UKOnline or Be* Unlimited?

Hi All!

I recently moved to Taunton and was blessed with a fantastic line, which is providing me currently with a 16 meg sync courtesy of UKOnline's Premier package. Be* is not enabled on the Taunton so the choice to go with UKOnline was obvious.

Unfortunately my move to Taunton turned out to be totally pointless, the job I was offered fell through so I'm having to move back in with my mother in Exeter whilst I get my feet back on the ground.

She is with Virgin Media's 2 meg Cable product. Yeuch. I can't even stream an episode of TopGear without hitting their STM limits... so I won't be sharing her connection!

I have ordered my own BT line to be installed and can't decide to go with Be* or UKOnline.

I happen to know that the exchange (WWEXTR) is LLU'd for both Be* and UKOnline, and the line will not be great (1.96KM ATCF, availability checker over on Samknows sais 3.5Mb when I do a postcode check)

So, who's it gonna be?

UKOnline or Be* Unlimited?

I would go for the cheaper. They have similar policies as far as downloads are concerned. Have you considered an O2 package instead of Be?

I'd go for Be/O2 as they don't have the ridiculous 12 month, pay in full if you want to leave early contract that you get with UK Online. Other than Be Value, 3 months notice or �50 to get out immediately and with O2 a �50 payment will get you out of the contract. If your line isn't that great O2 8Mb for �12.50 (or �7.50 if you have an O2 mobile) is great value.

Regards,
Steve

Cool.

Looks like I'll be going with Be* Value then.

I don't mind about a lengthy contract - I want to make the right decision in the first place, so that a contracts duration is irrelevant!

That and I've just had to sign up with BT for 18 months to get the installation reduced from �125 to �30

There's no point paying extra for the 24-meg variant as the line will probably only handle 4 ~ 8 meg (can't be totally sure until it goes live, but can't see it going over 8 meg tbh!).

MoneySupermarket.com have a deal going at the moment with free activation and first three months free on Be* Value aswell, with their promotion code (it works out even better than Quidco's �40 back).

Won't be going with O2 as I really like Be*s control panel that lets you tweak the SNR and Interleave settings online.

Thanks for confirming Be* for me guys!

Edited by deleted (Wed 19-Nov-08 09:18:09)

I don't mind about a lengthy contract - I want to make the right decision in the first place, so that a contracts duration is irrelevant!

What can be the right decision today might not be so good in 3 months time. Look at how quickly Tiscali ruined Nildram and F2S, even Pipex didn't make them as bad as they appear to be now

Regards,
Steve

it does seem ukonline have to have a look at themselves because its coming very obvious on this site and other sites that BE is way more popular than ukonline, yet both dont advertise and ukonline has been around longer.

Both are streets ahead of ipstream providers but BE is more known and gets reccomended alot more and izools a what seems a happy customer of ukonline is now going to jump ship.

I think ukonline defenitly need to scrap the 12 month contract but its been pointed out to them and it seems they wont listen, they are a very high quality isp but on every exchange they have where BE is also there they have even competition who offers shorter contracts.

Ukonline's LLU network without a doubt is stronger than BE's but another problem they got now with the recent farce surrounding the FUP letters they sent out to ipstream customers has damaged its reputation and clouded over the high quality LLU service and left LLU customers such as myself wondering about the future since they refused to remove the FUP of the LLU service.

Ukonlines problem I think to summarise is they standing still whilst BE are moving forward, BE catering for pro users, multi ip's allow to adjust own dslam profile, and shorter contract. Ukonline on the public face appears as a expensive variant to sky yet sky have no FUP and ukonline do.

1.96 and the 3.5 both worse stats then my line and I have 50db attenuation. That might be an indication of what attenuation you going to get. The wholesale checker estimates 4.5meg for my line and distance is 1.65km.

For long lines in my opinion ukonline is better because it supports SRA, I wonder if you can get round the 12 month contract by simply moving your existing account.

I don't think that you can change SNR/interleave values from the control panel if you are on the Be Value package.

Yeah when TalkTalk used to be on the line it showed 60dB loss.

But as the line was disconnected at the MDF by TalkTalk when she moved over to Virgin Media, there's no dialtone so I'm hoping and praying that when Openreach come out to reconnect the line this Friday that it will be on a different (better) E-Side.

Seems to tie in with your guestimation also (50/1.65 * 1.96 = 59.4dB)

AFAIK with TalkTalk she was perfectly stable on a 6.0dB Target SNR, one good thing about that line from what I recall is very little RFI / reduction in SNR ovenight.

We'll see

I just spoke to Be* tech support, and the SNR / Interleave settings via online control panel are available accross all packages, including Be Value