Right, I live out in the sticks, so the availability of connections here is rather limited (and, it is due to this fact that I've made a new thread, rather than using an existing one) - there's no access to cable, and I think the exchange is currently only offering speeds of up to 1Mbit.

Currently, I'm sitting on a 256k connection, with Zen Internet. I have no bandwidth cap, and there is no apparent traffic shaping for anything that I do.

I've been looking to upgrade to a better package for a while now - but for packages over 256k, Zen don't offer very good caps to new or upgrading customers (2gb is the standard there), and the prices somewhat skyrocket.

Could any of you give me some advice on a 'proper' ISP, that has high bandwidth caps (or none at all [obviously, 'fair usage' is in every contract]) and a reliable connection with little or no traffic shaping - bearing in mind I can only get up to 1Mbit on the exchange.

Thanks in advance guys

Entanet reseller...UKFSN/ADSL24/etc

Have you checked out what http://www.samknows.com/broadband/ says about your exchange ?

There's plenty of comparison sites out there.

I'm with Sky for my broadband. Because we get our TV from them already, we pay an extra £10/month for a 16Mb/unlimited connection. They do £5/month 4Gb and free £2Gb (I think).

I work for Demon, but we only offer 8Mb right now (apparently going up to 24 in the next few months - they're naming the products right now) but I think the prices are pretty standard across the board.

Try http://www.broadbandchecker.co.uk

Quote from Bean0 :

Entanet reseller...UKFSN/ADSL24/etc

Have you checked out what http://www.samknows.com/broadband/ says about your exchange ?

SamKnows claims that 512k is definitely available, 1Mbit may be available.

For what it's worth, I'm with Newnet and it has been brilliant for five months. I don't know how widespread they are but I'd recommend them

Quote from Dajmin :

There's plenty of comparison sites out there.

I'm with Sky for my broadband. Because we get our TV from them already, we pay an extra £10/month for a 16Mb/unlimited connection. They do £5/month 4Gb and free £2Gb (I think).

I work for Demon, but we only offer 8Mb right now (apparently going up to 24 in the next few months - they're naming the products right now) but I think the prices are pretty standard across the board.

Try http://www.broadbandchecker.co.uk

I believe Sky has contracted BT broadband for the job, personally thought I wouldn't recommend them out of past problems with them.

Have you checked to see if you can get fibre optic broadband access (Virgin Media)?

I'm stuffed out in the sticks too. Due to contract constraints my only real option was BT when I moved. I Have to have uncapped downloads for work as I work from home so I get 760kb speed (thanks to BT's structure being about the amount you download rather than the speed) and yet I pay as much as I did for 20mbit at my old house!

The problem is if you move away from BT you end up going with somebody else who only does the billing, they still use BT lines and equipment in the exchange all you've done is franchised the provision of your telephone numbers phone services.

There are now a handful of companies who are putting their own equipment into exchanges, Be and Talk Talk. As ever they are doing the cities and towns first so if you are out in the sticks, unlucky...

Oh you townies got it so good! I actually think I will move house rather than put up with this connection longer than I have too!

Quote from Becky Rose :

Oh you townies got it so good! I actually think I will move house rather than put up with this connection longer than I have too!

Don't you believe it. I live in the city only 400yards away from the nearest exchange. Paying for an 8mb connection but i'm lucky if i see anything over 1. It's all down to the quality of the wires yunno.

However, i have heard that BT are planning to overhaul the entire network over the next couple of years so 100mb connection rates should be commonplace in high density areas, and at least 10mb in the most remote desolate parts of the country, like Sunderland, and Wales..

If you can, BeThere(.co.uk) offer ADSL2 (upto 24mb down / 1.3mb up) and I've been very pleased for £18/month. No limits, which is great. I recently reinstalled Windows and downloaded something like 30GB in a few days with nary a blink.

You also get "nice" little extras. When Be was 2 years old all customers got £2 off their next bill, I get my birthday's surfing for free (i.e. they reimbursed me for one day of the monthly bill). I know it's nothing in the long run, but add in the helpful forums, decent customer support and a call centre that can work outside the standard "Master Sheet of Questions" and I'm genuinely chuffed.

Sounds like a dream, I pay £37.50 for phone and broadband and get 700k down on a good day and 300k or so up. Yes, £37.50. I work from home a lot, I cannot risk a download cap..... Else it would cost me more in train fares to go in to the office each day.

Quote from Christofire :

If you can, BeThere(.co.uk) offer ADSL2 (upto 24mb down / 1.3mb up) and I've been very pleased for £18/month. No limits, which is great. I recently reinstalled Windows and downloaded something like 30GB in a few days with nary a blink.

You also get "nice" little extras. When Be was 2 years old all customers got £2 off their next bill, I get my birthday's surfing for free (i.e. they reimbursed me for one day of the monthly bill). I know it's nothing in the long run, but add in the helpful forums, decent customer support and a call centre that can work outside the standard "Master Sheet of Questions" and I'm genuinely chuffed.

Alas, I'm too far from my exchange to take advantage of, what looks like, a very good offer from Be!

What I was getting at with the Samknows site, was you can use the 'Exchange Search' function to see which LLU providers operate from your exchange.

Be/Sky/etc up-to-24mb services are all LLU.

I understand that on these ADSL2+ services, the profiling is such that you may actually see an increase in speed over an up-to-8mb ADSLMAX service on an iffy line.

If you know your line stats, you can use tools on www.dslzoneuk.net to estimate the speed you may receive.

i've used Newnet's adsl and sdsl service and can highly recommend them. i can also recommend entanet resellers (namely adsl24 or ukfsn)