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 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 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 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...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.