Plusnet - can I expect it to get better?

Just completed my £24.99 ADSL connection - Wednesday. I went for this
because it supports Newsgroups and allows PeerToPeer (Kazaa/Grokster
etc)

Or so I thought.

Although access is allowed to Newsgroups there are incomplete binaries
for everything. Even a two part download cannot be carried out because
there is only one part. As this applies to every NGroup I can only
believe that this intentional by Plusnet.

I loaded Kazaa today and found that after a couple of minutes
attempting a download I was disconnected. Happened over and over until
I gave up.

My reason for using the higher priced package was precisely to avoid
this as their blurb does not give reason to believe there would be
sabotage of this kind.

A cheaper package and monthly payment to a News Provider Service seems
to have been the better option.

During the lead up to joining ADSL I received very good service and
prompt replies. Once I had joined and sent a query about the Newsgroup
problem I have had NO response.

Am I being unlucky? Can any other Plusnet user confirm whether I can
expect better than this?

Freeserve modem Anytime (I am still using it with a view to cancelling
just before next Direct Debit Payment) now appears vastly superior to
Plusnet ADSL.

KM

> Am I being unlucky? Can any other Plusnet user confirm whether I
> can expect better than this?

Binary newsgroups are rather incomplete on plusnet, but then they're all
full of porn and warez anyway. Plusnet's response is that they know about
the problem but it's not practicable for a normal ISP to carry a complete
binary feed; which is fair enough, I don't think I've seen an ISP that does
have one.

Can't comment on kazaa, never used it.

There are hundreds of binary groups ranging from music, film, e-books
etc which carry small binary downloads ie 2 portions or 100s of
portions. Newsgroups allow exchange of files for everyone. When even
a 2 portion file is not available I think it is to be deplored, as
this is less of a service than cheaper modem packages offer.

I think it misses the issue to dismiss them as porn related.

A provider of an Internet service - especially a higher priced service
purporting to support Newsgroups - should do exactly that.

KM

>Binary newsgroups are rather incomplete on plusnet, but then they're all
>full of porn and warez anyway. Plusnet's response is that they know about
>the problem but it's not practicable for a normal ISP to carry a complete
>binary feed; which is fair enough, I don't think I've seen an ISP that does
>have one.
>
>Can't comment on kazaa, never used it.
>

"tcm " <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news(E-Mail Removed)...
> Just completed my £24.99 ADSL connection - Wednesday. I
went for this
> because it supports Newsgroups and allows PeerToPeer
(Kazaa/Grokster
> etc)

The £21.99 account also supports newsgroups and peer to
peer.

> Or so I thought.
>
> Although access is allowed to Newsgroups there are
incomplete binaries
> for everything. Even a two part download cannot be carried
out because
> there is only one part. As this applies to every NGroup I
can only
> believe that this intentional by Plusnet.

Not intentional but a fact of life, I believe. Binaries are
very resource intensive and Plusnet say they do as well as
any other ISP that provides a nominally full (in terms of
number of groups) binaries within a relatively cheap
package. Makes sense to me but others might like to comment
on the binary service provided by other ISPs (note: ISPs not
specialist news providers). Also note that this applies
only to the binary feed. The text feed is complete.

> I loaded Kazaa today and found that after a couple of
minutes
> attempting a download I was disconnected. Happened over
and over until
> I gave up.
>
> My reason for using the higher priced package was
precisely to avoid
> this as their blurb does not give reason to believe there
would be
> sabotage of this kind.

Never used Kazaa so have no first hand experience. However,
I very much doubt Plusnet are deliberately sabotaging.

> A cheaper package and monthly payment to a News Provider
Service seems
> to have been the better option.

Not allowed on the cheapest package (£18.99). It is cheaper
because the high bandwidth uses are prohibited (and
prevented by port blocking). If binaries are important,
Plusnet recommend using a paid newsfeed to supplement their
service on any of the higher cost accounts that support high
bandwidth use.

> During the lead up to joining ADSL I received very good
service and
> prompt replies. Once I had joined and sent a query about
the Newsgroup
> problem I have had NO response.
>
> Am I being unlucky? Can any other Plusnet user confirm
whether I can
> expect better than this?

Customer service is usually pretty good. The Kazaa problem
sounds like a fault. Newsgroups are, I'm afraid, as you
have found.

Visit the Plusnet newsgroups and forums. You will get a
better overall view of the service and, in the customer
feedback groups, often get responses to perceived problems

> Freeserve modem Anytime (I am still using it with a view
to cancelling
> just before next Direct Debit Payment) now appears vastly
superior to
> Plusnet ADSL.

I find that hard to believe. Not criticising Freeserve but
doubt that any 56K dial up account can be superior to any
ADSL account.

--
Old Codger
e-mail use reply to field

What matters in politics is not what happens, but what you
can make people believe has happened. [Janet Daley
27/8/2003]

"tcm " <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> There are hundreds of binary groups ranging from music, film, e-books
> etc which carry small binary downloads ie 2 portions or 100s of
> portions. Newsgroups allow exchange of files for everyone. When even
> a 2 portion file is not available I think it is to be deplored, as
> this is less of a service than cheaper modem packages offer.
>
> I think it misses the issue to dismiss them as porn related.
>
> A provider of an Internet service - especially a higher priced service
> purporting to support Newsgroups - should do exactly that.

I belive that plusnet are putting in \ have put in new news servers
recently. Things may improve but the news service is only really sutiable
for text base groups.

As for Kazza I have had the problems you said in the past but put it down to
Kazza's network rather than plusnet, most of the times I don't have these
problems.

If you raise a ticket or just post to plusnet.service.customer-feedback (or
whatever its called) then you should get a response.

Sam
>
> KM
>
> >Binary newsgroups are rather incomplete on plusnet, but then they're all
> >full of porn and warez anyway. Plusnet's response is that they know about
> >the problem but it's not practicable for a normal ISP to carry a complete
> >binary feed; which is fair enough, I don't think I've seen an ISP that
does
> >have one.
> >
> >Can't comment on kazaa, never used it.
> >
>


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In article <Ar7tb.8297$(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed) says...
> > Am I being unlucky? Can any other Plusnet user confirm whether I
> > can expect better than this?
>
> Binary newsgroups are rather incomplete on plusnet, but then they're all
> full of porn and warez anyway.
>

And your problem there is....

;-)

Pete.

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NOTE! Email address is spamtrapped. Any email will be bounced to you
Remove the news and underscore from my address to reply by mail

On Fri, 14 Nov 2003 16:03:03 +0000, "tcm"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:


>
>Am I being unlucky? Can any other Plusnet user confirm whether I can
>expect better than this?
>
You'd get a better response, including comment from support, by
posting on the PlusNet newsgroups/forums.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>, kevin44
@mcgeek.freeserve.co.uk says...
> Just completed my £24.99 ADSL connection - Wednesday. I went for this
> because it supports Newsgroups and allows PeerToPeer (Kazaa/Grokster
> etc)
>
>
> I loaded Kazaa today and found that after a couple of minutes
> attempting a download I was disconnected. Happened over and over until
> I gave up.

<snip>

Never had any problems with Kazaa/Overnet/etc on Plusnet

I say superior in the sense that although access is given to a
restricted selection of Newsgroups, including binaries, those that
are made available are complete.

KM

>> Freeserve modem Anytime (I am still using it with a view
>to cancelling
>> just before next Direct Debit Payment) now appears vastly
>superior to
>> Plusnet ADSL.
>
>I find that hard to believe. Not criticising Freeserve but
>doubt that any 56K dial up account can be superior to any
>ADSL account

The Plusnet forums by definition will be seen by users of Plusnet. My
question was, to some extent rhetorical, as I have already discovered
the limitations of Plusnet the hardway. By posting to a wider audience
I hope my input may act as a warning to potential subscribers.

KM
>>Am I being unlucky? Can any other Plusnet user confirm whether I can
>>expect better than this?
>>
>You'd get a better response, including comment from support, by
>posting on the PlusNet newsgroups/forums.