INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER - Time to change?

[Clive]

I have used Pipex now for several years and its been good. That is until late. In the last 6 months I have had a multitude of problems with the service. In June (all of June and part of May) the Netmail was down for "Engineering work". Not a lot of good to us while in France. Back home we have suffered several drop outs and slow responce when browsing. Is this the Hasslehoff factor comming into play perhaps? So we are seriously thinking of changing ISP. Currently we have 12 email addresses and 50 meg of web space. AOL offer for nearly a tenner less a month 7 email addresses and 114 meg of web space with a speed of 1 meg. (I was happy at half a meg after dial up) BT remain greedy and offer only 15 meg of web space, our site is already bigger than this! Has anybody any recommendations? Thanks C.

[Dave Newell]

Hi Clive, have you looked at Tiscali? I am now in a position where I have to find a new boradband ISP for the workshop. I was with Euro1net and had no problems with the service until just over a week ago it went down. All I could get was a BT wholesale page telling me that because Euro1net hadn't paid their bills all their users had been disconnected. Tonight, despite several re-assurances that they were a stable business, I received an e-mail telling me they've gone t!7s up. No mention of the promised refund, I paid two years up front plus a one off fee for freephone helpline service which I've never used! Even their website has vanished! While it lasted it was an excellent service, 5 e-mail adresses, webspace, 1 Mb feed which was (up till that fateful day) reliable and quick all for £10 a month. Ever felt like you've been suckered? I am now researching broadband suppliers and Tiscali is high on my list but most (if not all) load the costs against business users! Damn, they got me again!!! D. :-( :-( :-( :-( :-(

[Pat P]

We are very happy with Virgin :-> Pat

[V6Jim]

I'm with Tiscali and it's fine. I don't like AOL as it tends to take over your whole computer and is a bit of a law unto itself. With Orange (ex Wanadoo which is ex Freeserve) at work and it's fine too... Jimmy

[David Dwight]

Clive I signed up with Tiscali once and soon came off, all it wanted to do was downlad Porn!!. I am with Freeserve, Wannado, now Orange. David.

[Don Madge]

Clive, I'm with Tiscali, no problems so far. Spams not a problem either. Don

[tezza]

Clive Like Pat I am also with Virgin and very happy too, also consider that their speed upgrades are free unlike some companies out there. Tezza

[JohnP]

I have been with AOL for about four years from initial dial-up to broadband. I find it quick and rarely drops out or locks up. I find that its OK for me. The free advice line is sometimes frustrating depending on who is on the other end. I use it for access and at one time used them as a web host for two sites. Have moved on to another host for these two sites so that the web addresses are more relevent. OAL format for a web address is to restricting.

[chas]

I am with A.O.L. found them very good, and the bonus I like is that Mcafee firewall is included in the broadband service for free, they also offer many other perks, such as spyblocker. Chas

[david lloyd]

Clive and Dave N We were with Tiscali for a while but the service became so bad - slower than our (previously freeserve) dial up, repeatedly cut off in the midst of something etc. I contacted them (with great difficulty) and asked them to test the system and rectify any problems. They got back to me saying they had found some faults and these were no rectified but it just got worse. I tried to contact them again - this time to request them to cancel my twelve month contract with no financial penalty - and, after getting through the automated switchboard, I listened to a long, loooooong auto mated message that ended by just hanging up. The website had a compliants procedure so I instigated that instead. It had about four stages to follow which meant writing in with the complaint to a higher level each time and, if you received an unsatisfactory (or no) reply the final stage was to refer it to the Ombudsman. To cut a long story short the Ombudsman was involved, upheld my case and instructed Tiscali to end the contract and reimburse me for the time since I originally complained. I knew other people locally who had similar problems and it could just have been a local technical issue but I never had any information from Tiscali. We are now with NTL as we have their TV and phone package so got the three for £30 per month. Best regards, david

[robin]

Have a look at this site before making any decision http://www.adslguide.org.uk/ Especially the compare section. I was getting a bit grumpy with my ISP (Onetel) and was thinking of changing, but looking at the opposition it seemd like I would most probably be jumping from the proverbial fire.... (lol)

[w1ntersun]

Hi, I am with metronet £13.75 month no problems

I use gmail for my email account and because of their huge storage capacity I upload all my photos to photobucket (free ) for safe keeping, I use gmail online spread sheet and also email to myself all my backup files (9.5 meg)

That way I am not dependent on where I log on and if something goes wrong with my Pc all my files are safe

[Guest starspirit]

Tiscali works well for us with two computers linked by wireless, but we are only a home user and I have no experience of business use. We have never had a problem with spam or porn, and speed has never been a problem, but some of this may have as much to do with 'zone alarm' security package and 'spyware blaster' as Tiscali - I don't know? We had AOL on a previous computer and I would NEVER allow it on any computer of mine again as you can't get rid of it all when you change ISP and even after you change their spyware still seems to remain and be able to report back to AOL. I see on TV that Tiscali are now advertising at £12.99 a month, so I will contact them and get my £14.99 reduced. As an existing customer they will reduce to current new account rates if you ask but not if you don't. So don't ask - don't get applies here as is so often the way in life.

[Geoff Bell]

Clive, don't forget sky are doing some good combined packages if you are a subscriber, but too new to know how good.

[Vixters other half]

I Dont know if this will apply to you Clive, but I have just subscribed to Vodaphone 3G broad band mobile connect. Its not cheap but I need it for work as Im constantly travelling - hence the motorhome. Basically I have unlimited access in the UK and 100Meg when abroad. There are cheaper packages available to suit smaller users. Im currently sat under my awning typing away with a very refreshing lager for company in an area where mobile phone signals are non existent! VoH

[Dave Newell]

I've now signed for a 2 Mb broadband feed with tiscali. all comments have been noted but the decider was the fact that they were the only company I could find that did a sensibly priced service for business users. How are you doing Clive? D.

[Don Madge]

[QUOTE]Dave Newell - 2006-09-06 6:05 PM I've now signed for a 2 Mb broadband feed with tiscali. all comments have been noted but the decider was the fact that they were the only company I could find that did a sensibly priced service for business users. How are you doing Clive? D.[/QUOTE] Dave, When's the webcam back on line (?) :-D :-D Don

[Dave Newell]

[QUOTE]Don Madge - 2006-09-06 6:23 PM [QUOTE]Dave Newell - 2006-09-06 6:05 PM I've now signed for a 2 Mb broadband feed with tiscali. all comments have been noted but the decider was the fact that they were the only company I could find that did a sensibly priced service for business users. How are you doing Clive? D.[/QUOTE] Dave, When's the webcam back on line (?) :-D :-D Don[/QUOTE] As soon as i get my tiscali service up and running. could be up to 21 days apparently but I'd hope it's sooner. D.

[Don Madge]

[QUOTE]Dave Newell - 2006-09-06 8:52 PM [QUOTE]Don Madge - 2006-09-06 6:23 PM [QUOTE]Dave Newell - 2006-09-06 6:05 PM I've now signed for a 2 Mb broadband feed with tiscali. all comments have been noted but the decider was the fact that they were the only company I could find that did a sensibly priced service for business users. How are you doing Clive? D.[/QUOTE] Dave, When's the webcam back on line (?) :-D :-D Don[/QUOTE] As soon as i get my tiscali service up and running. could be up to 21 days apparently but I'd hope it's sooner. D.[/QUOTE] Dave, I'll be in Istanbul then, It's a good thing I'm taking my laptop :-D Don

[Dave Newell]

Don, you really must get out more! (lol) (lol) D.

[Don Madge]

[QUOTE]Dave Newell - 2006-09-06 9:28 PM Don, you really must get out more! (lol) (lol) D.[/QUOTE] Dave, I'm trying :-D I walked across the golf course this afternoon :-D :-D Don

[Dave Newell]

Very good Don but were you actually playing? Come on Clive, have you got any further? D.

[Mel E]

Clive, Have used AOL for years, but only for email - mainly because I could get my email with local dial-up anywhere in the world. BUT, they are a spammer's paradise! Any self-respecting spammer simply downloads the telephone directory, adds '@aol.com' to every entry and presses 'send'. I got totally fed up with spam - and then AOL made matters worse by implementing their own anti-spam system that managed to eliminate some genuine messages to me at the same time. And for internet searches, etc., I always used a different isp. Also note that aol is selling its UK business. I now use Tiscali, but the service is variable, with days when it keeps dropping out and others when it's fine. I suspect this is more tom do with the line than anything else, as, despite living in Milton Keynes with totally new cabling, we do NOT have fibre optic so cannot get high speed digital services and are restricted to 1MB broadband.

[JohnP]

The anti spam is certainly much better now on Broadband. I probable get two a day. I suppose the flood gates will open now!

[Clive]

Hi all, Still with Pipex at the moment but have switched them OFF from the phone line and gone back to BT for that. Saving £9.00 a month with BT. The Pipex broadband service seems to have fallen to the level Mel E describes with Tiscali. So now still pontificating on which way to jump. Also in the frame are several others but I don,t want to jump from the frying pan into the fire, have to change all my (12) email addresses and set up a new web site for nothing. Perhaps Pipex will, having expanded their operation into the domestic market, will get their act back together again. Or is this how they will all be in the future? Thanks all C.