Virgin broadband - anyone else suffering unbearably slow evening speeds?

[Nigello]

Rang Virgin (150 from Virgin line) and got ?7.50 off the bill for the slow connection. Also saved ?17/month by going for 50 rather than 60 (thinking that I am only getting half that anyway) and getting new TiVo box and ditching paper bills. Worth ringing to save ??.

[smileman]

Ok, think I am going to go with Plusnet. They checked my address and are guaranteeing at least 50Mbps download speeds (and I'm going to hold them to that! ;)

Thanks for all the feedback and discussion everyone.

[mima08]

thanks for feeding back - out of interest: how do Plusnet guarantee the speed? I thought if they share the network with other providers (and ultimately going to back to BT Openreach), speeds are dependent on max capacity in the network? Might have gotten this wrong - could someone explain?

thanks

[DulwichFox]

Penguin68 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Plusnet is wholly owned by BT - but operated at

> arms length. Like any ISP/ broadband provider

> (save those providing satellite broadband, which

> is very expensive, or mobile broadband - slower

> and also often more expensive than e.g. fibre

> services) it has to have a physical link into the

> house - it uses telephone lines (as do most

> providers other than the former NTL Cable company,

> now re-branded as Virgin, who uses cable access).

> Hence you have to be getting telephony from

> someone for them to be able to connect to you.

> Almost all domestic physical connexions (other

> than cable TV) are eventually provided by BT

> Openreach, the provider of wholesale local network

> to BT Retail as well as to most other non cable

> ISPs.

>

> Just out of interest, emergency services (999) are

> only guaranteed delivery over a hardwired phone

> using a landline, because landlines are powered

> from exchanges which have back-up battery systems

> in case of power failure. Even if you lose power

> in your home, a hardwired phone will still work -

> wireless handsets rely on the base station to be

> powered, the exchange power won't be sufficient to

> run those. Mobiles will of course continue to

> work, if you have power, and signal!

BT Exchanges do not rely purely on Battery back up. They also have Diesel Engine Sets and Rectifiers

that provide power during any outage and also to charge the batteries.

In my days as BT Power Eng.

2 50volt batteries (Open Cell) at 3,200 amp/h would be charged at 200 amps @ 16 hour rate..

Foxy

[Bic Basher]

mima08 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> thanks for feeding back - out of interest: how do

> Plusnet guarantee the speed? I thought if they

> share the network with other providers (and

> ultimately going to back to BT Openreach), speeds

> are dependent on max capacity in the network?

> Might have gotten this wrong - could someone

> explain?

> thanks

Most ISP's have Local Loop Unbundling which means they have their own equipment at the BT Openreach exchange which bypasses BT's infrastructure, except for the bit where it requires the connection from your house.

However, Plusnet shares BT's connection for ADSL and Fibre.

A list of which ISP's have LLU at the Dulwich exchange is below.

https://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/LSDUL

[Bic Basher]

mima08 Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> thanks for feeding back - out of interest: how do

> Plusnet guarantee the speed? I thought if they

> share the network with other providers (and

> ultimately going to back to BT Openreach), speeds

> are dependent on max capacity in the network?

> Might have gotten this wrong - could someone

> explain?

> thanks

Most ISP's have Local Loop Unbundling which means they have their own equipment at the BT Openreach exchange which bypasses BT's infrastructure, except for the bit where it requires the connection to your house.

However, Plusnet shares BT's connection for ADSL and Fibre.

A list of which ISP's have LLU at the Dulwich exchange is below.

https://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/LSDUL

[TheChairman]

Just started a new post on this but adding here too..

Keen to get some actual figures to beat Virgin Media with. I have 50Mb fibre connection and, since Feb am getting typically 1-2Mb in the evenings. I've set up a broadband speedtest for 50Mb subscribers - here's a link if you'd like to run it & have your speed measured against others:

http://www.speedtest.net/wave/79a7f9c6d803c859

[Bic Basher]

I was going to mention Virgin's traffic management policy. However as this only applies to uploads on the 30MB and above packages, you shouldn't be getting these issues.

http://my.virginmedia.com/traffic-management/traffic-management-policy-30Mb-or-higher.html