Who's your ISP? - UK Business Labs

**Mark** · #1 (**permalink**) 08-08-2008, 12:39 AM

Mine's currently Plus.net. They're ok I guess.

Nildram, however, were abysmal in the end. For four years, I would have sang their praises to anyone - but then Tiscali bought them out and service levels took a nose-dive. I was on a... get this... 20kb/s connection (down from 4Mb/s) for four weeks while they promised to 'sort things out'. It turned out that they were lying through their teeth and were throttling connections between 7am and 3am the next day - how bad is that?!

**Daniel :: EZPZ Hosting** · #2 (**permalink**) 08-08-2008, 12:44 AM

I use Enta via UKFSN.org

They're pretty reliable and their support is good. However - the speed is terrible, though its more down to me living in the sticks.

**Mat** · #3 (**permalink**) 08-08-2008, 01:01 AM

I'm with Orange, who have serious (3 or 4 hour) downtime an average of once a month, and shorter periods (10-15 mins) every few days.

Last time the service went down seriously, I phoned customer services (on the local rate number I get as a benefit for paying a lot for my connection). Unfortunately, their lines were all busy and if I wanted to speak to somebody, I had to call the 'regular' number, which costs 50p per minute. I did this, and spoke to a nice Indian chap with a poor grasp of English over a grainy VOIP connection. Not surprisingly, I got nowhere and instead had to spend a fortune connecting through 3G.

Before that, I was with BT and had similar experiences.

**Angela "VirtualPA" Dawson** · #4 (**permalink**) 08-08-2008, 08:47 AM

I'm with Sky. When we first installed BB I went down the route of wireless. Flippin nightmare, connection was forever dropping. I very quickly ditched wireless and I've had very few problems since. Yes, the connection drops occasionally but not very often these days.

My PC is wired but my laptop is wireless - all works a treat

Angela

**Dave H** · #5 (**permalink**) 08-08-2008, 10:50 AM

I'm with BeThere. Apart from Easynet (who stopped being a commercial ISP and moved in to wholesale) they were one of the early ISPs to go down the LLU route. I think I signed up in July 2005, but actually migrated to them in October 2005 (once they'd installed their equipment in my exchange).
As with any new companies, there was teething problems, downtime and problematic support... but I saw it through (mainly as It was giving me 18mbit/1.3mbit down/up) and I have to say I can't fault them now. They've changed their support a couple of times, but it seems they have finally found a good company based in Bulgaria. It's all freephone numbers, they actually have support people that know what they are talking about rather than just reading off a script and for those that use the "old school" medium of online communication, IRC, they have a member of support in their channel during working hours to answer any problems, plus the Be* Staff drop in there from time to time, so you can have a chat with management.
It is service like that which I really value and can't see me moving away from them any time soon

Plus..for those of you that use quidco.. you can get £40 cashback for signing up with them!

**Dan Knowlson** · #6 (**permalink**) 08-08-2008, 12:52 PM

Another one for BeThere, since last Dec and they have been pretty good. Reliability has been great and speeds not bad (just hampered by distance from the exchange)

Before that I'd been with Telewest for about 5 yrs and they had been pretty good all things considered. But within weeks of Virgin taking over it all went down hill rapidly!

Have heard very good things consistently about Zen Internet and may well give them a try at some point.

Quote:

Nildram, however, were abysmal in the end. For four years, I would have sang their praises to anyone

That's a shame as I used them yrs ago and they were superb.

**Caroline** · #7 (**permalink**) 08-08-2008, 09:30 PM

My ISP is Tesco.

Yeah yeah you'll probably laugh,I'm using a supermarket,
but................. they provide the service through NTL,
who fun enough do not provide Internet access in this area,
so figure that one out if you can

Caroline

**Ray Stewart** · #8 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 12:39 AM

Formerly ntl, originally Diamond Cable. Speed is phenominal and I have no hesitation in recommending them. Hardly any issues in the 6 years or so I have been with them but when needed, their support has been exemplary.

The best thing is I don't need a BT line as well just to get the internet!

Other people seem to have differing views but this is my experience.

Ray

**Mat** · #9 (**permalink**) 09-08-2008, 12:43 AM

I used NTL cable between 2002-04, with lightning quick speeds and no problems at all. If only we could get cable down here!

**tss4info** · #10 (**permalink**) 10-08-2008, 12:53 AM

Joined them just under a month ago from Link-Connect (formerly Silvermead formerly IntoNet) - almost tenfold increase in speed immediately and very happy.

If I had been paying, I think I'd have gone with ZenInternet.

Agree that Tiscali is to be avoided; I may well post horror stories about them and their many namesakes in another thread.

Roy

colmanc · #11 (**permalink**) 01-04-2009, 03:55 PM

For those of you who have said they will try Zen next, all I can say is make the jump sooner rather than later. They're not the cheapest, but consistently win the Which 'Best ISP' award, and don't tie you into a 12/18 month (or longer) contract. Only needed their support to diagnose a strange speed drop, which was pretty quickly diagnosed as a faulty ADSL splitter. Line speed isn't great, but then I am 3 or 4 miles from the exchange!

Before moving to darkest Kent, I was with NTL/Virgin. Lightening fast cable with very few problems. Would happily go back if it was an option.

Colman

seoandy · #12 (**permalink**) 01-04-2009, 08:43 PM

TalkTalk and they were ok....until we tried to move to virgin.... they won't give us our number back! we're stuck like seriously stuck...and apparently we have no legal grounds to claim it back ...

only upside is that we are meant to be on a 2mb connection and since i've moaned alot about them being unreliable a while ago we now get just over 3mb on a regular basis and never lower than 2mb! but thtat was after a month of moaning.

I hate talktalk almost as much as BT...they were rubbish, slow unreliable and a call centre somewhere with people i don't quite understand...and always said its nice weather today...when it was bloody snowing!

UKSEOagency · #13 (**permalink**) 02-04-2009, 11:02 AM

I Signed up with BT in december

Only one problem so far - and the engineer who came out (next day before 9am!) fixed it by replacing the box where it came into the house - and we gained an addition 2.3mbs

Lasting Designs · #14 (**permalink**) 02-04-2009, 11:21 AM

At home AOL - never had a problem with 'em in 9 years, wireless or not has been great.

BT in the office, again never had a problem,'though haven't been with 'em for 9 years.

SteveH · #15 (**permalink**) 06-04-2009, 05:02 PM

I use BT broadband and it is very good... not the cheapest but for the price a good deal.

paultgreen · #16 (**permalink**) 08-04-2009, 05:16 PM

I'm on Virgin and it's a pretty good service - the speed is nowhere near as high as they advertise, and they have a habit of throttling me if I've been heavy the day before, but all in all it's a good service that's hardly ever down.... The down side is that for freaks like me that run a SQL server at home, they block certain ports so you need to re-map things from the standard expected ones.

paultgreen · #17 (**permalink**) 08-04-2009, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SteveH

I use BT broadband and it is very good... not the cheapest but for the price a good deal.

Which BT Broadband company do you use? they have about three or four don't they?

SteveH · #18 (**permalink**) 08-04-2009, 05:25 PM

erm..... I use BT.... D'oH! Thats all I know! Maybe you know something I don't?

MIRRORSTYLE · #19 (**permalink**) 16-04-2009, 10:00 PM

I use BT Broadband too - I get 5.4bps and the service is good

**yourlocaltrades** · #20 (**permalink**) 21-04-2009, 09:27 AM

We have virgin, for £4.50 per month-i wont be complaining!
Never had a problem with Virgin either, best thing ever was Virgin taking over NTHell!! (Thats NTL!!-i use to work for them, getting new customers etc and lost my job with the switch, but the service is great!)

I was paying £18 per month, so with a white lie and their phone number i politely asked why i was paying this and four of my mates where paying £4.50, the bloke said "hold the line please sir", he came back a minute later and said "all done sir, we have done it for £4.50 per month for the next twelve months if thats ok?"
OK??
of course it was OK!!
Virgin rocks!!

tej · #21 (**permalink**) 26-04-2009, 06:47 PM

Somethings wrong here.. I don't know much about ISP's etc, and not techy!!
I pay £105 per month with Virgin( NTL before that).. great service btw.. never had a problem in 9 years.
For this I get
2 telephone lines
2 set top boxes
full package for television..movies, sports, etc etc.

I did call them and they said they could do it for approx £85 but I would have to have a modem installed? What does that mean. My broadband comes out of the set top box!

Please excuse my ignorance

**tss4info** · #22 (**permalink**) 03-05-2009, 09:04 AM

Nine months in and I'm still very happy with TalkTalk; mild problems with occasional use of modem still to be investigated.

Haven't yet worked out how I can alternate the broadband with my newly-repaired (saga reported elsewhere) old laptop ...

laurence88 · #23 (**permalink**) 03-05-2009, 11:24 AM

Utility Warehouse and presently achieve just under 9Mbps, just switched having at last ended a contract with Virgin. Paying £19.99 per month and includes all UK calls, line rental and calls to 0845 and 0870 numbers.

My issues revolve around moving data from a PC running Windows 98se to a Laptop with Vista.

**tss4info** · #24 (**permalink**) 03-05-2009, 11:34 AM

Laurence: Your 2nd issue most quickly solved by using a Memory Stick in a USB port?

laurence88 · #25 (**permalink**) 03-05-2009, 02:05 PM

tried already, but without great success - two proggies and associated files don't wish to backup and transfer, and they are two I use on a regular basis.

No ethernet on PC either