Switching Broadband

Hi all,

I am looking to swap BB provider from an expensive one in order to save money.

The requirements I have are:

Uncapped - want to be able to download 50gb per month without issue.
High availability - I do not want any sort of regular disconnects or drop-outs.
unobtrusive - I don't want anything changed (line rental) or bespoke just a vanilla ADSL BB connection.

Any recommendations?

Thanks

Usual questions:
What budget?
What ISPs are available? Do you have LLU from people like Be?
Do you have Sky TV? Is sky LLU available?
What times of day do you do most of your downloads? If they are generally overnight then you would have more options.
Who are you currently with (don't want to go suggesting the people you are already with)?
How good is your connection? Connection speed, attenuation, SNR?

As ian says, we need to know a bit more.

Particularly the exchange details - please post the link or exchange code from checking them at samknows - and your line stats would be very useful as well, see here for help getting those if you don't know how to.

Budget < £25 per month, but less is better.

"LLU from Be" is a bit of a foreign language, so don't know, which is probably an answer in itself.

I have Sky TV but would need to be convinced that horror stories I have heard are not or are no longer true.

Downloads mainly evening and weekend can't rule out daytime but unlikely, could adapt to overnight if necessary would like flexibility though if cost differential not significant.

Exchange: EAHER

Connection:

ADSL
Type Interleave
Status No Defect
Downstream Upstream
Data rate 8096 448
Noise margin 7.1 22.0
Output power 19.8 12.0
Attenuation 30.0 17.0

LLU means Local Loop Unbundled, which means the ISP has it's own equipment in the exchange so is not limited to retailing a BT Wholesale product.

Your exchange hasn't got any .

In particular it hasn't got Sky LLU, which is a good service. The BT-based Sky Connect is what you hear the horror stories about, and it hasn't improved. Stay away.

50GB per month is difficult at budget prices, but the suggestions below are good ISPs and about the only ones I would recommend.

I think the best ISP for you would be AAISP. The daytime allowance Mon-Fri is tiny but as well as the large off-peak allowance there is an overnight unmetered period.

Next down I suggest vivaciti Surfwise 75. Ignore the Family packages next to it, and the LLU on the right. The Family packages are supplied by Entanet and used to be excellent value for money. That is no longer the case as they suffer badly from Entanet over-subscription - mainly customers who haven't steeled themselves up to jump since it went downhill. The LLU you cannot get, as above.

See these comparisons. As vivaciti is a reseller it doesn't appear on the selection list, but their Family packages come in the Entanet bars. Surfwise 75 would be well above that but not as high as AAISP.

Which ISP are you with at the moment?

Edited by RobertoS (Fri 04-Sep-09 21:07:13)

Currently with BTBroadband, used to be with a small ISP Freedom2surf but that got killed by the Pipex buyout which also killed my WoW connection. I switched to BT for perceived security of an established provider which worked. WoW no longer that important and am long free of 12 month contract period with BT so it is about time I cut the cost.

I think the two options I have given fit the bill then. See the comparisons.

BT broadband costing more than £25? (You said you wanted to save money, than gave a budget of under £25).

In reply to a post by RobertoS:

I think the two options I have given fit the bill then. See the comparisons.

BT broadband costing more than £25? (You said you wanted to save money, than gave a budget of under £25).

BT Broadband option 3 £24.46 under contract, more out of contract.

Thanks for opinions, will take a look.