UK Anandtech people: ISP

[AMB]

What ISP's do you use and what speeds do you connect at. I am just curious that is all.

I have had:

BT Internet Free: 46,777 - 48,000
Freeserve Unlimited: 45,333 - 49,333

 

[snow patrol]

Freeserve (normal until I get surftime) - 50,666 and 49,333

 

[JimF]

NTL. 49,333 - 50,666

 

[hominid skull]

ClaraNet FreeTime, I connect at 115,200 bps. Connection is good and i can connect first time 99.95% of the time..

 

[Shagga]

Snow - Have you thought about ClaraNet. They seem to be mopping up the awards in the UK. They bring out a similar scheme to BT's surftime and it's due in the Autumn. £15/month for unlimited access. What made you think about Surftime over ClaraNet? and why are you with FreeServe FGS (Don't say cos it's free!)

Cheers.

 

[snow patrol]

Well, as you are aware, I've ordered ADSL. Given that I'm in London, mine should be among the first lines to be installed (fingers crossed next month). So...surftime is just a tempory measure - I'll only be using it for a month or so - I can't really be bothered to sign up to another one for only one (or at the most two) months. Besides - aren't there minimum time contracts or something?

edit: Well, I checked out the clara.net site, and it's saying that the 24/7 surfing for 14.99 a month won't be available until Autumn 2000.

 

[dee]

Plusnet surftime 64kpbs, Ezesurf Surfsaver (i think thats what its called) 128kbps

You should really look into isdn if like me adsl isn't likely in your area for a while. Makes a massive difference gaming, if your into that. I also reckon its significantly better for general surfing even though many disagree.

By the way, if you're already with bt the installation for idsn is only 50 quid and monthly rental only adds 15 to your bill (this assumes you use bt together which to me seems worthwile as long as you make a reasonable no. of normal phone calls).

Once your installed you essentially can have a 24/7 connection on one line if you sign up to one of the free(ish) isps now about (I only really use the other one for downloading thru the night when I know they're be no phone calls).

 

[nemouk]

I use BTi Free in the evenings and all weekend. (ISDN 64K).

I think its fantastic, it has been through lame periods of access, but at the moment it is very fast. I can play games with a constant 50 ping (Counter-Strike, Games-World and Jolt! servers).

Downloading is fast, and unlike other free isps, i get on first time everytime.

I also use RedHotAnt, hmmmmmm for surfing in the day. Getting on takes from 30 seconds to 5 mins in the day. But once on the speed is good, and at nights i cram it on 128.

 

[AMB]

I may get ADSL, but I am not that sure that it warrants the price.

I am quite happy with Freeserve 24/7.

 

[cobain]

I got NTL World I only get 38K (crappy line) but thats as good as other ISP's have given me. I got a new line being installed tomorrow, so that should help. And BT have said I'm having my ADSL installed end of next month

 

[downhiller80]

Freenetname: http://www.freenetname.co.uk

Get your own proper (i.e. myname.co.uk as opposed to myname.loadsacrap.co.uk) domain for 20Mb webspace FREE.

Connect normally at about 48,000 but more impartantly consistently get 5k/s during connection. I've had ISP's before that'll connect at 48,000 or so but download at 2 to 3k a second!

Seb

 

[Killfile]

Freeserve 24/7 is great right up to the point where you need some customer service - then you just forget it.

I signed up for freeserve 24/7 two months ago, made a request to transfer to account over to my ISDN line after a couple of weeks and haven't been able to connect since.

Now a month and a half later, I'm stuck in a groundhog style thing where every time I call they have no records of my previous 17 calls and insist yet again that it will only be 48 hours to switch my number over.

I know it's not my end, because I can connect on their regular number just fine - it's when I put the 27/4 number in it won't connect.

My advice. Use Nildram ...

 

[Mark R]

BT internet.

Service has been patchy at times, but has now improved to an acceptable level.

Typical connection speed: 46000-48000

 

[snow patrol]

Cobain - BT told you the end of July? Cool..where abouts are you? Is that with the OpenWorld thingy?

Thanks.

 

[cobain]

No they said from mid to late august, its BT Open world yeah. I'm down in cardiff. They told me they are having trouble with the drivers for the USB modems thats why its been delayed till then. I was going to get home highway till then but they said I'd be stuck on ISDN till next july, and I can have ADSL next month. Free connection like they said.

 

[Mem]

I`m using, Lineone.net always get 48,000 - 49,333bps,very good service normally connect first time,
Modem - Diamond SupraExpress 56i V PRO .
Btw I `m using their 0800 number for 24hrs 7 days a week free connection(no phone charges).

 

[snow patrol]

Cool, well hopefully a month or two more and I'll get it

 

[nemouk]

ADSL, that carrot BT dangle in front of our eyes, and each week the "rollout date" goes back..and back....and back

 

[cobain]

We should all email Oftel and get them to force BT to release the damn thing. I was promised it back in Feb on a trial.

 

[Shagga]

Snow - I am soooo jealous. Jeez do I want ADSL. I wan tit now. Did you just ring BT to see what the current state of play is. As you know I signed up to get the free connection etc, but they have not updated me for a while via e-mail. Is that how your getting your updates?

.

When you get it Snow you'll have to run a Q3 server and I'll come and whip ya ar$$.

 

[LouisXIX]

Look at you lot talk about the wonders of ADSL and how you long for its presence in your city. Yet from what ive heard from BT and articles in the press, there will be a wopping 50-1 contention ratio on residential connections. If you can get cable in your area, go for that instead, because BT seem to be f**cking everyone over at the moment and plan to in the future.

 

[snow patrol]

Louis, experts predict that at peak times the highest number of people downloading/browsing at the same time will be SIX. I tend to use the net in the wee small hours, so I highly doubt the connection ratio issue will affect me. Besides, with cable, you also have to share bandwidth...

Shagga, I got a confirmation from BT, but I have yet to receive a set install date or anything of that ilk. As I say, fingers crossed, it'll be no more than a month or two.

Oh yes...whilst I do own Q3A, I'm a bit...um...cr@p at it! Rogue Spear might be a different story though, or even UT

 

[LouisXIX]

snow, didnt know there were adsl experts.......But I still have this nagging feeling that BT are the devils advocates, dont know what tells me that (could it be something to do with the rapid advance of technology in the last couple of years? ). If the contention ratio wont bother you, then the packet filter, server ban and disabling of routing will. As for cable, the operators havent even begun to allow the full potential of cable capacity to come through to customers. Much of the uk cable network is muti-channel, meaning there is much spare capacity being unused. ADSL meanwhile, will take some years in the uk to reach the transfers speeds currently offered in continental europe and the US, thanks to BT's 'sophisticated' exchange technology.

 

[cobain]

I hate BT right now, they have just messed up my new and old lines so neither do over 28K now and always cut off.

BT ADSL is on a shared bandwidth system, so if lots are on then your system will crawl. What makes it worse is that you're not shared with your local area. But further down the path, so its more likely you will be sharing with more people than Cable.

I'm just depressed I dont live in a Cable area.