38 replies to this topic

[blackice8r]

One thing worth noting... SKY charges for repairs/callouts to fix problems whereas Virgin is always free and usually very fast. Worth checking with your new provider if they do the same.

I think you are wrong mate, same roules apply as with any other ISP, specially if it involves a BT visit: line faults, exchange/dsl service faults - free. I had engineers come in twice in the last 4 years with sky, no charges.

If it's your internal equipment at fault and BT is sent out for a visit - then you get charged for the visit £200-300 I think. Internal equipment: microfilters, switches, cables (phone/network). Generally I think you need to think as your kit the stuff from the wall/BT socket. If it's the VDSL/ADSL boxes - they count as their kit.

Some will try to claim that the face that goes on top of the master socket is your kit also, but they won't press if you argue that it says BT on the box so it's the ISP/BT kit.

 

To be safe fallow the normal DSL troubleshooting steps (it applies to fibre to some extent) or call the ISP and they will walk you thought the same steps:

 

1. Reset router
2. Reset router but leave for 20 mins
3. Confirm ADSL light is on permanently after 30-60 secs
4. Make call from line through microfilter
   1. Dial 17070 and then option 2 for a 'quiet line test' to see if there is noise on the line
   2. Works?
   3. Call quality OK?
   4. Call 151 for BT Faults if line is noisy or faulty
5. Make sure nothing else is connected to any extension and test from master socket (BT socket inside if NTE5 master socket )
6. Try new router (with up to date firmware) + microfilter and any other cables
7. ISP line test
8. BT visit

[Baggie]

Had Virgin for over 8 years,had a few problems that was sorted by a phone call,apart from that had a good experience so far.

[Salamol]

You get a 12 month warranty on the router they supply at SKY. I think it's 12 months on everything (Dishes/TV box etc). Of course, if it's a fault not in your home you don't pay anything, but you most definitely do once you're outside of your warranty if they have to send an engineer to your house (£65).

The big difference between SKY and VM regarding repairs is that you own your equipment with SKY, you rent it from VM. That's why they charge to repair it, but you keep it after... VM asks for theirs back (although given the nature of tech, a lot of the time they don't ask for old routers).

But yes, it's also the Openreach issue, VM own their stuff, most other providers are using the BT Openreach network.

[Darkademic]

It's heavily dependent on where you live I've found. Cable broadband has bandwidth which is shared across an area, and so if they oversell it, or if there are lots of very heavy users in the area, it destroys the connection speed and quality.

 

See Page 1 for my Virgin PingTest results from when I lived in Headingley in Leeds (densely populated with students) - worst Internet I've ever had by far, but then I know people who've had no issues with Virgin.

 

After Virgin we switched to Be Broadband (ADSL) and they were really good, but I don't think they exist anymore.

 

Had BT Infinity in previous house, was mostly fine, just had one 10 day outage which was annoying, but we were compensated £50 or so. BT don't have very good support - they seem to have very little technical knowledge and just go through a checklist.

 

New house we have PlusNet which have been very good so far connection-wise, but activation was delayed twice (but we got a free month because of it). Their support staff were helpful, but haven't needed to use them for anything technical yet.

 

Also I don't care about speed, stability and quality is far more important.

[Kansalis]

We have Plusnet. Very good support in my experience so far. Connection has been pretty much 100%. Only issue we've had is when someone screwed something up in the junction box down the road, which was obviously not Plusnet's fault.

 

You'll find that the connection for any fibre broadband you get will be more or less the same whichever provider you go through. There are some differences with provider reliability and bandwidth of course. The connection always goes through the same cabling, which is owned and supported by BT Openreach. They are the weak link in the vast majority of physical technical issues. Their staff are (nearly?) all contractors, so it's pot luck as to how good or attentive they are. In the past I've had three scheduled appointments cancelled in a row by BTO for no good reason. It turned out the guy who was supposed to come went AWOL and the call center just didn't know what to do.

[EdBait]

I live in an area without the option for Virgin, was with Sky (ADSL) had a lot of problems with their unhelpful support after that went to SSE for a cheap fibre to the cabinet connection, worst ISP I've ever dealt with, managed to get out of the contract due to their poor service breaking the terms of contract and moved to Plusnet, had a few problems but mostly due to poor line quality between my house and the cabinet and Plusnet have been very good about sorting any issues I've had and also very quick to get Openreach on the case if needed, don't see myself moving away from them now unless I can get fibre to the house which won't be happening any time soon.

[Fozzies]

yeah, ftth rather than fttc would be a very expensive exercise for bt/openreach hence all the effort they are putting into vdsl, its not coming soon. i don't get why they don't just admit defeat and do as virgin do, coax for the final mile, its bandwidth is more than ample for what we in england call ftth