how much am I using?

allanm_2

At present I am with Virgin Media for my broadband, 10 Mbps and unlimited downloads.

I may be moving and the only option I will have is a BT line and 2 Mbps ADSL, no LLU.
Standard ADSL RAG results

• You can receive 2Mbps ADSL
• You can receive 1Mbps ADSL
• You can receive 512kbps ADSL
• You can receive 256kbps ADSL

• AOL is not yet available in your area
• O2 / Be Unlimited is not yet available in your area
• Bulldog (C&W) is not yet available in your area
• TalkTalk (CPW) has not yet unbundled your exchange
• Sky Broadband / Easynet is not yet available in your area
• Edge Telecom is not yet available in your area
• Entanet is not yet available in your area
• Lumison is not yet available in your area
• Newnet is not yet available in your area
• Node4 is not yet available in your area
• Pipex is not yet available in your area
• Smallworld Media is not yet available in your area
• Tiscali is not yet available in your area
• Tiscali TV is not yet available in your area
• Orange is not yet available in your area
• WB Internet is not yet available in your area
• Zen is not yet available in your area

How can I find out how much bandwidth, or whatever usage is called, that I am using now?
Also are there any alternatives to BT out in the sticks?

penrhyn

I used to use Netmeter by Readerror, found that quite useful.

You can use any ISP you desire, however the service will be delivered via the BT network.

allanm_2

You can use any ISP you desire,

Which one would you recommend that is not listed above?

syko29793

The test results for your area may not be accurate as you dont have a working Openreach line.
BT wholesales checker will give you an idea of what broadband speed most people get in that area ( see here http://www.btwholesale.com/includes/adsl/main.html put your new post code in) but this is just an estimate and you will only know once the line and broadband are connected what speed you will get. As for choice of isp its up to you but non LLU does not mean no choice.

allanm_2

The test results for your area may not be accurate as you dont have a working Openreach line

It was done using the phone number of the existing phoneline to the house.

macman

allanm wrote: »

Which one would you recommend that is not listed above?

That would depend on your requirements, which you haven't really set out. Whats your usage? Do you require an unlimited service, or a capped one?
Unfortunately non-LLU and unlimited don't really go together well, and you'll be paying a premium for this.
Have you looked at Plusnet for starters?

allanm_2

That would depend on your requirements, which you haven't really set out.

What I am getting now from Virgin Media, if possible for the same price or cheaper.

£25 approx per month which includes line rental and always on 10Mbps internet and free weekend phone calls.

And even although it says 2Mbps max ADSL I can actually get faster speeds?

penrhyn

Since your exchange has no LLU operators, you will be looking at around £24/ month ( 02 Access) 20Gb cap,for your broadband plus line rental.

It aint cheap in the sticks.

macman

allanm wrote: »

What I am getting now from Virgin Media, if possible for the same price or cheaper.

£25 approx per month which includes line rental and always on 10Mbps internet and free weekend phone calls.

And even although it says 2Mbps max ADSL I can actually get faster speeds?

No, you can't . If you are a long way out from the exchange and that's all your line can support, that it. ADSL is not like cable, the further away you go the slower it is.

allanm_2

It aint cheap in the sticks.

It all depends on what you are buying.

For £175,000 in town, I can get the same or better house in the sticks for £150,000.

£25,000 buys a lot of slow internet.

Mark_In_Hampshire

allanm wrote: »

It was done using the phone number of the existing phoneline to the house.

If you put the number back into the Samknows website you should also get a "Max" sync speed which is further up the page, or, you might need to click on the ADSL link to the left of the results.

The actual expected speed is probably about 75% of that speed, if it's higher than 2 Meg.

Speed test results by phone line go on the last known IP profile of that circuit, unless that circuit has a LLU broadband service.

Since it doesn't have LLU the results are likely to be pretty reliable.

Getting 10Meg broadband is very difficult if you move out of a cabled area, so I feel you might be disappointed, outside of cabled areas I'd guess that barely 20% of ADSL users can get near that speed.

If the line is that bad (2 Meg isn't that bad for ADSL), although you might have choice, that choice won't make a massive difference to your speeds, the limit is the capability - or otherwise - of the line.

I'm not aware of any non LLU ADSL provider who provides unlimited usage.

Forget O2 Access - only O2/BE LLU is any good.

For non LLU: Zen Internet and IDNet are highly thought of.

The www.thinkbroadband.com site also has quite a good QOS/usage monitoring tool which you can download for free to check your usage.