Looking for reliable UK ISP
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Looking for reliable UK ISP
Sorry if this has already been covered – I’ve done a recent search and found nothing.
I’ve finally had enough of BTinternet and their rubbish service. All was OK until they started their free off-peak deal but things have gone rapidly downhill recently. A typical 2 hour session in the evening involves, on average, four ‘boots' – at least two of which require me to re-boot my PC to clear BT’s stuffed-up software glitch. Three e mails to BT have not even produced an acknowledgement, so it’s time to move on.
All my surfing from home is done between 6pm and midnight plus the occasional bit when I’m around at weekends, so an all-in open access deal is not necessary. The most important feature I seek is a reliable, stable connection – the BT off peak deal of £9.99 suited my profile perfectly but I simply can’t put up with the constant interruptions.
I would welcome suggestions!
I’ve finally had enough of BTinternet and their rubbish service. All was OK until they started their free off-peak deal but things have gone rapidly downhill recently. A typical 2 hour session in the evening involves, on average, four ‘boots' – at least two of which require me to re-boot my PC to clear BT’s stuffed-up software glitch. Three e mails to BT have not even produced an acknowledgement, so it’s time to move on.
All my surfing from home is done between 6pm and midnight plus the occasional bit when I’m around at weekends, so an all-in open access deal is not necessary. The most important feature I seek is a reliable, stable connection – the BT off peak deal of £9.99 suited my profile perfectly but I simply can’t put up with the constant interruptions.
I would welcome suggestions!
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I'm with you Biggles. I'm at home a lot and use ISDN on the daytime Lo-Call and free evening calls. It's advertised at 2p/min in the day; but frequently disconnects several times within the first minute which works out at 5p/min. Like you a normal session involves several reconnects. If this happens to us all once or twice a day, it represents a lot of extra money. I don't subscribe to conspiracy theories normally, but it sure as hell looks suspicious to me.
Funny thing, its been a lot better since I complained to BT engineers a couple of days ago. They claim, of course, that the line was Okay but that the problems must have been with BTInternet.
Compuserve? No problem. Solid as a rock; but its an 0845 number and no free evening calls. But I still go to it in desperation sometimes.
Funny thing, its been a lot better since I complained to BT engineers a couple of days ago. They claim, of course, that the line was Okay but that the problems must have been with BTInternet.
Compuserve? No problem. Solid as a rock; but its an 0845 number and no free evening calls. But I still go to it in desperation sometimes.
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I work for BT and it's not only the internet service that is rubbish.
I am with clara.net on a 9.99 a month off peak package, the 0845 access number is prefixed with a code to enable billing by them and not BT so you don't even have to worry about that other wonderful offering called "surf time."
I am with clara.net on a 9.99 a month off peak package, the 0845 access number is prefixed with a code to enable billing by them and not BT so you don't even have to worry about that other wonderful offering called "surf time."
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If popular technology such as telephones, televisions and videos were as user friendly and reliable as the Internet they wouldn't exist! If it wasn't for the novelty value and the access to porn it would be very quiet out there.
We put up with a lot of crap service, but we have nowhere else to go. I am on the 24/7 Freeserve Time deal, but these days it is literally impossible to get on for large swathes of the day.
Revenge will come, and the sooner the better.
We put up with a lot of crap service, but we have nowhere else to go. I am on the 24/7 Freeserve Time deal, but these days it is literally impossible to get on for large swathes of the day.
Revenge will come, and the sooner the better.
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Hi Biggs. I am with IG Click which is a £50 joining fee and £30 per year for 24/7. But you don't get 24/7, well not now anyway. The abusers put a stop to that. There are random cut offs but somehow it is still a good deal. With the work I do on PPRuNe I have clocked up 425hrs since 16/9 and it has not cost one single penny.
However, for £10 a month with NTL, which you get back if you make £10 worth of calls a month, you get 24/7 - a true 24/7. But cut off aftertwo hours. You can go straight back on but it wrecks long downloads. Unless you have D/L Accelerator which does resume. A mate has NTL and it works a treat.
You still have to pay BT for your line rental of course.
However, for £10 a month with NTL, which you get back if you make £10 worth of calls a month, you get 24/7 - a true 24/7. But cut off aftertwo hours. You can go straight back on but it wrecks long downloads. Unless you have D/L Accelerator which does resume. A mate has NTL and it works a treat.
You still have to pay BT for your line rental of course.
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So you got stung by igclick too InFin? Take a look at <A HREF="http://www.net4nowt.com" TARGET="_blank">www.net4nowt.com</A> (or could be co.uk) some useful info, most credit card companies will give refunds if igclick wont and trading standards are taking an interest.
If the service is being abused by a 'hardcore minority' (as they claim) why don't they just cut them off???
If the service is being abused by a 'hardcore minority' (as they claim) why don't they just cut them off???
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I'm on the £9.99 BT deal at home and have no problems with it all all. The trick is no not use the crummy BT dialer software but to set up a new Dial-Up Networking connection that only dials the 0800 number. I've had absolutley no problems with them at all since May when I joined.
I've sufed the Internet since before the World Wide Web existed (yep, all gophers, ftp's and telnets) and have had the 'fortune' of trying a shed load of ISP's.
I've heard that NTL's 24/7 service is good, and may check them out.
Aq
PS: My day job is Tech Support Manager for an ISP. Not BT or NTL I might add...!
I've sufed the Internet since before the World Wide Web existed (yep, all gophers, ftp's and telnets) and have had the 'fortune' of trying a shed load of ISP's.
I've heard that NTL's 24/7 service is good, and may check them out.
Aq
PS: My day job is Tech Support Manager for an ISP. Not BT or NTL I might add...!
Guest
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I got caught on IG Click too. I was using it for a 2-4 hours a day during the days I was off or working lates and switching to BT free for after 6pm and weekends when my family use the internet most. It all seemed to be working fine but the switching of identities for e-mails was a pain in the bum.
Now that the IG Click service is going down the tube on Dec 20 I think I will switch to AOL and dump both BT and IGClick, which is changing to a 1p per min service.
Barclaycard said they will refund most of the £80 I paid to IGC if that company refuses to give me a refund. I was with them for only six weeks before the bad news. I have been in touch with the trading standards dept of Bexley Council, the London borough in which IG Click is based (at Erith, Kent) and they advised me to contact Essex County Council's TS department because IGClick have committed a criminal offence (misleading price indication) under the Consumer Protection Act.
SS
Now that the IG Click service is going down the tube on Dec 20 I think I will switch to AOL and dump both BT and IGClick, which is changing to a 1p per min service.
Barclaycard said they will refund most of the £80 I paid to IGC if that company refuses to give me a refund. I was with them for only six weeks before the bad news. I have been in touch with the trading standards dept of Bexley Council, the London borough in which IG Click is based (at Erith, Kent) and they advised me to contact Essex County Council's TS department because IGClick have committed a criminal offence (misleading price indication) under the Consumer Protection Act.
SS
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Many thanks for all your responses!
I really only surf off-peak so the clara.net option looks to be the best.
Thanks for your suggestion AquaPlane, but I don’t think my IT skills are up to fiddling with my Dial-Up software!
BT continues to be hopeless – last night was an absolute nightmare (about 20 mins actual surfing in a 2 hour period) – so I’m off for a word with clara!
I really only surf off-peak so the clara.net option looks to be the best.
Thanks for your suggestion AquaPlane, but I don’t think my IT skills are up to fiddling with my Dial-Up software!
BT continues to be hopeless – last night was an absolute nightmare (about 20 mins actual surfing in a 2 hour period) – so I’m off for a word with clara!
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Just got my e-mail from BT telling me about the unmetered service to start in Jan 2001. I'm on ISDN. Does AOL do unmetered ISDN? Will the BT service do unmetered on ISDN? They don't say in their e-mail. That could be the difference.
Found the answer to my own question on the BTInternet FAQ page:
Q2. Can I use my ISDN2 line to connect to the internet if I'm on the BTinternet Anytime option?
A2. You will be able to connect on ISDN2 at 64kbps but if you want to connect at 128kbps you will have to use the BTinternet local call rate dialler (available for download from the BTinternet home page) and pay two local call charges.
[This message has been edited by fobotcso (edited 16 December 2000).]
Found the answer to my own question on the BTInternet FAQ page:
Q2. Can I use my ISDN2 line to connect to the internet if I'm on the BTinternet Anytime option?
A2. You will be able to connect on ISDN2 at 64kbps but if you want to connect at 128kbps you will have to use the BTinternet local call rate dialler (available for download from the BTinternet home page) and pay two local call charges.
[This message has been edited by fobotcso (edited 16 December 2000).]
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I went to IGClick in Sept. Iam also going to try to get a refund from Mastercard. There are two good resources on what people are going to do about IG on the following, if you have not seen them already.
<A HREF="http://www.net4nowt.com/forum/index.htm" TARGET="_blank">http://www.net4nowt.com/forum/index.htm</A>
<A HREF="http://www.trainer.plus.com/index.htm" TARGET="_blank">http://www.trainer.plus.com/index.htm</A>
I guess NTL looks fav at the moment then
<A HREF="http://www.net4nowt.com/forum/index.htm" TARGET="_blank">http://www.net4nowt.com/forum/index.htm</A>
<A HREF="http://www.trainer.plus.com/index.htm" TARGET="_blank">http://www.trainer.plus.com/index.htm</A>
I guess NTL looks fav at the moment then
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I have tried the AOL unmetered package and I am not very impressed! Difficult to log on to network and the software 'takes over'. Also poor connection speeds.
Funny thing is that since trying BT for the past 2 months I have not had a problem at all. Fast, reliable and good value.
I think you will find many conflicting stories. Find one that works for you and stick with it.
One last point though, get a hotmail address then you can changes isp's any time you like with no real agro!
Cheers
JWF
Funny thing is that since trying BT for the past 2 months I have not had a problem at all. Fast, reliable and good value.
I think you will find many conflicting stories. Find one that works for you and stick with it.
One last point though, get a hotmail address then you can changes isp's any time you like with no real agro!
Cheers
JWF