[SWLUG] Advice on broadband availability

[Robert McQueen]

On Wed, Jun 12, 2002 at 11:28:04AM +0100, Neil Jones wrote:
> I am potentially looking at a house move. This is a medium term thing.
> I will want to look into getting broadband. Are there still limitations on 
> services if you don't live close to a telephone exchange.
> What are my options?

1. Cable modem from NTL/TeleWest (NTL in this area)
 Either http://www.ntl.com/ or http://www.telewest.co.uk/.  In the
 region of £20 a month (the website won't tell me because I can't think
 of a postcode for somewhere that does have NTL broadband) and provides
 a 512k downstream and a 128k upstream. You can either rent or buy a
 Motorola Surfboard device which lets you connect using USB or Ethernet.
 Use the Ethernet if you want Linux support. I also believe you can get
 a digital package which lets you connect an ethernet wire to your TV
 set-top box for a 128k connection. Dynamic IP only, servers frowned
 upon in theory, and faster connections (up to 2Mbit) available for more
 cash.

2. ADSL from many different providers via BT
 This is where you need to be within 5.5km of the exchange. You pay
 an ISP and they rent the capacity of your phone line from BT. The
 original service was that you paid a hefty setup fee and an engineer
 came round and installed a splitter on your master socket, and you were
 given and subsequently rented a USB adapter, the Alcatel Speedtouch.
 There are drivers for this for Linux from the manufacturer, and someone
 has also reverse-engineered his own GPL'd drivers.

 The other service is a newer wires-only service, where an engineer
 doesn't get sent round, they just plug your line into some different
 kit at the exchange, and you have to sort your own splitter and adapter
 out. The setup charge for this service is cheaper, and you're not
 restricted to a shonky USB interface, so you can buy something like
 this: http://www.dabs.com/216ZWS and bypass that junk. For my sins of
 being an early adopter, I have this engineer-installed service from
 Demon, which despite dropping off-line through the inadequacies of my
 USB card (the GPL drivers work fine), works very well, reliably and
 quickly. Static IP is dependent on the provider you use - Demon's self
 install is £25 a month, but they don't do their SMTP delivery on ADSL
 connections. Don't ask me why. I have to hammer 20 POP boxes with
 fetchmail. =)

 The provider that everyone seems to be using is Pipex, because they are
 the cheapest at £23 a month for their Xtreme Solo service, which is a
 self-install option, giving you 512k downstream and 256k upstream, and
 free setup. If you have an external 56k modem, they will trade that in
 for an Alcatel Speedtouch USB (ptoo), but you could just buy your own
 splitters (at £7 each - one for each socket needed) and a proper
 adapter. Availability check, pricing, info, etc at:
 http://www.xtreme.pipex.net/adsl/sales/

3. If you're outside both these regions, you can get satellite internet
 for a price, from people like BT for £60 a month for 500k down 150k up,
 with a hefty £899 setup fee, or Bridge Broadband for 512k down 128k up
 for £159 a month, free setup (http://www.bridgebroadband.co.uk). I'm
 not seriously suggesting these, but the option does exist, and they're
 available anywhere in the UK.

> --
> Neil Jones- Neil at nwjones.demon.co.uk http://www.butterflyguy.com/
> NOTE NEW WEB ADDRESS
> "At some point I had to stand up and be counted. Who speaks for the
> butterflies?" Andrew Lees - The quotation on his memorial at Crymlyn Bog
> National Nature Reserve

There's a start anyway.

Regards,
Rob