Moving home ... and away from Demon!

Hi all - new here so please be gentle with me!

Bit of a long one to start with but bear with me for the background.

I'm presently with Demon internet broadband and have been for at least 5 years. No real issues with the service except that they brought a usage cap which I'm not best pleased about since I use a Home Business account (the cap is 60GB which seems a lot but soon runs out when I'm using it for VPN / ISO work and web site transfer).

I did look into the business account but that runs around £40+VAT.

I'm also less than impressed with the new quality of service over the last year or so and I'm concerned that cable and wireless have now bought Thus out as well.

So, since I'm out of the 12 month contract and I'm moving in February I'm looking around.

O2 Broadband was my first choice but the the line check on the new place (I've had the BT line in already) came back as saying: You're outside the network area that O2 Broadband covers, but all is not lost. We can offer you our O2 Home Broadband Access package.

I ruled that out since (A) I've seen too many bad stories even allowing for the 30 day cashback and (B) the connect option cant offer a fixed IP address (due to BT provision) which rules them out since I need to hook through firewalls and access some VPN / restricted access systems.

I briefly wavered and considered extending my Demon HomeOffice 8000 but when I called up I got an indian gentlement who, over the following 5 minutes, reminded me why I was looking for alternatives in the first place so I said I had to go and went back to the web browser.

I took another look at the local exchange :

Enabled
O2 / Be: Not available Wont be going for connect
C&W / Bulldog: Enabled as of 20/05/2005 Wouldnt touch
Edge Telecom: Not available
Entanet: Not available
Lumison: Not available
NewNet: Not available
Node4: Not available
Orange: Enabled
Pipex: Not available
Sky / Easynet: Enabled as of 28/06/2007 How do you get a cost out of easynet?
Smallworld: Not available
TalkTalk (CPW): Enabled as of 14/10/2006 Another on the no no list
Tiscali: Enabled as of 25/07/2007 Arghhhhh No
Tiscali TV: Not available
WB Internet: Not available
Zen Internet: Not available

Soo the consensus out there among heavy / advanced broadband users seems to be to use ADSL24, since they have a 1 month rolling contract with no lock in and automatically bounce up to the next contract cost if you go over the limits (none of which will get you cut off / auto move you to 128kbits take note Demon)

I'm thinking of the ofice 45 package (45GB peak / 300 GB off peak usage) at £28.75.

ADSL24 Broadband - Home

Then we had the entanet fun with changeover from central recently. So I took a look at UKOnline (LLU easynet unbundled - predicting around the 14MB mark - they do have a FUP but it talks about using contention - presumably lumping together the heavy users - anyone have any idea in their policies relating to heavy use I've been knocking on the door of 60GB a month quite a few times hence Demon being an issue)

And now....I dont know.

I'm waiting for the last occupants tags to be lifted (there's a cease order in progress by orange at the moment) but once thats out of the way I'd like to get something ordered.

And now, it's over to you guys.......HELP!!!

if you are a business I'd take the hit and use Sky LLU (don't say you are a business though). Sign up for the TV and discard, it may still be cheaper than the alternatives.

(B) the connect option cant offer a fixed IP address (due to BT provision) which rules them out since I need to hook through firewalls and access some VPN / restricted access systems.

Plenty of BT Wholesale ISPs can offer a static IP, some offer it as standard e.g. Entanet, while other offer it for a monthly fee on top of the ADSLsubscription.

Sky / Easynet: Enabled as of 28/06/2007 How do you get a cost out of easynet?

Have a look at UK Online, they run off the Easynet network. UK Online is by all accounts a very good service and Premier includes a static IP, but the 12 month contract and mandatory £50 router purchase might not be to your taste.

Regards,
Steve

Wow fast replies thanks all.

I considered Sky but although they have (up to) 3 months lease time on the IP Addresses they dont allow fixed IP addresses - otherwise I may go for the cheapest Sky mix with the max package - Anyone using this on a fixed IP?

Yup, I know IPStream can offer fixed IP since I've got a fixed IP on Demon so it's weird that O2 (who offer fixed IP options - some chargable) on every package EXCEPT connect DOH!

Good that you mention UK Online since its one of the two I've been looking at, since it suggests 14MB I'd assume thats the LLU package (since I note there's been some discussion of restrictions and throttling on their IP Stream package) slightly concerned with the lack of details on the FUP / AUP / cap for UK Online since they just mention contention (which is how Demons FUP started - they where only forced to tell people what the cap was - as far as I know - after they almost ended up in court)

I was a little - suprised - that UK Online are asking for 12 month contract AND £50 for a router (which I think may be fun to configure with my Squeezeboxes) but I'm not averse to it if its a quality service that ticks all the boxes. Better that than an "all you can eat" "unlimited" package that has no support (Demon), a cap that bites you when you dont expect it and makes the service useless (er, Demon) and isnt that fast anyway (oh, look, Demo again).

Once again, thanks guys.

Edited by edz2k9 (Thu 22-Jan-09 20:01:53)

If you seriously want a business connection then check out idnet. They are not one of the cheapest but are one of the best. All support is free and uk based with very knowledgable and helpful people. They offer residential and business connections all with a fixed ip and uploads are not counted.
www.idnet.com

Hmm just had a look at IDNet, not overly scared by the costs but those caps look a little low for the price (again not afraid to pay for quality as long as it is really worth it - hey I've been using Demon )

Only thing here is the download speed is limited (not LLU so it will be "upto" 8MB wheras the UK Online LLU will be around the 14MB mark (even 10 would make a big difference when using VPN and other net connections at the same time - have to ask the family not to stream at the moment when I'm working and on the web and downloading patches / ISO etc) also the upload on UK Online looks higher.

Still scared by their vague Caps etc though. I think ADSL24 is slipping out of the frame - excellent ISP from the sound of it but Enta seem to have not shot themselves in the foot but blown their own left leg off in the last couple of weeks (Sorry Entanet fans but I'd rather not join in the middle of the upheval)

So Idnet is a contender as is UK Online. I think I know whats in the tin for idnet but I'd really like some opinions on UK Online under heavy use.

Thanks all.

UK Online have no problems whatsoever with heavy use. In fact there was a recent post from a UK Online user who wanted to be released from his contract due to their filtering based on the IWF blacklist blocking non-related stuff. They wouldn't release him so he tried to get kicked off by downloading over 100GB A DAY every day since October, and not a peep from UK Online.
If you can live with a 12 month contract and spending £50 on a router (you don't even have to use the one they supply) I'd say thay are your best choice,

Regards,
Steve

Just a thought, and it involves ADSL24 again, but although you listed the LLU suppliers at the exchange you didn't say whether it was WBC enabled.

That would allow ADSL24 to offer the ADSL2+ packages which are faster on your line and cheaper than the ADSL Max ones. Possibly less problematic than IPSC.

Hi There

I don't think so:

Wholesale Broadband Connect should be available in your area from March 31st 2009
There is currently no 21CN migration date for your PSTN service

Looks like it's planned but not around until April(ish)

It was just a thought .

UKOnline is almost certainly better anyway, if only to get away from the dreadful BT profiling. (Which moves in 1Mbps steps above 8Mbps!).