Moving from Plusnet to ???

I'm on "up to 8Mb" with Plusnet and paying �23/month for the privelege. However my speed has continually being falling since I moved to the 8Mb product and has fallen from over 4500kbps to around 3000kbps over the past 9 months - according to the ADSL Checker I should be getting 5500kbps. I have plugged my modem directly into the master socket and saw no difference in speed, so I don't think it is my internal telephone wiring. I've raised it with Plusnet but only seem to be going around in circles with them about trying to get an improvement. So I'm thinking of moving and have a few questions:

1. I currently have a .co.uk domain name with Plusnet. What is the best place to move it to (it is rarely used) and how best can I move it?

2. I have an email address with Plusnet. Do they allow a dial-up to this afterwards (i.e. can I effectively downgrade from my current package to a pay-for-as-used dial-up package so that I can still have email access to this. (I also have gmail, but some people still contact me on the plusnet mail - and yes, I am slowly getting them to change).

3. Now for the biggie - which ISP should I move to. I & the family mostly use the Internet for web browsing, email, streaming and downloading (both P2P and some of the newer services like iPlayer, etc). Normally I don't go over 30Gb per month, but would prefer to have an "unlimited" provider who doesn't overdo the P2P throttling like Plusnet. I have Sky TV but don't want to go to Sky broadband unless it is really exceptional (Sky's normal customer service is c**p in any dealings I've ahd with them). I'm happy to pay around what I'm paying now.

According to the adslchecker my local exchange (I am about 1.5km direct and 1.8km by road from it) is DSL Max, SDSL and LLU enabled with the following available:
AOL
Be*
Sky
TalkTalk
Tiscali

My line attenuation is 17.5dB.

So I guess the decision comes down to: do I move to Be* (probably their "up to 24Mb" unlimited option) or stay with Plusnet, or is there a better option (not Virgin !)

Thanks in advance for your help

If you have/or want Sky TV then Sky LLU is a no brainer really - as you get your broadband connection - TV channels - plus free phone calls deal for less than some ISPs want to charge you just for your broadband connection.

Also you can get your phone line billed via Sky cheaper than BT charge (obviously it is still a BT line).

Edited by deleted (Thu 21-Feb-08 18:09:34)

I know I could move to Sky - It's just that I really think their customer service is lousy and I'm only with BSkyB TV as there isn't any real alternative. I also don't want to pay more into Rupert's fund for world domination!

Hi,

If you'd like to PM me your username I'd be happy to take ownership of this personally and do everything I can to optimise your speeds.

1. Have a look at Purple Cloud. That's the transfer in page info, but on the left is a menu re domains in general. If you transfer management not just hosting, which is what I presume you mean, then you get free mail forwarding, so you could use your domain as your email address and forward it to your gmail account. Or splash out the huge sum of �5 per year to have mail hosting.

2. That's a Plusnet question, sorry no idea.

3. On the face of it Be is the obvious choice. But something very strange there with your figures. Your post looks like you are talking about sync speeds, but they are nothing to do with Plusnet and there is no way they should fall like that. On 17.5dB attenuation you should be getting a full 8128 sync and a 7150 profile giving download speeds over 6000kbps.

If they are sync speeds, either something is going wrong with the line itself, or you have a developing problem at your end, which we would need to look into. Changing ISP will have no effect at all.

If you are talking about download speeds, then please tell us your sync speed, and SNRM preferably. With the info you have given so far as I said you should be getting 8128, (or possibly 7616), sync, and on Be you should get very high figures. With the sync and SNRM figures, and confirmation of the attenuation, we can give fairly accurate estimates.

RobertoS:

My average download connection speeds in Q2 07 were ca. 4500 kbps; in Q3 they were 3500kbps; and in Q4-now they average 3000kbps. According to the BT Speedtester that Plusnet asked me to use, my line profile rate had decreased from 4500kbps to 3000 or 3500kbps. My modem router is normally at the end of an extension line, but I connected it directly into the master socket, with no extensions or phones added, and it made no difference.

However, I have just run the BT Speedtester a few minutes ago, and I am now getting the lowest speed I have ever received! - less than my "2Mb" rate:
According to the BT Speedtester I am now:
IP profile for your line is - 1500 kbps
DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM) 4128 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 1370 kbps

This morning my modem is showing:
Downstream Upstream
Line Rate 4128 Kbps 448 Kbps
Attainable Line Rate 4544 Kbps 784 Kbps
Noise Margin 12.2 dB 13.0 dB
Line Attenuation 17.5 dB 16.0 dB
Output Power 11.8 dBm 19.4 dBm

It seems to be going from bad to worse. Help greatfully accepted!

What did Mand say when you contacted her ?

Got to rush now, but those stats are terrible and it is not Plusnet's fault. There is something badly wrong as I said before might be the case. It could be your end, the exchange, or anywhere in-between.

For now, have a look here and do as it says. While you have the faceplate off, (assuming it is the split NTE5 socket), try plugging directly into the test socket revealed. Your download speed should not change but attenuation might and sync should. That will give us some idea of where the problem is.

Are you absolutely sure everything that connects to the phone line goes through a filter? Sky box included. Have you tried different filters and/or borrowed/used a different router or modem? Have you got a phone-connected burglar alarm?

Back late afternoon. Good luck.

I've just repeated the BT Speedtest and am getting:
IP profile for your line is - 1500 kbps
DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM) 3776 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 1359 kbps

RobertoS - I will have a look at the link and see if I can do as it suggests. All of the phones plus Sky Box are connected via filters. I haven't yet tried different filters or a different modem - mainly because I have to get them. I will however try a direct connection of my PC into the master socket later and see if that makes any difference. (It didn't when I last tried it a few weeks ago, but then I was getting ca. 3000 kbps).

Forgot to add: There is a dial-up alarm system fitted directly into the master socket. I have no idea if this has a filter or not as it comes straight from the alarm box.