BT Landline to Broadband

Years ago I used to have a BT landline to my flat. However after it
kept disconnecting and after complaints to BT without resolution I
abandoned using it and up until now have used a mobile exclusively.

I now require the line to be re-activated and converted to broadband. I
have not yet decided to use BT broadband as a service but I understand
that I will need the line reconnected at the local BT exchange and that
I will have to pay BT for the line rental.

I then plan to install a broadband wireless router to this line so that
I may also connect to it and the Internet via wireless from other flats
in the block.

Therefore my questions are:

1/ Do I have to rent the line from BT - it used to belong to BT and
is still 'live' it has a buzzing sound on it but no dial tone?

2/ What is a recommended broadband service provider: BT, Demon, Pipex,
AOL, Onetel, NTL, &/or Wanadoo, etc. [By 'recommended' I mean from
people's experiences it is reasonably priced, reliable, no billing
snafus, etc.] Incidently the local BT exchange is configured for ADSL.

Very many thanks - CJB

"CJB" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ps.com...
| Years ago I used to have a BT landline to my flat. However after it
| kept disconnecting and after complaints to BT without resolution I
| abandoned using it and up until now have used a mobile exclusively.
|
| I now require the line to be re-activated and converted to broadband. I
| have not yet decided to use BT broadband as a service but I understand
| that I will need the line reconnected at the local BT exchange and that
| I will have to pay BT for the line rental.
|
| I then plan to install a broadband wireless router to this line so that
| I may also connect to it and the Internet via wireless from other flats
| in the block.
|
| Therefore my questions are:
|
| 1/ Do I have to rent the line from BT - it used to belong to BT and
| is still 'live' it has a buzzing sound on it but no dial tone?

Not really. You can try someone like TalkTalk or any of the other LLU mingers
but you may well find that your opinion of BT changes to shining after dealing
with them. Some may require a live line first before taking it off of BT's
hands. I would personally stick with the BT line and just choose a suitable
broadband provider (avoiding BT Broadband, Plusnet and Tiscali like the plauge -
a visit to uk.telecom.broadband will get you better advice on providers) The one
thing BT do well is lines. Nobody seems to appreciate that until they get a
problem.

|
| 2/ What is a recommended broadband service provider: BT, Demon, Pipex,
| AOL, Onetel, NTL, &/or Wanadoo, etc. [By 'recommended' I mean from
| people's experiences it is reasonably priced, reliable, no billing
| snafus, etc.] Incidently the local BT exchange is configured for ADSL.

Many rant about ZEN, I find there initial costs a bummer. I have used NTL,
Onetel,BT, Plusnet and Pipex in recent times and pipex always give me what I
want, but cost more than the others. You can get 'free' broadband from talktalk
(if you are happy to pay £20 a month for the line and wait 3 months for it) and
sky are offering a deal too. Best pop over to uk.telecom.broadband where you
will be given the best advice.



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Pier - thank you for responding so quickly. Yup - I guess BT have more
experience of line maintenance than anyone. With regards to the
broadband service I might try Pipex - they do our links at work too. I
need something reliable. As you say there are cheaper services out
there but customer service can be slow. Chris B.

"Pier Danone" <Pier (E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Many rant about ZEN, I find there initial costs a bummer.

It's usual to pay for activation, and lots of other ISPs charge a fee up
front for it to cover their outlay. If they don't then they will either
set you up with a 12 month contract, or charge an admin fee (in
that case it is likely to more than cover activation). So paying
Zen up front isn't that bad, and remember when equipment cost
at least double what current units cost, but speeds were a fraction!

"CJB" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I guess BT have more experience of line maintenance than anyone.

Well, for a pretty high portion (if not 100%) any problem will likely end
up with an Openreach (ie ex-BT) engineer. How long it takes to reach
them as a fault is another matter when going via a third party, and to
call that other company may need an 0870 number, which will cost you
significantly if there's a queue to be answered, compared with BT 15x
from a Payphone (though to be honest in 10 years I've not phoned
very often with faults, so don't know whether the calls to BT faults
are now ending up in foreign call centres.

--
Change to DSL Max the way I did: switch ISP <http://www.dslmax.info/>

"NoNeedToKnow" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
| "Pier Danone" <Pier (E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
|
| >Many rant about ZEN, I find there initial costs a bummer.
|
| It's usual to pay for activation, and lots of other ISPs charge a fee up
| front for it to cover their outlay. If they don't then they will either
| set you up with a 12 month contract, or charge an admin fee (in
| that case it is likely to more than cover activation). So paying
| Zen up front isn't that bad, and remember when equipment cost
| at least double what current units cost, but speeds were a fraction!

I don't dispute that at all. My own recent experience was, to get ZEN up and
running for a customer, they wanted an advance payment of around £70.
That's a fair bit to find up-front in my view. That said, they are a very good
ISP. The test of an ISP is what happens when things go wrong. Seems ISP's
change.
I recall when plusnet/force 9 were the business. Now you would not use them to
connect your sewer to your big white phone. BT are trigger happy on their
'acceptable usage policy'. I had my account terminated with them for responding
to an Islamic extremist on Usenet. (A blessing as it was a poor service from
BT). Tiscali are just a nightmare as many people post here. AOL want to take
over your machine. I've no experience of Demon at all. Pipex have stood me well
but they are not perfect. They communicate slowly and the email address thing is
poor with all aliases coming back to one 'root' account. However, the worst
experience I have ever had has to be with NTL. The '4 meg' connection was up and
down like a whores knickers and no amount of calls could get it sorted. Seems
it's the luck of the draw with them.

I guess none of them are really perfect. I am sure someone can point the OP to a
definitive list created on lots of opinions.



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In message <44eb459e$0$6004$(E-Mail Removed)>, Pier Danone
<Pier@Danone.?.com.invalid> writes

>I don't dispute that at all. My own recent experience was, to get ZEN up and
>running for a customer, they wanted an advance payment of around £70.
>That's a fair bit to find up-front in my view. That said, they are a very good
>ISP.

A lot of people agree, although Zen has a few odd quirks, such as a
"Live Support" facility that only keeps office hours Monday-Friday.

[Stuff clipped]
> I've no experience of Demon at all.

They have a reputation for technical excellence marred by a few bad
screwups here and there in their history. Offshoring the help desk
operation has been a disaster for them and they may be making moves to
bring it back to the UK. Their accounts department does seem to get
screwed up on occasion too. They have been around for a long time as an
ISP and have knowledgeable people working for them.
--
To reply, my gmail address is nojay1 Robert Sneddon

Thank you everyone. I shall get my BT landlkne reconnected. And then
use Zen or Demon as the broadband provider. Cheers - CHB.