Broadband providers advice please

Hello
Broadband is finally coming to our area(we are out in the country) next
week. We are not in a cable area so can't have ntl which would have been my
first choice.
I am currently on freeserve dialup.
I am considering freeserve or bt really as the others seem more expensive.
Freeserve say once I register I need to wait 10 days to get broadband, is
this the same for all isp's?
Also is the cheapest low download amount enough for surfing and emails or
have people found you needed to upgrade?
Tia
Lucy

"lu" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:cm2qlh$214$(E-Mail Removed):

> I am considering freeserve or bt really as the others seem more
> expensive. Freeserve say once I register I need to wait 10 days to get
> broadband, is this the same for all isp's?

I think with ISPs you mostly get what you pay for, Wanadoo and BT look
cheap but they don't have great reputations.

They're cheap because there are bandwidth caps, and you have to sign a 12
month minimum contract so you can't take advantage of better deals, or
simply change ISP if they turn out to be crap.

Activation varies, most ISPs seem to be saying 5-10 days on their websites.

I would look at the forums on http://bbs.adslguide.org and see what you
think. My first choice would be Zen, certainly not the cheapest but you
know what you get.

Also worth a look are Andrews and Arnold, Nildram, Pipex, Plusnet and
Metronet.

> Also is the cheapest low download amount enough for surfing and emails
> or have people found you needed to upgrade?

Almost definately, but for sake of a few quid a month I'd sooner not have
to keep an eye on everything I visit/download, but that's easy to say when
it's not my money :-)

regards
Paul
--
paul <at> spamcop.net

"Paul Hutchings" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:Xns959391F071D9paulhutchingsspamcop@130.133.1 .4...
> "lu" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> news:cm2qlh$214$(E-Mail Removed):
>
> > I am considering freeserve or bt really as the others seem more
> > expensive. Freeserve say once I register I need to wait 10 days to get
> > broadband, is this the same for all isp's?
>
> I think with ISPs you mostly get what you pay for, Wanadoo and BT look
> cheap but they don't have great reputations.
>
> They're cheap because there are bandwidth caps, and you have to sign a 12
> month minimum contract so you can't take advantage of better deals, or
> simply change ISP if they turn out to be crap.
>
> Activation varies, most ISPs seem to be saying 5-10 days on their websites.
>
> I would look at the forums on http://bbs.adslguide.org and see what you
> think. My first choice would be Zen, certainly not the cheapest but you
> know what you get.
>
> Also worth a look are Andrews and Arnold, Nildram, Pipex, Plusnet and
> Metronet.
>
> > Also is the cheapest low download amount enough for surfing and emails
> > or have people found you needed to upgrade?
>
> Almost definately, but for sake of a few quid a month I'd sooner not have
> to keep an eye on everything I visit/download, but that's easy to say when
> it's not my money :-)

If you purchase the Pipex solo lite the download limit is 1gb, you can either
pay for an extra GB or two or upgrade to Pipex solo, which is unlimited (10GB
limit for news server download). Free modem. no connection fee, contract is for
1 month, £58 charge if you cancel within the 1st year. My advice would be to
choose an ISP from the top 10 performers on the adslguide web site. I ordered
from Pipex on Monday, the modem arrived on Friday morning and the line was
activated Friday pm - a few days earlier than the promised date - not uncommon.
As far as I can tell Pipex send out the hardware as soon as BT confirm that they
will activate the line.

I am not a fan of Freeserve.

--

Michael Chare






>
> regards
> Paul
> --
> paul <at> spamcop.net

Anything but Bulldog

"lu" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:cm2qlh$214$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hello
> Broadband is finally coming to our area(we are out in the country) next
> week. We are not in a cable area so can't have ntl which would have been
my
> first choice.
> I am currently on freeserve dialup.
> I am considering freeserve or bt really as the others seem more expensive.
> Freeserve say once I register I need to wait 10 days to get broadband, is
> this the same for all isp's?
> Also is the cheapest low download amount enough for surfing and emails or
> have people found you needed to upgrade?
> Tia
> Lucy
>
>

> Hello
> Broadband is finally coming to our area(we are out in the country) next
> week. We are not in a cable area so can't have ntl which would have been
> my
> first choice.
> I am currently on freeserve dialup.
> I am considering freeserve or bt really as the others seem more expensive.
> Freeserve say once I register I need to wait 10 days to get broadband, is
> this the same for all isp's?
> Also is the cheapest low download amount enough for surfing and emails or
> have people found you needed to upgrade?
> Tia
> Lucy

I'd avoid freeserve to be honest as well as BT, AOL, Tiscali, maybe the
bigger companies but customer service is not that great.

I'd go for one of PlusNet, freedom2surf or metronet myself, have experience
of both the first two, with freedom2surf being my current ISP who I am very
satisfied with, PlusNet are good too, not quite as reliable but longer
support hours and better newgroup access whilst Metronet do some good offers
for lightish users.

On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 13:53:58 -0000, "lu" <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>Hello
>Broadband is finally coming to our area(we are out in the country) next
>week. We are not in a cable area so can't have ntl which would have been my
>first choice.

Why not Virgin? £17..99 with 3gb cap and £2 per additional Gb. £24.99
with no caps.

"Justin Johnson" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:cm3g5s$vma$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> > Hello
> > Broadband is finally coming to our area(we are out in the country) next
> > week. We are not in a cable area so can't have ntl which would have
been
> > my
> > first choice.
> > I am currently on freeserve dialup.
> > I am considering freeserve or bt really as the others seem more
expensive.
> > Freeserve say once I register I need to wait 10 days to get broadband,
is
> > this the same for all isp's?
> > Also is the cheapest low download amount enough for surfing and emails
or
> > have people found you needed to upgrade?
> > Tia
> > Lucy
>
> I'd avoid freeserve to be honest as well as BT, AOL, Tiscali, maybe the
> bigger companies but customer service is not that great.

I agree with that, avoid wanadoo (aka freeserve) AOL, tiscali, bulldog, and
a few lesser known isps (adslguide and ispreview, will point the fingers
;D)

>
> I'd go for one of PlusNet, freedom2surf or metronet myself, have
experience
> of both the first two, with freedom2surf being my current ISP who I am
very
> satisfied with, PlusNet are good too, not quite as reliable but longer
> support hours and better newgroup access whilst Metronet do some good
offers
> for lightish users.

If you are a light user id say metronet is the best from that bunch, medium
to heavy use and based on reviews and other stuff ive read from both
plusnet and freedom2surf users and i would choose freedom2surf.

PlusNet will give you 1Mb/s for £14.99 p.m with 1Gb limit.
Unless you download music or video's it will be quite sufficient, but if you
use more you get charged £2 for another 1Gb, or pre-pay at slightly lower
fee.
Their speed, reliability and service is highly rated and not just by me.
I have had no probs since signing up in May 03.
The speed of activation is down to BT, rather then any one ISP.
If you go with PlusNet please use my id 'jerryw' as a referrer, (it will
save me 25p / month).
Regards,
Martin


ÿ™

K-\0\0ö\0\0\0\0

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 13:53:58 -0000, "lu" <(E-Mail Removed)>
> wrote:
>
> >Hello
> >Broadband is finally coming to our area(we are out in the country) next
> >week. We are not in a cable area so can't have ntl which would have been
my
> >first choice.
>
> Why not Virgin? £17..99 with 3gb cap and £2 per additional Gb. £24.99
> with no caps.
>

Because their support is appalling or non existent.
They take weeks to answer emails (if they answer them at all).
They do not read the emails, they pick the nearest automatic answer.
I could rant on (as I do).

My choice would be from PlusNet, Pipex, Nildram.

eric

--
Remove the dross to contact me directly

"Martin²" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:41858d39$0$4032$(E-Mail Removed)...
> PlusNet will give you 1Mb/s for £14.99 p.m with 1Gb limit.
> Unless you download music or video's it will be quite sufficient, but if
you
> use more you get charged £2 for another 1Gb, or pre-pay at slightly lower
> fee.
> Their speed, reliability and service is highly rated and not just by me.
> I have had no probs since signing up in May 03.
> The speed of activation is down to BT, rather then any one ISP.
> If you go with PlusNet please use my id 'jerryw' as a referrer, (it will
> save me 25p / month).
> Regards,
> Martin

another plusnet user who chucks in the obligatory referrer goo! *sigh*
(((