At wits end with broadband speeds (Sky)

Bettycheese

@TimSynths would the mobile BB run alongside the Sky broadband (as we can't easily/cheaply get out of our Sky contract)? Thanks again.

JJ_Egan

Yes as its nothing to do with Sky etc its a mobile phone network .

jon81uk

TimSynths said:

If its that bad and you cant get a fibre or VM service have you thought about mobile BB? A colleague of mine uses Three-
4G & 5G Home Broadband | Three
We are are on a VPN, use Citrix, spend all day editing and uploading Excel and take part in video calls. I've seen it as cheap as £20pm and you'll be up and running the next day, of course once 5G comes you'll never look back.

We had to wait for our broadband to be installed at a new house and got one of the 4G WiFi boxes from Three, £49 upfront and £30 a month with a one month rolling contract was a good price for unlimited use. we got around 40Mb speeds so were very happy. The WiFi wasn't quite strong enough in some corners of the house but it was still good enough to for me to work from home with, recording 40Mb speeds on the work laptop.
But I'm fortuante that we use DirectAccess instead of remote desktop and stuff so its all much easier/simpler.

matelodave

Have a read of this https://www.broadband.co.uk/guides/4g-home-broadband-guide/

Rodders53

Surely the OP should be talking to their works IT people for a suggested / approved / supplied alternative solution.

When I was employed I had the unenvious task of authorising the supply and cost of such things for our group of people and included ADSL line installs - that was over 15 years ago, though.  Things have got much cheaper and usually simpler.  

Tethering to a mobile phone wifi hotspot connection might work (or not:  mobile coverage and data rates vary considerably).  Occasionally certain IT systems or 'standards for security' can demand an ethernet cabled connection (archaic as that may seem).  Downside of using a personal (or even work) mobile will be cost unless they have a good data plan/allowance already.

BT adsl lines won't work.  BT aren't offering FTTC or FTTP to the location. Virgin is possible but may again be unlikely.  So mobile or leased line or satellite? 

OP talk to your IT people and/or boss...  They are there to help you do the work for your Companty!

Bettycheese

@TimSynths @matelodave @Rodders53 as suggested on here we have now ordered and tried 2 different mobile broadbands, Vodafone and Three(with 30 day return policies) and both are giving slow speeds and not solving out problem atall. Vodeafone speeds around 2 - 3 mbps, and Three between 3 - 5 mbps. Both providers say we have good 4G coverage (we don't live rurally, but in a smal town). We just don't understand it. Starting to think we'recursed! Any other ides please?......

We're thinking our only option left is to pay the extortiante fee to get out of our Sky contract, and try another provider (BT?) and hope for the best? We can't get Virgin at our address, and the fibre connection ends a few houses away.

[Deleted User]

Bettycheese said:

We're thinking our only option left is to pay the extortiante fee to get out of our Sky contract, and try another provider (BT?) and hope for the best?

But then you'll be paying for two broadband services and still getting the same speed.

You're not going to be able to overcome the physical limitations of your line.

matelodave

Bettycheese said:

@TimSynths @matelodave @Rodders53 as suggested on here we have now ordered and tried 2 different mobile broadbands, Vodafone and Three(with 30 day return policies) and both are giving slow speeds and not solving out problem atall. Vodeafone speeds around 2 - 3 mbps, and Three between 3 - 5 mbps. Both providers say we have good 4G coverage (we don't live rurally, but in a smal town). We just don't understand it. Starting to think we'recursed! Any other ides please?......

We're thinking our only option left is to pay the extortiante fee to get out of our Sky contract, and try another provider (BT?) and hope for the best? We can't get Virgin at our address, and the fibre connection ends a few houses away.

You can only get the speed that your line will support so going to anyone else apart from Virgin will only give you the same or even slower speeds as they all use the same OpenReach infrastructure between you and the exchange.

If the 4G speeds are slow, then try an EE or O2 paygo sim in your phone to see if they are any faster - different mobile providers have different coverage patterns as they use different base stations and different frequencies so it's worth trying them all and see whether you get better performance upstairs either at the back or front of the house.

In the end you may just be stuffed - we had to put up with less than 2mbit's for over eight years when we moved to our present address unitil OpenReach installed FTTP in 2018 and now we enjoy 76 with an option to go up to 900 if we want.  Our mobile coverage was also poor to non existent (although it's better now and I can sometimes get up to 20mbit's with Three).

Neighbours who run their own business were resorting to expensive satellite broadband and for a couple of years several of them tried out a long range wifi solution. This wasn't as expensive as satellite and worked OK ( I nearly went for it)until one of the subscribers who had a repeater on his house out in the fens moved and the new occupant had it removed and there was no suitable alternative to maintain the service..

TimSynths

Bettycheese said:

We're thinking our only option left is to pay the extortiante fee to get out of our Sky contract, and try another provider (BT?) and hope for the best? We can't get Virgin at our address, and the fibre connection ends a few houses away.

They all use the same network as BT, open reach, be like swapping buses on the same congested road. If 4G isn't working, you need to get off the open reach network and get onto a fibre one such as VM- Sadly this is not a choice for you. Does your 4G signal improve outside? If so you could get an external antenna. Or this may be your lot at this address and its as good as it gets.
As a last gasp I would ask here for any advice-
ISPreview UK Forum
As a side note, I've been working from home permanently since March 15th 2020 and before then 2 days a week and am fortunate to have VM, if I were to move house having no access to a fibre network would be a deal breaker for me now.

Rodders53

What have your Work's IT people suggested you do?

Have you checked where the mobile tower/mast is relative to your home and tried locating the receiver in a window on that side of the building?  Tried it upstairs to get a stronger signal (if not enough bars on the devices)?
An external antenna, with a suitable mobile phone router/mifi, is another option if it's a weak signal. Getting the antenna outside and higher up should make a big difference.

O2 and EE are other networks to try, perhaps?

It could just be a congestion issue, too many people in a town on the same cell of the mobile phone mast(s);  so having to share the data capacity?  If so there's little to be done.

A leased line or fibre connection would be possible, but very expensive (for the firm you work for assuming they will pay)?  But not a quick installation either.

It's a complete waste of money to use the Openreach copper line to your home with another provider.  Stay with Sky.