Not disputing that they're a fine ISP. but that the result is based on a relatively tiny pool of responses.

And the gap at the top is still fairly small so there's little to actually be inferred from the results. You certainly can't make proclamations like the title of this thread. Be like looking at the download figures and saying Virgin are twice as good as anyone else. Clearly not.

Seems I'm not alone in this thread in querying it.

Edited by orly (Wed 23-Mar-11 19:00:54)

You can certainly make statements like the posts heading if that is what you feel and find for yourself. It's called free speech and opinion. It's no good saying that isn't the case because if that is what people feel is right then it is right.

In reply to a post by billford:

In reply to a post by Kevin50:

How can we be top of the "quality index"?

"We" ?

Maybe IDNet customers can discern which problems are the fault of the ISP and which of BT.

It's a pity that ISP customers can't comment separately on the performance of the wholesale supplier used by their ISP.

Sorry. I said "we" as I'm an Idnet customer.

I'm still having trouble accepting the thread title though. So I googled "top uk isp" and from the first 2 pages it turned up that Idnet came....
12th on this list http://www.ispreview.co.uk/review/top50.php
10th on this list http://www.dslzoneuk.net/isp_ratings.php
6th on this list http://www.kitz.co.uk/isp/ISP_ratings.php
and was a no-show on this list http://www.whichisp.com/toprated.html

Taking these more believable figures into account, it would seem that from people who should know better, quoting a single obscure US list site and presenting it as fact (unless I missed the tongue in cheek) smacks of spin.

Smaller sample sizes work relatively negatively on an ISP because happy customers are less inclined to investigate speed issues and 'rate' or comment on their experience. And those that do are less likely to distinguish the difference between ADSL performance and ISP performance e.g. a BT failure reflects badly on the ISP.

The Speedtest.net sample is large due to the sheer scale of the network (50 servers in the UK alone) which generated 585 tests on IDNet over the past month. This compares to 100 or so per month here on TBB, a dozen or so on DSLzone, fewer even on ISPreview and least on Kitz - the latter rankings comprise all entries ever submitted, the significance of older submissions decreases over time. And some of those sites permit customers from other ISPs to submit 'spoiler' ratings if they are so inclined.

But I'm not about to pick an argument with the title of the thread

Edited by simon_idnet (Fri 25-Mar-11 09:50:37)

IDNET are still the UK's TOP ISP. It's all about what its customers perceive and think about them. Doesn't matter how many tests are made they will still be the UK's Top Isp because that's what its customers believe and So do I.

Well done Idnet for getting where you have over the years despite BT.

In reply to a post by simon_idnet:

The Speedtest.net sample is large due to the sheer scale of the network (50 servers in the UK alone) which generated 585 tests on IDNet over the past month.

Do you mean the data that was linked? If so, that isn't speedtest.net data, and is based on pingtest.net with only 3 nodes.

Speedtest.net only has 16 nodes in the UK (London has two) but those samples for IDnet are much higher for the same period (with more than 585 tests) from the three nodes we manage alone, not counting the other 13)

Matt

In reply to a post by uno:

those samples for IDnet are much higher for the same period (with more than 585 tests) from the three nodes we manage alone

Speaking for myself only... I don't often use speedtest.net, but when I do I try to use one of your nodes.

Whether it's server load, routing issues or whatever I have no idea (and it's not my problem!), but your nodes usually give me better results than the others, even those that are nearer.

I don't use pingtest.net at all fwiw, I prefer tbb's BQM.

Edited by billford (Fri 25-Mar-11 10:52:50)

Thanks Matt, understood. I only referred to Speedtest.net because the site didn't explicity quote Pingtest.net - I didn't want to confuse things.

As I understand it this data is not about speed, the results are concerned only with Quality = latency, packet loss and jitter. The star rating indicates personal opinion.

Cheers
Simon

It's OK I was talking to Doug @ Ookla about the rankings as some of them looked a little odd *cough* BT *cough* with such a low "rank" but high quality.

However, in their own words, that is one of their least favourite metrics because it is only based on pingtest.net which "isn't given much love" compared to the speedtest.net site.

Matt

Edited by uno (Fri 25-Mar-11 10:57:30)

In reply to a post by cavillas:

IDNET are still the UK's TOP ISP. It's all about what its customers perceive and think about them. Doesn't matter how many tests are made they will still be the UK's Top Isp because that's what its customers believe and So do I.

Well done Idnet for getting where you have over the years despite BT.

I do not dispute the fact that IDNet are a good ISP. I used to be with them and, whilst I was, I was happy for most of the time. Circumstances made me change ISP.

Having said that, I think your comment highlighted in bold is spoken through rose tinted spectacles (if I might mix metaphors). Would you think the same if a very small number indicated that, for example, Col. Gadaffi was really a Saint and should be revered? If the right people were asked, I'm sure that answer could be achieved!