VM for a few years now, always worked perfectly. Terrific speeds and never any technical problems.
That said, just about everyone in my street is on Sky, so I think I've got all the bandwidth to myself...

DoneADougalOnSofa · 29 May 2012 at 10:11

ps. did VM upgrade your cable modem when they increased the speed? Could be struggling to cope with the increase...

OrionTC · 29 May 2012 at 10:55

its not the speed its the jitter/ping spikes. I do a lot of online gaming so a stable connection is key for me. my VM connection used to be perfect back on 10mb with the old cable modem I had.

I can get BE/Sky/TalkTalk/Plusnet(i guess)

its more the technical side of a BT line i dont get. i.e. speeds you get and the max you can get. I have never seen anyone get 16mb on a ADSL line around here for example.

Orcvader · 29 May 2012 at 11:49

Go for Be/O2/Sky (whatever is cheaper). These are the best LLUs you want.

As for the speeds you can get, it heavily relies on the distance between you and the exchange, and the quality of the line.

mp260767 · 29 May 2012 at 12:02

i'd go sky/be in that order.

if you have an idea of where your moving to have a look at the virgin media forums and see if theres any people in that area and how its going for them.

as Orcvader sayd, the speed for adsl is dependent on the quality of the line, which can vary a fair bit

.

OrionTC · 29 May 2012 at 12:38

thats what i figured, strange that it varies so much street by street. even more of a post code lottery than VM.

its the same town im moving within, just to the other side so prob the same exchange as i use now for VM. which isnt good at the moment....

Ill prob go all in sky if money is an issue. if not ill go BE for my gaming.