I've never understood these desires to knock ISPs as generically bad, rather than making specific criticisms of their services. Every company manages the occasional example of bad customer service, and every company manages to keep the majority of their customers happy, otherwise they'd go out of business.

Ultimately, there are a variety of services at a variety of price points using a variety of technologies, with a variety of usage limits, speeds and support packages. It is for the customer to weigh up the advantages and disadvantages of the options available to him or her. If you go for a low cost provider, you accept the limitations inherent in a low cost service, but for many, low cost providers like TalkTalk and Sky are an excellent option.


To give an example, I left what is now Virgin Media's broadband service because of oversubscription problems, but remained a television customer. As that was ten years ago, and even then only related to my immediate area, it says nothing about Virgin generically, other than being an example of the issues that can arise from those technologies (cable modems, satellite and PON based FTTP) that use a shared local medium.

If more capacity is sold on a shared medium than it can support, after making a conservative allowance for contention, the resulting saturation will cause issues with excessive latency and jitter. Clearly, these issues are less likely to cause problems with FTTP (which, in the current BT Openreach implementation, uses a gigabit connection shared between no more than 12 users) than with satellite (where the bandwidth of a single spot beam is shared amongst users across a wide geographic area).

In reply to a post by 4M2:

What's the problem with your neighbour's fibre service: is the modem on the end of a poorly routed "data extension" cable or is it an issue external to their property?

The BTOR engineer seemed to have done a ok job, bit strange, but ok. He put a extension from downstairs to upstairs and that is where he have put the filter and connection for the modem. The extensions going to the other phones downstairs have been left alone, they just plug into the normal phone socket. Loads of filters on that extension. i may have a look one day to see why and how they are connected
According to my neighbour BTOR engineer said they are getting 33Mb/s according to his equipment, but they don't get that in reality. So it is either BT traffic managing or the Engineer was lying.


I have also noticed that any checks for fibre around here now comes up with max speed of 35, but 12 months ago it was 45, so that is a bit strange.

Filtered faceplate on the NTE5 downstairs, "data extension" to a rj11 socket upstairs for the modem and the voice extensions filtered from the filtered faceplate on the NTE5 downstairs (not ideal) but should be OK?

Ideally the modem is best located next to the NTE5 and connected to the external vdsl or adsl socket on the filtered faceplate (without the use of a "data extension") requiring an ethernet connection between the modem downstairs and the router upstairs (or combined modem/router box via ethernet to the computer upstairs.) Filtered voice extension would be from the back of the filtered faceplate (or from the existing NTE5 bottom plate if an interstitial plate is used) and the phone socket on the NTE5 filtered faceplate (or NTE5 bottom plate with interstitial plate) can also be used since that will also be filtered

Edited by 4M2 (Sun 27-Oct-13 13:50:38)

I just needed unlimited broadband and unlimited calls. I got the broadband essentials and anytime talk bundle for a fiver. Paid 12 months line rental in advance working out around 10.50 +5+2.50.
Nice

I'll reply to my own post so as not to appear to be replying to anyone specific..

I have another view point to add regarding TT.

Recently the speed at home, seems to have become slower.. so I did what I would normally do.. re boot the router in "off peak" hours.. and speed test it.. the speed came back as it was before..

I then decided to use the forums at TalkTalk to ask for the profile to be checked and changed if necessary.. initially I was asked to follow a link, which in all essence told me to do what I had done already, and then gave me a link to request a call back...

I have never until that time, had that request made of me, and frankly it felt as though I was being fobbed off to technical support.

I decided to go back to the forum and express my concern and displeasure. One of the colleagues then advised she would look into the issue for me....

Now I am not sure if it's just because I moaned (which I felt the need to) or was how they deal with the issues now, but I feel as though things at TalkTalk have changed again.. and if this is how the "support" goes I will look to move accounts.

Anyway just my 2p's worth!