Ah! Especially if they're plugged into the same power socket?

I live a sheltered life here in the Wilds of Leicestershire. I have a (fairly) stable ADSL2+ connection, no other wireless networks in (detectable) range and no competition for network resources. What's not to like?

In reply to a post by Oliver341:

In reply to a post by jchamier:

Other options include an ethernet cable if you can run under carpet, or buying homeplug boxes that connect over mains.

Or buy a wifi extender.

Yep! They could get a couple of Devolo 1200+WiFi homeplugs to connect their TV to the router.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dLAN-powerline-1200-WiFi-Sta...

Given its just ADSL2+ then this kit is better value at £65 and will cope with ADSL2+ and all but the fastest FTTC connections over the range from hall into lounge.

Sorry for doubting you previously. I am glad you managed to obtain the router statistics, which told us a lot.

Don't be too concerned about moving to TalkTalk. I get my telephone and broadband from TalkTalk and on the whole, I get a good service.

TalkTalk have one major advantage over the competition as far as I am concerned - price. I pay £7.50 per month for unlimited telephone calls to UK numbers (01, 02, 03, 0845 & 0870 numbers) and all UK mobiles, plus £3.50 per month for their basic broadband (ADSL2+) package (without any expensive TV add-ons). And although I have a direct debit, I receive a further 10% discount, if I pay the bill by credit or debit card within 24 hours of receiving my monthly statement. TalkTalk line rental costs £16.70 per month or £180.36 p.a. in advance. Unlike BT, they do not charge for caller line display.

Furthermore, TalkTalk's on-line forums have slight advantages over Think Broadband. If you need to contact them, you will find their forums are staffed by experienced TalkTalk executives, who have direct access to performance data for your line. They can also adjust your broadband configuration to maximise performance.

I live closer to the Telephone exchange than you do, but my download speeds are similar to yours. However, the ancient copper wiring between my home and the exchange is owned and maintained by BT. It includes an overhead section, which passes through trees and several junctions. Consequently, I suffer glitches from time to time, due to problems with the wiring. There is nothing I can do to improve the external wiring, and I would suffer similar problems, if I moved to another service provider.

Likewise, you can do little about the external wiring to your home (which is probably OK, anyway). The buffering you have experienced on Netflix might be due to congestion within AOL. If so, broadband speeds and reliability could improve, when you move to TalkTalk. It is unlikely to be any worse.

It is usually preferable to plug your router into the telephone master socket. However, your problems with Netflix might be caused by an intermittent Wi_Fi connection in your home. There are so many things that can affect Wi-Fi , including masonry or foil-lined internal walls, interference from flickering fluorescent tubes, microwave ovens, a neighbour's Wi-Fi on the same frequency, etc. Consequently, it is definitely worth experimenting, by moving your router to an extension socket closer to the TV, even if that causes a slight reduction in overall download speeds. And if moving the router doesn't help, it will be easy to move it back to the master socket.

However, a wired Ethernet connection between the TV and router would be even better. Otherwise, a Powerline adapter, which transfers data to and from the router via your mains electrical wiring is another possibility.

In reply to a post by tigdrac:

That's when they persuaded me to go with Talk Talk at no extra cost.. TT won't go l'live' until 18th March,

When you join TT they will allocate you a new @talktalk.co.uk email a/c. However you will retain your @aol.com email addy (& screenname) and may carry on using it, as it does not belong to TT nor AOL BB.

Edited by XRaySpeX (Wed 11-Mar-15 14:44:17)

One quick addition around contract length.

You are currently in a contract for whatever reason. Have you confirmed whether the move to TalkTalk will change your contract length and potentially extend you to a longer contract making it even more costly to move if the service didn't suit you? Ideally they will keep you to no more than the contract you already have outstanding - if they want to lengthen it then consider how that might impact you if you wanted to move away.

Are you still using the AOL Software bloatware on your PCs? This is entirely unnecessary and is well known for slugging Net access. This could well be the cause of the uneven performance you are experiencing. Get rid of it straight away.

You would be better off accessing Netflix & all other sites using a standard PC Internet browser, like Internet Explorer or Firefox.

You would be better off accessing Netflix & all other sites using a standard PC Internet browser, like Internet Explorer or Firefox.

I would guess they want to watch it on the big screen which is generally easier for most people using the built in smart apps or something like a chrome stick. Plugging PCs into a TV is generally not the preferred method for most to watch Netflix (IMO).

That's true! I was forgetting the TV won't be going via the AOL bloatware and was just thinking more generally.

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

When you join TT they will allocate you a new @talktalk.co.uk email a/c. However you will retain your @aol.com email addy (& screenname) and may carry on using it, as it does not belong to TT nor AOL BB.

Very interesting, does that same apply to all legacy @tiscali.co.uk email addresses?