Any good Internet Service Providers????

[Eff Oh]

PLEASE HELP GUYS??!! My girlfriend has recently bought a new computer. We are looking for a good ISP that can offer a free 24/7 access for something like £12.99. I have found MANY offering this, however we have NTL and not BT. It seem that all the £12.99 deals are only available for BT numbers!!!!I use BTInternet, but NTL has a waiting list for its service, and they want to install a new line etc!!!!! http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif So please if anyone has any ideas, let me know?! :)
Thanks in advance!
Eff Oh :)

[tony draper]

If you have Telewest in your area go for Blueyonder surf free I get 24hrs 7day unmetered access for 9 quid a month.
That is if you have their telephone service and your phone bill is 10 pounds a month or over,Im a average phone user, so I'm paying about twenty quid a month.
Incidently my bill would have been 189 quid last month, they still itemise your internet access then cancel it.
Best deal around if you can get it.
If I'm off work I just switch it on in the am log on to my favorite forums and leave it switched on all day.....sweet....tony

PS,Ijust use a 56k internal modem, for a cable modem it runs about 30 pounds a month.

[This message has been edited by tony draper (edited 29 May 2001).]

[pied piper]

If you have telewest, go for the HSI cable modem for £25.00 month.

always on (no dialing) and fast (500kbs)= 32- 50Kb net, compared to 56k modem = 5KB net

[tony draper]

I did give he cable modem some thought ,but I download very litte, the occasional prog patch, stuff like that, and with it being unmetered I'm not bothered if it takes a couple of hours.
The 56k suits me fine for just surfing or visiting sites like this.
I did have bt click free before this isp
I didn't read the small print, I would not dare tell you what my last phone bill from them was.
I have a neibour who has been trying to get one of the BT unmetered services they seem to keep fobbing him off and sending him bumf thats full of conflicting info, he had a dispute with Telewest over his cable tv and told them to stuff their service, he's a keen internet user and he sure is regreting that dispute now.

[JB007]

After a minor meltdown recently i've just changed to AOL....
£14.99 a month free access 24/7 !!!

I think it's excellent, works very well...



------------------
Regards JB007!
[email protected]
Flight Ops,Crewing and Dispatch Moderator

[Eff Oh]

Thanks alot guys for your replies. We have decided to go for the AOL trial/£14.99 deal. Cheers!! :)
Eff Oh

[25F]

Eff Oh,

If you're on NTL you should be able to sign up for NTLworld - 24/7 free access as long as you spend a tenner a month on phone calls (how difficult?). They'll top up the bill if you don't spend that long yacking. Is that the service that you say there is a waiting list for? It certainly does not need a new line - sounds like salesdroid BS - or should that be "smells like"?

I also use Freeserve, where you pay for the call at local rates, but I expect you know that.

In a recent magazine review (PC Pro) Demon came tops. They are a good long-term bet and offer a bit extra for your bit extra. But probably not what's required here.

As for AOL - it's worth understanding that they are not a real ISP - they are an online service that provide a *gateway* to the Internet. (To most people a mere technicality but to us tech-heads a severe no-no.) I also would not be surprised if installing AOL managed to muck up (to use the technical term) my existing set-up. And it doesn't (as I understand it) allow you to choose your own web browser, email client, etc. If all you want is simple, limited & cheap Internet access, then at 15 quid a month - you could probably still do better.

[spannersatcx]

NTL now GBP15/month

[Eff Oh]

Thanks for the good advice guys!!! NTL World is the set up that the waiting list is for. (2 months at the moment!) http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif They told muy missis that you needed two lines..I told her to call them back and say she didnt..they then suggested a 1p per min deal!!! NO!!! http://www.pprune.org/ubb/NonCGI/frown.gif NTL also told her that they needed to install a modem...Sounds like a load of bollox to me!!! We will use AOL untill the 2 month wait is up for the NTL contract. I have to say though, at first impression I am not too impressed with NTL!
Eff Oh. :)

[Tinstaafl]

NTLworld certainly don't require a second phone line.

I use it on a single BT phone line.

Initial setup involves purchasing a 10 quid box to go between your phone & the phone line.

This diverts your calls through the NTL network. You can either plug your PC into it with a double adapter for the phone, or only plug your phone into the box & then set up your dialing properties to pre-dial a code that does the same thing.

Apart from that the minimum charge is 14.99 quid / month. This provides the same value of local/national phone calls. Phone calls over this value, or not part of the included calls eg directory inquiries, some premium rate calls, overseas etc, are charged extra.

Effectively, internet access is free.

[MightyGem]

If I plugged my modem into the NTL box it wouldn't connect. NTL said that some modems don't work. So it's plugged direct into the BT socket with 1623 in front of the NTL number.

[MikeSamuel]

My ISP is excellent. It is called BigBlueSky, and I payed a one-off £25 - will never ever pay a penny again. I think it has changed to about £30 per year now.
Obviously gets busy, but 24/7 free, no cut-off...I have some software that dials and dials until you connect, and is an excellent fast service.
I tend to click connect, go have a cuppa, and a biscuit ;) and when I come back to the screen I have connection! :)

www.bigbluesky.uk.net (http://www.bigbluesky.uk.net)

Regards

Mike

[Tinstaafl]

That's interesting about some modems work through ntl's box, and others won't.

Mine is a Xircom Cardbus 10/100 ethernet + V90 modem. It never even noticed when I plugged it into the ntl box.