What's the best speed you are getting ?  

 

It would also be interesting to know the type of service ADSL/VDSL you're using as well as the type of connection i.e. FTTC, FTTP, Cable and your location i.e. city, provincial town or rural location.

 

Do tell us about downtime as well.

 

In view of the conclusions stated in OFCOM's latest report:-http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2016/03/ofcom-2016-report-average-uk-home-broadband-speeds-reach-28-9mbps.html

 

, it would also be particularly interesting to find out how those in rural/provincial locations are fairing.

 

Nick

Edited 18 February, 20179 yr by Clunkclick

It's all here.

 

http://maps.thinkbroadband.com/#!lat=54.68545631404915&lng=-2.732847999999972&zoom=6&type=terrain&estimated-speeds

 

You're welcome.

IBTL..

City Centre Cable from Virgin. Package is 100Mb/s getting a touch below that on wired PCs. Significantly less on WiFi from the other end of the house, but still over 60 (equipment/house issues, not Virgin)

 

Upstream is woeful, but not a massive pain for me. Unlimited data (this is good to avoid excess charges you may not be expecting) and I've probably only had about 3-4 hours of downtime over the past 9 years. Downside is you're paying line rental for the landline and TV to get the best 'deals'. Neither of which we really use. But a lot of my job is web development so I want a rock solid and reasonably fast connection and as far as I'm concerned that's a chunky coax or fibre line.

2 hours ago, Mort said:

City Centre Cable from Virgin...........etc etc

 

DON'T FEED THE TROLL !!!!

Edited 20 February, 20179 yr by BJM

What'cha gonna do with this data?

Not like BT is going to upgrade anything round our way, or like anyone else can/will offer better service.

 

 

Just wanted to get a feel for what is a minimum "Acceptable standard" round the country today, particularly in semi-rural/rural areas !

 

I find it incredible that, even today, the best service that could be offered to a relative moving into a new build in a semi-rural location is 4MBps download. 

 

And that's where the service is declared to be 21 CN !

 

And, where mobile reception is similarly patchy.

 

Nick

 

 

 

Edited 22 February, 20179 yr by Clunkclick

Vested interest: Im one of the owners at a local ISP.

 

To me, it depends how many people are in the house. My connection is limited to 10megs, I live by myself, so that's more than I need. I can watch Netflix in HD, so it does what I want. Add kids with YouTube habits into the mix and you'll need something faster. 

 

What bugs me is that the main isps will give a headline speed, but although the line to your house can do it, try getting it on a rainy Saturday, when I was on Virgin in Derby, it was woeful at busy times. 

 

Doesn't cause us a lot of problems though because we can back up our claims, and it makes people insist on paying us for a 30+ meg connection from the outset, even though we're saying "try 10 meg, its cheaper, if it's not enough, give us a call and we'll turn it up"

 

If you want a ****ing match, here's what ours run at before we apply a limit. 

 

 

 

 

Edited 22 February, 20179 yr by StevesTruck

Why buy a new build where the communication infrastructure does not meet your needs? Internet Speed is almost as big a factor as good schools in property location AFAIK.

1 hour ago, Clunkclick said:

I find it incredible that, even today, the best service that could be offered to a relative moving into a new build in a semi-rural location is 4MBps download. 

 

Openreach have been offering free FTTP installation to new build developers for a while now: https://www.ournetwork.openreach.co.uk/news/more-new-build-sites-to-get-fttp-connection-for-free.aspx

 

It's basically down to the developer to decide to install fibre rather than copper if you want good connectivity.

 

This will only happen if people start refusing new builds without FTTP...

So that's consumers being supplied with anything from 144MBps down to 4MBps. Any advances on that range ?

 

Not Our problem (Move along nothing to see here), but doesn't a wide disparity in transmission speeds cause problems in overall network management i.e. systems falling over more frequently ( http://downdetector.co.uk/problems/bt-british-telecom) than if the supply/take were closer matched ?

 

 

Nick

1 hour ago, langers2k said:

 

Openreach have been offering free FTTP installation to new build developers for a while now: https://www.ournetwork.openreach.co.uk/news/more-new-build-sites-to-get-fttp-connection-for-free.aspx

 

It's basically down to the developer to decide to install fibre rather than copper if you want good connectivity.

 

This will only happen if people start refusing new builds without FTTP...

I think there are 100 + dwellings in the development . . . . so no excuse.

 

Developer can't be arsed . . ?

 

Or maybe mixed nature of development, part private, part public has some bearing on it.

 

With the shortage of housing nowadays, people are more concerned with getting a roof over their heads - there's no substantial reason why developers should then go on to disadvantage the already disadvantaged. 

 

Nick

 

 

Edited 22 February, 20179 yr by Clunkclick

More than 2,5 miles from the cabinet is 4MB or less on copper.

 

 

fibre doesn't look better at the same distance TBH

 

 

If a BT cabinet can cope with 384 lines, your 100+ houses should have one closer than that surely.

 

I wouldn't buy in a location without reasonable speeds these days. 15 years ago, OK I was 10 miles out of town on the North coast of Scotland and got only 0.5 then 1 then 2 Meg, but now I'm so used to numbers in the mid-teens, I couldn't go anywhere slower.

 

 

 

 

Edited 22 February, 20179 yr by camelspyyder

17 minutes ago, camelspyyder said:

fibre doesn't look better at the same distance TBH

 

Just to clarify, the graph is for fibre to the cabinet (FTTC). Fibre to the home or premise (FTTH/FTTP) shouldn't have any drop off due to distance.

 

@Clunkclick you can put their details in to https://www.samknows.com/broadband/broadband_checker and https://www.btwholesale.com/includes/adsl/adsl.htm?s_cid=ws_furls_adslchecker (doesn't seem to work in Chrome) to get a better idea of how they are connected and therefore if there is an issue.

Just over 1 mile from the exchange (haven't found my cabinet, yet).

Less than 3 miles from Reading town centre, where most people get 75Mbps.

Using copper connection in an area where only BT can supply us. Everyone else has tried, but they always fail when they go to check my line on teh database.

If you're not using Voda for mobile, you ain't getting any signal here, either.

We're right by AWE, so there are definitely some fibre lines around and the villages around us also have fibre.

 

We get 0.7Mbps, with up to 2Mbps claimed.

 

Exchange has been fibre-enabled for years. Every now and then they phone me up to let me know superfastbroadband is coming to my area soon... "soon" means within 6-9 months, apparently. I asked them. After these same calls year on year, and even the website saying I can order superfastbroadband right now, BT still cannot actually supply this when I phone up to order.

 

 

200mbps+ down and approx 10 up. Virgin cable, in the residence since about 2001. Total downtime: approx 2 weeks across 16 years, including when some numpty put their JCB through the main feed whilst widening the M2.

 

21CN or not, BT is running on copper that's 100 years old. No matter what voodoo you think they may do, it has it's limits, always has and always will.

 

The works connection (in deepest darkest Orpington) has a 200/200 connection also from Virgin.

 

Fibre diet, it's the way to go. Copper is just so last century......

34 minutes ago, RainbowFire said:

200mbps+ down and approx 10 up. Virgin cable, in the residence since about 2001. Total downtime: approx 2 weeks across 16 years, including when some numpty put their JCB through the main feed whilst widening the M2.

 

21CN or not, BT is running on copper that's 100 years old. No matter what voodoo you think they may do, it has it's limits, always has and always will.

 

The works connection (in deepest darkest Orpington) has a 200/200 connection also from Virgin.

 

Fibre diet, it's the way to go. Copper is just so last century......

 

You do know that Virgin also run on copper

 

What you actually want is FTTP/FTTH, that's a proper fibre connection.

1 hour ago, langers2k said:

 

You do know that Virgin also run on copper

 

What you actually want is FTTP/FTTH, that's a proper fibre connection.

 

Yeah, indeedy they do, but not the 100+ year old stuff BT use. Plus the cabinet is only 50 yards away too.

Just checked the other night for the first time since moving in.

 

Getting 20Mb Down and 1Mb up. Which is actually higher than advertised.

Interesting thing is that here in rural Cornwall the EU came up with a fair amount of money to pay for fibre.  We have it in our village but, due to a deal done by BT with our third world style government (back-hander anybody?), you cannot get connected via anybody other than BT.  Not even companies that BT have been allowed to take over are being allowed to offer fibre.

 

The sooner that Openreach (if ever there was an ironic name....) gets completely separated from BT the better.

 

Mobile the answer?  Not round here it isn't.  Patchy is the word, 'we don't care' is the suppliers' game.

 

 

Virgin "coming soon" here for years. 

10 miles from Edinburgh center.

 

Had sky fibre for 4 years. 76 / 20 service running solidly at 78 / 20. 

 

Sky ADSL for 4 years before that on 10 / 1 service, no downtime.

 

Had 1 episode of downtime with the fibre .  Fixed promptly and professionally.  Cabinet fault.

 

 

We have Sky Fibre unlimited (so FTTC) which is advertised as 40 / 10. We're around 300-400m from the cabinet and on a wired speedtest I usually get around 38-39 / 9.5-10.

 

Had the fibre unlimited for around 3-4 years now and not had any issues that I can remember other than a software glitch with the old original Sky hub that had issues with Apple devices and which was sorted by Sky with a firmware update a short while after they were aware of the problem nationally.

 

Just signed back up for another year and got one of the new Sky Q hubs for free and a £2.50 a month discount on the fibre for the next year.

8 hours ago, keystonedriving said:

Interesting thing is that here in rural Cornwall the EU came up with a fair amount of money to pay for fibre.  We have it in our village but, due to a deal done by BT with our third world style government (back-hander anybody?), you cannot get connected via anybody other than BT.  Not even companies that BT have been allowed to take over are being allowed to offer fibre.

 

 

Are you sure you can only get connected with BT? Assuming you have FTTP/FTTH, then BT, Zen and AAISP all offer services.

30ish down and 10ish up. FTTC EE here. 

I've not long swapped to EE from BT after I got annoyed with their poor customer service. It was nice and straightforward, and I'm getting 72/19 at the moment with no caps or throttling. Their TV box is not bad for £2 a month either.
The WiFi performance from their router seems better than the BT Hub 5 as well.