[GLLUG] Broadband/cable provider [OT]

[John Winters]

On 05/03/13 06:48, Christopher Hunter wrote:
[snip]
> Is there anyone competent, that doesn't charge the earth, and doesn't
> cap or otherwise abuse traffic?  BT have restricted access to about a
> third of the web, and along with that Plus Net use all the same
> infrastructure.  Zen is expensive, and A&  A is eye-wateringly costly
> and restricted....

You're caught between a rock and hard place here - it sounds like you 
want a quality service at a gouging price.  It just isn't going to 
happen.  It's like asking for burgers at £0.99 for 20 and expecting not 
to get horse in them.

I can't say I recognise your description of A&A though.  Yes, they don't 
do an "all-you-can-eat for £7.99 (* note in small print - this is a lie) 
and free for the first 6 months" deal, but they do offer an excellent 
service at a very fair price.  If you want to do large downloads in the 
middle of the day I can see them getting expensive, but otherwise 
they're extremely reasonable - a top rate service at a fair price.  Very 
puzzled about your description of them being "restricted".  One of the 
main things that attracts me to them is their complete lack of 
restrictions of any sort - just a clean and complete 'net connection, 
including native IPv6.

There are some good explanations on their pages (and on Adrian Kennard's 
personal blog) of why the services advertised at silly prices will never 
actually be able to deliver what they claim.  A&A *do* deliver, and in 
my view that's well worth paying for.

> Is there an ADSL service I can sign up to and get good results?  Ideally
> with helpdesk staff who can speak comprehensible English and don't just
> read out their useless scripts?

Have to recommend A&A again.  Their service is (generally) delivered 
using BT's wires, but they do their level best to insulate you from BT's 
incompetence, and quite effective it is too.

John