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Author Topic: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection  (Read 17910 times)

Weaver

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #15 on: November 30, 2015, 09:03:44 PM »

> between just going with A&A on trust, vs trying to get something more encouraging from them before committing.

I don't think that the sales staff shouldn't be allowed give you any kind of guarantees, they probably aren't allowed to. The FTR is your guarantee, and you can effectively get that set for you by asking support, as I mentioned earlier. Pick your excellent modem and choice of router. (Such as the DLink I mentioned earlier.)
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Weaver

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #16 on: November 30, 2015, 09:06:53 PM »

You can also talk to real humans, actual users, on IRC, to get the truth. See
    http://aa.net.uk/kb-irc.html
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burakkucat

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #17 on: November 30, 2015, 11:52:37 PM »

The training phase will establish your MSR and from that your FTR (do I have that right Burakkucat?).

Yes, indeed.  :)  Kitz describes the process on the How DSL Max works page of the main site.
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aesmith

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #18 on: December 01, 2015, 09:25:07 AM »

Cheers, getting MSR and FTR reset is on my list, at the moment they're shown as 2272/1817, figures which are dated prior to broadband even being provisioned on our line.   Originally I was going to ask Plusnet to reset the training period, but at this stage I can't face trying get them to understand the request.
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Weaver

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #19 on: December 01, 2015, 03:28:40 PM »

Best of luck, and let us know how you get on.
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aesmith

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #20 on: December 02, 2015, 06:43:09 PM »

Haven't managed to phone A&A, but I just received the most discouraging email after the sales guy consulted with the bigwigs in A&A.  The written word can be misinterpreted of course, but it reads as if they treat that BT line estimate as gospel.  They say it might run a little faster it will only be by a small fraction.  He finished up by recommending that I stay with Plusnet.  To be honest that last comment was quite annoying, it certainly implies that I'm not the sort of customer they want.   I will have a chance to phone them tomorrow, but honestly am I just going to be wasting my time?   
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aesmith

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #21 on: December 02, 2015, 08:11:09 PM »

I wish I could find out where that "Estimated Speed" comes from and whether it can be corrected.  I've just checked an address where we lived a few years ago, with a line length of over 6km, and it comes up with an estimate of 3 on the Kitz checker with number and postcode, or up to 3, range 2-4 on the BT one that takes number only.  We got around 3.5 when we lived there, so in that case it's not a million miles out.   Even our neighbour's number here comes up with a higher figure than ours, although only 1.5 in his case.
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Weaver

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #22 on: December 02, 2015, 08:22:38 PM »

Have a chat with RevK, the MD. You can find him on IRC, Twitter (@TheRealRevK), every medium. He's a really nice guy. I think some of their salesmen aren't especially smooth by the sound of it.

You won't be making a mistake if you simply go for it, but you don't have to do so on faith, talk to some of the other users on IRC and ask them straight "Is A&A rubbish or what?".   ;D

See : http://aa.net.uk/kb-irc.html

You can also take a look at http://ispreview.co.uk too, lots and lots of A & A users' detailed reviews there.
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Weaver

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #23 on: December 02, 2015, 08:29:59 PM »

Re estimated speed - remember it's all a fiction anyway, as it depends on what modem you are using and the quality of cables and umpteen other things. They would have to out a load of qualifiers onto it to make it at all meaningful.

The difference between an aggressive modem (DLink DSL-320B) and a snoozy modem (Draytek Vigor 130) is around 30% here, more when the effect of the BT sync rate bands are taken into account.
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aesmith

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #24 on: February 26, 2016, 11:24:25 AM »

Sorry to bump this one, but just wondered if there were any other ISPs I should check out, I'm looking for one with decent support who will takeover both DSL and phone line so I have only a single point of contact.   I've been put off separating the two after this last fault where it took six OR visits more or less alternating between BB and PSTN engineers - I imagine that would never have got resolved if the two had been via separate suppliers.

A&A would require me to lose our phone number, not ideal.  I'm ruling out Zen and Pulse 8 on their DSL pricing for 20CN, quite a few others won't provide at all, and obviously Origin and John Lewis is ruled out since they use Plusnet anyway. 

I think that's left me with ..
  BT retail
  Post Office (don't know whose network they use)
  Sky (although last time I checked they wouldn't provide to a non-subscriber at our location, so order might fail anyway)
  SSE

However none of those stand out to me as "quality" providers, these are just the ones that come up on the comparison web sites.  Most of the old school ISPs that I used to know seem to have disappeared or now only do business lines. 

Thanks,  Tony S
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Weaver

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #25 on: February 26, 2016, 11:53:36 AM »

It's a shame that the conversations with AA sales didn't go well. Nevertheless, none of that affects the fact that they remain an excellent ISP, and they are the one for you. You should just go with them, having talked to AA customers if you wish, so you can assure yourself. You can also read the reviews on ispreview.

Other things can be fixed separately, once the critical decision has been made.

BT Retail or Andrews and Arnold?  ;D

I'll be happy to help in any way I can.
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gt94sss2

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #26 on: February 26, 2016, 12:24:47 PM »

Sorry to bump this one, but just wondered if there were any other ISPs I should check out, I'm looking for one with decent support who will takeover both DSL and phone line so I have only a single point of contact.

Do you have a telephone number of a public building (pub, church etc.) that I could use in ISP checkers to see what they offer 20CN customers?

And perhaps one line over why you want to leave Plusnet (end of promo offer?)

Quote
I think that's left me with ..
  BT retail
  Post Office (don't know whose network they use)
  Sky (although last time I checked they wouldn't provide to a non-subscriber at our location, so order might fail anyway)
  SSE

Of those:

- Sky have a long standing issue of under-provisioning backhaul from non LLU exchanges;
- The Post Office used to use BT Wholesale white label service - but switched to Talktalk with Capita providing the CS in 2013 (the less said about this the better)
- SSE use Daisy Comms for backhaul. There is a question mark over how well some exchanges are provisioned (aka Sky)
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aesmith

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #27 on: February 26, 2016, 12:40:07 PM »

... the fact that they remain an excellent ISP, and they are the one for you....

If they'd leave the line accepting incoming calls I'd already have my order in progress, but as it stands the options with A&A are ..
1. Lose our existing phone number (vetoed by family)
2. Keep our phone line with someone else.  In my mind that removes the point of a high quality support service if they don't support the troublesome bit which is the copper line.
3. Port our number into SIP, which I think is going to be the only viable A&A option, though there's an element of burning boats because there's no way back from that once it's done.   Also, number ports are always an iffy process, subject to delays and uncertainty.
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kitz

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #28 on: February 26, 2016, 12:44:53 PM »

Just seen this, couple of points:

AIUI 2272/1817 are the default figures used if for some reason the line didnt go through the full training period.

If you move between WBC/WMBC then records such as MTR and IPprofiles should follow and dont get reset. Although saying that the ISP should be able to ask for a reset.

Did you try phoning up Zen btw about market differential.   I asked Azzaka last week, but he's in Oz atm which is why he wasnt able to respond direct.   

The other thing, unless Ive missed something why would A&A require you to lose your phone number?
« Last Edit: February 26, 2016, 12:58:19 PM by kitz »
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aesmith

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Re: ISP recommendations for a 20CN Market 1 connection
« Reply #29 on: February 26, 2016, 12:52:10 PM »

Do you have a telephone number of a public building (pub, church etc.) that I could use in ISP checkers to see what they offer 20CN customers?

Here's a local takeaway on the same exchange, 01464 831181 AB54 4NP.   They're much closer than us, but that shouldn't matter for these purposes.

Quote
And perhaps one line over why you want to leave Plusnet (end of promo offer?)

I want rid of Plusnet because their support service stinks, and the amount of time I have had to devote to chasing them is just sickening.

By the way, to what extent do Post Office use Talk Talk?  I though TT were only LLU, and for example they don't provide service to our address.  Surely anyone who does offer service must by definition be using BT Wholesale?

Thanks,  Tony S
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