Recommendation please for ISP on a 12 month contract..

Hi all.

I have an ageing friend who requires broadband for the first time. My
normal recommendations of Zen/Idnet are not ideal as she'd like to avoid
the £47 connection fee by going to a provider bundling it as part of a
12 month contract.

She will be a light user, and require the relevant hardware. Ideally a
router rather than a nasty USB modem.

Of the well known players, O2 seem to be a possibility. They tick the
boxes and I have found their customer service good in the past.

I know who to avoid (Tiscali) but have mixed feelings about the others
like Sky, Talk Talk, Tesco...the list goes on. She doesn't want to sign
over her phone line to anyone else as part of a bundle.

Can anyone help out here with an opinion or two please. I'd appreciate it.

Thanks.

"Steve Olive" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:48527434$0$26076$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi all.
>
> I have an ageing friend who requires broadband for the first time. My
> normal recommendations of Zen/Idnet are not ideal as she'd like to avoid
> the £47 connection fee by going to a provider bundling it as part of a 12
> month contract.
>
> She will be a light user, and require the relevant hardware. Ideally a
> router rather than a nasty USB modem.
>
> Of the well known players, O2 seem to be a possibility. They tick the
> boxes and I have found their customer service good in the past.
>
> I know who to avoid (Tiscali) but have mixed feelings about the others
> like Sky, Talk Talk, Tesco...the list goes on. She doesn't want to sign
> over her phone line to anyone else as part of a bundle.
>
> Can anyone help out here with an opinion or two please. I'd appreciate it.
>


www.beunlimited.co.uk

hth

Mike - not affiliated, but happy customer.

>
>
> www.beunlimited.co.uk
>
> hth
>
> Mike - not affiliated, but happy customer.
>

Thought of them but not available in deepest Zummerzet :-(

Thanks anyway
>
>

Steve Olive wrote:
> I have an ageing friend who requires broadband for the first time. My
> normal recommendations of Zen/Idnet are not ideal as she'd like to
> avoid the £47 connection fee by going to a provider bundling it as
> part of a 12 month contract.
>
> She will be a light user, and require the relevant hardware. Ideally a
> router rather than a nasty USB modem.

I'd look at Plusnet for such a user.
They seem to be doing the "right" thing in publishing how they throttle
services (etc) rather than hiding behind "unlimited" claims.


Given fairly low price of wired routers from computer shops, I wouldn't make
the provision of a free router to be a deal-breaker. However, agree that a
router is far preferable to a USB modem.



- Nigel

--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

"Nigel Cliffe" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:g2tut2$dps$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Steve Olive wrote:
>> I have an ageing friend who requires broadband for the first time. My
>> normal recommendations of Zen/Idnet are not ideal as she'd like to
>> avoid the £47 connection fee by going to a provider bundling it as
>> part of a 12 month contract.
>>
>> She will be a light user, and require the relevant hardware. Ideally a
>> router rather than a nasty USB modem.
>
> I'd look at Plusnet for such a user.
> They seem to be doing the "right" thing in publishing how they throttle
> services (etc) rather than hiding behind "unlimited" claims.
>
>
> Given fairly low price of wired routers from computer shops, I wouldn't
> make the provision of a free router to be a deal-breaker. However, agree
> that a router is far preferable to a USB modem.

Agreed.
See http://www.plus.net/residential/broa...T.svl=bbyw_ban for tariffs.
Reasonable rates and excellent after-sales service with call centre in
Sheffield - callable at normal rates (not premium).
One month contract but router free if she stays with them for 12 months

George

On Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:20:48 +0100, Steve Olive
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Hi all.
>
>I have an ageing friend who requires broadband for the first time. My
>normal recommendations of Zen/Idnet are not ideal as she'd like to avoid
>the £47 connection fee by going to a provider bundling it as part of a
>12 month contract.

Demon Home 8000 £17.99 a month.

Demon HomeOffice 8000 £22.99 a month. Includes Usenet.

No setup or connection fee.

Steve

--
EasyNN-plus. Build Neural Networks. http://www.easynn.com
SwingNN. Forecast the Future. http://www.swingnn.com
Neural Planner Software Ltd http://www.npsl1.com

Stephen Wolstenholme wrote:
> On Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:20:48 +0100, Steve Olive
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> Hi all.
>>
>> I have an ageing friend who requires broadband for the first time. My
>> normal recommendations of Zen/Idnet are not ideal as she'd like to
>> avoid the £47 connection fee by going to a provider bundling it as
>> part of a 12 month contract.
>
> Demon Home 8000 £17.99 a month.
>
> Demon HomeOffice 8000 £22.99 a month. Includes Usenet.
>
> No setup or connection fee.

I wouldn't recommend Demon any more.
Used to be good some years ago, not any more.

(Could write long rant about where they are hopeless, but lets leave it at
that).


- Nigel (ex Demon customer)


--
Nigel Cliffe,
Webmaster at http://www.2mm.org.uk/

Steve Olive wrote:
> Hi all.
>
> I have an ageing friend who requires broadband for the first time. My
> normal recommendations of Zen/Idnet are not ideal as she'd like to
> avoid the £47 connection fee by going to a provider bundling it as
> part of a 12 month contract.

If she already has Sky TV, BB at £0/month with a router thrown in makes a
lot of sense.

> I have an ageing friend who requires broadband for the first time. My
> normal recommendations of Zen/Idnet are not ideal as she'd like to avoid
> the £47 connection fee by going to a provider bundling it as part of a 12
> month contract.
>
> She will be a light user, and require the relevant hardware. Ideally a
> router rather than a nasty USB modem.
>
> Of the well known players, O2 seem to be a possibility. They tick the
> boxes and I have found their customer service good in the past.
>
> I know who to avoid (Tiscali) but have mixed feelings about the others
> like Sky, Talk Talk, Tesco...the list goes on. She doesn't want to sign
> over her phone line to anyone else as part of a bundle.
>
> Can anyone help out here with an opinion or two please. I'd appreciate it.


Plusnet do a light user package for £9.99 per month including an inclusive
wireless router for a 12 month contract. First class support and good
reliability.

Peter

On Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:20:48 +0100
Steve Olive <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

> Hi all.
>
> I have an ageing friend who requires broadband for the first time. My
> normal recommendations of Zen/Idnet are not ideal as she'd like to avoid
> the £47 connection fee by going to a provider bundling it as part ofa
> 12 month contract.
>
> She will be a light user, and require the relevant hardware. Ideally a
> router rather than a nasty USB modem.
>
> Of the well known players, O2 seem to be a possibility. They tick the
> boxes and I have found their customer service good in the past.
>
> I know who to avoid (Tiscali) but have mixed feelings about the others
> like Sky, Talk Talk, Tesco...the list goes on. She doesn't want to sign
> over her phone line to anyone else as part of a bundle.
>
> Can anyone help out here with an opinion or two please. I'd appreciate it.
>
> Thanks.

I've just been through a difficult broadband install for a friend - the
line had a DACS on it. The ISP is Plusnet, and they kept us informed
right down the line. I'd use them again.

Friend chose the 12 month contract and free one-port wireless router.
It works OK.

R.