Broadband. Who's the Cheapest? Article Discussion Area

Art_2

bearded_wonder wrote:

The offer of free broadband is very tempting but BEWARE. I applied and duly received the modem and start up pack. Installing via the CD I applied for their own security package. This caused my computer to crash. On phoning the helpline I was told this was not the first time this had happened and somebody from technical would phone me in ten days!!! I then had to go to my local exppert to rectify the problem. I decided to return to my original ISP [BT] as I know i get good service from then. On trying to get a MAC code from Talktalk I was told it would take about a week. This was three weeks ago and I'm still waiting. I am sick and tired of sitting on hold on the phone for a minimum of twenty minutes every time so I have had to contact Ofcom to try and help. Incidently the call centre is based in India which isn't a lot of good as they have no idea of English problems andf how to solve them. My advice to anyone considering Talktalk is summed up in two words DON'T BOTHER

I warned about Carphone Warehouse 5 weeks ago on this forum in message 336. They seem to have bitten off more than they can chew and need to get themselves sorted out before I would consider using them.

On BBC Breakfast this week they were looking at broadband problems and Talk-Talk were featured. One of therir own staff had a bad experience with her installation. The MD of Carphone Warehouse, Charles Dunstone, was asked to appear on the programme on 2 mornings but 'was not available'.

Also this week the ISP Euro1net has had the plug pulled on it and left subscribers in limbo. They offered a very cheap service but required you to pay 1 or 2 years up front.

Anyone looking for a good ISP should look at the following site where you can read reviews on performance and see what customers have to say.

http://www.adslguide.org.uk

Regards,
Art.

Kaz_Pike

Edinburghlass wrote:

Welcome to MSE and the Telephone Board Kaz.

Best thread to read is the Madasafish Q & A thread and you'll find their CS rep there Samara who is very helpful regarding any questions you might have.

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=174289

Thanks a lot, I'll take a look!!

shanny_3

Cananyone help me find out what speed my local exchange can offer for Broadband. I am sure there was a link from this site a few weeks ago but I can't find it now.

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks

Madasafish_Customer_Care

Hi Shanny,

Sam knows! I don't know how he knows so much about broadband, but he does:

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/

On the left of the screen click on Availability and you can see your exchange stats. To get a realistic idea of what kind of speed you'll get, click on the Availabilty checker in that area, enter your phone number and on the next screen click on BT ADSL and this will give you an estimate of the kinds of speeds that you can expect on your telephone line. You can also click on the Cable or LLU buttons and you'll get a reading of if those services are available in your area.

Remember that the speed that you get is not dependent on your local exchange; it is influenced by the physical length of your telephone line from the exchange to the premises that you have broadband at.

Hope that is helpful!

Kind regards,
Samara

Art_2

shanny wrote:

Cananyone help me find out what speed my local exchange can offer for Broadband. I am sure there was a link from this site a few weeks ago but I can't find it now.

Any help much appreciated.

Thanks

Have a look at the following link. Click on 'broadband checker' and enter your details and it will give you a wealth of information about your exchange and your individual line.

http://dslzoneuk.net/

Regards,
Art.

manrow

The dsl link above is absolutely brilliant! Thank you very much.

I have been researching to change from my BT broadband service to another MUCH cheaper option. If I move away from BT, will I have to change my email addresses?

Art_2

manrow wrote:

The dsl link above is absolutely brilliant! Thank you very much.

I have been researching to change from my BT broadband service to another MUCH cheaper option. If I move away from BT, will I have to change my email addresses?

Glad you like the link. it contains so much useful information.

If you change your ISP you will have to change your email address. At the moment you may be manrow@bt.com but if you change you will have to change to manrow @newISP.com for example.

Many ISPs allow you to collect your email for 3 months after you leave them so this will give you time to make sure you haven't forgotten to notify anyone of your new address.

Regards,
Art.

theloft

Art wrote:

Glad you like the link. it contains so much useful information. If you change your ISP you will have to change your email address. At the moment you may be manrow@bt.com but if you change you will have to change to manrow @newISP.com for example.
Many ISPs allow you to collect your email for 3 months after you leave them so this will give you time to make sure you haven't forgotten to notify anyone of your new address. Regards, Art.

I got fed up with changing my email address when I changed my ISP, so now use Google Mail. Absolutely first class, free and you can send and download via Outlook Express etc. just the same. Plus you get 2Gb of storage so you do not need to delete stuff all the time. If anyone wants a gmail invite, send me a PM with your existing email address. (this is the only way it can be done).

kam1nsk1

Good morning

Have just moved in to a new flat and am looking at getting broadband.
We will probably be fairly light users, and my pc isn't a rocket so not really concerned about the speed (as long as it's better than dial up).
Getting the bt line connected in a few weeks, caan anyone suggest what the cheapest option would be overall including line rental etc? Phone package would be helpful but not essential if it costs a lot more.
Also I'm no computer wizard so complicated installations are a no no!

Cheers

Minski

mrJ_5

being a light user - you will not need much of a speed... zazizam offer several broadband options... i recommend zazizam as I have found them reliable over the past couple of years, and no hassle

as a light user - you may also want to consider being capped... they offer 2GB and 5GB at upto 8Mb, at £13.99 and £15.99 respectedly.... or they have an unlimited 512Kb package for £15.99

- i would recommend looking at their site to compare the various options


.... in terms of line rental - I recently sent them an email about this, and they said they are looking to introduce a line rental option as well end of September, being of October.... som hopefully I will be receiving more details about that soon