View Full Version : Which ISP should I choose ?
Mat ov CPFC
23-02-2001, 03:33 AM
Tonight, I have finally managed to log onto Freeserve Time at 11.15pm after trying for nearly an hour. ( its not even worth bothering before hand ).
Can you recomend a reliable ISP, and I dont mind paying up to 15 quid a month for the right package.
Thank you.
will hung
23-02-2001, 03:38 AM
virgin are quite good and free, although the help-line charges £1 a minute
www.BigBlueSky.uk.net (http://www.BigBlueSky.uk.net) - might be worth a look - I've heard good things about it.
I'm stuck on the worlds worst ISP BTOpenWorld for a year. OK It's 10 times faster than a normal ISP but its so unreliable and crap for games.
Dodger
23-02-2001, 03:57 AM
BTinternet looks a good deal. Think its £12.99 a month for unlimited access.
Strathclyde Eagle
23-02-2001, 05:20 AM
I'm a very happy clara.net user.
They were good to start with but upon thinking about it they have been nothing less than brilliant for ages.
50Mb webspace, unlimited e-mail addresses and I cannot remember the last time that I couldn't get online or was disconnected before I had finished surfing.
Currently I'm on their freetime unlimited account. The name is a bit misleading but you get free access all weekend and between 6pm and 2am during weekdays. Price for this is £9.99 per month.
You can see their site at http://www.clara.net
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Spruced up for spring... the Strathclyde Eagles homepage (http://www.crystal-palacefc.co.uk)
Gooders
23-02-2001, 11:25 AM
Matov - up until a couple of weeks back I've been with Virgin (fnar, fnar) and had no problems in 2 years.
They charge 1p a minute though and my kids are never off-line so my phone bills were getting silly.
I've now taken up the 15.99 or whatever it is thing from BTinternet. Much cheaper it may be but if I can't log on it's not much use and that's been our experience so far.
Always crashing or just simply can't connect. It's pants. Over-subscribed I guess.
Stephenson Soundbyter
23-02-2001, 11:32 AM
Strange Gooders I manage to connect with BT Internet with no problem although I wish they gave a 2 hour limit warning someimes.
It also disconnects at odd times too.
I pay £14.99 unlimted
Nice girl
henryhallandhisbasque
23-02-2001, 11:39 AM
Yes, I agree with Stephenson's Rocket. I use BT Internet for £9.99 per month. I get ungasmetered access to the Internet bewteen 18:00 hrs to 08:00 hrs weekdays, and all of the weekend. The BPS(beats per minute(sorry,second!) isn't very good though usually between 38 and 46, you also get cut off after two hours sailing. On the plus side, you can re-connect without difficulty afterwards, and in general I usually connect 1st or 2nd time when I sign-on, talking of signing-on I'm late for the job centre.
[This message has been edited by henryhallandhisbasque (edited 23 February 2001).]
Palace Don
23-02-2001, 12:09 PM
Double Post. Sorry
[This message has been edited by Palace Don (edited 23 February 2001).]
Palace Don
23-02-2001, 12:12 PM
Originally posted by Mat ov CPFC:
Tonight, I have finally managed to log onto Freeserve Time at 11.15pm after trying for nearly an hour. ( its not even worth bothering before hand ).
Can you recomend a reliable ISP, and I dont mind paying up to 15 quid a month for the right package.
Thank you.
I can recommend two Mat, that aren't BT
1) Netcomuk - I have been using them for two years and they are very reliable. You have to pay 14 quid a month but the service is spot on. Goto http://www.netcom.net.uk/index_ie.html
2) Totalise are another good service provider, who don't charge for their service. you get the usual email addresses and Web space, plus option to gain shares the more you use their dial-up. Goto: www.totalise.net (http://www.totalise.net)
[This message has been edited by Palace Don (edited 23 February 2001).]
Scoot
23-02-2001, 12:28 PM
I use Compuserve and have no problemos at all.
I have no idea how much it costs though cos work pays for my home account as well. http://www.cpfc.org/ubb/wink.gif http://www.cpfc.org/ubb/wink.gif http://www.cpfc.org/ubb/smile.gif
Kevin T
23-02-2001, 01:07 PM
With regard to BT, I use BT Internet for £9.99 and have never had any problems. Always connect and a fair speed. I've recently set my parents up on the BT Surftime package and it is awful! The speed is so terrible. As for my package, well, they say I'm getting upgraded to the £14.99 unlimited access jobbie soon and will require a BT phone line to use it. I use Telewest so that's one customer lost.
So, I'm as interested in this thread as you Mat!
Kevin T
23-02-2001, 01:08 PM
BPS = Bits per second
Now we know why you work in IT Kev! A bit of what?
I use Worldonline but you've got to change from BT. They're cheaper but bill monthly and you can go for their unlimited off peak package thingy for an extra £8/9? (pcm). My average phone bill is about £18 pcm and that's with a flatmate and unlimited internet access. And you don't pay those shysters at BT! What retard privatised a monopoly?
They have started breaking the server connection recently and blaming the remote so I'm not sure I'd reccommend it at the mo. Get something free and hang around till ADSL beds down and the prices start dropping?
2047
Chillo
23-02-2001, 02:10 PM
Never had too many problems with tesco.net and it's free.
Men At Work
23-02-2001, 02:17 PM
Like Strathclyde I've found ClaraNet to be quite good. Even more so since they forgot to charge me for the first year http://www.cpfc.org/ubb/smile.gif
Kevin T
23-02-2001, 02:30 PM
If you are trying to send a 30kb lump of data down a phone line, you can't chuck it all down at once, so it is broken down into it's smallest units, which are called bits.
Just stay away from BT. THEY ARE ****.
I've used totalise since it started a couple of years back. Never had any problems and swithcing from Freeserve to Totalise is so easy as to be scary. Everything is automatically changed for you.
It's free and fast (you pay the call) but if you sign up for totalise telecom you end up paying virtually nothing for the net. Every minute you spend talking gets you a free internet minute http://www.cpfc.org/ubb/smile.gif
Blarm
23-02-2001, 05:17 PM
I was lucky enough to get one of the original libertysurf CD's. After initial problems the service has been excellent. The origianal off-peak hours cost £20 and I ugraded to 24x7 for £35. So for £55 I've got free (nos ISP monthly charge and it uses a free phone number) internet access 24x7 for a whole year. My BT bill has gone down by about £60 a quarter, so I've saved about £200 in the year. Only trouble is, it runs out in April. I'll be looking for something else then as their new product offers 12hrs 20min a month for £10 per year plus £4 per month. The kids are on the internet for a couple of hours every day, so that won't be enough time for me.
At work I use CIX which cost 17.50 a month and has a local call number. The service is excellent, but I gues that's what I'm paying for.
Bud Eagle
23-02-2001, 07:43 PM
1 bit = a 1 or a 0
8 bits - 1 byte
1024 byte = 1 Kilobyte (1K)
1024K = 1 Megabyte (1Mb)
Therefore, if you are on a full duplex connection (as all modern modems are), as long as you are not sending anything - if you are connected at 50000bps
divide by 8 and then 1024 and you get your maximum theoretical download speed.
But it's always about 10% lower than that due to data corruption and stuff.
Don't bother with ADSL yet, unless either a) someone else is paying for it
b) you spend a lot of time uploading/downloading large files (ie not just surfing).
Finally, check your local cable service provider, they might help. I am in love with ntl's service at the moment.
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It Wasn't Me!
paul of palace
23-02-2001, 07:54 PM
Was with BT Internet until they decided you needed one of their own phonelines,so i decided to switch to AOL. Okay people slag them off because you have to use their browser but all you have to do is open up the microsoft browser at the bottom of your screen.I occasionly have trouble getting on but their are about 6 numbers situated around the country you can use to phone up,and i usually get on after about 3 attempts anyway
It costs 15 quid a month unlimited and does not have any cutoffs at all.
I haver found them twice as good as btinternet.
You can get a free months trial off them and have even heard that if you use different credit cards to pay , you could have have about 6 free months as long as you have six credit cards
Matty
23-02-2001, 09:13 PM
Originally posted by Kevin T:
If you are trying to send a 30kb lump of data down a phone line, you can't chuck it all down at once, so it is broken down into it's smallest units, which are called bits.
I though for a nasty moment there he was going to mention the size of his packet
Originally posted by Bud Eagle:
Finally, check your local cable service provider, they might help. I am in love with ntl's service at the moment.
Why what's so good about it?
henryhallandhisbasque
23-02-2001, 10:11 PM
Originally posted by paul of palace:
Was with BT Internet until they decided you needed one of their own phonelines,so i decided to switch to AOL. Okay people slag them off because you have to use their browser but all you have to do is open up the microsoft browser at the bottom of your screen.I occasionly have trouble getting on but their are about 6 numbers situated around the country you can use to phone up,and i usually get on after about 3 attempts anyway
It costs 15 quid a month unlimited and does not have any cutoffs at all.
I haver found them twice as good as btinternet.
You can get a free months trial off them and have even heard that if you use different credit cards to pay , you could have have about 6 free months as long as you have six credit cards
Fair comment, but just take a look at what AOL 6.0 (if you are using their latest software that is) has done to your registry. This may not be relevant while you still use their service, but may become so if you want to leave and thus try to remove all trace of AOL form your PC.
Palace
23-02-2001, 10:37 PM
I was just about to say that i have never had a problem with BTinternet in the month we have had it, but whilst typing this message the screen froze and the Internet was no longer Responding......... FREAKY!
Other than that though, top notch and a good price at 15 squid for unlimited access.
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Run Rubins Run Rubins Run, Run, Run........
Chris K
23-02-2001, 11:02 PM
I've got the new BTanytime. It is quite quick still during the day but slows down between 6&10. On the downside my screen has also frozen a few times this week but I put it down to teething problems with that connection you can get round the 2 hour cut-off for downloading stuff by getting a program like Gozilla which means you can restart downloads at a later point.
Zico Murphy
24-02-2001, 12:29 AM
I know what you mean Mat.I've just signed up to Freeserve anytime(12.99 per month) and find it almost impossible to connect in the evenings and at weekends.Before that I was with Breathe.Payed a one off fee of £50 for unlimited free access for ever more only for them to go into administration after about 2 months.
1e05
I recomend NTLworld from NTL (so long as you are already a customer or are happy to get their TV/phone package). I already had the basic setup (£11.99 per month) and as such I get unlimited access to the internet for free, as well as the TV and phone included in the price.
It was a pain getting NTL setup initially but is worth it now for the savings.
[This message has been edited by Burr (edited 23 February 2001).]
AnotherPete
24-02-2001, 02:06 AM
AOL for me.
I don't get the bit about removing all trace of it - it's hardly something to be ashamed about !!
It's great overseas especially US. I was in Hawaii a year ago and the hotel charged 1 buck per day for unlimited local calls to their point their . . .most of California is free . .
Marco
24-02-2001, 02:34 AM
I have AOL, quite good but recently its decided to chuck me off every now and thenfor no apparent reason which is very annying when your trying to post a really long reply on a message board and suddenly you get chucked off and you've lost all of what you've written.
Also, if you go onto a website that has Flash your screen becomes multicoloured and you have to log off and then log back on to make it go away. Very annoying!
AOL is without doubt the biggest pile of sh*te I have ever seen. Acceptable for those that are wary of computers and don't have easy access to someone who can help them, but a hunk of junk for anyone who knows what they are doing.
Welcome to AOL - now look at the world the way we want you to see it.
paul of palace
24-02-2001, 11:52 AM
Marco, if you are dowloading something usind macromedia just open another window as internet explorer, it will work fine.
Burr, I am not a computer genuis but i know my ass from my elbow when it comes to computers and there is nothing wrong with AOL.Okay it leaves little bits here and there in the registry but all you have to do is get a program that cleans it all out.Anyway i dont want to take AOL off my computer because they are providing a good service.Fot the last 3 months there service has not cost me a penny not even in phone calls so i am not moaning
JABBA
24-02-2001, 12:00 PM
If you have NTL Digital TV, go for the ASDL Cable line thing. Line rental is £19.99 but the modem works at 514Kbps instead of 56Kpbs. About 10 times faster. You need a special cable modem but you can rent them for £5 a month!
JABBA
24-02-2001, 12:03 PM
www.net4nowt.com (http://www.net4nowt.com)
Its a list of all the ISP providers and peoples ratings!
Howie Lurker
25-02-2001, 12:10 AM
I've been on Demon since the year dot (I remember when this new thing 'the web' started up - no http browsers before then just ftp and telnet and gopher and stuff)...
anyway I pay £11.75 a month plus BT Surftime at £6.99 a month - not the cheapest by any means but I haven't got kicked off or a busy tone or anything since I can remember! (And I get my own static IP address and stuff).
Cable or ADSL etc. is certainly the way to go as 56K (i.e. 43K normally) is real poo these days - depends what you wanna use if for... e.g. Napster on dialup sucks.
Bud Eagle
26-02-2001, 06:14 PM
Originally posted by TAK:
Why what's so good about it?
Having previously paid a tenner a month on freeserve to get the free calls I was not at all impressed when I could NEVER connect. The twice I managed to get on, it was v.slow, with download speeds at best of 3k/sec.
However, ntlworld - £11.99 a month at the moment, for rental of the phone line, which includes unlimted access to the internet, plus free local phone calls in the evening, plus cable TV, which includes Sky1 and other stuff. Finally, even with my poo modem, it is still stinkingly fast and reliable, I had downloads on napster the other day at 5.5k/sec, with a decent modem, you will get higher speeds more regularly.
My housemate, who has gone back to Manchester after a tonsilectomy, is dearly missing it.
And when I move into a new house next September, we will be getting a broadband service offered by ntlDigital. With all 4 people in the house being heavy computer users, £20 a month seems cheap for high speed access.
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But don't quote me on that...
Bud Eagle
26-02-2001, 06:14 PM
oh, and I'm not on ntl's payroll by the way.
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But don't quote me on that...
Strathclyde Eagle
26-02-2001, 06:20 PM
Fact: 95% of all British AOL users are ex-pat Americans who want everyone to know how proud they are to be American.
Source: People I know - alright! http://www.cpfc.org/ubb/wink.gif
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Spruced up for spring... the Strathclyde Eagles homepage (http://www.crystal-palacefc.co.uk)
Worthing Eagle
26-02-2001, 06:30 PM
Originally posted by Bud Eagle:
[B, I had downloads on napster the other day at 5.5k/sec, with a decent modem, you will get higher speeds more regularly.
[/B]
thats pretty good for a modem, now I have a 400k/sec connection at university, its so frustrating when I go home and mp3s take 30 minutes instead of 5 seconds to download!
Bud Eagle
26-02-2001, 08:33 PM
They firewalled all my university computers (except for the ones in one library), so no Napster for me then.
Still, I now have a nice zip drive with which I can download mp3s in the library and take them home with me (for trial only, of course).
Took my friend less than a minute to download the entire Dr Dre album encoded at CD quality 256k. Nice work.
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But don't quote me on that...
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