Decent Home ISP

dx052

I am looking for a decent broadband service that I can forget about without hopefully and issues. I have read a few threads ranging from BT to Talk Talk etc. Zen looked quiet good but there not in may area yet. Don't mind paying up to £20 a month, not looking for 18 month contracts. Was going to go down the Plusnet route! I was with Pipex before they got taken over & I had no problems at all in the time I had it, although it was hard work to cancel. Oh yes I am on quiet a lot but not really downloading.

bod1467

It really depends on what you use your connection for OTHER than emails and web browsing.

Do you do any streaming of videos? e.g. Iplayer, 4od, football matches ( )

If you put your phone number and/or postcode into this link, what ISPs are returned as being available on your exchange? For me I get the following results:

The following services are available in your location:

BT Wholesale ADSL
BT Wholesale ADSL Max
O2 / Be LLU
TalkTalk (CPW) LLU
Orange LLU (Formerly Wanadoo)

and my current ISP is BE.

Can you post your current connection stats? (This will give an indication of what your line is capable of).

macman

You can get Zen on any exchange in the UK. However their LLU service is only available from their home exchange in Rochdale. Regularly one of the top rated ISPs, but not cheap however.
Post your samknows LLU data for better info.

dx052

Here you go:

The following services are available in your location:

• BT Wholesale ADSL
• BT Wholesale ADSL Max
• BT Wholesale WBC (21CN)
• BT Wholesale SDSL
• BT FTTC
• AOL LLU
• O2 / Be LLU
• Bulldog LLU
• TalkTalk (CPW) LLU
• Sky Broadband / Easynet LLU
• Tiscali LLU
• Tiscali TV (via Tiscali LLU)
• Orange LLU (Formerly Wanadoo)
• Virgin Media (Cable)

macman

So 02 or Sky are the obvious LLU options for you.
Plusnet Value is a good budget tariff but capped at 10GB, you need to say what your usage is. What is 'not really downloading'? Usage is not based on downloading, it's based on data usage. Streaming, downloading, surfing, emailing; they all count.

dx052

I would say my usage is about 6GB a month. I am not a Sky customer (don't really want to be one neither) so I suppose I can cross them of the list.

macman

So Plusnet Value would be OK at £6.49 pm (on a Market 3 exchange, which you are).
Or O2 'The Basics' (20GB cap) at £8.50 with the mobile discount, or £13.50 without.
You don't need to be a Sky TV subscriber to get Sky broadband.

kwikbreaks

You don't have to be a Sky TV customer to have their BB but I think it costs £5 extra if you aren't so that probably does rule them out for a low volume user.

dx052

I was actually looking at O2 as we type. I didn't know you could have Sky BB without the other stuff!

macman

They dropped the TV requirement a couple of years ago.

aerostar

Have you checked with Zen on their site, Samknows shows that Zen is not available on my local exchange as LLU, BUT their connection is ADSL2+, so up to 20meg, I get around 16meg, very happy with Zen, basically its has been fit and forget, never had a problem, and if you do do, their support is in UK, and they do not work from scripts !! Where BT have FTTC, Zen can also be a supplier.