Be or Sky

Currently on O2 Standard 8mb package at the moment.

Thinking of moving as O2 may go downhill and introduce traffic management on this product at some point, is this the time to get out?

Been with O2 since February 2008 and everything seems ok but the last few times I have called the tech support has not been upto the standard it was when I joined.

Sky use DLM is that a problem

Do Be use DLM?

I seen somewhere if you get into Be before the end of MArch you will get Be Value for £14.08 and you would beat the increase in price to £17ish.

I know both ISP''s get some good reviews and also a few negatives also.

Here is the all important router stats -

Uptime: 17 days, 18:38:54

DSL Type: G.992.5 annex A

Maximum Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 1,274 / 10,284

Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 1,278 / 8,188

Data Transferred (Sent/Received) [kB/kB]: 0.00 / 0.00

Output Power (Up/Down) [dBm]: 12.0 / 18.5

Line Attenuation (Up/Down) [dB]: 19.5 / 37.0

SN Margin (Up/Down) [dB]: 6.0 / 3.5

Vendor ID (Local/Remote): TMMB / BDCM

Loss of Framing (Local/Remote): 0 / 0

Loss of Signal (Local/Remote): 0 / 0

Loss of Power (Local/Remote): 0 / 0

Loss of Link (Remote): 0

Error Seconds (Local/Remote): 1 / 0

FEC Errors (Up/Down): 2,197 / 179,501,167

CRC Errors (Up/Down): 2,197 / 773

HEC Errors (Up/Down): 54,410 / 365


So stay with O2?? or move to BE or Sky??

Thanks in advance.

Sorry forgot to log in before the above post oopps

As long as you haven't accepted a retention deal with O2, then you can leave at any time. So no need to leave here and now unless you feel like it.

Having said that, on Be Value you should get possibly the maximum 12Mbps connection speed, so half as fast again as you have now. Only I am a little bit suspicious of your line stats. They show currently a maximum of 10Mbps or so, so perhaps you have a home wiring imperfection. That can usually be sorted out fairly easily, but a waste of time trying until we see what you would really get when not capped at 8Mbps

The O2 and Be networks are the same, in fact the network for both is Be. No change in how it behaves.

I don't think Sky would be as good a move, but that is partly based on personal bias I expect. You would have to go to their "unlimited" package, and I think that defaults to a 9dB noise margin, which would bring your speed down by a Mbps or so compared to Be. But cheaper?

No, all Sky Broadband packages default to a target SNR of 7db. Sky can reduce this if you send them an e-mail.

Thanks very much for all that info RobertoS,

I am still omn the old Standard package, I would not take any retention deal as £14.50 a month from April to me is still a bargin for the excellent service I am currently recieving.

I did call up for my MAC code earlier today. The gentleman was very aware of what I was on and the new packages that on offer now. I told him it was not cost as I just want quality of service.

Asking me why I wanted to leave I stated I am just scared that they impliment the traffic management onto their old stamndard package and wanted to get out when the going is good on other ISP's.

He promised me that as I am on old standard that would never happen and that is why my price will be higher than the new basics package.

Asured me that if I am happy the way I use the internet at present then there is no real need to go to sister company BE.

I have never taken a new contract from the start and when I took out O2 Broadband back in 2008 there was no 12 month contract you just paid I think £50 to exit at any time.

I was only looking at BE purly as there prices are rising after 1st April to £17 for BE Value and if you get in now you would keep the £14.08 price after April.

I suppose even at £17 BE Value would still be an attractive product and value for money in this day and age.

So did not get my MAC.

I may just stick it out with O2 just now and see how things go over time.

Sounds sensible. As I said, the only reason to go to Be would be a higher speed, but your sig puzzles me. What's that 9625 in your sig? Maybe your initial sync when you joined?

Yeh that was the inital speed when I joined O2 has increased a little bit.

In reply to a post by MrDeeJay:

Yeh that was the inital speed when I joined O2 has increased a little bit.

Errr?

Your connection speed now is 8188kbps, with the cap at 8192kbps, the loss of 4kbps being irrelevant as often it will be 8191kbps. 9625 is higher than either.

It does suggest a wiring problem, as it should have been nearer 13Mbps on first connection, as they didn't cap it to 8Mbps until around day 3. While you are capped at 8Mbps it doesn't matter, but on Be or Sky or any speed-uncapped service in the future it would need looking into .

Yeh I initaly singed up to the middle package with O2 as it offered I think upto 16mb not sure but it defionetly was not 20mb at that time.

I was not getting much more than 8mb so I called them up and moved onto standard as the small difference was not that much.

13mb sounds rather good on both Sky and BE they say 10mb and the guys at O2 said around 11mb away back when I first got LLU broadband.

I think i'll have to play around a bit with the wiring to see if I can connect to the exchange at a higher speed. I know I would not see any difference as I am capped at 8mb but worth seeing anyway.

Thanks very much sir.

In reply to a post by MrDeeJay:

Yeh I initaly singed up to the middle package with O2 as it offered I think upto 16mb not sure but it defionetly was not 20mb at that time.

I was not getting much more than 8mb so I called them up and moved onto standard as the small difference was not that much.

13mb sounds rather good on both Sky and BE they say 10mb and the guys at O2 said around 11mb away back when I first got LLU broadband.

I think i'll have to play around a bit with the wiring to see if I can connect to the exchange at a higher speed. I know I would not see any difference as I am capped at 8mb but worth seeing anyway.

Thanks very much sir.

See this page for starters.