Just wondering if anyone has any recomendations for decent broadband? I'm currently on the top BT option but have become increasingly frustrated at getting less than 6mbps instead of the 20 that I actually pay for.
Ideally I'd like to not have to pay BT for any line rental so I suppose that means Virgin is my only option?
Broadband
If you find out, I'd love to know too.
I've been with BT since the Ark (1995), and have generally had no problems at all. The speed has always been excellent.
Recently, however, the speed has dropped off terribly and despite the support services insisting nothing has changed I'm afraid I don't believe them.
The real 'killer-app’ for me would be a faster upload speed. The measly sub-500K of those offered by most of the providers just doesn't cut it in the real world; especially when you are uploading large files regularly for work.
There is a rumour that Virgin are upgrading their upload speed sometime this year.
I've been with BT since the Ark (1995), and have generally had no problems at all. The speed has always been excellent.
Recently, however, the speed has dropped off terribly and despite the support services insisting nothing has changed I'm afraid I don't believe them.
The real 'killer-app’ for me would be a faster upload speed. The measly sub-500K of those offered by most of the providers just doesn't cut it in the real world; especially when you are uploading large files regularly for work.
There is a rumour that Virgin are upgrading their upload speed sometime this year.
This thread may be of interest: http://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4258
NB there is a difference (sometimes huge) between 'connect speed' and throughput. Some ISPs (like BT & Virgin) throttle customers rather than provide capacity for peak usage. They were also prepared to sell your browsing habits to third parties ... and so on.
There are a number of good websites which monitor the many ISPs. The really good ones may be few and cost a little more but its a business where you generally get what you pay for. Intelligent (intelligible) support can be important to some ... I emigrated from BT to Zen many years ago and have not regretted it.
Admin
NB there is a difference (sometimes huge) between 'connect speed' and throughput. Some ISPs (like BT & Virgin) throttle customers rather than provide capacity for peak usage. They were also prepared to sell your browsing habits to third parties ... and so on.
There are a number of good websites which monitor the many ISPs. The really good ones may be few and cost a little more but its a business where you generally get what you pay for. Intelligent (intelligible) support can be important to some ... I emigrated from BT to Zen many years ago and have not regretted it.
Admin
I was going to suggest you read the link that Admin kindly proferred Willy.
Admin makes a very interesting point about the 'headline' number and reality due to constraints of distance from the exchange etc.. I have recently switched from Virgin to Sky (back to using the B.T. lines) and get about what I would expect...
Which is nowhere near what they advertise.
I know Virgin used a different network and aren't reliant on copper wires from the telegraph pole but I'd be keen to see what you end up with and if it's anywhere near 20Mb...as it wasn't with me when I was with Virgin, that's for sure.
Admin makes a very interesting point about the 'headline' number and reality due to constraints of distance from the exchange etc.. I have recently switched from Virgin to Sky (back to using the B.T. lines) and get about what I would expect...
Which is nowhere near what they advertise.
I know Virgin used a different network and aren't reliant on copper wires from the telegraph pole but I'd be keen to see what you end up with and if it's anywhere near 20Mb...as it wasn't with me when I was with Virgin, that's for sure.
Sky use Easynet which was one of the original 'high performers' and also have a business market.
Not much changes in the ISP world. Back in the days when there were only two 'dial-ups' - Demon & Pipex - we always recommended Pipex to residential users and Demon to business users. That was the reverse of their target markets. So Pipex (business) had no capacity problems in the evening/weekends and Demon (residential) had no problems during the working week.
Of course if you can balance business & residential customers you can have a much flatter demand pattern across the day and not have a network that freaks out when the kids get home from school ...
That's why mainly home ISPs like BT & Virgin have to shape traffic hard if they are to offer competitive prices. That can be killing if you use P2P applications.
Admin
NB Pipex is not the same company today. The brand was sold to Tiscali and onto TalkTalk/CPW I believe.
Not much changes in the ISP world. Back in the days when there were only two 'dial-ups' - Demon & Pipex - we always recommended Pipex to residential users and Demon to business users. That was the reverse of their target markets. So Pipex (business) had no capacity problems in the evening/weekends and Demon (residential) had no problems during the working week.
Of course if you can balance business & residential customers you can have a much flatter demand pattern across the day and not have a network that freaks out when the kids get home from school ...
That's why mainly home ISPs like BT & Virgin have to shape traffic hard if they are to offer competitive prices. That can be killing if you use P2P applications.
Admin
NB Pipex is not the same company today. The brand was sold to Tiscali and onto TalkTalk/CPW I believe.
-
danstevens
- Posts: 116
- Joined: 6 Oct 2004 09:46
- Location: Sydenham
if you just browse the internet send email etc adsl (broadband down a copper phone wire) is fine. If you download / upload large files, share your connection with others cable broadband is the only way to go.
I've been with Virgin for over a year on their 20mb service and it's faultless. Always get the speed advertised and never any down time. Also means you don't need a land-line.
Many people fall into the trap of using online speed checkers which never give a true picture of the actual speed of your connection.
I've been with Virgin for over a year on their 20mb service and it's faultless. Always get the speed advertised and never any down time. Also means you don't need a land-line.
Many people fall into the trap of using online speed checkers which never give a true picture of the actual speed of your connection.
-
goonerchamp
- Posts: 167
- Joined: 28 Jun 2005 12:18
- Location: Sydenham, Sydenham where the f**k is Sydenham
My daughter has a 20Gb Virgin connection in Birmingham which grinds to almost a complete halt most evenings. Some parts of the Virgin network are good, others not as it is an amalgan of the original borough based local cable networks and peering arrangements. Certain applications become impractical if you get the wrong side of their traffic shaper no matter what the connection speed. Virgin performance really depends on where you are and what you are doing when.danstevens wrote:I've been with Virgin for over a year on their 20mb service and it's faultless. Always get the speed advertised and never any down time.
My other daughter gets a Virgin connection tomorrow (because there is no landline) so I will see their performance nearer home!
The websites which monitor actual thruput are pretty consistent which ISPs deliver best performance over time.
Admin
-
digime2007
- Posts: 258
- Joined: 10 Sep 2007 18:26
- Location: Sydenhham
Interesting to see this on the Virgin website:
I'm on an o2 20meg package and connect at about 17meg. Never had any throughput problems but then don't use any peer to peer software. I think o2 prioritise traffic like the BBC iPlayer and Youtube so when I occasionally access these it has always been flawless.
The following site has some useful info, ISP comparisons, tools and a forum:
http://www.thinkbroadband.com
I'd be interested in any links to sites that have stats on real life throughput across ISP over time. Anyone?
So, their 'peak times' are 'most of the time', or 'the vast majority of the time' I'd be using the internet. Doesn't seem very promising to me.When can I expect my Actual Throughput Speed to vary?
Speeds can vary at any time, but we've found that our peak times are between 4pm and midnight Monday to Friday and 10am to midnight at the weekends, when a large number of customers are using their broadband connection.
I'm on an o2 20meg package and connect at about 17meg. Never had any throughput problems but then don't use any peer to peer software. I think o2 prioritise traffic like the BBC iPlayer and Youtube so when I occasionally access these it has always been flawless.
The following site has some useful info, ISP comparisons, tools and a forum:
http://www.thinkbroadband.com
I'd be interested in any links to sites that have stats on real life throughput across ISP over time. Anyone?
I use '3' for my mobile broadband. It does not penetrate concrete buildings very well resulting in very poor performance inside. On the otherhand I held a good working connection from Coventry all the way down the M40 to London with just one drop.
More worryingly is if you use non-web links (like secure IMAP for email). These work dodgily or not at all. There is much messing about at the link between their internal network and the outside world. I use PAYG broadband as it works out cheaper than contract if your use varies from month to month and that also avoids '3' infamous contract handling department. Indeed they have just changed their PAYG billing process without notice/consultation which means it no longer meets my needs. So I will be trying others ... Vodafone PAYG broadband has the advantage that their £15/Gb is more expensive but as it doesn't expire you are never going to waste any - which is not true of any of the other providers.
'3' is generally regarded as the the best 3G broadband network, its the most extensive, but things do fall apart when you you roam onto Orange 2G when out of area. O2 data is bad probably because it is overloaded with free iPhone data plans. Orange? Don't get me started ...
Admin
More worryingly is if you use non-web links (like secure IMAP for email). These work dodgily or not at all. There is much messing about at the link between their internal network and the outside world. I use PAYG broadband as it works out cheaper than contract if your use varies from month to month and that also avoids '3' infamous contract handling department. Indeed they have just changed their PAYG billing process without notice/consultation which means it no longer meets my needs. So I will be trying others ... Vodafone PAYG broadband has the advantage that their £15/Gb is more expensive but as it doesn't expire you are never going to waste any - which is not true of any of the other providers.
'3' is generally regarded as the the best 3G broadband network, its the most extensive, but things do fall apart when you you roam onto Orange 2G when out of area. O2 data is bad probably because it is overloaded with free iPhone data plans. Orange? Don't get me started ...
Admin