Virgin Media... or Sky?

[Sunny.]

Right so ive bin with them for around 10 years and ive always had around this speed
http://speed.io/pics/1622/8981/speed.io.png

Im on the 10MB package but the most ive ever got was 3MB at off peak time.
Im thinking of moving to sky but the only problem is the 40GB download limit.

I download abit of music and a few movies. Would this be enough?
As ive heard sky cut you off or charge if you go over your limit

Thanks

[N!ck]

Well if you go over the limit then you agree that they can cut you off or charge you extra in their ToS.

Are you currently on a cable or ADSL BT wholesale package? Look whether you're connected to a phone line or by a cable that looks like a TV ariel

[scottish]

Virgin media owns tbh, i pay for 10MB and always get about 9.9MB

[Ardemax]

I agree, Virgin Media FTW!

[Judge Judy]

I used to download a load of dvds and stuff like that and I didn't use up the 40GB from Sky.

I'm with Sky and I say they're pretty good.

[Technologic]

Virgin media is good, always above 18mbps. And their 50mbps service is like o_O

[Flisker]

I'm going to say Be*

however out of them two you chose I'd say Sky

[The Cullens]

I like sky. Virgin Media looks scary.

[Jordy]

Well if you're wanting to continue downloading lots of music and movies I'd suggest moving to Sky, Sky has showed little interest in combating torrents unlike Virgin Media which is throttling them all later on in the year.

[Sunny.]

Yh, virgin are good, but my area alot of people have virgin and all of them dont get above 3mb ever

[Flisker]

Go with Be* (www.bethere.co.uk (http://www.bethere.co.uk)) or Sky.

If Be* Isnt available in your area then go with o2 which uses the Be network. (access package)

[Source]

Your not ( in general ) going to see a speed increase. The issue with DSL broadband is it the fact its dependant on how far away you are from the exchange, and how busy the your lines are in the local area during peak time.

However, Be is a good provider if you do wish to change.

[Alkaz]

Stay with virgin.

[kurtis5561]

Right so ive bin with them for around 10 years and ive always had around this speed
http://speed.io/pics/1622/8981/speed.io.png

Im on the 10MB package but the most ive ever got was 3MB at off peak time.
Im thinking of moving to sky but the only problem is the 40GB download limit.

I download abit of music and a few movies. Would this be enough?
As ive heard sky cut you off or charge if you go over your limit

Thanks
If you are in an Sky Broadband enabled area you can get their MAX product with an unlimited download with upto 16meg dowload

[lolwut]

Virgin Media are very good in some parts of the UK and not so good in others.
I, for example, pay for 5mb/s and get 1.5/2.5 depending on how angry my data exchange is.
When Virgin Media lay 50mb/s cable down all over the UK, we should be seeing everyone's speed increasing to the amount which we're paying for. Supposedly.

[kurtis5561]

Virgin Media are very good in some parts of the UK and not so good in others.
I, for example, pay for 5mb/s and get 1.5/2.5 depending on how angry my data exchange is.
When Virgin Media lay 50mb/s cable down all over the UK, we should be seeing everyone's speed increasing to the amount which we're paying for. Supposedly.
...and all the illegal hookups are found and removed.

[Kyle!]

Go with Be* if you can get it in your area, don't go with Virgin Media if your going to be downloading a reasonable amount of data, their traffic shaping is terrible.

[The Professor]

If you are in an Sky Broadband enabled area you can get their MAX product with an unlimited download with upto 16meg dowload

According to the gadget show on Channel 5, Sky is the only provider that truly doesn't have any download limits whatsoever on their max package (ie. there's no fair use clause they'll use to throttle you if you download loads) so if you can get that i'd suggest going with them. Virgin for the speed though, it all sounds rather nice :P

[kurtis5561]

According to the gadget show on Channel 5, Sky is the only provider that truly doesn't have any download limits whatsoever on their max package (ie. there's no fair use clause they'll use to throttle you if you download loads) so if you can get that i'd suggest going with them. Virgin for the speed though, it all sounds rather nice :P
I don't think anyone will acheive the speeds Virgin advertise, Sky are amazing as a provider.

[Agnostic Bear]

...and all the illegal hookups are found and removed.

DOCSIS 3.0 has fixed that problem.


I don't think anyone will acheive the speeds Virgin advertise, Sky are amazing as a provider.

I can, do and will ;)

[N!ck]

DOCSIS 3.0 has fixed that problem.



I can, do and will ;)

I agree that you can and will. I don't agree on that you do on the basis of you implying that you don't have it until Friday.

I also believe that the can and do will generally tend to occur in the early hours of the morning once they get it properly up and running, but please show me otherwise when you manage to "do".

[scottish]

I don't think anyone will acheive the speeds Virgin advertise, Sky are amazing as a provider.

i pay for 10mb and get 10mb

[Sunny.]

Heres the speed im getting now "/
Sorry but thats shocking
http://speed.io/pics/1660/6541/speed.io.png
Less than half I got before.

[Agnostic Bear]

I agree that you can and will. I don't agree on that you do on the basis of you implying that you don't have it until Friday.

I also believe that the can and do will generally tend to occur in the early hours of the morning once they get it properly up and running, but please show me otherwise when you manage to "do".

Sure thing, I'll download a file at 5pm ish tomorrow during peak times, i get 20mb all the time, and with 50, i'll be in a seperate 50 only exchange so that'll be cool.

[kurtis5561]

Sure thing, I'll download a file at 5pm ish tomorrow during peak times, i get 20mb all the time, and with 50, i'll be in a seperate 50 only exchange so that'll be cool.
Your not you'll hit the same green box exchanges like everyone else does

[j2jcs]

Virgin Media's Customer Service is shockingly bad. One of their pledges when they took over NTL was to improve it. By my recent experiences with them, it is clear that they have failed. It took one month, approximately 25 calls and about 25 arguements with them to get them to come and install it, not even fix the service, just to install the thing. In the end, we got lucky because a technition was in our street, and we managed to talk his manager's number out of him. Had this not happened, I probably still wouldn't have a Virgin service.

[scottish]

I don't get why people ***** about services, 99% of the time theres an alternative service available in the area, SO CHANGE IT DON'T CRY ABOUT IT fgs.

[Kyle!]

Your not you'll hit the same green box exchanges like everyone else does

That's not an exchange... An exchange is a building filled with loads of servers etc, yes it will go to that green box, but it will be going to different server in the exchange for 50MB customers.

[Agnostic Bear]

That's not an exchange... An exchange is a building filled with loads of servers etc, yes it will go to that green box, but it will be going to different server in the exchange for 50MB customers.

50mb servers have their own exchange.

[j2jcs]

I don't get why people ***** about services, 99% of the time theres an alternative service available in the area, SO CHANGE IT DON'T CRY ABOUT IT fgs.

If you were referring to my post (Not sure), you enter into a contract, so unless you want to fork out even more money moving elsewhere, its unadvisable. In our case the BT line was damaged, which was why we moved. ;)

[Missamylee.x]

I have virgin media, it is rather good.

[Nick.]

It's most likely the highest speed you can get in your area, you will get the same with anyone unless you get cable. (Virgin do offer a BT line service before someone says anything)

My TalkTalk package is 40 a month and I've never gone over. I download about 4/5/6 albums a week and a couple of movies a month and I'm on computer all the time. Plus updates for stuff. 40GB is more than enough if you're nto a proper heavy gamer and don't download 5GB torrents everyday :L

[scottish]

If you were referring to my post (Not sure), you enter into a contract, so unless you want to fork out even more money moving elsewhere, its unadvisable. In our case the BT line was damaged, which was why we moved. ;)

even when your contracts up you'll probably stick with virgin

[The Professor]

Virgin Media's Customer Service is shockingly bad. One of their pledges when they took over NTL was to improve it. By my recent experiences with them, it is clear that they have failed. It took one month, approximately 25 calls and about 25 arguements with them to get them to come and install it, not even fix the service, just to install the thing. In the end, we got lucky because a technition was in our street, and we managed to talk his manager's number out of him. Had this not happened, I probably still wouldn't have a Virgin service.

If I'm perfectly honest I have never encountered a company with good customer service, I'm starting to doubt it exists :P The only time I've had a reasonable conversation with someone is when I was speaking to Packard Bell because my PC was refusing to reformat and the guy went on about how he used to live in my town, he couldn't do anything until a technician came out 2 weeks later though so I don't count it :P

[Nick.]

If I'm perfectly honest I have never encountered a company with good customer service, I'm starting to doubt it exists :P The only time I've had a reasonable conversation with someone is when I was speaking to Packard Bell because my PC was refusing to reformat and the guy went on about how he used to live in my town, he couldn't do anything until a technician came out 2 weeks later though so I don't count it :P
Here's a list of companies I find have really good customer service:
O2
Sky
Apple
TalkTalk
PlusNet

There are quite a lot with immense customer service, just not as many as there are with bad CS.

[Chippiewill]

Customer service name and shame (not just isps, I was just bored):

Dell <----------- I payed £1000 for a crap laptop and a guy in india who cant speak proper english
BT <------- Cant fix their own lines and cant get any info to us
Netgear <---------- I heard they were ****

[Agnostic Bear]

Customer service name and shame (not just isps, I was just bored):

Dell <----------- I payed £1000 for a crap laptop and a guy in india who cant speak proper english
BT <------- Cant fix their own lines and cant get any info to us
Netgear <---------- I heard they were ****

Virgin Media's customer support (I don't even know which department it is they have so many) & 50mb support line are all English, Irish & Scottish people who are very helpful and friendly :P

[Swearwolf]

I agree with the bear, Virgin Media have always had good support and stuff, when it did go down once, I called, and was back on within 15 mins :P and when I moved house, they reinstalled the cable next day for free