Tired Of Your Bad Download Speed?

[VoX]

The Gadget Show are tired of ISPs using the tricky phrase "Up to" to advertise their bandwidth provisions, so they have created the Download Rate Tester so you can see what you were actualy getting (I say were because you'll adctualy have such a crap bandwidth you will want to change your ISP)


Think you're getting a great broadband deal? Think again. With many people falling short of the "up to" speeds offered by their ISP, we're campaigning for the truth: advertised speeds reflecting what we're actually getting.

I use Tiscali Broadband and am supposed to get "Up to" 8Mbps however I am only getting 1.673Mbps.

Check it out here (http://gadgetshow.five.tv/jsp/speed_test.htm) and don't forget to post your results here and send them into the Gadgetshow!

[Chalex4]

Yeah the "up to xxMbps" depends on where you live and how far you are away from your exchange, so no ISP can guarantee that you will get the same speed as others with the same package. Anyway, the speedtester seems to be good, although it doesn't want to do the upload test for me.

So, I used http://speedtest.net/ (my personal favourite speed tester) to get the following results:
Download: 6252 kb/s
Upload: 379 kb/s

Unfortunately my speed (upload and download) is capped at the moment because I went over my peak time bandwidth usage this month. I use PlusNet (http://plus.net) and usually I get around 7500+ kb/s download (not sure about usual upload speed) so that's why my speed is a little slow (for me) at the moment. Although the good thing about PlusNet is that even though I am over my peak time usage, my off peak browsing doesn't ever get capped ;) .

[Isphera]

I'm in a similar situation to Chalex. Except my brother is downloading stuff, so I will do the two tests as soon as he is done.

[ez64]

Been a happy be there uk LLU broadband customer since September 06

19/21 mb down synced and 2.5/6mb up synced.

tis god like.

a 700mb movie in under 6 minutes.


but we do have 5 pcs on one line that are constantly using it.

[Mr.Big]

guys, just so you know, fx my internet connection im supposed to have 4mbit one, Ok i tried to UK London server then i tried to some server in Moscow Russia lol anyway i got higher speed to russia in both than to UK then i tested some server in between and it was lower than ever... point is it was going up n down up n down so yeah riiitee, and i wasent downloading or anything like that. So seriously how the hell am i gona find out

[Snerfs]

I Am With Virgin -.- cos mother wont change

im supposed to get 2mb connection

1922kbps download
upload wouldnt start

[VoX]

There is a glitch with the upload on the site I think.

I've convinced my mum to think about changing but the problem is we have no cable in the area so we have to use DSL/Phone Line.

We are thinking about going to BT and getting a free wireless router.

[Hutch]

Vox, don't go BT if you are going to NUKE the dl limit. It's expensive.

Plusnet are awesome and fairly cheap (cheaper than BT and AOL) for what you get (If you ask for a free router, you will recieve. Sometimes you have to ask if they know you have the hardware). Also their customer service is always excellent.

And if your mother isn't convinced, Plusnet are actually owned by BT but operate under a different name and pricing system (they are thinking of using BT Home Hubs).

http://www.plus.net

Also they don't have a dl limit for overnight, meaning you can happily dl a 4 GB file while leaving your PC on from midnight, and they are fairly open about what they are doing. You can also get features like swapping between static and dynamic IP, ability to check your dl usage in terms of gaming, web and voip; a dialup account if your broadband goes and fucks itself for any reason (it won't) and a free website domain (they gave me hutchence.co.uk which I asked for).

[VoX]

I will most likely convince her to go with that then.

[FaTaL]

don't know who im with, but i got 3715kbps and im meant to get 4mb.

[Hutch]

Vox. If you do get Plusnet, BAGSY BEING YOUR REFEREE!!! I WANT THAT 50P A MONTH OFF. MINE CHALEX MINE!

[Chalex4]

Well...I am having second thoughts about PlusNet since my speed gets limited when I use up just 13GB of my 20GB peak usage allowance. The closer I get to 20GB, the slower my internet gets, even though I am not over the limit.

That is why I am probably going to switch to ADSL 24 (http://adsl24.co.uk/index.php) on the "Home 30" package where it is cheaper than what I am currently paying, and I get a peak usage allowance of 30GB. Best of all, the off-peak is 300GB which I would be hard pushed to use up.

[ez64]

NEVER join any of these ISP's out of choice, these are the ones that will cheap out on everything and moan at you for downloading 1kb file.

http://www.azureuswiki.com/index.php/Bad_ISPs#United_Kingdom

for the record plusnet is one of the worst.

[Isphera]

It says Pipex (who own Nildram, the ISP I am on) is one of the worst because it limits Day Bandwidth (point being you get 50GB then and 50GB off-peak) and it limits BitTorrent (Just downloaded the first series of Terminator:Sarah Connor Chronicles, which is a kick ass show, in a night., total of 3GB).

So sometimes you need to look at these facts with a pinch of salt, cause it can be slightly misleading.

[ez64]

But they specificaly said Pipex not nildram, even though they got bought out nildram were one of the best ISPS before 24mb cheap LLU ISP's and they seem to still be ok.

[Isphera]

Good to hear it :D

[Chalex4]

I recommend checking out ISPReview (http://www.ispreview.co.uk/) for loads of great reviews and information on most of the well known ISPs. ADSL24 is rated as the 8th best ISP with 8.5/10 stars, and I can confirm that I will be switching my internet to them within a few weeks. PlusNet isn't rated so well, and has an average of about 3.5/10 stars lol. Tiscali has about 2/10 and Nildram has 3/10.

[ez64]

All those in the top ten are soooooooooo expensive and have slow download/upload speeds

most of them at 832kbps up which is just poor.

[Chalex4]

Thing is, in my exchange (http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/SMSLK) I don't think I can get any faster than that. I only live in a village you see.

[Isphera]

TBH, Nildram works, is fast, very few issues. I think its better than 3/10, so I am sticking with it.

[Vicious Horizon]

Hey, Tiscali has some of the biggest Cojones i've seen in a while, they ate Pipex alive and killed my internet speed >_< *Cue oldschool black and white film sad music* Me and pipex had something going, and Tiscali took it away! (Stabbin Time)

[ez64]

I only live in a village you see.


Tee hee village folk on forums never! :)

[Chazlene]

Them village folk on forums? That be nothin', I'm a bumpkin, lived on a farm all my life in the middle of nowhere. Ignorant townie, doesn't understand our local ways...

[Isphera]

OMG FIELDZ AND TREEZ!!!

On a more serious note, living in a town is awesome. Except chavs.

[VoX]

Back to the subject...

I was over a freinds house yesterday and he was using wireless broadband, and going on msn and surfing the net with it I found it was bloody fast. I then hovered over the network sign in the task bar and was amazed to say it was giving 58Mbps! It was a true reading as it was changing constantly.

[Hutch]

LOL YOU CHUMP VOX!!! Thats not the speed of his internet, thats the speed of the wireless connection to the ROUTER.
It wouldn't be that high for an average home internet connection in the UK, people are lucky if they get 24MBPs, and the larger speeds are for companies with alot of money to burn.

[VoX]

Either that or it was 5.8Mbps with a very small .

[Hutch]

58MBPS is about wireless speed you see. You are a plonker.

[ez64]

I thought he was being sarcastic, come on no one can be that stupid.

[Vicious Horizon]

I can. xD Sorry, had to do that.
BT say they're going to bump up our area to a nice package of 15megs, BULLLLLLLLSHIT, that was 3 years ago.

[Vicious Horizon]

Sorry for double post, but are we forgetting different contracts? The website on page 1 says that Pipex limits bandwith during the day? Thats more like what Tiscali have done with it, our contract specifically said that we would get the same every fucking day. We did.

[VoX]

Tiscali advertise Unlimited Upto 8MB use.

We are seriously considering going to Pipex as we are paying about £17 a month for Tiscali, when new customers are paying about £15 and getting a free router and higher speeds.

[Vicious Horizon]

Pipex are owned by Tiscali, and now Pipex are screwed up altogether

[VoX]

Oh bugger.

Why can't there be a very cheap, fast ISP out there? lol.

[Vicious Horizon]

Because they're all money greedy bastards

[ez64]

Completely wrong, there are some money grabbers but being an ISP in the UK these days is not a wealthy business the budget's are so high because of BT's expensive and slow infastructure.

"Unlimited" means you stay away from that ISP at all costs

Instead of declaring what your allowed they dictate what your allowed in the contract under the dreaded "fair use policy" so at anytime for downloading 1gb in peak time could get you kicked from your ISP or costs raised.

So you’re paying for bandwidth that they cannot deliver and then they send you threatening messages about how you’re whoring your connection when in fact your paying for that service and there screwing you.

Bethere are the one exception because there a LLU provider using separate equipment from BT, thus I leave my internet connection maxed out all month and they never say A thing, this is why around 10 of my mates are now with them.

The other only decent ISP is multiplay.co.uk but BE is just faster and cheaper at £18 a month for 2.5mb up and 24mb down.

pipex/bulldog/orange/ntl/bt any of those major providers you see advertising on TV are extremely bad these days.






Got it in one Hutch

▼

[Hutch]

Basically, having a download limit that you can stick to (20- 30 GB is about ok) at peak times makes sure that the company wont grab your butt and roger you.

[VoX]

I've had a look at BE and it looks good, just need to buy a wireless router after so I can connect a Macbook and a PS3 to it.

[ez64]

Yeah the be box's are fine but I just use my NETGEAR DG834PN which is a much better peice of kit with 108mbps wireless and of course the ADSL2+.

[VoX]

How much did it cost you?

[ez64]

£80 I think when it came out but these were the first rangemax devices, really the first wireless routers that worked for a 3 story house and fully in the garden from the top of the house.

http://www.aria.co.uk/Products/Peripherals/Network+Products/Wireless/ADSL+Modem%2FRouter/Netgear+108Mbps+RangeMax+ADSL2+Modem+Wireless+Rout er+?productId=20683

it supports dyn free dns without using a peice of software on your computer as well so its a nice bit of kit, and this one has lasted me since september 06 when I first got be there and it barely gets turned off at all, must have been on for at least 6 months now without a reboot and that was only needed because there was a new firmware update out.

[Chalex4]

I got my Netgear DG834G a while ago and it has never let me down :).