Zen Broadband

These guys are offering an "up to" 8Mb connection, with a 20GB download
allowance (extra usage is billed at £1 per GB) for £24.99 a month.

Has anyone used them before? What's the service like.

I can't decide on which provider to go with, but I need something set up
pretty quickly now and I would like either an unlimited download allowance
or something quite high like the 20GB Zen are offering.

The speed is good, I might not need the 8Mb but there don't seem to be
any/many 4Mb providers, so you're then left with 2Mb as the next alternative
which I feel may not quite be enough. If on the other hand I am guaranteed
a stable and reliable 2Mb connection then I might go with it.

Tanel.

"Tanel Kagan" <tanelkagan@(nospam)hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> These guys are offering an "up to" 8Mb connection, with a 20GB download
> allowance (extra usage is billed at £1 per GB) for £24.99 a month.
>
> Has anyone used them before? What's the service like.
>
> I can't decide on which provider to go with, but I need something set up
> pretty quickly now and I would like either an unlimited download allowance
> or something quite high like the 20GB Zen are offering.
>
> The speed is good, I might not need the 8Mb but there don't seem to be
> any/many 4Mb providers, so you're then left with 2Mb as the next
> alternative
> which I feel may not quite be enough. If on the other hand I am
> guaranteed
> a stable and reliable 2Mb connection then I might go with it.
>
> Tanel.
>
This is a Max ADSL connection so the speed is as high as your line will
allow.
Check with samknows.co.uk line checker to see the predicted speed, assuming
your exchange has been upgraded.
My line would not support a fixed 2mb sync rate but now the router is synced
at 4mb and I see download rates of 350-400kB/sec.
Read up on adslmax on adslguide.org.uk to enderstand the product. It might
not be for you....

rgds

> This is a Max ADSL connection so the speed is as high as your line will
> allow.
> Check with samknows.co.uk line checker to see the predicted speed,
assuming
> your exchange has been upgraded.
> My line would not support a fixed 2mb sync rate but now the router is
synced
> at 4mb and I see download rates of 350-400kB/sec.
> Read up on adslmax on adslguide.org.uk to enderstand the product. It
might
> not be for you....

OK, have done the line check. Three things:

1) Zen is not so it seems available on my line, although Zen's own line
checker would indicate otherwise. Which one should I trust?

2) The maximum speed available is 5.5Mb, which means paying for 8Mb is
"wasting money" whereas having a 2Mb connection is wasting line capability.
Any decent 4Mb services out there?

3) Samknows.com says that there is no wireless service from my exchange -
this might be a stupid question but does that mean it's not suitable for
using wireless broadband around the house using a wireless router etc, or is
it talking about connecting direct to the exchange with a wireless
connection, something I presume only big organisations would/could do?

Tanel.

"Tanel Kagan" <tanelkagan@(nospam)hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> This is a Max ADSL connection so the speed is as high as your line will
>> allow.
>> Check with samknows.co.uk line checker to see the predicted speed,
> assuming
>> your exchange has been upgraded.
>> My line would not support a fixed 2mb sync rate but now the router is
> synced
>> at 4mb and I see download rates of 350-400kB/sec.
>> Read up on adslmax on adslguide.org.uk to enderstand the product. It
> might
>> not be for you....
>
> OK, have done the line check. Three things:
>
> 1) Zen is not so it seems available on my line, although Zen's own line
> checker would indicate otherwise. Which one should I trust?

Zen does not do LLU so would not appear in the list. You would use BT ADSL

> 2) The maximum speed available is 5.5Mb, which means paying for 8Mb is
> "wasting money" whereas having a 2Mb connection is wasting line
> capability.
> Any decent 4Mb services out there?

AFAIK there is only 512, 1024, 2048 which are fixed, then Maxwhich is
variable, on BT.

> 3) Samknows.com says that there is no wireless service from my
> exchange -
> this might be a stupid question but does that mean it's not suitable for
> using wireless broadband around the house using a wireless router etc,

No connection

> it talking about connecting direct to the exchange with a wireless
> connection, something I presume only big organisations would/could do?

Yes.

>
> Tanel.
>
>

1: No you can get Zen wherever you are, the ref on the Samknows site refers
to ISP's who are using exchanges directly on the "unbundled" basis. That
does not affect any Isp's being available on any exchange foe max adsl
2: Most Isp's are offering 2Mb or UP to 8Mb. Go for Up to 8 MB and you will
get whatever your line will support, which will be over your current 2, in
the case of Zen there is no difference in costs.
3:No you can use wireless throught the house. The reference in Samknows
refers to some areas in the country when broadband can be accessed by
wireless rather than through the usual route( ie through the telephone
line). This does not refer to wireless connections within your house.
Hope this helps.
Alan


"Tanel Kagan" <tanelkagan@(nospam)hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> This is a Max ADSL connection so the speed is as high as your line will
>> allow.
>> Check with samknows.co.uk line checker to see the predicted speed,
> assuming
>> your exchange has been upgraded.
>> My line would not support a fixed 2mb sync rate but now the router is
> synced
>> at 4mb and I see download rates of 350-400kB/sec.
>> Read up on adslmax on adslguide.org.uk to enderstand the product. It
> might
>> not be for you....
>
> OK, have done the line check. Three things:
>
> 1) Zen is not so it seems available on my line, although Zen's own line
> checker would indicate otherwise. Which one should I trust?
>
> 2) The maximum speed available is 5.5Mb, which means paying for 8Mb is
> "wasting money" whereas having a 2Mb connection is wasting line
> capability.
> Any decent 4Mb services out there?
>
> 3) Samknows.com says that there is no wireless service from my
> exchange -
> this might be a stupid question but does that mean it's not suitable for
> using wireless broadband around the house using a wireless router etc, or
> is
> it talking about connecting direct to the exchange with a wireless
> connection, something I presume only big organisations would/could do?
>
> Tanel.
>
>

On 21 Apr 2006 , "Tanel Kagan" wrote:


>OK, have done the line check. Three things:

>1) Zen is not so it seems available on my line, although Zen's own line
>checker would indicate otherwise. Which one should I trust?

Is the line rented from BT ? I assume your sentence started with

"Zen is not, so it seems, available on my line, ..."

(I added commas, and I am guessing that was what you meant)


>2) The maximum speed available is 5.5Mb, which means paying for 8Mb is
>"wasting money" whereas having a 2Mb connection is wasting line capability.
>Any decent 4Mb services out there?

Zen is perhaps one of the most expensive.

However, they are pretty much all described as "up to 8 Mbps" and it's all
down to the signal quality on your line, your equipment, and so on...

>3) Samknows.com says that there is no wireless service from my exchange
> ... is it about connecting direct to the exchange with a wireless connection,

yes, but I don't think there are many at present. Saw something about a tie
up between some firm and Pipex to provide this in 25+ UK cities in future.

>something I presume only big organisations would/could do?

possibly, possibly not. There have been plans to provide wide area wireless
and while it may be costly now, it might be cheaper in a few years. Have a
look at http://www.metranet.co.uk/ (and www.looseconnections.com)... for
the Brighton / Sussex / South Coast. (I have no connection, just found a
newsgroup posting while searching for "WiMAX"). Peter Morgan.

> >1) Zen is not so it seems available on my line, although Zen's own
line
> >checker would indicate otherwise. Which one should I trust?
>
> Is the line rented from BT ? I assume your sentence started with
>
> "Zen is not, so it seems, available on my line, ..."
>
> (I added commas, and I am guessing that was what you meant)

Yes, thanks for the punctuation!

> >2) The maximum speed available is 5.5Mb, which means paying for 8Mb is
> >"wasting money" whereas having a 2Mb connection is wasting line
capability.
> >Any decent 4Mb services out there?
>
> Zen is perhaps one of the most expensive.

I'm now looking at Homechoice 4Mb too, but I've asked them if they can offer
broadband only instead of broadband+phone+digital TV, because I'm generally
happy with BT and Sky. They're going to call me back... though why they
couldn't find a single adviser to speak to me when I contacted them I don't
know.

Thanks for your input.

> > 1) Zen is not so it seems available on my line, although Zen's own
line
> > checker would indicate otherwise. Which one should I trust?
>
> Zen does not do LLU so would not appear in the list. You would use BT ADSL
>
> > 2) The maximum speed available is 5.5Mb, which means paying for 8Mb
is
> > "wasting money" whereas having a 2Mb connection is wasting line
> > capability.
> > Any decent 4Mb services out there?
>
> AFAIK there is only 512, 1024, 2048 which are fixed, then Maxwhich is
> variable, on BT.
>
> > 3) Samknows.com says that there is no wireless service from my
> > exchange -
> > this might be a stupid question but does that mean it's not suitable for
> > using wireless broadband around the house using a wireless router etc,
>
> No connection
>
> > it talking about connecting direct to the exchange with a wireless
> > connection, something I presume only big organisations would/could do?
>
> Yes.
>
> >
> > Tanel.

Thanks for your help Alec.

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
Tanel Kagan <tanelkagan@(nospam)hotmail.com> wrote:
>These guys are offering an "up to" 8Mb connection, with a 20GB download
>allowance (extra usage is billed at £1 per GB) for £24.99 a month.
>
>Has anyone used them before? What's the service like.

I'm currently with Zen.

Their service has been excellent - they were really good at hassling BT to
get a fault fixed on my line (turned out to be the exchange)

>I can't decide on which provider to go with, but I need something set up
>pretty quickly now and I would like either an unlimited download allowance
>or something quite high like the 20GB Zen are offering.

I'm sure that if you went with Zen then you'd get good constant download
speeds all the time.

However, I'm on their 2Mb service - my exchange and line will take 8Mb,
but I haven't upgraded yet - the 2Mb service (which they no-longer sell)
is uncapped, while the 8Mb service is capped, as you have written, and
although I'm not a p2p, etc. user, I will have occasion to download more
than 20GB a month soon, so am looking for an alternative.

Which is a shame, and since I'll be having data pushed into me, it could
be hard to control, and at £1 per extra GB it could very quickly become
prohibitively expensive for me.

Gordon

> 1: No you can get Zen wherever you are, the ref on the Samknows site
refers
> to ISP's who are using exchanges directly on the "unbundled" basis. That
> does not affect any Isp's being available on any exchange foe max adsl
> 2: Most Isp's are offering 2Mb or UP to 8Mb. Go for Up to 8 MB and you
will
> get whatever your line will support, which will be over your current 2, in
> the case of Zen there is no difference in costs.
> 3:No you can use wireless throught the house. The reference in Samknows
> refers to some areas in the country when broadband can be accessed by
> wireless rather than through the usual route( ie through the telephone
> line). This does not refer to wireless connections within your house.
> Hope this helps.
> Alan

Yes it does, thankyou for your time. I'll look again at this "up to 8Mb" on
other providers which I may have discounted first time round.

Tanel.