In reply to a post by RobertoS:

It's not like Tiscali or TalkTalk where your phone line goes across as well. That's painful to get back from.

Which LLU providers do not take over your phone line?

Be & O2 don't amongst others.

Got my MAC code from BT today and ordered the O2 Standard Package via Quidco. Here's hoping it works out.

Thanks for the advice all, whilst the decision was ultimately mine, the input was helpful.

In reply to a post by cblymie:

Got my MAC code from BT today and ordered the O2 Standard Package via Quidco. Here's hoping it works out.

Thanks for the advice all, whilst the decision was ultimately mine, the input was helpful.

It's 99.9% certain it will be great. Let us know how it goes .

I would have recommended O2 six months ago, as they seemed to have made an effort on customer service, and were fine initially. Despite being on an LLU package, their throughput problems are causing my speed to drop off a cliff at peak times, and I'm one of many LLU package users in this situation. That's 6-8hrs a day with download speeds as low as 0.5Mb/s, which is NOT broadband. Their support staff have been very inconsistent about this, and so are either ill informed, or are deliberately giving out misinformation on the problem. They've signed up too many users for their system to handle, yet one of their 2nd line team even tried to persuade me to run TCP Optimizer! This would have been worse than useless, as it would have screwed up perfectly good stack settings if reset when the network was congested and causing dismal bandwith with massive data loss. Running trace route commands shows exactly where the problem is. with time outs, (or up to 3000ms latency), on the shared 'bethere' and 10.1.X.X servers. I'm very disappointed now with what was once a good package, so will be terminating my contract, seeing as they are in breach themselves, and trying cable instead,

BeWare.

I would have recommended O2 six months ago, as they seemed to have made an effort on customer service, and were fine initially. Despite being on an LLU package, their throughput problems are causing my speed to drop off a cliff at peak times

What exchange are you on please?

In reply to a post by cblymie:

Got my MAC code from BT today and ordered the O2 Standard Package via Quidco. Here's hoping it works out.

Good luck cblymie, although I doubt you will need luck as my O2 LLU package has been virtually faultless in the last 9 months.

Please come back here and let us know how it all pans out for you.

john

SSHEN, Bristol.

In reply to a post by Anonymous:

SSHEN, Bristol.

Thanks. But .

First I've heard of trouble in that area so that's why the frown. That's why I asked, to see what areas are affected. The more there are the more worrying it is.

Good luck with getting out, and with your next ISP. It's a real shame, because when O2 is good it is very good.

Unfortunately most of O2 tech support, (ncluding second line), either don't know what's going on, or else are deliberately misinforming customers to play down the extent of the problem. Try ringing the sales people and say you're thinking of migrating to O2 but have read reports of bad throughput in your area due to contention even on LLU exchanges, and see what THEY say! A responsible company would tell you they couldn't take on any more subscribers until their network is upgraded. The congestion isn't at the DSLAM exchange level, it's further up. Having got no sense from repeated calls, I'd asked to speak to a manager, both about the problem itself, and the response from tech support. They said a manager would phone me wthin 24hrs. One week, and many more phone calls, later, I finally got a call back tonight, (but only because I spoke to a manager in the billing department this morning and told her why I was cancelling the direct debit). I'd expect that from BT, but O2? He was only a second line manager, and even he seemed to be in the dark. If he'd been able to tell me that it would be resolved within the 6-8 weeks they're claiming for other parts of the network, (they've been claiming that for 6-8 weeks already), and offered to waive all charges until then, I MIGHT think it worth staying with them, but there's not even an estimate for when the Bristol area will be upgraded. The problem is getting rapidly worse too, so even then, I'd be reluctant to remain. I told him to pass on my comments to his line manager. I'd advise anyone experiencing these issues to keep a log of speeds and times, (with screenshots as proof), and simply withhold payment. If O2 stands to lose a lot of money it will suddenly focus its attention on tackling this properly. A good reputation takes a long time to build up, but it can be destroyed very quickly, as they are now finding out.