(posted 8027 days ago)Broadband internet in Kennington
Very belatedly, here is a summary of the responses I received, for those interested - thanks to all who kindly replied to my initial query.
BTOpenworld: mixed experiences
- 1 person decided after research not to use it & went for Pipex instead. - another doesn't have ADSL but had "endless problems" with BTOpenworld Anytime continually being cut off. ISP suggested exchange fault, BT denied it and said there were no problems with the line; so they installed Home Highway with ISDN and brand new PC. Three days into the new supposedly better service - cut off after approx 10 mins three times, again ISP thought it's the exchange. - another who is on Business 500+ has been OK since connection a few months ago, "Occasionally I get the message saying no connection - usually at peak times - but it's not blocked for long" - another has no problems with BT apart from cost - you know all about my problems!! I have now had some limited compensation but only after much chasing. Verdict: you decide!
NTL: THEY don't even know if they're here! A mess
- 1 person has heard from others that apparently their services are bad so chose not to use them them - see below - another person had a "disaster" - no service when they connected it, lost computer, TV and telephone for 3 months, ruined the cabling so much so that BT charged to renew it, lost tel no in the process etc, compensation took 70 tel. calls and 9 months several letters and trading standards. - another has been receiving mail from NTL advertising services for nearly 6 years - but whenever ringing to get their service, are told the area has not been cabled! And the last time (about 2 years ago) NTL said they had no plans to cable this area - despite a promise that the cables would be in within 6 months when the enquirer originally moved here in 1996. - another was informed by NTL that the postcode isn't cabled up. But that doesn't stop NTL stuffing letterboxes with waste paper... - my own experiences: I've lived in Kennington since 1989, and I REMEMBER NTL's predecessor digging up the roads to lay cable, AND a period when reps constantly at the door trying to sell me cable (plus I still get their leaflets occasionally through the door). But whenever I enter my postcode on their site, each time it says the only service available is mobile (or nothing)! In desperation after the closure of ITV Digital I rang them yesterday (0800 183 1234) and they then said that it WAS available here! But the person who answered, although friendly and taking the point I made about their website contradicting their internal info, didn't know anything about the packages, pricing, installation etc, and although she promised a sales rep would call me this afternoon - no surprises, they didn't... (By the by, post-ITV Digital dying, if any generous person with cable or satellite could lend me videos of Buffy, Angel, Enterprise & Dark Angel until I get Sky installed, I'll supply the videotapes!) Verdict: do they know what they're doing? Why the mess about availability after all these years, don't they want customers? I won't be signing up with them except as a last resort
Demon: who knows
- Just one person had Demon and hasn't noticed such problems. There are occasional outages, "but these are always the result of Demon's routers being down, and their service announcements generally own up to that quite promptly." - I used to have dialup service with Demon (and was with them for years when I just had an Atari), and their helpline always seemed to be constantly engaged then, plus when I terminated their service different staff gave conflicting info about when that took effect, with the result that I had to pay for a month of no usage (with not even the courtesy of a reply to my complaint), so I will never use them again. Verdict: not much of a sample, mixed!
Pipex: maybe?
- One person - no problems whatsoever, reliable and consistent. - I've had other friends (not in Kennington) use Pipex with no difficulties and Pipex have been around and well known for years. As & when I figure out how to switch from BT without interruption in service, my own intention is to go for Pipex (their ADSL service is now cheaper than BTOpenworld by about a fiver a month). I've just suggested a Kennington friend who wants broadband should consider Pipex rather than BT.