ADSL2+ anyone?

nath

Fledgling Freddie
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So I've had UKOnline ADSL2+ service connected at 19mbit for about 2 years. It's been absolutely fine. Recently, the line has gone to shit for some reason and their tech support (dumb fucking ***** that they are) keep saying "sorry, you're too far away from the exchange to get 19mbit" despite having been on it for 2 years with no problems.

Anyway, long and short of it is that this connection is going to utter shit, I'm tired of talking to retarded tech support fuckwits who refuse to see sense and I'm moving house soon. When I go to my new place I really want to get 15mb+ broadband, but from what I read *everywhere* is shit.

So, anyone know of any really solid broadband providers? Ones with no call centres in india and a real quality service. I don't mind paying a bit more for it. What I really need is a small time ISP that focuses on customer service rather than just getting as many customers as possible and ignoring them all. For some reason clara.net springs to mind, but I dunno if they're any good.

Any ideas are appreciated but forget bethere, virgin, bulldog, pipex, bt, tiscali etc. etc. - they're all fucking awful.
 

Whipped

Part of the furniture
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Where abouts will you be moving to? Still in londinium?
 

nath

Fledgling Freddie
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Yup - sameish area. So basically pretty much everything is available. Problem is, pretty much everything is fucking atrocious (unless I go for slow speeds).

I have a feeling the only way to get a decent quality fast line is to get a leased line. They're a smidge too expensive :\
 

Ch3tan

I aer teh win!!
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Well you said no virgin, but I've got a perfect connection with them and haven't had any problems that were not sorted out quickly.
 

nath

Fledgling Freddie
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But the same can be said about any provider. All the big providers have a TONNE of shit reviews. I've come to the conclusion that they're all the fucking same - that's why I want to find a nice small time provider with decent net service but exceptional customer service. Just like how pipex used to be all those years ago.
 

dysfunction

FH is my second home
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I use be* haven't had any problems with them.

https://www.bethere.co.uk/


I have just moved house and i have gone with Be.
I would recommend them!

Their customer service was superb. I didnt need to ring them up or anything as their online ticket system works a treat!

I am getting only 9mb out of a possible 24mb cos i am very far from the exchange. But I have had no problems since its been installed.

The only issue i had had to do with there being a marker on the line already which delayed my connection. But they let me know what was happening every step of the way.
 

nath

Fledgling Freddie
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Hmm. It's looking like the main issue I'm having with UKOnline tech support is an inept fuckwit called marco. I called again tonight and managed to talk to someone else and it was much better. Problem still not resolved but the desire to firebomb their head office has gone. Guess I'll stick with UKOnline for now - but when I move out I'll be checking in again to see how bethere has been for you dys and furr.

Chet - I've no doubt that virgin can be fine, but 2 minutes of searching review sites for virgin broadband shows TONNES of awful reviews for problems/customer service and billing issues.
 

Kryten

Old Cow.
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Speedwise Virgin has been spot on.
BUT.
Downgraded from 20mbit to 2mbit a few weeks ago for monetary reasons.
"Done instantly" was the reassuring reply from the guy on the phone.
No problem - reconnected.
Downloaded a much the similar speed. Didn't phase me - they'd bill me right.
They did. Got a call the week after saying that as I'd been using more bandwidth than I should have, they'll be billing me for the difference.
I asked them to explain to me, in full technical terms, how it's possible for me NOT to use the full bandwidth supplied to me, and was answered "You're using it - are you denying that?"

Little choice, I'm not paying for it either way. But some things never change :|
 

Ch3tan

I aer teh win!!
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Chet - I've no doubt that virgin can be fine, but 2 minutes of searching review sites for virgin broadband shows TONNES of awful reviews for problems/customer service and billing issues.

I've been with Telewest for years, and Virgin do not seem to have changed anything but the logo. Someone is always going to have a problem, you are never going to find a perfect service.
 

ford prefect

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Nath, my wife had exactly the same thing happen with UKOnline, and when she told them she had been getting 19 - 19 mbit for the past eighteen months or so, the rather rude young man on the tech support line literally told her she was lying to him.

She then got an email under the subject - Unfair Bandwidth Usage policy investigation, stating that for the next six months her broadband connection would be limited to 8 mbit and a 5 gig per month download limit would be placed on the account.

It really is a shockingly bad provider and I would recommend anyone to leave them asap.

We are on virgin atm, which is nice and fast - 20mbit, but on the downside I phoned up last week and the virgin email address I regularly send and recieve on doesn't exist apparently! If your thinking of going on virgin also bear in mind that there is ermmmm, very little competition in the UK cable market atm lol

Edit - Also just remembered - Virgin now have an Indian tech support line, which I don't have a problem with per se, but they charge me 25p per minute to use it and the nice lady dealing with my query last week didn't understand my accent at all lol
 

nath

Fledgling Freddie
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Sounds like she spoke to Marco. He's a total prat. The unfair bandwidth usage thing seems a bit surprising - dunno if its changed but when I signed up the 22mbit service had a 500gb cap.
 

Furr

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I have just moved house and i have gone with Be.
I would recommend them!

Their customer service was superb. I didnt need to ring them up or anything as their online ticket system works a treat!

I am getting only 9mb out of a possible 24mb cos i am very far from the exchange. But I have had no problems since its been installed.

The only issue i had had to do with there being a marker on the line already which delayed my connection. But they let me know what was happening every step of the way.

Yeh they've been good, im quite close so get a nice 17Mb, problem is my wireless network speed to the router gets to a max of 450kb/s....... slightly pissing off, going to have to upgrade my infrastructure to the 11n wireless standard thingy when its all certified and stuff.
 

Trem

Not as old as he claims to be!
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I get crap ADSL speeds because of the distance I am from the exchange but Be has been by far the best, no faster just really steady speeds and great support.

Before that Fusion Media Networks were very good, not sure if they do residential anymore though, they are worth a look at.
 

Clown

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Yeh they've been good, im quite close so get a nice 17Mb, problem is my wireless network speed to the router gets to a max of 450kb/s....... slightly pissing off, going to have to upgrade my infrastructure to the 11n wireless standard thingy when its all certified and stuff.
You don't have to use the Be*Box, I don't. I'm using the DG834N, I don't really care if the 802.11n is certified or not, it works well enough for me. Much better than old wireless anyway.
 

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