Kitz Forum
Broadband Related => ISPs => Topic started by: mike004 on May 05, 2009, 04:16:43 PM
-
Currently I have a BT landline, which I use for calls + dial-up modem internet.
Call costs are only about tenner a month, then I have the 30 quid line rental every quarter.
Looking for suggestions for cheap broadband, or broadband + calls
* Landline only, no mobile contract
* 12 month contract, 6 month if possible
* Don't need a massive download bandwidth or top speed
* IMPORTANT -- Must work with Linux (needed for VPN for work)
* Not really interested in wireless
Current favourites are:
* BT -- But BT give you a wireless home hub, which I would never use, probably. And the BT engineer has to come round, I think
* Be
* PlusNet -- looks OK, but is an 18 month contract!
-
Hi and welcome.
You can choose any ISP. Most of them, if asked, will say that they don't support Linux, but all that means is that they can't give you any technical help regarding Linux. As far as setting up and using the service is concerned, the operating system is of no consequence - all you need is a working ethernet networking interface to connect to the router.
-
Roseway just beat me to it.
The isp itself wont make that much difference. The problem itself may come with the hardware options in that some of the modem software may not work with linux. The way to get around that is an adsl router via ethernet.
Both Plusnet and Be router will work fine with linux.
-
I'm with Plusnet and been very happy with them. Price good and traffic shaping policies very clear but 18 month contract is a downer. I'm not a Linux user myself but there is a Linux and Other *Nix section on their Community Forum - http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/board,60.0.html Your need for VPN means that their cheapest "Value" package would not be suitable for you though and this may rule them out of your calculations.
-
>> Your need for VPN means that their cheapest "Value" package would not be suitable for you though and this may rule them out of your calculations.
Good point.
May be an idea if mike ran his phone no through the adsl checker (http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/adslchecker.php) and advise us which LLU options are available at your exchange and the Market category.
The LLU ISPs will be listed on the RH side
and the Market category will be under the exchange section with the blue (https://forum.kitz.co.uk/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.kitz.co.uk%2Fadsl%2Fimages%2Fblue.gif&hash=418c862c4084e778ecffaad4d2c1010180d890d3) marker.
-
Your need for VPN means that their cheapest "Value" package would not be suitable for you though and this may rule them out of your calculations.
Thanks for your reply.
Why do you say that? I can connect over VPN using a dial up modem. It's slow, but allows me to at least transfer files.
What bandwidth would I need to run X apps over a VPN?
Mike
-
The problem itself may come with the hardware options in that some of the modem software may not work with linux. The way to get around that is an adsl router via ethernet.
Both Plusnet and Be router will work fine with linux.
That's what I was thinking. If I go for a fancy wireless home hub, maybe the hardware won't work with my Linux machine.
I am using an old Thinkpad running Fedora Core 6, without built-in wireless.
Mike
-
>> Your need for VPN means that their cheapest "Value" package would not be suitable for you though and this may rule them out of your calculations.
May be an idea if mike ran his phone no through the adsl checker (http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/adslchecker.php) and advise us which LLU options are available at your exchange and the Market category.
I am 4 km from the exchange so probably won't get a fast connection.
===
Available ISPs Other Broadband Technology & LLU Providers
Although your exchange is BT owned, this does not limit you to just BT Broadband and a vast range of ISPs are able to supply you with adsl.
Available ISPs are too numerous to list, but some examples would be: Zen, Plusnet, IDNet, Enta, etc
The vast majority of UK ISPs use BTs exchange equipment to supply their broadband, for those ISPs you should use the information on the left.
The following is a list of providers offering an alternative service to BT Wholesale based broadband in your area.
LLU
AOL Available
Be* Available 12.12.06
C&W/Bulldog Available 25.05.07
Edge Telecom Not available
Homechoice Not available
Lumison Not available
NewNet Not available
Node4 Not available
O2 Available 12.12.06
Orange Available 01.04.06
Pipex Not available
Smallworld Not available
Sky Available 16.06.07
TalkTalk Available 21.10.06
Tiscali Available 15.03.06
UK Online Available 16.06.07
WB Internet Not available
Zen Not available
===
Anyone here recommend Tesco? Their packages seem simple to understand, at least!
Mike
-
Anyone here recommend Tesco? Their packages seem simple to understand, at least!
Mike
I wouldn't recommend them as their tech support is charged A 50p a minute.
Looking at the list above Be and UKOnline look ok,but I'm not sure they would take you on as you have a long line.
You could always try one of the smaller isp's.
Newnet and Zen spring to mind,both have excellent customer feedback,and good UK based support.
http://www.newnet.co.uk/
http://www.zen.co.uk/
-
If I go for a fancy wireless home hub, maybe the hardware won't work with my Linux machine.
A home hub will work fine with Linux, as will any ethernet-connected router. If you want to access it wirelessly then you would need to choose your wireless interface with some care, because not all work comfortably with Linux.
The other possible hardware related problem is with USB modems, but as routers offer so much better performance and security there's very little reason to choose a USB modem, regardless of what OS is being used.
-
The other possible hardware related problem is with USB modems, but as routers offer so much better performance and security there's very little reason to choose a USB modem, regardless of what OS is being used.
Yes, but if they are offering a free USB modem, I'd prefer to use that rather than buy a router as well. Just to keep costs down.
Mike
-
>> Why do you say that? I can connect over VPN using a dial up modem. It's slow, but allows me to at least transfer files.
>> am 4 km from the exchange so probably won't get a fast connection.
That probably does put a different slant on it.
The reason why we mentioned it, is that with PN on the value package VPN is restricted to 512kbps. Therefore if you had say an 8Mb connection, any VPN traffic would understandably seem slow in comparison.
If you are on a long line and are only able to get say 512kb-1Mb anyhow, then you obviously wont notice it as much. If its just for transferring small or occasional files then obviously this will seem fast in comparison to dial up.
If you are on a Market 3 exchange their prices are very reasonable.
You can check out what traffic shaping occurs on what protocols here (http://www.kitz.co.uk/isp/plusnet_shaping.htm).
From the LLU list:-
Be: Considered good ISP by many. Disadvantage for you may be the length of your line, they dont always accept some longer lines so check with them.
O2: Uses the Be backhaul so same as above. Could be a very good choice if you ever get one of their mobile packages. Even without a package their prices are still good.
Sky: Not considered as good as the above 2 but are still OK, good choice if you have sky TV due to cost. If you havent got sky TV then cross off you list.
UK Online: Good ISP. Often recommended by the more technical user. Look at the lite package which is cheaper because its limited to 2Mbps. But due to the length of your line this may be the maximum you could get anyhow.
Only downside is that you have to purchase a router from them. However they are Netgear DG834GTs which would be a very good choice for a long line and its at a very good price and cheaper than if you purchased from elsewhere.
-
UK Online: Good ISP. Often recommended by the more technical user. Look at the lite package which is cheaper because its limited to 2Mbps. But due to the length of your line this may be the maximum you could get anyhow.
Only downside is that you have to purchase a router from them. However they are Netgear DG834GTs which would be a very good choice for a long line and its at a very good price and cheaper than if you purchased from elsewhere.
UK Online would be OK. But they supply a wireless router. As I do not use wireless, or have a wireless card in my computer, I don't see a need for this. Can I just connect via network cable to a wireless router, and "switch off" the wireless capability of the router.
sorry for my questions. I am a luddite, still using old fashioned kit.
Mike
-
Can I just connect via network cable to a wireless router, and "switch off" the wireless capability of the router.
Yes you can, very easily, and in fact it's desirable to have at least one direct wired connection.
-
>> Can I just connect via network cable to a wireless router, and "switch off" the wireless capability of the router.
Yes you can. If you dont have wireless its recommended you do so.
Its the adsl chipset in the Netgear DG834GT which is very good, and this particular router is the one that we often recommend for long lines due to its stability and being able to cope well on them.
>> sorry for my questions.
No problems - it can seem a daunting task getting adsl for the first time. Theres so many choices that can be made. You are doing the right thing asking.
-
>> Can I just connect via network cable to a wireless router, and "switch off" the wireless capability of the router.
Yes you can. If you dont have wireless its recommended you do so.
Its the adsl chipset in the Netgear DG834GT which is very good, and this particular router is the one that we often recommend for long lines due to its stability and being able to cope well on them.
>> sorry for my questions.
No problems - it can seem a daunting task getting adsl for the first time. Theres so many choices that can be made. You are doing the right thing asking.
In that case, UK Online seems to be reasonable. 15 quid a month, 12 month contract. 50 quid for a router, which should be more Linux-friendly than a USB modem, and more secure, I expect.
A couple more newbie questions:
* Is the BT Home Hub a wireless router, same as the Netgear kit supplied by UK Online?
* Can I still use my normal BT landline phone after getting connected up to broadband?
Thanks
Mike
-
Yes the BT home Hub can be used wirelessly
http://www.shop.bt.com/products/bt-home-hub-2-0-56B4.html#description
And yes you can use your phone,you just need a micro filter which plugs into your phone socket.
Then you plug your router into one connector and your phone into the other.
http://www.shop.bt.com/products/bt-adsl-micro-filter-rs-4D46.html?q=micro%20filters
-
>> Is the BT Home Hub a wireless router, same as the Netgear kit supplied by UK Online?
Yes, the Hub is a BT branded router. Under the hood its a Thompson/Speedtouch that BT put their own firmware on and outer box.
It has good wireless capabilities - so does the DG834GT. However, IMHO the adsl chipset and firmware isnt as good as the Netgears.
-
I am wavering...the Be There package is 12 months at 13.50 quid, with a free router.
Online checking tools say my absolute max. speed is 2.5 megabits. So there's no use me going for performance....
Looking at the broadband deals is a real headache :(
Mike
-
Looking at the broadband deals is a real headache
One thing to consider is technical support(if and when you need it)
A lot of the bigger isp's have Indian support which is borderering on abysmal.
I think I am right in saying Be,O2 and UKOnline have UK based support.( someone will correct me if I'm wrong)
You will find most of the smaller isp's will have UK based technical support,ie Newnet,Zen and all the Entanet resellers
-
The best advise to be given at any point is, make sure the Customer Services and Tech teams have enough knowledge to help. As Kitz said, it is daunting but there is no such thing as a stupid question, only questions that are not asked.
As for the deals, do shop around, but note that not all deals are what they seem. Make sure you check the small print, and ask around for opinions. Be have a good following now and I am sure there are a few here who would agree.
I work for Zen and use Zen, and there are a few who swear by them as well. All in all take your time and do look around.
Leo
-
AFIAK
AOL - Indian
Be - Bulgaria, but they are very knowledgeable.
BT - India
Enta - UK
ID Net - UK
Newnet - UK
O2 - UK
Orange - India
Plusnet - UK
Sky - India
TalkTalk - Indian
Tiscali - India
UK Online - UK
Zen - UK
-
Just signed up with UK Online. I also tried the Be sales line, but the number was unavailable! Incredible. ..
One problem, though. I asked for an estimated line speed. The call centre chap said they couldn't give me an estimate. According to their database, my post code didn't match the BT line number.
A bit worrying...
Mike
-
Good luck with UKO - they are one of the better ISPs and when ever Ive spoken to their CS they do seem very knowledgeable.
Let us know how it goes :)
Re the database.. not sure what could have been the problem.. the BTw database is on occasions wrong.
Did you get any errors showing when you used my checker.. and did that give you an estimated line speed?
-
Good luck with UKO - they are one of the better ISPs and when ever Ive spoken to their CS they do seem very knowledgeable.
Let us know how it goes :)
Re the database.. not sure what could have been the problem.. the BTw database is on occasions wrong.
Did you get any errors showing when you used my checker.. and did that give you an estimated line speed?
I check out OK using your (and other web sites) line checkers.
Here is the line speed given by kitz:
Fixed ADSL: 1024 kbps (1 Mb)
DSL Max : 2500 kbps (2.5 Mb)
21CN WBC : 3000 kbps (3 Mb)
Mike
-
not sure why they couldnt get a result then.
Most of them all revolve around the BTw one.
As regards speed... the BTw estimates are normally a bit conservative.. since they have to account for variations in the internal line conditions, type of router used etc.
Therefore if your line is in good condition you should get 3Mb. We will be able to tell performance better when you are connected and can get stats from your router.
-
Therefore if your line is in good condition you should get 3Mb. We will be able to tell performance better when you are connected and can get stats from your router.
I have signed up for the 2meg Lite option. So, I assume I will get 2 meg max.
Re: wiring. The internal phone wiring in the house is pretty old. At the main BT socket, I use a splitter. One feed goes to the phone nearby, the other goes 3m under the carpet and the door frame, to the next room to my computer. Will this be an issue?
If it is, I suppose I could always go wireless...
Mike
-
Re: wiring. The internal phone wiring in the house is pretty old. At the main BT socket, I use a splitter. One feed goes to the phone nearby, the other goes 3m under the carpet and the door frame, to the next room to my computer. Will this be an issue?
Quite possibly. If you're using one of the normal readily available extension leads into the computer room, then it very likely won't have twisted-pair wiring, and will be vulnerable to pickup of interference. The best option technically (if the master socket is an NTE5 type) would be to get a filtered faceplate with the router connected directly to it, and an ethernet cable from there to the computer room. If the ethernet cable isn't a practical option then wireless would be OK, and homeplugs would be better.
-
In view of your line achieving somewhere around 2-3Mb tops* then you probably did the right thing in signing up for the 2Mb account.
*The problem is those are just estimates and it does depend on your own particular line... which until it goes live and you can get some linestats from your router we cant really say for sure.
Re the splitter, Ive used and know of many configs this way where it doesnt cause any problems at all.. however if speeds are slower than anticipated then it is one of the areas to look at.
If I was in your position then I think I would have done exactly the same thing as you have done and only sign up for the 2Mb account and save yourself some money for doing so. Until you know for sure that your line is capable of much higher speeds then it may not be worth while investing time and money into correcting something that may only give a slight speed increase.
If you have probs attaining the 2Mb, then the internal wiring situation is something that should be looked out.
IMHO you are probably best waiting until you are connected.. then once you are if you post your linestats (http://www.kitz.co.uk/adsl/frogstats.php#33), then we will be very happy to look at them for you and give our opinion on the condition of your line.
-
Well, my broadband line has been activated.
But the router from UK Online is nowhere to be seen.
The chap at the UK Online call centre gave me a ParcelForce tracking reference.
But the ParcelFarce website has no status information for my package.
Not a great introduction to the world of broadband :(
Mike
-
:(
oh dear... has it all been sorted now?
-
:(
oh dear... has it all been sorted now?
No. The broadband line has been active for nearly a week. Still no sign of the router... They are shipping another one out. It will take "3 to 5 working days". No next day delivery, then.
It seems a third party company ships the routers out. And communication between UK Online and the third-party is woeful.
I signed up for broadband on 7 May. My line was active on 14 May. Plenty of time to ship a small package to a mainland UK address, I would have thought.
Mike
-
That's a pretty dreadful performance. I could order a router today from any one of half a dozen (or more) suppliers, and have it delivered tomorrow. >:(
-
That's a pretty dreadful performance. I could order a router today from any one of half a dozen (or more) suppliers, and have it delivered tomorrow. >:(
Yes, I agree. After the first router failed to materialise, I expected a next-day delivery.
And UK Online charge 50 quid for the router. Other ISPs include it for free. My bank account was debited on 11 May for the router charge!
Unfortunately, I am past the 12 day "cooling off" period. Otherwise I would have seriously considered cancelling the lot.
Mike
-
I would be never off the phone if I was you.Never mind the 12 day cooling off period,lets be right, if they have charged you £50 for a router which you need to run their service and not received one,then surely you have the right to cancel and get a full refund.
That is abysmal customer care by any standards.
My bank account was debited on 11 May for the router charge!
I would also be considering contacting trading standards as well
-
I would be never off the phone if I was you.Never mind the 12 day cooling off period,lets be right, if they have charged you £50 for a router which you need to run their service and not received one,then surely you have the right to cancel and get a full refund.
That is abysmal customer care by any standards.
My bank account was debited on 11 May for the router charge!
I would also be considering contacting trading standards as well
Just spent another 10 minutes on the phone. "Its with ParcelForce. We have delivered it to ParcelForce.", they said. "If we give you the tracking number, you can contact ParcelForce to find out when it might arrive". Bl**dy cheek!
I tried to convinve the UK Online call centre that my contract was with *them*, and it was up to *them* to arrange delivery of the router. It was their job to chase up ParcelForce.
Mike.
-
Thats not good mike.
Sorry to hear that you have been let down by their suppliers :'(
-
Finally got my NetGear router and I'm sending this message via my broadband connection. Only 2 weeks after the line was switched on...
* Its not as fast as I expected. The NetGear router connection page says my downstream connection speed is 1024 kbps. Compared with a phone line checker quote of 2 or 2.5 Mbps. Are there any other ways or tools to check connection speed?
* Security -- I have turned off the wireless capability of the router. The router firewall doesn't have any settings by default...Is it OK to "unplug" my connection, or turn off the router when not in use, until I get a handle on security issues?
* My old Pentium2 laptop is running hot. The fan is kicking in. I wouldn't expect a normal network connection to cause this. I am using a Xircom 10 Mbps PCMCIA card.
Mike
-
Some more details from the router stats would be useful, e.g. attenuation, noise margin, sync speed (downstream and up).
-
Here are some stats from the Netgear router admin page:
System Up Time 00:48:02
Port Status TxPkts RxPkts Collisions Tx B/s Rx B/s Up Time
WAN PPPoA 2445 2422 0 309 1604 00:21:44
LAN 10M/100M 6982 7247 0 1681 362 00:48:00
WLAN 11M/54M 0 0 0 0 0 00:00:00
ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 1024 kbps 256 kbps
Line Attenuation 58.0 db 31.5 db
Noise Margin 27.8 db 13.0 db
-
Well, that's blatantly a fixed 1mbps connection - I thought you signed up for 2?
Good noise margin, the line should be OK for around 3mbps (maybe more) on ADSL-Max so a fixed 2 mbps will be safe.
-
Well, that's blatantly a fixed 1mbps connection - I thought you signed up for 2?
Good noise margin, the line should be OK for around 3mbps (maybe more) on ADSL-Max so a fixed 2 mbps will be safe.
I signed up for the UK Online Lite package. It says on the UKOL web site, up to 2 meg download speeds. And the UK Online phone line checker says my line is OK for 3 meg...
The written contract I have from UK Online makes no mention of speeds at all. Have I have been a bit naive :(
Mike
-
I'd just give them a ring. It's not unknown for new connections to have a configuration error.
Remember they are probably depending on someone in BT to set it up initially and "there's many a slip twixt cup and lip".
-
I've turned everything off now, because I have noticed a problem with incoming telephone calls.
Here is my attempt to diagnose the issue:
* Turn off computer, disconnect router,any broadband stuff whatsoever.
* Into main BT box, just plug in a single phone. Dial tone is OK. Calls out are OK.
* Call into the phone, using a mobile for example. Phone "blips" (something like half a ring tone), then caller is greeted with static and is eventually forwarded to 1571 BT voice mail.
* Connect microfilter at main BT box. Plug in phone. Outgoing calls are OK. But same issue with incoming calls, caller is greeted with loads of static, totally unusable.
Any ideas?
Thanks
Mike
-
Tried calling in again today. From the landline at work, was OK. Also via mobile phone, was OK.
Could using a mobile phone from 5m away cause interference. Or maybe the line was still connected for broadband after I unplugged everything -- does broadband use the equivalent of a DHCP lease on the actual telephone line.
-
As mentioned by the others, that looks like a 1Mb fixed line.
Worth ringing your ISP and advising them that you seem to be on a 1Mb fixed circuit rather than 2Mb as it could be a configuration error at the RAS/dslam.
The surplus SNR margin shows that your line is capable of much more.
-
Called the UK Online tech support line, and an affable Belfast man switched me over to 2176 kbps in about 10 seconds.
Mike
-
At last! It's good to know you got there in the end. :)
-
Excellent, so what do the router stats look like now?
-
System Up Time 00:54:14
Port Status TxPkts RxPkts Collisions Tx B/s Rx B/s Up Time
WAN PPPoA 46849 88545 0 1043 45683 00:45:52
LAN 10M/100M 90248 48528 0 39452 1216 00:54:12
WLAN 11M/54M 0 0 0 0 0 00:00:00
ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 2176 kbps 288 kbps
Line Attenuation 58.0 db 31.5 db
Noise Margin 18.1 db 13.0 db
-
System Up Time 00:54:14
Port Status TxPkts RxPkts Collisions Tx B/s Rx B/s Up Time
WAN PPPoA 46849 88545 0 1043 45683 00:45:52
LAN 10M/100M 90248 48528 0 39452 1216 00:54:12
WLAN 11M/54M 0 0 0 0 0 00:00:00
ADSL Link Downstream Upstream
Connection Speed 2176 kbps 288 kbps
Line Attenuation 58.0 db 31.5 db
Noise Margin 18.1 db 13.0 db
Do these figures say anything about my internal wiring?
My telephone line crackles seem to have gone away for the moment after shoving filters in every available extension!
Mike
-
Not enough detail from that (Netgear?) router to tell much, other than on ADSL-Max you'd still expect about 3mbps and slightly faster upstream.
If ADSL2+ became available you'd also get about 3mbps (maybe slightly over) but a significant increase in Upstream speed to well over 1mbps if that's of any use.
-
iirc,does the UK Online lite package only give you 256kbps upstream ?
-
Not enough detail from that (Netgear?) router to tell much, other than on ADSL-Max you'd still expect about 3mbps and slightly faster upstream.
If ADSL2+ became available you'd also get about 3mbps (maybe slightly over) but a significant increase in Upstream speed to well over 1mbps if that's of any use.
Yes, its a Netgear router. It was all very easy to set up, really.
The UK Online Lite service is 2 meg download, so I am happy enough that I am now getting what I paid for.
As for upload speeds, I don't know what the Lite service provides. But I don't think I'll need a fast upload.
Mike
-
>> Called the UK Online tech support line, and an affable Belfast man switched me over to 2176 kbps in about 10 seconds.
Glad that got sorted... mistakes do happen, but the advantage here was that you spoke to UK support who at least was able to correct it. Ive seen similar happen with other ISPs can it can be a nightmare to get their support to understand the problem... nevermind correct it promptly.
Those stats actually look quite good for your line length and show that at the time you took those stats that the line could actually handle faster speeds.
However, it would perhaps be advisable first to is you say monitored the SNRM with router stats to see how much the SNRM fluctuates over the course of the day.. and/or over a longer period.
But a SNRM of 18dB would point to that line having at least approx another 1600 kb in it.. maybe more if it was stable.
The only thing is, is because the line is long then it may need a higher target SNR... and less bits are more likely to be loaded at the higher frequencies.
But as it stands.. that line looks good. :)
Its worth pointing out to others that iirc the 2Mb package was chosen specifically because it was better value on a line that may not be able to support that much more. The line had an unknown record previously only having had dial up.. and stability and support is considered more important than pushing the line to its maximum with all the possible problems that that could bring. 2Mb speeds after years of dial up is going to seem like the op is flying.
It was unfortunate that mike had a few teething problems :/ but UKO do seem to have a continued excellent good track record when it comes to what they do and their support at least seem to be about one of the better ones when it comes to sorting stuff out.
-
Are they not going to stop doing these fixed rate lines at some point though?? I thought that was the case. I have been advised by Griffin that most things are going to be going rate adaptive at some point very soon.
I give up with most ISPs now, I am so glad that I am wise to the rubbish support a lot of them do give, you may pay more with ISPs such as Griffin and Zen but at least you get some decent service when things go wrong - which they sometimes do as we all know.
Nice that things are up and running now though.
-
>> I have been advised by Griffin that most things are going to be going rate adaptive at some point very soon.
LLU providers can do what they want on their own equipment and offer their own product sets.
BT Wholesale started moving away from the traditional fixed rate products and encouraging IPStream ISPs to use the rate adaptive products a couple of years ago.
UKO (and Sky) LLU is provided on Easynet DSLAMS who both offer 3 options: >2Mb, >8Mb, >16Mb
These products are still rate adaptive in that they will sync 'up to' the highest it can in each category but is capped at that particular speed.
Tiscali LLU has lots of different profiles that an ISP can choose such as 512, 1Mb, 2Mb, 4Mb, 6Mb 8Mb etc.. again these products can be rate adaptive and 'up to' as long as the line can handle it.
Even though BTw are now discouraging the fixed rate lines, they still offer what they call "Max capped rate profiles" for 512, 1Mb & 2Mb.. not all ISPs are aware of this though. BTw still charges the same price whether its 512kb max capped or full >8Mb and because these products are now actually cheaper than the traditional fixed rate products, then IPStream ISPs just simply 'maxdsl' the line.
-
Interesting. I have taken to just selling the up to 8mbps products and the 24mbps products otherwise I'd be in a situation where everything would be tailored to a line - and then the line could change.... I hope this is the best solution.
-
>> I have taken to just selling the up to 8mbps products and the 24mbps products otherwise I'd be in a situation where everything would be tailored to a line - and then the line could change.... I hope this is the best solution.
If you are reselling products say from eclipse/tiscali/etc, then you will only be presented with the 'usual' options.
Its when you purchase direct from the LLU wholesalers (eg BT Wholesale, Tiscali Wholesale, Easynet) that you have more flexibility.
Its important to remember that say resold tiscali isnt the same as purchasing from Tiscali wholesale.. in the same way that BT Internet (retail) isnt the same as BT Wholesale.
For example Plusnet at one time as well as using BTw Centrals, also purchased bandwidth direct from Tiscali Wholesale. This actually gave them more flexibility and allowed them to give their home users 800 kbps upstream... something that wasnt available at the time to Tiscali retail users.
UKO and sky have the same parent company... because Sky also bought out Easynet.. so I guess they are big enough and have the pulling power to do what they like ;) If the ISP is big enough or actually own the LLU provision then they can start calling the shots and say what they want.
vISPs such as yourself normally have less options and can only resell the ready made type packages.