Orange Broadband

[Jack o'Clubs]

Hi Charlie,

I signed up for it just as they started advertising it heavily, back in May? Have just been 'done', so quite a wait. Sounds like you're desperate to move, so TalkTalk probably not the answer.

 

[timaru69]

Remember I'm not with BT Broadband but BT Business Broadband and I think there's a big difference.

Hi again

Take your point about BT Business Broadband but why should it be different, I still pay £30 a month for a broadband service, not that different to a 2mb business acount?

 

[anley]

Tim

I think there's a difference because business accounts are always more important than single residential accounts. I could be wrong though. Maybe there's a better ratio as well, 20 broadband accounts per line versus say 40 for residential (I've not described this point well but it's an important one).

Also everyone don't get confused about upload/download speeds. When they say 8mb or 16mb that's only UPLOAD, chances are the all important download speed is the same as when broadband was first introduced 4-5 years ago, ie around 256kps (or whatever the letters are).

So if you like to download and have 8mb you won't be able to download any faster than the guy next door who only has say 1mb.

Yes, it all gets a little bit confusing so the more research you do into this topic the better deal you'll sign up for and the less chance you'll have of getting stiched up.

 

[roguetrader]

Oh and on the subject of Orange, I totally agree with all previous posters, I have been with Freeserve, and remained when taken over by Wanadoo, hardly any problems, Two outages in 3 years. Since the ISP has been taken over by Orange it has turned to excrement. grinds to a halt every night. Absolute crap, I think they should rename themselves LEMON. Cause they are a bunch of lemons steer well clear of them, just glad they are not my mobile phone provider as well if this is an example of their efficiency!!

Ah, I feel better after that.

 

[jimbo57]

a few comments fwiw...

I too am with BT Business BB, living out in the sticks and someway from the exchange. It was originally installed as a 2mb line but proved unstable in the first month. It was downgraded to a 1mb line (actually my network software tells me its 1.152 MBs on downloading, and 0.3mbs on uploading, so the opposite of Anley), and it has proved remarkably stable, like anley I cannot remember the last time I had a major problem. During recent heavy thunderstorms it dropped for a few seconds but auto reconnected.

As an aside, I have up to 4 computers using it simultaneiusly through the wireless router and performance does not materially deteriorate, so I think a lot of the diffrence in speeds is largely immaterial for most trading purposes.

I am not a techie, but a friend of mine who is said that most hard disk drives cannot process at faster than 10mbs in any case

 

[anley]

Jimbo, yep I get confused.

it's the uploading that's always slower, so I download at say 2mb and upload at a max of 256 or it could actually be 512, but whatever the case where the downloading speed on all these deals always go up the uploading speed never really changes.

 

[jimbo57]

its the uploading that's always slower, so I download at say 2mb and upload at a max of 256 or it could actually be 512, but whatever the case where the downloading speed on all these deals always go up the uploading speed never really changes.

yep agreed

 

[minx]

orange are crap. probably the worst isp ther is.

im off to find another isp. any recommendations?

I use UKONLINE who have been reliable and their cust.serv have been helpful when I've needed them.

Another interesting company is Be Online www.bethere.co.uk They're offering a 24MBit line for £14 month with 1gig limit or £24 for unlimited. I have a friend who uses them and he thinks they're good.

 

[willlmanders]

broadband

Tim


Also everyone don't get confused about upload/download speeds. When they say 8mb or 16mb that's only UPLOAD, chances are the all important download speed is the same as when broadband was first introduced 4-5 years ago, ie around 256kps (or whatever the letters are).

.

Not pointing this out to cause any offense or anything but the above could mislead someone cos the reverse is true - the 8Mb and 16Mb are download speeds and the 256kbps etc are the upload speeds.

Unless you are running your computer as a mail or web server (which i'd bet 99% of people are not), or you are taking part in Peer 2 Peer file sharing you dont need to worry about the upload speeds.

8mb connection when i was living in the centre of leeds was rapid and moving back into the sticks with 1Mb has been painfully slow. I agree you do get what you pay for - the question youve gotta ask is ... is it worth it to save a few quid a month for poor customer service and setup troubles and lags and downtime? definately not i dont think.
I think i might seriously consider taking the advise and getting a buiness service too actually. Sounds like a plan worth implementing.

Probably cuts out the foriegn call centres too which could save you hours of your life!