BROADBAND HELP ADVICE REQUIRED PLEASE

[FUJI]

HI folks, I consider myself to be a really tech savvy old fogey, but one thing has me a bit befuddled recently. I have been with AOL Broadband for around 20 years now, recently my membership has been transferred to TALK TALK. Now I'm having all kinds of trouble, with signal dropping out for hours at a time, plus a total lack of proper consultation with them, I can't even sign into my account.....each time they say they have emailed a revised password I don't receive it.....I'm totally frustrated......Speeds and service when it is running, are fine, but I'm disenchanted and considering a move.

Im very tempted by Virgin offers, then BT Infinity looks good........three of us at home use desktops, laptops, iPads and smartphones..........do any of you have any firm recommendations please? 

I don't require a massive TV bundle, just a very reasonably priced unlimited high speed  Broadband and a landline .........

QUESTION? Will my chosen new provider unhook me from Talk Talk automatically, communicating with them as an individual is nigh on impossible.

CHEERS! 

FUJI

[Guest Judy]

Hi Fuji

I'm having poblems at the moment too - with BTInfinity- which is pretty good except when there's a problem. I think you have to give notice to change providers but have a look at this site:

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/

It has a range of really useful bits and pieces. I've used it for tests and advice for years now.

[JHFoto]

I have been using Virgin for about two years and it is the fastest Broadband I have ever used and never drops in power.

[Guest Judy]

I've had really good reports of Virgin but you do need  cable close by. Unfortunately, it's not in my street.

[JHFoto]

What a pity, Virgin is the best............

[Clicker]

I have been with sky broadband and sky talk telephone for eight years now after having had nothing but trouble with talk talk  ...their customer service is the pits and we kept losing connection every week    .. Sky has always been really good for us ...(we do not have access to Virgin cable where we are .)

£12.50 per month covers all our unlimited Broadband and our telephone calls  and on the one occasion when we needed some help their customer service was second to none  Fuji 

They sorted everything out with Talk-talk  too .. Hope you get it all resolved...talk talk nearly drove me mad .!!!  

[FUJI]

Many thanks folks.......after careful consideration, and a good look at all the offers on the excellent USWITCH site, I decided to go with BT Infinity1 ..... I have no interest in sports or tv offers, just unlimited broadband plus a landline......looking at all my neighbors routers.....all except one are with BT .....

The Virgin broadband looked good, but is expensive and transferring is a hassle because they don't do it.......as stated........trying to talk to them is nigh impossible.

 

thanks all

 

FUJI

[Clicker]

I don't think you have to have any tv bundle Fuji  with Sky  just go for the telephone and broadband deal ... It may  be worth talking to them .. They are extremely helpful . 

[Black Pearl]

We are in a similar situation, been with TT for a couple of years and while the connection is good the support is an utter joke. Too much to go into but they have failed miserably on a number of occasions.

We don't have any high speed line in Whitburn so whoever we go with (can't be Virgin unfortunately) the speed will be the same - crap as it happens.
We're currently looking between Sky and BT as we do want a basic TV box for catch-up, pause/record we are wrangling the best deal. 

Be interested in your switch to BT Fooj.

[Guest Judy]

Just been talking to the Foreman Joiner working on our extension. He was with TalkTalk and moved to BT. Mind you, if anything goes wrong with any of the landline/fibre to cabinet suppliers, they all have to go through BT/Openreach as they own the network so.......................

[FUJI]

3 hours ago, Black Pearl said:

We are in a similar situation, been with TT for a couple of years and while the connection is good the support is an utter joke. Too much to go into but they have failed miserably on a number of occasions.

We don't have any high speed line in Whitburn so whoever we go with (can't be Virgin unfortunately) the speed will be the same - crap as it happens.
We're currently looking between Sky and BT as we do want a basic TV box for catch-up, pause/record we are wrangling the best deal. 

Be interested in your switch to BT Fooj.

Thanks BP....Thanks all...

'I went with BT After all,because as JUDY says all the lines and cables belong to and are serviced by Openreach their contractor.

As far as the transfer goes, it is very easy and totally painless, because under recent regulations,must is up to your chosen new broadband supplier to initiate then follow through the transfer.....that is with every company using the BT/Openreach services. 

 

With BT INFINITY1 my one off charge was £55 for Infinity Router and bits......monthly charge is around £30 including line rental 

£ 12 cheaper a month cheaper than my current contract with Talk Talk plus my BT landline phone.

My order was agreed at circa 09:30 this morning, installation and changeover will be complete on the 26th February.

All bills including the one off charge paid through my BT telephone account.

Just go to the YOUSWITCH site then choose the company and oackage that suits your needs and pocket.

The only difference is the VIRGIN system, in their case,myopic the customer have to go through the hassle of terminating your existing contract......it costs a good deal more too.

FUJI

 

 

[Clicker]

I presume you get all  your landline  calls free for that too then Fuji... glad you  got out of talktalk's vice like grip anyway !

[Black Pearl]

Perfect timing 

 

http://www.engadget.com/2016/02/02/bt-phone-broadband-down/

[Guest Judy]

Funny you should find that BP as I've been on to them for a few days now and it's got seriously wrong today - they swear blind that there are no network problems and my line is fine!  Engineer is coming tomorrow - I've no phone line and the highest speed I'm getting is about 20 and upload is 2- mostly below this and dropping out. . Previously I was getting at least 60/20 with 3 machines running.

 

Look what I've found when I put in my postcode and otherss close by into the Openreach site:

 

PS - I'm still connected!

[Clicker]

Yup ...  I'm afraid  it may be the thin end of the wedge ,.They'll get a load of customers to change over on a cheaper deal ... then the prices will go up to pay for the obscene amount they paid for the rights to Champions league Football..

  Sorry...just  stirring it ... it isn't funny when you get  regular problems with  your Broadband... I just  don't like  BT 'S Customer Service  standards ...

Youm must be seriously cross Judy after reading that on Open Reach!!

[Guest Judy]

Not thin end of the wedge at all.We've had super service here since we moved in and connected to Infinity. It's just the last month that there have been intermittent problems.

 

[Guest Judy]

22 minutes ago, Ron said:

 

Changing over wont improve that where I am, so better the devil you know I guess.

Ron 

Agree, Ron. Whatever supplier you are on (BT. Sky. TT. Plusnet, Sky, whatever) , apart from Virgin, the network is provided by Openreach (BT) so if there's a failure, it's a network failure.

[fuzzyedges]

Any help to you bt guys 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/02/02/bt-broadband-suffers-major-outage-across-uk/

[FUJI]

If it wasn't so serious, I would find the outage news ironically funny........I have a personal......SOD'S LAW.......which tends to follow me around.....it has obviously happened here......so it's all my fault?

I am one of those poor folk, who automatically joins a queue when...... That lady, is fiddling in her purse for ages.......or that bloke, keeps telling the checkout person that he doesn't want that brand of fags...or...hese buying dozens of those lottery thingies........or.....the till roll has run out....etc....etc...

'My Talk Talk signal has been on and off all day.....when it does work, video quality is digitalised, and downloads are slow or jerky.

 

Grrrrrrrrrrrr!

FUJI

[colinb]

meanwhile back at Talk Talk.... I was very worried when they not only took over PIPex but also when TalkTalk paid to install super fast broadband system in the local exchange because BT would not finance it. And since then we have found TT to be very good, no connection problems, cheaper than BT (taking both phone and broadband) yes the customer service could be better but BT was appalling I once had to speak to 10 different people over 4 months to get a simple problem sorted - never again - for now at least we will stay with TT.

[Guest Judy]

OK - diagnosis.

The cable coming to the property is knackered so the engineer is going to replace it and re-site the points/Infiity box. I'll be off line for a bit when he's finished drilling tthrough the 50 cm thick wall.

 

Sorry Fuji to butt into your thread  but my experience might be useful to you or others in the future.  I love old houses but they do have their drawbacks,

[FUJI]

No worries Judy....our house was built in 1875, so has solid walls, damp and draughts ;-))

I'm committed to the BT order now......I'm not going to cancel..........I will just move to VIRGIN regardless of expense.

FUJI

Edited February 3, 2016 by FUJI

[Guest Judy]

Don't worry Fuji. this is the first problem that I've had since we came here  a couple of years ago. The BT engineer was very efficient. Apparently one of the wires in the cable had broken. Now back to Infinity and beyond.

 

I'm a happy bunny again

[NannyFerret]

I had a lot of trouble with Virgin.

I was paying for a fairly fast service when it continually kept dropping or was non-existant at times.

I changed to Sky for my phone and unlimited internet ( not cable)  a year ago and. I have had smooth running  internet ever since.

It has dropped only twice in that time and a message came up on my screen both times to tell me that it was trying to re-connect, which it did pretty quickly.

I had 12 months free internet and they have just given me another 12 months for £2.50 pm.

For the line rental, unlimited internet, unlimited landline calls and unlimited phone calls from my landline to mobiles, I pay under £30.

Video and music streaming is very near perfect, where-as, it was impossible to even try to watch a video with Virgin.

Needless to say, Virgin are still sending mail, trying to get me to go back to them. No chance of that happening.

I have saved over £25 by having a Satellite dish with free channels  and just opting for the phone and Broadband from Sky and if my service keeps as good as it is, then I will stay with them.

[Craftysnapper]

Tina it's  strange how peoples experience differ mine has been fairly good with Virgin, we have three computers and three TV's in the house and all three can be streaming  a movie with no problems or downloading large amounts of data.

I only once had a problem with the internet signal dropping and that was because the router was a old model and could not cope with the new speeds.

Virgin never automaticly updates/replaces your router (shame on them) but a phone call and a new latest model router by post the next day sorted the problem. 

Edited February 4, 2016 by OlympusPaul