time for a new net connection - who?

[ik9000]

Really want a better connection again.

For 3 years I was happy on VM 50MB then 100MB after the speed boost. Until I moved. Now Virgin can't supply my flat block. Apparently the "private road" is as impassable as the pass of Caradhas. Since then we've been limping by on a 3G dongle...

BT's website claims they can give me infinity fibre. However previous experience of BT coupled with the dismal shambles of their traffic management means I will not touch them and their stupid 18 month contracts with a bargepole.

Now a friend tells me about aaisp.net who sound very promising. They can take a BT line/fibre and my contract is direct with them. Interesting. If they don't succumb to BT traffic "shaping" (i.e. throttling) then I am seriously keen.

Can other companies do this? Who do people recommend? I need a decent connection for gaming, working from home via remote-log-in VPN, and letting the wife watch unst-st-st-utterring iplayer. We don't have a landline, and with the contracts + the fact we'd never use it, we simply don't want to have one.

Vivaciti are another people have mentioned, but they seem hell-bent on requiring a landline number to check whether they can or can't supply me.

Another forum i found in a google search listed these, but apart from plusnet I've never heard of any of them. Any comments/recommendations?

Plusnet
Aquiss
Vivaciti
Xilo/Uno
AAISP
Goscomb

[peterb]

Zen internet

http://www.zen.co.uk/home-office/bro...broadband.aspx

Service uses BT FTTC - (unless you are in an unbundled exchange where ZEN have a point of presence) but excellent CS . Not the cheapest though.

[ik9000]

Zen internet

http://www.zen.co.uk/home-office/bro...broadband.aspx

Service uses BT FTTC - (unless you are in an unbundled exchange where ZEN have a point of presence) but excellent CS . Not the cheapest though.

I was paying £50 a month for VM (split between 3). We want a decent connection without throttling. Happy to pay (a reasonable amount) to get it. Ideally £30pm but if needs must...

[Elvo]

Plusnet is good. FTTC and there are always cashback deals via Quidco and TopCashback. It was the choice between 2Mbit or 38Mbit in my area. No brainer really. Had it 7 months now. Speed is consistent and no throttling etc...

[Dooms]

Pretty sure Sky is now the only ISP that actually offers unlimited internet with zero throttling or fair usage.

Personally I'm so sick of dealing with the 3rd party suppliers I'm sticking with either BT or Virgin (currently Virgin) too many times I've had issues on either TalkTalk (my parents house) or Sky (my old flat) and its taken weeks/months/never been sorted as they throw the "Ah its a problem with the line (BT)" card out there and its gotten nowhere.

So BT / Virgin where they can't use that card so easily.

[Elvo]

Well I haven't seen any issues leaching consistently from usenet at any time of the day on plusnet. Perhaps I have just been lucky. Plusnet and BT are effectively the same company, except the call centres are in the UK.

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

Plusnet.

[MrRockliffe]

I've heard nothing but good things about plusnet. Had BT and it was awful. Virgin were just as bad. Currently with sky and it's fine

[b0redom]

+1 for Zen.

[Bagnaj97]

I recently moved house and signed up with plus.net's unlimited fibre and so far I've been very impressed with it - they anticipated I'd get 55/13mbps when I actually get 72/17mbps, they don't appear to be enforcing these website bans (I can access the pirate bay just fine - for research purposes only of course), and if there's any throttling I've not noticed it.

Reading their site they do traffic shape, but only in a QoS type of way, e.g they prioritise VOIP traffic over torrents etc and it seems to work - I've torrented, erm, Linux distros, during peak times and the speeds have been as they should and without gaming and iplayer/youtube at the same time being affected. I also downloaded almost my entire Steam library onto a second PC (~1.5TB) and I've not heard a thing from them.

Another thing to watch for is if you need a static IP. Plus.net offer them for a one off £5 charge, I know Sky don't do them and I don't think BT do either. Not needed by most people, but it's useful for my Minecraft and Mumble server!
Plus.net are owned by BT so who knows how long this will last, but for now they have my vote.

[pastymuncher]

I have been with Plusnet for a few years now. Have been really happy with them, customer service is UK based and they were quick to sort out the one and only problem i have had. Previously been with BT, idnet, Virgin amongst others and they were terrible.

[Lee H]

So far - 2 weeks into my new BT connection and all is well with no issues at all to report.

The homehub 5 is a nice piece of kit combining the VDSL modem/router into 1 instead of having standalones and the features of it aren't too shabby for free.

Getting faster downloads than I ever did with sky and it seems to respond quicker as well.