Datastream vanished in use once Tiscali once bought by TalkTalk

Fixed rate is only appropriate on long lines with issues when the actual speed on ADSL Max is below the fixed rate. On ADSL Max, when many errors occur it slows the line down to try to make it stable.

In reply to a post by MrSaffron:

No LLU
http://labs.thinkbroadband.com/local/?postcode=TD11%...

So general rule is avoid the resellers, stick to the BT, PlusNet providers

Plusnet have been trouble free, but now the introductory discount is expired, they are looking expensive. I know of others on the exchange using Zen and also Post Office - and happy with result. Why would SSE be worse/slower than them?

In reply to a post by asker:

Plusnet have been trouble free, but now the introductory discount is expired, they are looking expensive. I know of others on the exchange using Zen and also Post Office - and happy with result. Why would SSE be worse/slower than them?

ISPs tend to be quite expensive on Market A so there's usually little point in straying from BT, plus BT generally order plenty of backhaul from their sister company when others tend to order less on IPSC.

What are the prices like?

In reply to a post by AAuser27:

Hi,

I don't think so. Makes no sense to put someone on a fixed IPstream 2mbps service where ADSL Max (upto 8mbps) is cheaper and more flexible.

Datastream ( I think) was the system before IP stream came along. https://www.btwholesale.com/pages/static/products-se... is what I think I am on about. I also think Datastream was the fixed product but few people are on it now

DataStream had both fixed and Max variants, It's differentiator was that it provided an ATM Virtual Path (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asynchronous_Transfer_Mode) backhaul for each and every individual BTWholesale DSLAM within an exchange to an ISP's nearest point of presence on their network. ISPs could size each VP to suit the traffic needs in a much more granular way, lowering costs in the process. Only suited to those ISP's with an ATM based core network (such as Tiscali).

SSE use Daisy as their wholesaler, and don't know enough about how they perform on Market 1 with no LLU exchanges.

Given the village with the exchange in it seems to comprise just one postcode cannot see LLU arriving, so I'd take the higher price with provider who is delivering or try BT. Personally I'd be picking from Zen and IDNet anyway, but they are more expensive than Plusnet

In reply to a post by Oliver341:

In reply to a post by asker:

Plusnet have been trouble free, but now the introductory discount is expired, they are looking expensive. I know of others on the exchange using Zen and also Post Office - and happy with result. Why would SSE be worse/slower than them?

ISPs tend to be quite expensive on Market A so there's usually little point in straying from BT, plus BT generally order plenty of backhaul from their sister company when others tend to order less on IPSC.

What are the prices like?

The SSE offer is:
SSE Everyday Broadband (unlimited) free for 2 years then £8 per month
+ Talk Weekend
+ £12 a month line rental

With Plusnet I'm looking at line rental of £12.99 (if I pay for a year in advance) + 16.99 for unlimited BB now that the £7 introductory discount has expired. They can do slightly better than that - but insist on a 24 month contract.

- so you can see why the SSE offer is of interest, but I'd be sick as a parrot if I was signed up for 18m and only getting 0.5 Mbps.

Edited by deleted (Wed 29-Apr-15 11:27:29)

I came here with the belief that if I was buying ADSL Max from another provider I'd be getting the same product at a lower cost (albeit with likely poorer support)

I think you are saying that due to "back haul" (whatever that is) and other issues, the cheaper ISPs would not be providing the same product - and even though it is still ADSL Max, it would be slower.

Is this a fair summary?

Let me chip in. Do not stray from BT, PlusNet etc - I totally agree. The big ISPs generally buy enough bandwidth to cope with their demand, the small cheap ones often do not, the small expensive ones do.

As a basic example, imagine it like this.

Imagine there are 3 providers, BT, Plusnet and SSE.
If you imagine every ISP has 100 customers.
100 customers on BT, 100 on Plusnet, 100 on SSE

Lets say there is 100Mbps available to your local telephone exchange.

BT may pay for 50Mbps, Plusnet may pay for 40Mbps, SSE may pay for 10Mbps.

Evidently SSE would end up much slower, as it has purchased a much lower amount of bandwidth (only 10Mbps) whereas BT would be 5 times faster as it has 50Mbps of bandwidth.

This is largely how it works... The example is very basic but gets the point across.

In reply to a post by ukhardy07:

Let me chip in. Do not stray from BT, PlusNet etc - I totally agree. The big ISPs generally buy enough bandwidth to cope with their demand, the small cheap ones often do not, the small expensive ones do.

As a basic example, imagine it like this.

Imagine there are 3 providers, BT, Plusnet and SSE.
If you imagine every ISP has 100 customers.
100 customers on BT, 100 on Plusnet, 100 on SSE

Lets say there is 100Mbps available to your local telephone exchange.

BT may pay for 50Mbps, Plusnet may pay for 40Mbps, SSE may pay for 10Mbps.

Evidently SSE would end up much slower, as it has purchased a much lower amount of bandwidth (only 10Mbps) whereas BT would be 5 times faster as it has 50Mbps of bandwidth.

This is largely how it works... The example is very basic but gets the point across.

OK thanks I didn't know it worked like that. I've just been on the phone to Plusnet and they've offered to more or less match the SSE deal - so that seems like an amazing result - and from what you say here, a lot better than going over to SSE or Post Office

Thanks to all for good info and advice.