08455 271771
01202 232240
01202 232240
Broadband Review
Plus.Net
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EXCELLENT
There is a lot to like about Plus.Net. Their prices are not the lowest, but for serious downloaders it is one of the best deals around!! There is no obligation to subscribe for 12 months – but if you do they throw in a free router. Packages are based on monthly contracts and recent addition of phone packages can save a few more pounds - every little helps!!
..And if you have a fault with the line – they are quick to notify BT
Phone support waiting times are usually less than 5 minutes and you can speak directly with technical people who know exactly what they are talking about (this is a very good bonus!!).
The website can be difficult to navigate but reply time is no more than 24 hours. The website also offers general information about broadband and the internet.
Another reason for the thumbs up is the broadband offer of unlimited downloads between midnight and 8am, which is ideal if you download a lot like me. Many companies advertise 24 hours unlimited but most - if not all - limit download speeds of all ‘peer to peer’ and ‘torrent’ clients like Kazaa, Limewire, DC++, BitCommet. Slow download speeds make the unlimited download offer pointless as it takes ages to download.
Another reason for the thumbs up is the broadband offer of unlimited downloads between midnight and 8am, which is ideal if you download a lot like me. Many companies advertise 24 hours unlimited but most - if not all - limit download speeds of all ‘peer to peer’ and ‘torrent’ clients like Kazaa, Limewire, DC++, BitCommet. Slow download speeds make the unlimited download offer pointless as it takes ages to download.
NewNet
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VERY GOOD
Good news - we have used NewNet for a year and only changed because the monthly download limits were too small. There is no minimum 12 month contract; you can leave anytime you want; free setup if you switch from another internet service provider, and in the 12 months of our contract there was only one day when the system was down, and the problem was resolved in 1 hour!!
Phone waiting times are usually less then 5 minutes, customer support (based in a UK call center) is excellent; the contracts are affordable, and the technical support is very professional.
Virgin
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50/50
Virgin advertise some packages as "unlimited downloads" with "fair usage policy" and for all-in-one packages (TV, internet and ‘phone) they are one of the best deals around.
Phone support waiting times (although free) can sometimes be lengthy - more than 30 minutes. The support in general (accounts, billing and technical) can be very long-winded and you might have to speak to several people to resolve any issues you may have. Unfortunately, they don't offer email which is inconvenient.
They are planning to upgrade their cable lines to optical cables which will increase speed and stability (three cheers for that). We find their internet speeds quite good and stable, but if you run into some problems you can become a little lost with their support network.
Phone support waiting times (although free) can sometimes be lengthy - more than 30 minutes. The support in general (accounts, billing and technical) can be very long-winded and you might have to speak to several people to resolve any issues you may have. Unfortunately, they don't offer email which is inconvenient.
They are planning to upgrade their cable lines to optical cables which will increase speed and stability (three cheers for that). We find their internet speeds quite good and stable, but if you run into some problems you can become a little lost with their support network.
3G Mobile Internet
50/50
Bit of a mixed review here: 3G Dongle is reported to be slower than broadband, but they do offer the convenience of internet connection on the move.
Recently, we tested a 3G Dongle and was surprised to see that it worked better here in Bournemouth than any other we previously tested. But before you sign up to a contract, test a 3G dongle in the location of your main usage to be sure you would have good reception – the word on the street is that many of them don't work very well in the Bournemouth and Poole area!!
AOL
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BAD
A few issues mean a thumbs down from our point of view: AOL moved their servers (access points) a few times
over the last few years which resulted in problems with some routers; the welcome pack implies that you need to install
their software CD to use the internet, but the CD only installs the AOL browser on your system (slow and overloaded with adverts); and unfortunately, it’s often difficult to get through to AOL support with waiting times of 20-30 minutes.
Posted: July 7, 2011