Best home broadband+phone line rental package?

[stevo as b4]

Hi, My free home broadband service from Orange is soon to expire unless I take up their home phone line rental as well, which is £14.50 p/month.

I currently pay about £11 line rental and get free evening and weekend calls, though I rarely use the landline to call anyone and never in the daytime.

What deals are out there at the moment and what services do people recommend? I can get broadband for £11+ £1.20 p/month from Primus, and they have a 20gb monthly download limit. The speed doesn't worry me as I get around 5mbps which is plenty fast enough for what I want from the internet.

How much roughly is a 20gb monthly download limit, as for example apart from web browsing and sending emails, I only really watch stuff on youtube and download a few tracks to my Ipod as and when I can be bothered. I probably use my home broadband only about 3-5hours per week, so would I get on ok with a 20gb download limit. I don't do any gaming or download movies either, so im thinking a limited package might not really affect me too much?

What do people recommend anyways?

[CaNsA]

Are you in a VirginMedia cable area?

[Easter Bunny]

By best do you mean cheapest? because the two don't go together
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The light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train!

[Rob W]

[jay12329]

If you aren't in a cable area are you in a Sky area?
J

[P.addy]

I'd be onto VirginMedia if I was in their cable area.

Got a letter through saying TV and TiVo, weekend calls and 30mb internet with no real limits, just a peak time restriction after 750mb for £9 a month.

[L3G3ND_MTX]

Honestly i'd avoid virgin like the plague, since they have rolled out these double speed upgrades lots more customers have come in and they can't update exchanges fast enough, ridiculous amount of customers are getting 10% if that of the speed they are paying for, i'd avoid them until at least after Christmas or when ever there 'upgrade service' is supposed to be completely done.

We had a perfect connection with them for about 8 months and then they rolled out the speed upgrades and us including everyone in our area are getting un-usable speeds.

https://www.thinkbroadband.com/ping/share/8b8af9fabb17db254ad9c0c9baa5db58-29-10-2012.html

Just to show you what a 60mb virgin media connection is like.

Sorry to rant, just been complaining to them for 5 months and still no eta on a fix date, just from there awful customer service alone i'd say avoid, if you ever ever got an issue it will never be resolved in less than a few weeks with them.

[P.addy]

Well I have had no issues from 10>20>30>50>100>120 speeds.

10% of their speed...how does that work over cable? Are they not over to their fibre links yet? I work with some part of Virgin Media...and I know they are able to supply consistent 1GB and 2GB links to schools as well as a solid 30GB to our work.

Sorting a house out with its 100mb doesn't seem to hard to achieve IMO. Maybe if they ditched the ShiteHub and went back to their standard kit...

[CaNsA]

I used to work for VM, and a couple of other ISPs and found out their cable broadband is the most reliable inet service available when compared to anything else that goes through BT exchange.

The people who moan about VM not upgrading the exchanges quick enough is pointless, they are still getting the standard speed.

Anyway, If you want a reliable and cheap connection then go for VM cable broadband.

[Neorion]

Had a couple of issues with VM BUT their support techs were great and sorted everything out the next day.

We had a loss of signal in the evenings, turns out there was an exchange issue. Guys even called me the week after to double check I was happy.

Yes contention can be a problem in the evenings but its still a LOT quicker than ADSL2 or any other down your phone line stuff.

VM all the way for me, I even prefer thje TIVO to the SKY+ box.
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[stevo as b4]

Many thanks for all the replies and advice!
I'm afraid I cannot get cable services in my street, although they actually go right past my cul de sac on the main road. I also don't have Sky or any plans to get it really.

So I'm down to services provided over the BT copper network. We have just got BT Infinity installed for our area, but my internet useage would really not warrant the expense I feel, and i'd be happy to stay at around 5-6mb connection speed.

I just really need to know coming from an unlimited internet package with Orange, how much is a 20gb download limit per month, going to affect me, and would I notice it? If I can browse the net, send email's with fairly small attachments and watch stuff on youtube along with download a few tracks or albums for my Ipod, then that's all I need from the internet.

I was also thinking about enquiring with PlusNet, but I don't know anyone who has their service, and I just wondered how good/bad they are or what companies that run broadband over the BT copper network are recommended and good VFM. I know cheap isn't always a good thing, but if I get a reliable service, that's much more important to me than speed or useage limits I would say. Also I don't need a fantastic wireless router, as I run my PC on a LAN cable, and can acess Wi-Fi on my work laptop without too much trouble normally, although it does drop out a lot more in bad weather.

[hedgehugger]

Post office are ok. Currently with TalkTalk though due to them being cheaper as we bought the years line rental up front.
We are in an area where any form of cable is not an option and BT has only just allowed another isp onto the box thingy up the road, hence TalkTalk.

[stevekingchef]

Hi

I am also on the orange free broadband connect deal.

I have just 5 months ago signed up to another 2 year plan iPhone iPad deal £66 pounds per month.
I asked when signing up would my broadband follow over as it has done for past 5 or 6 years ,yes was the answer!

I spoke to broadband team who told me I had to pay!
I called orange phone team they assured me it would continue to be free!
It may be worth calling both sides,

I for one will not pay and if they cut my broad band off ill stop paying my phone bill simple!