What ISP? Pipex?

My exchange is due to be enabled in April (finally) so I've started
looking at ISPs. I wondered about Pipex, two reasons [1] they were my
first ISP in 1994 [2] they (or 123-Reg) host my sites.

I need a broadband ISP that:

* allows me to send email with a 3rd party email address
* has an "uncapped" package at a reasonable price
* is reliable
* manual set-up - doesn't require a CD or download
* has all the legal newsgroups, or a large number

Any thoughts?


--
Nigel M

> * allows me to send email with a 3rd party email address

Most ISPs will not allow email to be sent as a "third party" due to
problems with spam.

> * has an "uncapped" package at a reasonable price
> * is reliable
> * manual set-up - doesn't require a CD or download

I`m on Pipex, and as long as you use a router you won`t need any setup CD
(which is only required for a USB modem anyway). I`ve had 3 (?) down-
times since Feb 2003, of which none lasted more than a few hours.

> * has all the legal newsgroups, or a large number

If you let me know what specific groups I can try and check for you.

Failing that, how about http://www.individual.net ? (a free text only
newsgroup service)

--
Please add "[newsgroup]" in the subject of any personal replies via email
--- My new email address has "ngspamtrap" & @btinternet.com in it ;-) ---

On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 19:16:18 UTC, Colin Wilson <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

> > * allows me to send email with a 3rd party email address
>
> Most ISPs will not allow email to be sent as a "third party" due to
> problems with spam.

But some will aloow you to run your own incoming SMTP server, and not
block the outgoing SMTP port. So you can get round it that way if you
choose the right ISP.

> > * has an "uncapped" package at a reasonable price

These are mutually incompatible unless the quotes round the 'uncapped'
word were meaningful! And things are going to get tighter. Work out what
you'll actually use and go from there.

> > * is reliable
> > * manual set-up - doesn't require a CD or download

Smaller ISPs are better on this, but you can get all the necessary
details from most of them apart from the really big 'faceless' ones such
as Wanadoo and AOL and BT...although the details may be forthcoming
anyway. I've set up PlusNet for a number of people with no trouble, but
you may have other criteria.

> > * has all the legal newsgroups, or a large number

Binaries as well? In reality, to get a decent service you'll probably
need a third party news supplier.

> Failing that, how about http://www.individual.net ? (a free text only
> newsgroup service)

Yes, I use that. Not sure if he wanted binaries or not.

In addition, look for comments on customer service. Even if they are a
brilliant ISP, BT will still manage to cock it up occasionally. And it's
the ISP who has to chase BT.

Lastly......I would recommend against AOL if you want to receive all of
your mail.

--
Bob Eager
begin a new life...dump Windows!

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
Nigel M <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> I need a broadband ISP that:
>
> * allows me to send email with a 3rd party email address
> * has an "uncapped" package at a reasonable price
> * is reliable
> * manual set-up - doesn't require a CD or download
> * has all the legal newsgroups, or a large number
>
> Any thoughts?


I think Zen, Eclipse and Metronet will all let you do this, certainly
Zen will.

cheers,
Paul
--
paul <at> spamcop <dot> net

"Nigel M" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> My exchange is due to be enabled in April (finally) so I've started
> looking at ISPs. I wondered about Pipex, two reasons [1] they were my
> first ISP in 1994 [2] they (or 123-Reg) host my sites.
>
> I need a broadband ISP that:
>

With regard to Pipex:


> * allows me to send email with a 3rd party email address

You can use any address as the normal 'from' address, but if someone looks at
the header of your email they will see that it comes from your Pipex email alias
(if you have one)

> * has an "uncapped" package at a reasonable price

Yes, although the the news server binary downloads are limited.

From what I have read about Plusnet, my guess is that most ISPs will want to
discourage customers that they find are uneconomic to supply. The ISPs advertise
their products as unlimited in order to attract customers, but if the customers
do actually take all they are untitled to the ISP starts to loose money.

> * is reliable

Yes

> * manual set-up - doesn't require a CD or download

That would depend on how you connect. The free Speedtouch USB modem has its own
software. If you connect via a router and have a common Ethernet adapter, the
drivers are probably included with your OS.


> * has all the legal newsgroups, or a large number

The Pipex news server has a great many newsgroups. It also appears to keep old
postings for quite some time.


--

Michael Chare

On 03 Dec 2004, in uk.telecom.broadband, Paul Hutchings wrote:

>> * has all the legal newsgroups, or a large number

>I think Zen, Eclipse and Metronet will all let you do this

I didn't think Metronet offered newsgroups, BICBW. There are some other
services which do, of course... Claranet and Plus.Net to name two in the
UK. For text-only, Clara's 9.99/year would do OK... and offers SMTP mail
as well. For binaries, Clara's has a 10 GB/month limit (29.99/year) but
there is no apparent limit on the Plus.Net (1.99/month) 'Essential' a/c.
(just whatever you can 'pull' through your ADSL connection :-)

Plus.Net <http://www.plus.net/btbroadband/>

Claranet <http://www.clara.net/btbroadband/>
NB the 29.99 a/c includes domain registration and hosting at Claranet.

In MsgID<176uZD2KcidF-pn2-(E-Mail Removed)> within
uk.telecom.broadband, 'Bob Eager' wrote:

>> > * has an "uncapped" package at a reasonable price
>
>These are mutually incompatible unless the quotes round the 'uncapped'
>word were meaningful! And things are going to get tighter. Work out what
>you'll actually use and go from there.

Or, in other words, your quotes around the word 'uncapped' were very
meaningful. ISPs are now beginning to be more honest about it and even
in so-called 'uncapped' connections you will often find small print
that stipulates either an absolute maximum or an undefined 'reasonable
use'.

Apparently some ISPs do not, IMO it is these that you need to hunt out
if you desire the closest you will find to a genuinely uncapped
service.

Alternately you could pick one that states its cap, but I am also in
the position of looking to find a good ADSL supplier. My thinking is
that given that I don't know how much I will use, I would sooner
choose an ISP that hasn't imposed a limit yet.

--
Dave Johnson - (E-Mail Removed)

On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 21:02:45 -0000, in uk.telecom.broadband,
"Michael Chare" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>The ISPs advertise their products as unlimited in order to attract
>customers, but if the customers do actually take all they are
>untitled to the ISP starts to loose money.

a) for the bulk of users, an ISP doesn't need to impose any caps, but
there have been capped accounts introduced, in recent times, to offer
a cheaper product range to tempt those who have been using dial-up to
consider the switch. I don't know how the economics add up comparing
dial-up costs (renting 'lines' and the actual hardware, tech support,
and compaints about slow connections!) vs an 'always on' ADSL link.

b) define 'entitled' (but do, please, remember that to date all these
ADSL services have been clearly defined in terms of 20:1 or 50:1 use,
so traffic at full speed, 24x7, really doesn't fit in well with using
an 'entitled to all one can get' which some suggest is what they were
paying for. Peter M.




--
PlusNet <http://tinyurl.com/24ymz> - I recommend them and save some cash.

My other ISP is UK Free Software Network <www.ukfsn.org>
UKFSN passes all profits to Free Software projects in the UK.

"Peter M" <us-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 21:02:45 -0000, in uk.telecom.broadband,
> "Michael Chare" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
> >The ISPs advertise their products as unlimited in order to attract
> >customers, but if the customers do actually take all they are
> >untitled to the ISP starts to loose money.
>
> a) for the bulk of users, an ISP doesn't need to impose any caps, but
> there have been capped accounts introduced, in recent times, to offer
> a cheaper product range to tempt those who have been using dial-up to
> consider the switch. I don't know how the economics add up comparing
> dial-up costs (renting 'lines' and the actual hardware, tech support,
> and compaints about slow connections!) vs an 'always on' ADSL link.

Well in my case ADSL costs about 25% more but is vastly better.

>
> b) define 'entitled' (but do, please, remember that to date all these
> ADSL services have been clearly defined in terms of 20:1 or 50:1 use,
> so traffic at full speed, 24x7, really doesn't fit in well with using
> an 'entitled to all one can get' which some suggest is what they were
> paying for. Peter M.

I would disagree. The services are normally contended, that does not mean that
you are only allowed to take
a 20th or 50th of the line capacity.

Even Plusnet appear to acknowledge that their heavy users are not in breach of
any contract terms.

--

Michael Chare

On Fri, 3 Dec 2004 19:16:18 -0000, Colin Wilson <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>> * allows me to send email with a 3rd party email address
>
>Most ISPs will not allow email to be sent as a "third party" due to
>problems with spam.
>

-----End Quoted (and cut) Message-----


Depends on what the poster meant by "3rd party email address".

I regularly have a "Third party" "reply to" address in emailings.

I can also use a 3rd part smtp server via Pipex with the appropriate
settings.

Perhaps the poster has something else in mind. A few more clues could
help.




__________________________________________________ _____________________
Michael Kenward Words for sale