Vivaciti FTTC, any experience?

Doing a little research into FTTC providers and noticed that Vivaciti's FTTC Professional (500GB peak unlimited off-peak) seems to buck the trend. Almost too good to be true. A little digging and I believe O-Bit provide the FTTC products? The packages/data limits look identical. And noticed this on this page (http://www.o-bit.net/products/fttc.html):

"Non business traffic may be restricted within business hours
in order to protect legitimate business traffic. More specifically we may restrict peer to peer and news group traffic from 8am to 6pm."

Anyone have any experience with these packages? Do they definitely throttle? Seems both on here and on Vivaciti's forums O-Bit have been a nuisance on the regular ADSL packages in the past. Don't want to jump on an FTTC product with a similar experience.

In reply to a post by Eeknay:

Anyone have any experience with these packages? Do they definitely throttle? Seems both on here and on Vivaciti's forums O-Bit have been a nuisance on the regular ADSL packages in the past. Don't want to jump on an FTTC product with a similar experience.

Can't speak about FTTC but I am on the surfwise complete package that uses the Obit network.
Not really had any issues (See my earlier thread about a bit of odd latency for a day) and seem to get maximum throughput all the time. Have a very clean CQM chart with low pings if not using the connection .

On ADSL they sell their file sharing upgrade which removes all traffic shaping and FUP but this would be another £20 and not sure if it applies to the FTTC product?
Link on Obit site

Re the shaping I only noticed it on Iplayer but this was a mistake in the traffic shaping rules which has since been corrected. If I remember correctly this slowed the connection down to around 0.3 - 0.5Mb/s during business hours so may be an indicator of how P2P would be affected.

Interesting they guarantee a minimum 12Mb/s throughput on that package. Is that unique for a FTTC product?

Gary

Someone will have to correct me if I'm mistaken but I believe that 12Mbit/s number is the minimum sync speed they'll provide, otherwise they won't go forward with a FTTC order. It doesn't mean you'll always get 12Mbit/s regardless of shaping/congestion etc etc.

I guess the 100GB/500GB FTTC Vivaciti package's are new so will probably just contact them directly to clarify.

Close .

Openreach now have two products, 15Mbps+ and 5Mbps+.

If the sync speed on the 15Mbps one is below 15Mbps the installation is reversed . The minimum expected download speed is 12Mbps on any 15Mbps+ connection.

Thanks for the clarification.

Vivaciti also got back to me rather quickly. Here is their reply:

"The FTTC Premium is the only fully unlimited package we do for FTTC at the moment. Over the other FTTC packages p2p and newsgroup downloads have a lower traffic priority during office hours (8am - 8pm) weekdays only."

Which seems reasonable (Premium in case anyone is interested is £150). What is quite shocking though is they provide no hardware of any kind for FTTC! That setup fee you have to cough up doesn't come with a modem or router. Very strange.

Edited by deleted (Mon 28-Feb-11 13:53:13)

shurely a modem is provided.

As BatBoy says. A compulsory VDSL2 modem is provided by Openreach as part of the installation.

You need a (cable) router to go with it. I have a Buffalo Airstation Nfiniti WHR-G300Nv2. Under £30 from Amazon and eBuyer and seems very flexible to me. But not a router expert. I ignored its CD and used the setup wizard - it connected within seconds and the wireless seems better than my TG 585v6, 585v7 and Netgear 834PN.

How's the wireless range on that router? If I did take a jump into the FTTC pool I'd be considering that or the Netgear WNR2000.

Edited by deleted (Mon 28-Feb-11 14:35:39)

And I've clarified with Vivaciti, they have confirmed that no modem is supplied. Very odd.

Hard to tell re the wireless other than what I have said.

This house has a metal frame with metal floor joists between upstairs and downstairs. It works fine from the spare bedroom corner to anywhere in the downstairs through room. Not exactly the weather to try in the garden.

I reckoned I couldn't lose at that price and with it being returnable.

They are wrong. There is a misunderstanding between you and them somewhere.

They do know you are talking FTTC? (I know the earlier one did, but ...).

Edited by RobertoS (Mon 28-Feb-11 15:47:08)

Yup, I specifically mentioned FTTC (twice).

I'm going to email the boss.

but instead you emailed me

Matt

Ouch! Thanks Matt.

That's OK. I forgive you, this time.

Matt

Out-of-office reply for today .

But I assure you, the only modem Openreach allow is the one they install on all current FTTC connections. It is correct that there is no router, except on BT Infinity where BT Broadband supply it.

In reply to a post by Eeknay:

And I've clarified with Vivaciti, they have confirmed that no modem is supplied. Very odd.

An "Active VDSL Modem" is supplied with all FTTC connections, brought by the BT Openreach engineer upon install. The cost of this unit is covered in part from the activation charge (if charged by the ISP).

I presume this is a staffing error (re-training required?) or maybe slightly worrying that someone is selling something they don't fully understand.

Rest assured Eeknay a modem will be supplied, otherwise the deal on the table maybe not look as good.

Reply from "the boss" of vivaciti.

Cheers for that Bob, can't reply as on train and net keeps dropping. But looks like a simple breakdown in comms as it does not come with router but of course bt supply and install the modem.

Hi,
12MEG is the garunteed throughput on the product.

Hi,
Might be a breakdown in comms, but to clarify, e do not give any free equipment with the FTTC products, but a VDSL modem is supplied by BT as part of the installation of the service.

In reply to a post by vivaciti:

Hi,
12MEG is the garunteed throughput on the product.

Assured Rate

Martin,
You sell what ever product and specs you like, and we will do the same.
Oh and our product for anyone else reading that thread it is Guaranteed throughput.

i am not the best of spellers but vivaciti i would check your spelling !

well i did say i was not !!

Edited by deleted (Tue 01-Mar-11 13:15:10)

In reply to a post by Johnct:

i am not the best of speller but vivactiti i would check your spelling !

Who is vivactiti?

You also need either to delete the "of" or add an "s" to the end of "speller" .

may i should go on the tv programme countdown lol
but it would not be for the spelling !!


ohh that girl !!!!

In reply to a post by aquiss:

In reply to a post by vivaciti:

Hi,
12MEG is the garunteed throughput on the product.

Assured Rate

I would say the definition of Assured and Guaranteed are the same to me

Assured
Made sure; safe; insured; certain; indubitable; not doubting;
bold to excess.

Guaranteed
to give a guarantee concerning; to engage, assure, or
secure as a thing that may be depended on