Author Topic: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations  (Read 21735 times)

Biggsy

  • A bodge too far
  • Twit @iceblinker
    • My stuff on eBay
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #25 on: 01 March, 2011, 02:12:20 pm »
The first thing you will want to know is can you get broadband and at what speed and which provider. If you put you details in here you will get this information.
SamKnows - Telephone Exchange Search

It does not tell you all the providers that can use a BT line in your area.
●●●  My eBay items  ●●●  Twitter  ●●●

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #26 on: 01 March, 2011, 02:12:31 pm »
What does "back-haul" and "non LLU" mean?

In this context, back-haul is all the infrastructure between your ADSL modem and their L2TP server in Telehouse.  So your phone line, the DSLAM in the exchange, the BRAS and the data network that links that to London.  Most ISPs are in the same position here - they rent this stuff wholesale from BT, and it costs them to do so.  AAISP pass on the install and cease costs, and notice period directly.  The majority of ISPs absorb those costs and tie you into an n-month contract to recoup them.

LLU is a scheme whereby ISPs rent space to install their own equipment in your telephone exchange, and rent the bare wire to your house (and whatever fibre etc they need to get the data back to a central location).  This is cheaper to rent, and eliminates the BT equipment (which is often a source of faults and arbitrary service restrictions), but obviously there's a cost associated with installing the equipment - hence you're only likely to have this option in bigger, more urban exchanges.

Practically, there is an administrative hassle (and cost) involved in transferring a line between BT wholesale and LLU equipment (someone has to go and physically plug things in).  On the other hand, if you're using a BT Wholesale line with say, Plusnet and want to transfer to a BT Wholesale line with AAISP, the overhead is minimal, hence the token £1 migration charge.

Biggsy

  • A bodge too far
  • Twit @iceblinker
    • My stuff on eBay
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #27 on: 01 March, 2011, 02:17:39 pm »
Thanks Kim :thumbsup:

Do the bras need undoing? ;)
●●●  My eBay items  ●●●  Twitter  ●●●

Woofage

  • Tofu-eating Wokerati
  • Ain't no hooves on my bike.
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #28 on: 01 March, 2011, 02:22:47 pm »
Having had a think about this I could recommend Zen, they have a good rep and have several options, the highest download limit of which is 100M/mnt for ~£30.

Real people, UK call centres

They'll even call you back when they say they will :thumbsup:

Excellent service and highly recommended. We had an obscure problem with our router. Rather than just turn round and say "buy xyz from us" they worked to find a solution :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Edit: we work from home and BB is vital to our business. Therefore, supplier choice was not on a whim or on price.
Pen Pusher

DaveJ

  • Happy days
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #29 on: 01 March, 2011, 03:18:38 pm »
Are you in a area that has FTTC?  This will give you a faster connection (Up to 40Mbs down, 10Mbs up), but it will limit your choice of broadband supplier.

http://www.robertos.me.uk/html/isps_offering_fttc.html

If you are not in a FTTC area, BE were good when we had them.

Dave


Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #30 on: 01 March, 2011, 03:43:54 pm »
Do the bras need undoing? ;)

They do occasionally get stuck and require a call to BT, yeah :)

Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #31 on: 01 March, 2011, 03:44:02 pm »
Are you in a area that has FTTC?  

How do I tell?
Commercial, Editorial and PR Photographer - www.charlottebarnes.co.uk

Kim

  • Timelord
    • Fediverse
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #32 on: 01 March, 2011, 03:48:11 pm »
AAISP were heavily involved in the FTTC trial, so have more experience with it than most.  Anecdata suggests this is advantageous, as the engineers doing the install tend to make silly assumptions about home hubs (BT retail's branded router) and require LARTing.

Excellent stuff if you're lucky enough to be able to get it.   :thumbsup:

Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #33 on: 01 March, 2011, 03:51:36 pm »
Are you in a area that has FTTC?  

How do I tell?

BT's standard DSL checking page will tell you if you've got a BT phone number.

Otherwise you can stick a postcode in: Broadband Providers Comparison for UK ADSL, Cable and Satellite
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

DaveJ

  • Happy days
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #34 on: 01 March, 2011, 04:08:06 pm »
How do I tell?

On the BT web site look for Broadband and BT Infinity.

Dave


Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #35 on: 01 March, 2011, 04:19:16 pm »
Otherwise you can stick a postcode in: Broadband Providers Comparison for UK ADSL, Cable and Satellite

Quote
Broadband Summary
Broadband services for your area on 1st March 2011
ADSL   Available   

ADSL Broadband using a standard BT line is available
Cable   Available   

Cable Broadband is available
Satellite   Available   

Broadband & Satellite TV is available
Mobile 3G   Available   

Mobile Broadband for your PC using wireless 3G
Broadband services may be subject to additional line tests and available network capacity in your area.   

   
ADSL Broadband
Availability for your area on the local exchange
Exchange   Available   

    * Your local BT Exchange (Perivale) is ADSL broadband enabled

Line   Available   

    * Your line should be capable of supporting download speeds up to 4Mb.
    * Your line will be fully tested when you place a broadband order
    * Postcode-only checks are not 100% accurate
    * Please click here and enter your phone number
    * Unbundled broadband services up to 24Mb (around 480 times faster than dial-up) are available in your area

*nonethewiser*
Commercial, Editorial and PR Photographer - www.charlottebarnes.co.uk

Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #36 on: 01 March, 2011, 04:28:51 pm »
Line   Available   

    * Your line should be capable of supporting download speeds up to 4Mb.

*nonethewiser*

No then. I get:-

Quote
Exchange   Available   

    * Your local BT Exchange (Putney) is ADSL broadband enabled

Line   Available   

    * Your line should be capable of supporting download speeds up to 8Mb or up to 33.9Mb with BT Infinity fibre optic broadband
    * An incompatible product may be installed on the line or you already have ADSL broadband
    * Your chosen service provider will be able to help with migrations and compatibility issues
    * Your line will be fully tested when you place a broadband order
    * Unbundled broadband services up to 24Mb (around 480 times faster than dial-up) are available in your area

The bit in bold is FTTC/BT Infinity.
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #37 on: 01 March, 2011, 04:29:48 pm »
Bugger.
Commercial, Editorial and PR Photographer - www.charlottebarnes.co.uk

Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #38 on: 01 March, 2011, 04:34:54 pm »
SamKnows - Broadband Availability - Perivale (LWPER) Exchange

FTTC status:    
RFS date set : 01/09/2011

1st Sep.

(RFS = Request For Service)
"Yes please" said Squirrel "biscuits are our favourite things."

inc

Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #39 on: 01 March, 2011, 05:10:13 pm »
The first thing you will want to know is can you get broadband and at what speed and which provider. If you put you details in here you will get this information.
SamKnows - Telephone Exchange Search

It does not tell you all the providers that can use a BT line in your area.

All broadband providers can run over BT copper, that checker tells you what LLU providers are available and BT wholesale products.

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #40 on: 01 March, 2011, 07:07:34 pm »
It appears these BT Infinity availability dates are being pushed back all the time.
We were supposed to get in March 2011.
Now it seems to be June 2011 on Samknows and July 2011 on tthe BT website.

If I had just moved house, I might well go for Virgin but I suppose I'll wait for till Infinity...

tonycollinet

  • No Longer a western province of Númenor
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #41 on: 01 March, 2011, 09:00:57 pm »
BE claim to be unlimited and unthrottled. I have no personal experience, but a friend rates them

I'm on plusnet. Their current offerings are throttled to hell. I'm on an older package which is just about tolerable.

Clandy

Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #42 on: 01 March, 2011, 09:05:00 pm »

What we're after:

  • Blistering speed
  • No bandwidth shaping or packet inspection
  • Static IP
  • Realistic data allowance (doesn't have to be unlimited - I'd rather it was reasonable)
  • Geek-friendly tools and toys
  • Excellent customer service

For this, we're happy to pay.  Specifically, if we're saving the cost of a telly licence, I think £35-40 a month is quite reasonable.  More if it's worth it.


Zen Internet. Best ISP in the UK.


   Latest Awards | About Us | Zen Internet

Chris S

Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #43 on: 01 March, 2011, 09:06:57 pm »
Well - assuming you've stayed in the city - you've at least given yourselves a fighting chance of getting something usable.

Valiant

  • aka Sam
    • Radiance Audio
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #44 on: 02 March, 2011, 12:37:12 am »
It's worth noting that BT currently have a 3 week delay in getting round to installing new connections. They blame it on the snow. I blame it on them sacking people and being tight arses. Sadly most ISPs will require BT engineer connection.
You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say will be misquoted, then used against you.

Support Equilibrium

Gandalf

  • Each snowflake in an avalanche pleads not guilty
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #45 on: 02 March, 2011, 06:56:38 am »
It's worth noting that BT currently have a 3 week delay in getting round to installing new connections. They blame it on the snow. I blame it on them sacking people and being tight arses. Sadly most ISPs will require BT engineer connection.

Indeed, the masterplan was to shed circa 17,000 fully skilled and experienced staff and bring in 'efficiency measures' to increase productivity (climate of fear, van trackers, compulsory overtime etc). 

It hasn't worked, so we cannot release people from the copper workstack to do FTTC.


Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #46 on: 02 March, 2011, 08:54:42 am »
The obvious choice is Andrews and Arnold, of which I've yet to hear a bad word.  But the array of choice that they offer is bewildering.  Does anyone use them?  What services do you buy?  I expect that I need to call them and talk through what we need.

One problem with A&A is that they can be quite expensive if you need daytime internet - I'm now paying just over £50/month to them, up from mid-20s when I had used to be office based. If you expect to watch TV over the net on weekdays before 6pm you'll be hammered on charges.
But for service, they are worth it.

Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #47 on: 02 March, 2011, 10:37:29 am »
That's good then - because we very seldom do.  Mainly, our internet TV habit is restricted to News24, documentaries and the decent BBC dramas in the evenings.

If either of us are working from home then it's pretty much email and that's it.  I spoke to A&A last night and I think we'll be going with them because I very much like their "it's your internet connection, you do what you like with it" attitude.

They can do us proper VOIP with a proper phone number, too.  Although I am thinking that with mobiles as main phones, maybe all we need is Skype.
Commercial, Editorial and PR Photographer - www.charlottebarnes.co.uk

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #48 on: 02 March, 2011, 10:51:29 am »
The obvious choice is Andrews and Arnold, of which I've yet to hear a bad word.  But the array of choice that they offer is bewildering.  Does anyone use them?  What services do you buy?  I expect that I need to call them and talk through what we need.

One problem with A&A is that they can be quite expensive if you need daytime internet - I'm now paying just over £50/month to them, up from mid-20s when I had used to be office based. If you expect to watch TV over the net on weekdays before 6pm you'll be hammered on charges.
But for service, they are worth it.

+1 to this.

I'm waiting now for our exchange to be unbundled in November and the charges to plummet.
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: Starting from scratch - ISP recommendations
« Reply #49 on: 02 March, 2011, 10:54:36 am »
They can do us proper VOIP with a proper phone number, too.  Although I am thinking that with mobiles as main phones, maybe all we need is Skype.

You can have a proper phone number with Skype if you want. QoS is easier for SIP based VoIP though and you wouldn't need your computer on to receive or make calls provided you had a SIP phone and a SIP PBX of some kind.
I think you'll find it's a bit more complicated than that.