[ubuntu-uk] Broadband and hosting reccomendations

[Rob Beard]

Sean Miller wrote:
> I was with Pipex before I moved and have had great trouble cancelling
> them - they keep billing me at the old address, despite written
> confirmation I'm no longer there and receiving any service. Their
> computers say "if you don't pay we'll cut you off" and their call
> centre won't acknowledge that if I'm not there I DON'T CARE if they
> do, as they already did.  It's a nightmare - and the "cancellation
> line" is a premium rate number which doesn't get answered for 30
> minutes "You are in a queue - we will get to you when we will, but in
> the meantime please be assured that your 20p/minute contribution to
> our Christmas Party is very important to us".
>
>   
That matches what I've heard about Pipex and Tiscalli, IIRC Nildram and 
possibly Freedom 2 Surf are owned by them too.  Shame really as years 
ago Pipex were one of the good ISPs.
> So avoid Pipex/Tiscali like the plague for now.  Wife is with Talk
> Talk and appears to be happy, so perhaps the Carphone Warehouse will
> improve their service - or perhaps they'll destroy Carphone Warehouse.
>  That is to be seen.
>
>   
With any luck Carphone Warehouse will turn them around.  Okay Carphone 
Warehouse aren't the best ISP either the few people I know who have 
connections with them don't seem to have many problems.
> I am with BE Broadband (http://beunlimited.co.uk) now and I'm getting
> speeds in excess of 8mbps (I've paid only for the 8mbps option,
> apparently the line could do 16mbps) for about £12.50/month and I'm
> very happy.  They tried to charge me a connection fee but I phoned
> them on their freephone number and they apologised profusely and
> refunded them - that's customer service!!
>   
The only problem I find with Be is that you have to be connected to an 
exchange that they have their equipment installed in.  I've heard they 
are pretty good and you can get some good offers from Be and especially 
O2 via Quidco (a visit to the O2 section on the ThinkBroadband.com 
forums is useful as there is someone in there who collates the offers 
that Be and O2 have and sometimes you can get cashback which covers most 
of the broadband fees (some people were getting the equivalent of about 
9 months free after cashback!).  Plus if you're an O2 mobile customer 
(either contract or Pay As You Go spending £10 every 3 months) you can 
also save money on O2 broadband.  The only problem is if your exchange 
has their equipment.  I'd say if you wanted to go down the O2 route read 
the ThinkBroadband.com forums first as O2 offer LLU connections which 
are pretty good and O2 Access (for those who can't get the LLU service) 
and that is pretty bad.

If you have a look at SamKnows.com on the exchange search you should be 
able to find out what is available on your exchange.  On my local 
exchange I have the choice of BT (or any ISP who uses BT Wholesale) or 
Talktalk LLU but some of the bigger exchanges may have 2 or 3 providers 
covering them.

Rob