BS: UK Internet access

Subject: UK Internet access
From: Ed Pellow
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 04:05 PM

I'm after some advice

The UK dail up Internet options are almost changing daily, and I'm finding it hard to keep up.

I have a BT 'phone and am currently using the £9.99 a month option for unlimited off-peak ('til midnight) calls. 3 months ago it seemed like a wonderful deal, and I never get an engaged tone when I dial up, which is important to me.

Can anyone tell me their experiences of other ISP's in this latest shakeup and advise me as to whether I can get something better cheaper?

Thanks

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 05:43 PM

I am using the current WorldOnline/ Screaming/ LocalTel service which costs about £5 a month on top of the standard line rental for 24/7 access. I am afraid that I can not reccommend this service to others as the service has been pathetic recently. It looks like they have sorted what ever the problem was now but I have experienced having to make over 20 attempts to get a connection and there seems to be what I can only guess is a routing problem - as an example, there have been many occasions when Mudcat is slow/ page not available messages using this service when logging on my other account (FreeUK) has given me fast access to this site - the problem can only lie with my ISP.

I tried to get my mother on the FreeServe Time 24 hr deal when I visited her which must have been over a month ago. Although she has a usable account with them, they still have not "proccessed" her application and she is still on metered internet calls. I am a little upset over this as although I new they were only taking on limited numbers per month, there was no indication that they were accepting the accounts and keeping people paying for metered calls. If I had of known that was what they were doing, I probably would have set her up with either the Line One or the BT deal.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: The Shambles
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 06:57 PM

Ed I was thinking of the BT off peak thing. Would you advise it?

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: Morticia
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 07:27 PM

I am on NTL and therefore free everything as long as we make a certain amount of calls per month...no problem in this house. They appear, thus far, to be quick and efficient..no complaints at all...is there cable in your area,Ed?

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 07:53 PM

I'm using Ezesurf at the moment; £39 up front and then a freephone number.  I don't know how long it will last, but it's already paid for itself several times over.  Connection is fairly good (though you can only stay online for 2 hours at a time) -anyway, I don't mind being cut off accasionally when it costs me nothing.  Yah boo sucks to BT, I say.

Malcolm

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 08:00 PM

I'm on whatever screaming.net /localtel calls itself these days. After an initial set of teething troubles it seems to have settled down and is reasoanbly good, I find. I suspect that it may be uneven in different parts iof the country. But I wouldn't rule it out - the cost of telephone rental goes up this month, but it's still fairly low. There are now no charges whatever for Internet access 24 hours a day.

We needed a second line, so took up an NTL offer of a line plus basic cable + free 24 hour Internet access, whcih was cheaper than a second line from BT/Localtel. (It's not available in all oparts of the country.) But they are a bit slow in sending out tyhe software to make use of the free Internet access (though they write grovelling apology letters, even when you haven't complained). Also their phone lines don't work with some kinds of modem, so check. (Though the free Internet access is available even if you are using a non-NTL line.)

But whatever you choose, the important thing is to have free 24 hour Internet access. It changes the way you use the Internet, and makes it a lot more fun. Dip in and see what's going on on the Mudcat any time you pass the computer.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 19 Jun 00 - 11:29 PM

McGrath, unless you have a deal that I am not aware of, the localtel/whatever 24/7 involves payment of an extra £5 per month which is included as part of the phone line rental charges. Their standard line rental deal (which is the same rate as BT charge for a phone line) only provides off peak unmetered access.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: GUEST,Chantywrassler (who needs to refresh his coo
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 04:39 AM

NTL's deal is that you rent a line. £5.50 a month. and then you get 0800 dialup to the Net.

However... although they don't actually *say* this.. it pretty much hangs on you having a regular phone line, PLUS a 2nd line.

I've had a single line plus TV etc from them for about 2 years. and registered for the dialup software. Nothing came through.. then once I took advantage of a special deal on installation of 2nd line.. Bingo! here comes the software all of a sudden..

Anyhoo... still have to get it set up, kept on timing me out last night when I was setting up.

Cheers all

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: Bonzo
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 07:13 AM

My ISP is Breathe. They operate a service called breathe freely. You pay £50 up front and you then get 24hour net access for free. You are limited to 6 hours at a time and get chucked out for 15 mins if inactive for 1 hour. I find the service very good and rarely have problems connecting.I have a second line as part of the BT together package and am now my bill is less for two lines than it was for one.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 08:19 AM

The NTL deal varies in different parts of the country - we've had a communal aerial system in Harlow forthe last 40 years or so, which has now been turned into a cable system, part of the NTL organisation.

If you are in an area where NTL are the cable suppliers, the deal is £9.25 a month or about that to get the basic cable system (normal terrestrial channels, plus a couple of others - Parliament and BBC 24 hour news and Performance and something else), and the phone. The freephone Internet arrangement is thrown in, and I understand you can use that via a non NTL phone as well, if you've got one. (But the NTL line doesn't like some types of modems.) No minimum phone required use or anything like that.

There's also a connection charge of £25 normally, but they have offers every now and then which waive that, and they had one the month I got connected.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: GUEST,Ed Pellow
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 09:47 AM

Thanks for all the replies.

Shambles,

Yes, I can recommend the BT deal. You get connected first time every time, and never get kicked off.

I've just been on the 'phone to them and the new 'surftime' offer means that the price has dropped to £5.99 a month, and it's now all offpeak times (ie all weekend and 6pm until 8am Monday to Thursday).

Whilst some of the other offers sound tempting, I am fairly sure that BT will be around for a long time. I'm not so sure about Ezesurf or Breathe. Also I don't have a television, so the cable offers begin to sound less appealing.

If anyone knows better though...

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: Grab
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 10:14 AM

With NTL, you pay your line rental (£9.25 a month?) and get some cable channels, cheaper call charges and free internet. In theory anyway. In practice, the NTL box I've got is an ugly big bit of plastic which isn't particularly nice to use and gets quite hot, the cable channels are crap (although you do get static-free versions of the normal channels), and they've still not sent me the CD for their free internet. *sigh*

Grab.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 11:52 AM

Ed and Shambles, I had an account with BT before moving to screaming/localtel. At that time, BT did not offer an unmetered service but if they had have done, I would have stuck with them. Leaving that cost issue out, BT were IMO a very good ISP.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 04:17 PM

Just to add to this - I soon plan to get LibertySurf - £20 up front, then free off peak - I think it's yearly, or something. Although I don't have it myself yet, I know people who do and haven't had any problems.
jayohjo XX

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: GUEST,Castor
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 04:33 PM

Guest,

The problem is that after paying your £20 you have no idea if it's any good - and if it's crap...

$20 wasted

Castor

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: Llanfair
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 06:19 PM

I'm on AOL, and pay a penny a minute. Infinately preferable to the enormous phone bills I was getting. Few problems, except they keep trying to sell me stuff. Hwyl, Bron.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 20 Jun 00 - 06:49 PM

Bron, I dont know how much internet use you have but I have seen you on hearme at night and it doesn't take long for the pennies to add up. I think you really should consider making a move to an ISP that at least offers unmetered off peak access.

I use the internet a lot (typically, I am connected from the time I get up to when I go to bed) and the only way I can afford that is with a 24/7 deal. The only problem I have is I am hard to get hold of on the phone. I don't make many outgoing calls and few people who have not got internet access want to get in touch with me - has anybody got any suggestions as to the best solution? I'd say I only make about £3 of non outgoing calls per month and probably recieve (or would like to recieve) about a dozen incoming calls. Would a mobile phone be a good idea? I don't mind a one off payment but I don't want to be paying much in the way of mothly charges.

Jon

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: Llanfair
Date: 21 Jun 00 - 04:51 AM

Jon, a lot of mobile phones are pay as you talk, now, so that might be a solution. Until recently, they didn't work here, because of the hills, but Jim's work one does now, so I can log on when he's on call.
I suppose I could find a cheaper way of doing it, but my reasoning is that, as an 18month ex-smoker, I am paying out a fraction of what I would have been spending on fags, and it doesn't affect my health! Hwyl, Bron.

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: GUEST,Ed Pellow
Date: 21 Jun 00 - 05:14 AM

Jon,

For about £50 you can now get a 'pay as you go' mobile, and if you only use it for incoming calls you won't have to pay anything else (I think you have to make one call every 6 months to keep the number)

Ed

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: roopoo
Date: 21 Jun 00 - 05:14 AM

I always go on the "better the devil you know..." I've been with BT for about 3 or 4 years and am generally satisfied. I currently have their 6pm-midnight free calls and the 2p per minute daytime rate. My money isn't due until September and then I intend to change to Surftime. I looked at the changeover options this morning, and it wouldn't take effect until my subscription was due, so I'll register up then. I mean, at the rate they're going, they'll have brought something else out by then!

BT are generally reliable (ie no worse than any of the rest, I guess). I've only had the engaged tone a few times, and it usually got through after 2 or 3 goes. They did have a problem last week with the dial-up, but they sorted that, and they do at least have a free-call service status number. Saves calling the tech-help number, which is 50p/min!

And they don't stick sponsor-ads all over the place!

mouldy

Subject: RE: BS: UK Internet access
From: Jon Freeman
Date: 21 Jun 00 - 09:05 AM

Bron and Ed, thanks for the info re mobile phones. That type of deal would be ideal for me.

My mother has finaly been put on the freeserve time deal. It took from 12/5 to 20/6 to get "processed", but hopefully things will be ok now. The actuall deal sounds quite reasonable for those with BT phone lines. It cost £10 a month for 24/7 access but it includes £10 worth of voice calls which my mother makes in a month anyway which was why I favoured this service for her as she should effectively be getting free 24/7 internet access.

Jon