Yes, that's my exchange, Apprentice

I have looked at the BT Infinity Checker, but that's not even got rollout planned for our area apparantly.

I'd been paying around £14 a month for the f2s (no fixed contract length, think it was a 10GB limit). I don't download music or torrents, and I'm not really an online gamer (prefer text based - how retro is that! ), but I have just acquired a shiny new Blu-Ray player which has internet capability, so iPlayer on the TV will be possible just as soon as I can get it set up properly. I don't use iPlayer that often at the moment, as I don't often follow series of programmes religiously, but that may change with having it on the TV, of course!

Upload is minimal, the odd pic to photobucket etc. I don't have my own website either.

Cost - well, as long as it doesn't increase too much, I'll consider it. Similar or less would be fab, but probably a pipe dream on my exchange...

Thanks for the help, people - I'm about to leave work, but will check back later!

~Jes

I would say the quality ISP to go for would be IDNet, but expensive. Note that it doesn't sound as if the off-peak allowance would be much use to you, and peak hours are applied at weekends as well. (If you navigate around that site make sure you don't end up on an ADSL2+ page).

Although you dismissed Plusnet at the start, as I would do for most people, you might even get away with their Value package. The price of additional download is £5 per 5GB though, with no carry-over.

Extra would certainly cope. On both after the first 3 months I expect you would be paying the top price, not the headline one.

It is only a monthly contract, so not a disaster if it doesn't work out. But if you went there, go for the annual contract to avoid setup (and possibly router) charges, in case you stay. To leave within the 12 months all you have to do is pay those charges.

Thanks Roberto

Yes, you're right - IDNet isn't really suited to my needs. Seems a really odd product in many ways, very strange peak allowance system. Zen also appears to be available, but is also pretty pricey...

I'm... wary of Plusnet, same as with a lot of big brands. There's been a fair bit of negative flying around about them of late, and there seems to be an awful lot of small print and some 'hidden' charges mentioned - could just be the famous 'victim of our own success' mentality again and over-expecting users, of course. But I suspect I don't really have any choice, as you are right in that I'm on a Market 2 exchange, so I'll be paying top whack whatever, and have very few offerings to choose from. So it'll probably have to be them (unless I stick it with TalkTal - ah, NO chance!) as Be aren't in the area.

I do have my own wireless router (although it's old, pre 8-mbps i think!), so I don't necessarily need a free one - though I suspect it'd be an upgrade! From what I can tell the one Plusnet offer is the Thomson 585, which is a brand I've never had experience of - google is giving me either glowing or poor ratings, anyone here and thoughts?

If I'm quick, looks like there's a special offer of four months free on via BroadbandChoices that ends - erk - today! Wonder if I can make it...

Thanks again

~Jes

Plusnet has it's ups and downs, and as I sort of said before I usually recommend against it.

In your case I think it is worth a try as the best of a restricted selection within your budget.

I see they now have three prices depending on location. I missed that being introduced, so I wonder if the middle one is for Market 2?

Yup, tragically limited selection.

Question - do I need my MAC code before I sign up to a new provider, or can I get it afterwards?

I had a close look at that third price, I thnik the middle one is to meet their 'never beaten on price' claim - they offer that on exchanges where they would otherwise be undercut. But that isn't the case on mine, sadly - except for the Orange Simply Broadband offering, anyway, which would be £10 a month for me (got an Orange PAYG mobile) as opposed to £15 and is advertised as 'unlimited' - not exactly a well rated service though! Think it's worth asking Plusnet, though?

I wish I could justify the cost of going to Zen, but try as I might I can't.

Meh, no wonder average customers give up on all this in confusion, I'm a professional IT geek and I'm baffled by a lot of this!

Thanks again,

~Jes

The MAC Process.

Ta. So I need the MAC before I can contact a new provider? Dang, the four free months with Plusnet offer ends today... Oh well, one more lump in the broadband highway won't kill me!

You could try it and see. O2/Be allow an order inside offer periods, with the MAC awaited, so maybe Plusnet do.

And they will - yay! Bye bye Stalk Stalk Just need to beat the MAC out of them, and I'm outta there

Thanks for all the help, it's been such a relief ot have wiser heads to discuss things with

~Jes

Your welcome, and the thanks are always appreciated .