Kitz Forum
Broadband Related => ADSL Issues => Topic started by: tuftedduck on April 22, 2009, 04:10:55 PM
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I am currently with VirginMedia adsl service but am contemplating a move to another ISP and have been browsing around to see what is available.
In the course of that browsing, I have used the Kitz ADSL Exchange Checker, and it came up with a funny as shown in the attached screeny.
There appears to be "another service" on my line...... :(
Could you advise how I might go about finding out what that other service may be, and how to have it removed if that be possible.
Thank you. :)
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi100.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fm34%2Fbunessan%2Flinetest-2.jpg&hash=4114965e39cc134fac50b95aace25fa9b8441921)
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Hiya TD,
I'm no expert in the area of Broadband, but I think the service that is being referred to is the one you are currently using to go online.
I have run that checker before and got a similar type response, simply because I already have a broadband service (PlusNet).
TTFN
Mick
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Aha, could be.... :)
Thanks, toulouse, for your time and trouble in replying.
It doesn't matter how many times I read all the techical stuff on this site, I still don't rally understand what this adsl is all about and do tend to panic when I see something apparently odd..
I just didn't want any hitch that may put me offline for an extended period when I do switch suppliers.
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Hey, no problem. I'm only too happy to help (when I can). Although I spent many years working in the IT department of one of the high street banks in a very technical role, there is much about todays technology that I don't fully understand. But then again you don't have to know how stuff works to actually use it, do you ?
TTFN
toulouse
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Hi tuftedduck,
I just didn't want any hitch that may put me offline for an extended period when I do switch suppliers.
Make sure you obtain a MAC (Magration authorisation code) from the ISP you are leaving. This will ensure a practically seamless transition to your new ISP when you order, downtime is usually about 30 minutes max (although this can vary)
Make sure you do not cancel your current broadband, simply get a MAC code, otherwise downtime could be 2 weeks or more before your line is 'cleared', and you would have no internet access for weeks...
hope that helps!
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Hi tuftedduck,
Here's another piece of the jigsaw. As BT is the only market operator you are not able to get any unbundled LLU services.
That means whoever you go to is using the same BT Wholesale product range so there is unlikely to be any significant differences unless the chosen ISP has too few pipes.
So it's just down to the commercial aspects and support services if you do decide to select a new ISP.
Kind regards,
Walter
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Thank you both for your further comments.
@ indigobanana........I understood about the MAC but had thought for some odd reason that the transion could be a several day affair....you cheer me up.. ;D
@ waltergmw............ah ! Nasty, no great improvement in moving ISP.........oh dear.. :( , except in terms of "after sales service"...........will have to scratch head again on that one.
Thank you, both, again. :)
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:) What exchange are you on? It may be worth seeing what options are available to you.
edit: sorry its been a long day! I see from your screenshot that there are no LLU Suppliers.
Although PlusNet are supposed to be fairly good for a BT Wholesale supplier. I am also in the same situation, only 630 connected to our exchange so naturally, there is no LLU services :(
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Hi TD,
You are on a market 1 exchange so if you went with Plusnet you would only get the £5.99 for the first 3 months,thereafter £11.99 a month(18 month contract)
Newnet are reasonably priced and get very good reviews.
http://www.kitz.co.uk/isp/ISP_ratings.php
http://www.newnet.co.uk/
If cost is not an important issue then these isp's are amongst the best.
http://www.fast.co.uk/
http://www.idnet.net/
http://www.zen.co.uk/broadband/ZenBroadband.aspx
http://www.aaisp.net.uk/
All the above mentioned have UK based knowledgeable staff if you ever need them.
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Hi TD
When I first coded the checker I was able to access what the 'other service' was from the BTWholesale database. However BTw had to clamp down on it due to some unfair advantage blah or the DPA or somthing similar.
The check should come up differently if its anything like TPON, and since youre not already LLU, then the obvious cause in your case would be existing adsl on the line.
As regards BT Wholesale, the backhaul will be provisioned by them, but the ISP does make a big difference. Some ISPs crowd their pipes more than others and this is when you most likely these days start to see any slow-downs. Over the past few years Virgin users have been subject to this, as have a lot of the 'mainstream' ISPs.
Once upon a time exchange contention (BTWholesale) did use to be a major problem, but on the whole they do seem to have got it muchly under control, and most contention occurs on the ISP pipes.
To be perfectly honest I'd rather have BT Wholesale as the provider for my backhaul service rather than some of the other LLU suppliers ;)
Some ISPs go for hard caps.
Some ISPs traffic shape. Some more than others!
Some ISPs dont give you much of an idea of what they do do.
If you dont do much p2p/nntp then traffic shaping shouldnt be too much of a concern - as long as the ISP is up front about what they do, then Ive no problem with it.
If youre looking at a hard cap where all traffic is treated equally then Newnet and Zen do seem to be one of the better alternatives.
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Hi
quote @Kitz but the ISP does make a big difference. Some ISPs crowd their pipes more than others
I can verify that yesterday evening I got this
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.speedtest.net%2Fresult%2F457213184.png&hash=71e24870a7e202bd2fc240847443ccc60214ab1e) (http://www.speedtest.net) >:(
this evening I have this
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.speedtest.net%2Fresult%2F457914048.png&hash=d5825a2fff2aa0949226bc4fd647c65baef2b950) (http://www.speedtest.net) ;D
The switch over was seamless .Just entered new log on details on router and hey presto :dance:
Regards Jeff
edit even better
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.speedtest.net%2Fresult%2F458064631.png&hash=894eb21c83314f0ad9c147d80e9495bcf6785b49) (http://www.speedtest.net)
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:clap: :thumbs:
Nice to see the speeds are back to normal :D
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Thank you all for your comments and advices, and my apologies for the delay in replying.
Much head scratching to be done.........
I don't do p2p or file sharing, just a bit of browsing, a few mails, downloading security updates, and the odd photo up to photobucket............even my instant messaging with the Canadian lot is now vastly reduced as they are here for the moment.
I like the look of Zen...........but will continue to sniff around and see whats what. So many options.
My line is capable of 7.5mgbs, Virgin have me "throttled" at 2.5 and will not "unthrottle" unless I buy their telephony service.............and I refuse to react to that sort of pistol to my head by buying that service..........time for a move.
Will post back later, if I may, after I have scrutinised three or four prime alternative ISP packages...........as always with TD, the more data he has, the more questions he has.. ;D
Will be back.
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My line is capable of 7.5mgbs, Virgin have me "throttled" at 2.5 and will not "unthrottle" unless I buy their telephony service.............and I refuse to react to that sort of pistol to my head by buying that service..........time for a move.
I should think not,thats disgusting :no:
Good luck with your search. :)
I like the look of Zen..
Zen gets excellent reports/reviews,the only downside is the cost,but as with all things in life,'you get what you pay for'
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My daughter-in-law's brother works for Zen in a lofty technical position and, if his attitude is anything to go by, I would go for Zen if it was available on our exchange. They seem fair, open and VERY helpful. As said earlier, you get what you pay for.
Colin
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>> I would go for Zen if it was available on our exchange.
If you have a BT telephone line you can have Zen as your ISP. They're not LLU-based.
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Ooh - thanks for pointing that out - I am sick of explaining to BT Mumbaishire-based unhelpful lines over and over again without a satisfactory result. Rather that I can speak with an empowered helpline. .............. dashes off to start the process by requesting a MAC code ............
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Thank you all again for your continuing flow of imformation, comments and assistance.. :)
Have been looking at Zen again, and am impressed..........especially in view of some private data that has come to hand which gives me an indication of the standard of their customer service. Very, very good indeed.
Their Zen 8000 Lite service would seem to be the one to suit my needs. It is only about £2.00/month more than VirginMedia which is not a problem and it offers 5 Gb/month dowload limit. I think that will be sufficient, but I think I will run something like Netmeter for a couple of weeks just to check what my usage is.
Two things, perhaps someone can comment.
What do Zen mean by "per month".........is that a calendar month, or a four week period..?
More critical, indications from the Zen webbie seem to indicate that my ST 330 usb modem may not be up to the job.........they are suggesting I purchase an ethernet connected router............ :(. Reading through all the posts and data on Kitz makes me think that routers can be very complex things to get working properly.
Thank you again for all your help.
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The Zen price is per calendar month.
The ST330 will work with Zen, but you'll get better performance and better security with a router. The DG834Gv4 (don't get the v5!) is very easy to set up and has very good performance. You will only need to enter your ISP login name and password into the setup, and you'll be up and running in a minute or two. Routers are easier to manage and more reliable than USB modems.
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I purchase an ethernet connected router.Reading through all the posts and data on Kitz makes me think that routers can be very complex things to get working properly.
TD,If you purchase a new router from Zen I think their settings will be already punched in so to speak.(someone correct me if I'm wrong)
I have had my BT router for 2 years now and have never had any problems with it.I just leave it to do its job.
What do Zen mean by "per month".........is that a calendar month, or a four week period..?
Calendar month,they will set you up a direct debit to be taken out on the same day every month. (Eric beat me to it) :)
If you have any queries give them at call.
Their number is 0845 058 9000,0r if you prefer a landline number 01706 902000
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Thankg you again... ;D
@ unkyUb..............how good to see a real, live UK phone number for a helpdesk, you wouldn't need a handy phrasebook if phoning them... :D
Just thinking..............if I had a router...............would, um, er, perhaps, possibly, do you think...em I could maybe post some routerstats ? Promise, I would take lessons from jid before trying that... :lol:
(sorry jid, only joking )
Lots to think about, the TD head is swimming with info.
Thanks again.
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I could maybe post some routerstats
:scare:
I would take lessons from jid
:swoon:
(https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.emotionless.co.uk%2Femotes%2Factivity%2Fpeepsofa.gif&hash=8d38b6bd05326886fe8d2b7b3444908d320cff37)
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>> What do Zen mean by "per month".........is that a calendar month,
Just to expand on that bit, usage is calculated and reset on the 1st of each month regardless of your billing date.
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heh - I'm sure jid will appreciate the ribbing in the spirit in which it was meant. :)
but in all fairness I think much of it was to do with not really understanding what was going on..
When I put up the new SNR page explaining everything, the info clicked, and since then I feel he's become a good member of the community forums and has given help back to others as and when he can. He's taken some of the stats ribbing with a maturity beyond his years and has always been polite and therefore thats why the other week I mentioned that I was quite proud at how much he'd learnt. Many other teenagers grab and take, but jamie has taken that info, learnt and is now willing to assist others. To me thats what forums are all about sharing and helping others and a good community spirit. We have some good members on this forum, some experienced, some learning and many that help out as and when they can. All contributions are valued and its you guys that help what make these forums what they are.. and I am proud to say that I feel this is a good community and we do have some very good people who frequent it.
Thanks guys ;D
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Hi
Its a bit early for me to comment on Zen but my first impressions are very good . As per my previous post the difference in DL speed is obvious . The information I received on how to set up was excellent . . When I phoned them last week(friday17th) the service was excellent and helpful . I asked a few questions that were answered sensibly ,no waffle. I was given a probable connection date (22/04) . Within minutes I had email confirming order .Within 2hrs I had confirmation of the activation date(22/04) .when I got home Wednesday I pasted new username / password into the router(dg834gv4) reconnected and that was it .
TD quote : Netmeter for a couple of weeks just to check what my usage is.
I use netmeter ,it is Very good I like the real time Graphical display. There is one slight problem . It measures the total traffic ,including the Lan traffic , eg Routerstats . I also use Netlimiter2 . This gives traffic for internet/lan separately. You can also see which applications are using the bandwidth.
Regards Jeff :)
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@ Kitz............you are quite right, jid is a good lad and a very good forum contributor............and his knowledge of the technicalities of adsl will forever be years in advance of mine.
I did not mean to offend..............you have my apologies jid. :)
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@ TD - I'm sure no apologies are needed :)
I just thought it was an appropriate time and good opportunity for kitz to have one of her blurbs about the community spirit.
There's many people on these forums are various levels whose contributions are valued.. theres several more I could name, but I wont, for fear of offending anyone I inadvertently miss out.. so just in general thanks to everyone for all their contributions, for it is you guys who help makes these forums what they are... and yeah I am proud that its not become stuck up with an 'I know better than you' attitude that you do often see on some tech forums.
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Hi
Its a bit early for me to comment on Zen but my first impressions are very good . As per my previous post the difference in DL speed is obvious . The information I received on how to set up was excellent . . When I phoned them last week(friday17th) the service was excellent and helpful . I asked a few questions that were answered sensibly ,no waffle. I was given a probable connection date (22/04) . Within minutes I had email confirming order .Within 2hrs I had confirmation of the activation date(22/04) .when I got home Wednesday I pasted new username / password into the router(dg834gv4) reconnected and that was it .
TD quote : Netmeter for a couple of weeks just to check what my usage is.
I use netmeter ,it is Very good I like the real time Graphical display. There is one slight problem . It measures the total traffic ,including the Lan traffic , eg Routerstats . I also use Netlimiter2 . This gives traffic for internet/lan separately. You can also see which applications are using the bandwidth.
Regards Jeff :)
Hi Jeff,
I am glad that things have gone smoothly for you. I fequent the forum with my colleague to help where we can. If you have nay problems with your line or are not happy with the company again let me know.
I would like to say thankyou for the Kind words from all of you. Zen do work hard to give all of our customers the best possible experience and as I am sure you are all aware it is not always easy. To read your comments was a real booster for me and I will be passing this on to the Richard.
Kindest Regards,
Leo
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>>> @ TD - I'm sure no apologies are needed <<<
jid may have something to say about that............... :lol:
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>>> @ TD - I'm sure no apologies are needed <<<
jid may have something to say about that............... :lol:
So long as its not in graph form. :lol:
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I'm about to give Zen a try on one of my lines as an experiment.
As Zen is so horrifically expensive (£79+vat) for a business grade ADSL connection, I'm sticking with Demon elsewhere unless there's some unbelievably compelling reason. I currently use the Demon Business Broadband 2000 service at £34+vat (or £40+vat for a notional 8Mbps).
Demon's customer service is diabolical, for business users, at any rate where anything concerning ADSL and BT Wholesale is concerned. But their prices and no-nonsense usage allowances for business users are as far as I'm aware unmatched.
Zen would seem to be a good choice for anyone for whom cost is of no consequence, or people who are extremely light users.
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@ weaver
IMHO Zen are also first class in fault rectification, especially for those on long and troublesome lines.
Kind regards,
Walter