NTL info needed please(before I take the plunge..)

[BRL]

Hi all. I just might go for the NTL 1meg deal. I have been looking at all the other isp's offers and have decided this is the one.
I need some feedback, for and against, before I take the plunge so any info would be great.
I will also do the whole T.V. package too with them if I get posotive feedback from people who actually use the service.
Many thanks in advance. :)

[Gertrude the Wombat]

What do you want to know? I've had the 600k service for quite a while now, and while it works it's great, but when it's broken the customer service is crap. (But that's true of most utilities these days, isn't it?) Oh, except that their news servers are crap, so you want to get yourself a news service elsewhere; and I can't comment on their email service because I don't use it.

Do you really need 1M? I have found 600k slowish only once, when I was running some fairly heavy networking applications that were really designed for a LAN over the cable through a VPN tunnel. I'd have thought the only other "need" for 1M would be wanting to download large quantities of porno movies. Most of the time you're running at way below your connection speed because there's some other bottleneck between you and the server you're talking to.

Actually a recent improvement in their Ts&Cs is that you can now take the cable modem service without having to buy the TV service - they used to be bundled, so we used to have to pay for a TV service that we never used as we don't have a licence.

For more techie detailes of using cable modem services than you're likely to need see Robin Walker's web site (Google for "robin walker cable modem" usually finds it, I never bother to remember the URL.)

[Ronbmy]

Had the 600k service in for over a year with only one problem - the registration server crashed halfway through signup. Called customer services & explained the problem - they said they would get back to me. Three hours later got a phone call that the server was fixed & would I care to try again. Since then no problems.

It might help that I am less than 1 mile from the South Manchester facility and may be less prone to problems than other users.

600k is more than enough. I have to download DB2 iso images from IBM - >120MB - and have no problems doing so. Also downloaded >1.8G Linux operating system with all bells & whistles - freely available from Mandrake, RedHat etc - with no problems.

The frustrating bit is when you need a file and the distant server putters along at 3k3 instead of my regular 75 - 80K.

The TV service - not got a clue, that is for the rest of the family. Not enough hours in the day to work, play and watch tv.

One last point. Very occasionally I notice that the status led on my router - 3 pc's hooked to the system - fails to illuminate. This is because the NTL box locks up. Turn off at mains, slow count to 10, turn on at mains then 30 seconds later back to full speed. I've had to do this 3 or 4 times over the past year.

[BRL]

Thanks for the info chaps. 1meg just appeals to me thats all.

Don't need to download porn movies as I work with well over 300 blokes so there is plenty of that kind of stuff floating around work if needed.

I was thinking more for gaming on-line. One of the blokes at work has a 'clan' and his own server so I may be joining in if I get it. Thanks for the replies. :)

[Ronbmy]

A CLAN?

Does this mean we're all Doomed?

[BRL]

Indeed it is, your all marked.!!!!!

Its funny though, a few weeks ago I spotted 3 of the 'clan' walking towards each other down a platform(2 walking towards one other) and they were hiding behind lamposts and lifts ect pretending to shoot each other. :rolleyes: They finish work, go home, go on-line and blast the living daylights out of each other all night/day................. Silly really but relieves the stress somehow I suspect. :)

[Fat Dog]

A couple of points Big Red 'L':

Online gaming does not require particularly high bandwidth - a ~500Kbps connection is more than sufficient, what IS required is high SPEED, and rather strangely you need broadband for decent gaming because it is faster and more reliable.
I only have experience of NTL for dial up and tv - all I would say is IMHO they are one of the most useless and incompetent companies I have ever encountered. Avoid like the plague (and I don't work for a telco company).

Regards
Fat Dog

[BRL]

Thanks for the info Dawg. I was chatting to a lad at work yesterday who more or less said what you have just said..... :uhoh: