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Topic ID 5819

02/03/2011 by VC1

Broadband

Hello fellow Hertford residents. Not sure if this is the right place but I am sick to death of talk talk and am able to get out of my contract next month. I sometimes work form home so I really need a decent broadband provider - any recommendations people?


Replies

Reply ID 79894

02/03/2011 by Steve

What is it you're unhappy about with Talk Talk? As I recall their lines are unbundled. Do you get any other services from them?


Reply ID 79895

02/03/2011 by VC1

where do I start: Internet connection cuts out, try and make calls and we hear a fax line (we don't have a fax), Internet is really slow and when we try and speak to customer services we go through to an indian call centre who simply read from a scrip and get no where with them re. all the problems we have. However, main reasin is we need faster Broadband


Reply ID 79896

02/03/2011 by Ewoowar

I can recommend NOT switching to Virgin. I am getting fed up with losing the service, at least once an hour.


Reply ID 79897

02/03/2011 by Bubbaoshea

Or BT. We signed up to their 'deal' at the time only for them the next month to reduce that 'deal' by £22 per month. We asked to be switched to the new deal but were told sorry your tied in for 18mths on your current contact and cannot switch. Really annoying seeing as the package was the same as we have.


Reply ID 79898

02/03/2011 by Jackanapes

Been with Virgin for the last 6 years - hardly any problems whatsoever.


Reply ID 79900

02/03/2011 by Frenchie

BT - 3 yrs and not an issue


Reply ID 79901

02/03/2011 by Razor

We've found virgin very good. Fast, reliable broadband that rarely loses connection. We have the tv/phone/broadband package. I wonder whether the people who have problems with either BT or Vigin is simply due to very local glitches (ie loose connections in the streetside cabinets etc), rather than the provider itself?


Reply ID 79903

02/03/2011 by Joby

quote:
Originally posted by Razor
We've found virgin very good. Fast, reliable broadband that rarely loses connection. We have the tv/phone/broadband package. I wonder whether the people who have problems with either BT or Vigin is simply due to very local glitches (ie loose connections in the streetside cabinets etc), rather than the provider itself?
This might be true - I've been with them for years and never had any problems until the last few weeks, when I've started noticing the connection dropping momentarily on a regular basis.


Reply ID 79904

02/03/2011 by Ewoowar

quote:
Originally posted by Joby
quote:
Originally posted by Razor
We've found virgin very good. Fast, reliable broadband that rarely loses connection. We have the tv/phone/broadband package. I wonder whether the people who have problems with either BT or Vigin is simply due to very local glitches (ie loose connections in the streetside cabinets etc), rather than the provider itself?
This might be true - I've been with them for years and never had any problems until the last few weeks, when I've started noticing the connection dropping momentarily on a regular basis.
That sounds like the same problem I am getting.


Reply ID 79906

02/03/2011 by Woody

When you contact Virgin, what explanation have they given?


Reply ID 79908

02/03/2011 by Steve

quote:
Originally posted by Woody
When you contact Virgin, what explanation have they given?
Ha ha ha ha [:D] Contact Virgin?


Reply ID 79909

02/03/2011 by Billywindsock

Contacting Virgin is slightly less difficult than talking to the dead, but not by much. And the dead have a credible excuse, after all, at least they don't work for Virgin.


Reply ID 79910

02/03/2011 by Woody

http://www.virginmedia.com/customers/contact/ What happens?


Reply ID 79911

02/03/2011 by Steve

Having been to NTHell and back, it's not an experience I intend to repeat. Hold music, letters ignored, calls not returned, more hold music. In fact, anything to avoid customer service actually having to deal with customers. Which is why I am with a small ISP who give me excellent speed and service. When you call up their technical support people, the call is answered by a human being on a switchboard!


Reply ID 79912

02/03/2011 by Ewoowar

quote:
Originally posted by Steve
Having been to NTHell and back, it's not an experience I intend to repeat. Hold music, letters ignored, calls not returned, more hold music. In fact, anything to avoid customer service actually having to deal with customers. Which is why I am with a small ISP who give me excellent speed and service. When you call up their technical support people, the call is answered by a human being on a switchboard!
And who is this ISP?


Reply ID 79913

02/03/2011 by Woody

Interesting. I previously used NHL/Virgin and, whilst we didn't have any problems with them, we changed to Sky/BT when we moved house several years ago as the package was more attractive. We haven't had problems with BT broadband either though speed was much better through cable and I have been thinking of comparing the market. However, I don't want to be Virgin's new best friend until I sign a contract and then find I'm persona non grata, so thanks for sharing your experience.


Reply ID 79916

03/03/2011 by Joe

quote:
Originally posted by Billywindsock
And the dead have a credible excuse, after all, at least they don't work for Virgin.
Are you sure about that? From what I hear from the UK, Virgins service is just as bad as VodaNOphone over here in Spain. Oh was it Virgin that took over NTL?


Reply ID 79917

03/03/2011 by ~Sarah~

We've been with AOL since 98/99 and never had a problem.


Reply ID 79918

03/03/2011 by Loving Whale

I'm about to ditch TalkTalk too for exactly the same reason intermittent outages and an awful support desk - was thinking about going to Sky bearing in mind I spend a fortune with them already. Just remember that whoever you choose your speed and upload/download capacity are governed mostly by (i)physics e.g. how far away from the exchange you are - I'm in Waterford some 2 miles from my exchange so it's never going to be superfast and (ii) contention e.g. how many other users are using the same connection as you. Worth checking both of these before switching.


Reply ID 79919

03/03/2011 by Robbo

I've been with Sky broadband now for 5 years and cannot fault the service. I'm on the Sky broadband unlimited package. 2.5 kms from the exchange, and get consistent speeds of 13 meg. Sky do not throttle the service as Virgin do. Also unlimited dowloads all for £15 per month. I also have TV, and PS3 wired in as well as 3 PCs, IPhones and Ipad using the network. I can watch BBCI player, 4OD etc in HD with no streaming issues whilst others in the house are on laptops, ipads etc. Also use LoveFilm which is brilliant - stream a full length film direct from them with no buffering / interruption issues. Also Sky have released Sky Anytime+ - hundreds of hours of back catalogue programmes, only available to Sky broadband users. So if you are already a Sky TV subscriber (which I think you need to be to get the unlimited package), I would thoroughly recommend it. And before anyone asks - no I dont work for Sky, or News Corp, and I dont like Murdoch but I cant fault the service!


Reply ID 79925

03/03/2011 by jim72

I agree about Sky, I switched from a service providing 2mb/s for £15 months to the Sky unlimited broadband providing 12-13mb/s for £5 per month (as long as I had the basic sky package and their phone line). I cannot fault it.


Reply ID 79952

05/03/2011 by mikol

When I lived on Cowbridge I was with Sky broadband and got about 18mbit, so in real terms about 2megabytes/second. I now live just off Cowbridge on Dimsdale and have been with Virgin since September and haven't had a single problem on their 50mbit service. Solid connection, lightning fast speeds. I appreciate some people aren't happy with their customer service, but then over the years I've never required their CS so cannot comment. Likewise, during my brief spell on Cowbridge with Sky, their service was top notch too.


Reply ID 79955

06/03/2011 by Buy Local

Has anyone tried The Utility Warehouse for their broadband? We get our gas and electric through them and our bills have halved! We are in contract with sky for broadband but will change once we are out. What attracted me was the uk call centre that's which recommended.


Reply ID 81443

26/05/2011 by Leo Densian

After years of BT phone supply and Orange broadband since 2002 I never seemed to get round to sourcing a better package. However, whilst still reeling from the latest BT bill I was called last week by Orange who have offered phone line rental, free anytime landline calls and unlimited broadband for £21.50 a month. I have signed up and so far so good - the broadband speed has been jacked up too and is now in the region of 12mb/s


Reply ID 81444

26/05/2011 by Steve

quote:
Originally posted by Leo Densian
After years of BT phone supply and Orange broadband since 2002 I never seemed to get round to sourcing a better package. However, whilst still reeling from the latest BT bill I was called last week by Orange who have offered phone line rental, free anytime landline calls and unlimited broadband for £21.50 a month. I have signed up and so far so good - the broadband speed has been jacked up too and is now in the region of 12mb/s
How far are you from the exchange?


Reply ID 81446

27/05/2011 by Leo Densian

About 500m.


Reply ID 81468

30/05/2011 by aubend

I second Orange. Free with mobile contract since 2006. Never had a problem. It's meant to be 2mb download speed but currently getting 12mb plus.


27 replies