realy cheap broadband, check this out 4 people in the uk!!!!!!!

[jamieuk]

http://www.giointernet.com/internet/home_adsl.htm

check these out, and no i dont work 4 them, just sounds like a realy good deal.

[Zeul]

it is a good price but don't forget it has a ratio of 50:1

[Beastie Boy]

Is 50:1 bad? I thought that was pretty standard.

[Nic]

Service and keeping promises is the biggest thing for an ISP. Anyone can promise the world, but few can deliver it (especially as it gets popular).

If you/anyone joins up with it, let us know how you get on with them :)

-Nic

[wmansir]

What's the ratio for?

[mrlipring]

the contention ratio is the maximum amount of people that will potentially be sharing your connection.

I.E. You pay for 1/2mbit, and for each 1/2mbit of bandwidth of connectivity the isp actually has, they have up to 50 people sharing it.

They base this on the fact that not everyone uses their connection at the same time, and not to its full potential.

This might seem pretty bad, but you'll find that just about every isp does the same.

That's why leased lines are so expensive, there's no contention.

[wmansir]

Ahh, I see. I don't think ISP here advertise that number (or even make it available).

Coincidently, on my last post I was using my cable modem, but I have since switched over to DSL. I ordered it Wednesday and got the equipment today. The phone company said the line wouldn't be setup until the 1st of next month, but I hooked up the modem and it sync'd so I set up the account and I'm flying at 1500/128. My cable is at 3000/128, but the latency is horrible, I can tell immediately that this connection is much more responsive when browsing. I know this is a bit off topic, but there is nobody home and I'm terribly excited so I have to tell someone.

Now I'm off to try gaming.

[mrlipring]

lucky you! :)

Have a game of enemy territory on me ;)

[SeeMoreDigital]

Yep, the 'copper cable' ADSL broadband system seems to be far more prone to contention ratio slowdown problems than 'cable' broadband!

My suggestion to any prospective broadband user is to, switch to cable.... if you can!

Cheers

[wmansir]

Regarding the ratio slowdowns, perhaps it's more of a UK thing. I know from my experience cable is very susceptible to slowdowns at peak usage times. Since a cable connection is 'shared' with the people on your node, but I had heard DSL was more consistent. However, I don't have enough personal experience with DSL to say one way or another. Personally, I'm in a rural area and don't think broadband uptake is too high. I never encountered usage slowdowns a couple of years ago when I was among the first to get cablemodem, but have noticed it lately. But then again, I have also noticed slowdowns in non-peak times, so it may have just been the service.

I think you really need to look at the services available to you, instead of declaring one type better. Technically, cable is easier to setup and usually has higher bandwidth limits. However, DSL is usually cheaper in fees and equipment since you don't need to lease or buy a modem and gets better latency. With my DSL service you get to keep the modem after 12 months and you never pay for it unless you break it/don't return it before that time.

I don't know about the UK, but in the US the telcos have to provide line access to third party providers. That isn't the case with cable, so telcos have to be more competitive since they always have competition. Most areas only have one cable provider, so cable broadband providers have many local monopolies on broadband (since it's easier to roll out cable broadband, it is usually available before DSL).

You also have to check out your potential ISP's services. In the US check out broadbandreports.com. In addition to the reviews, each ISP has a forum. Besides individual/local issues, if you see a lot of threads regarding mail/DNS/NNTP servers having problems that can tell you how they maintain their infrastructure. If they don't keep the mail server up, how do you think they maintain your connection? And DNS service is critical for most people.

Speaking of NNTP, I went on a tear with Verizon's newsgroups last night. It was still downloading at full capacity when I woke up this morning. So far I've gotten 10GB, all from a few alt.binary.multimedia.* groups. Their servers are excellent, by far the best ISP NNTP I have seen. Out of the 800 or so multipart files I downloaded, I didn't have to use 1 par file. In order to get this level of NNTP service with my cable provider I had to sign up for a commercial service that cost an extra $15+ a month.

[Doobie]

If I knew I could get a good news server, I'd switch from cable to DSL in an instant. But, I don't see any reason why one would be tter than another. Same for responsiveness. Cable might be tad more lag what really matters is how the ISP handles things.

I've never seen anyone local advertise the contention ratio. But, at least broadband users don't have to contend to get on line! My cable is wickedly fast and I never notice slowups. This hasn't always been the case.

[Arky]

http://adslguide.org.uk/howitworks/contention.asp

50:1 is pretty standard for home ADSL contracts in the UK.

20:1 is pretty standard for entry-level business/office ADSL contracts in the UK.


Arky ;o)

[JediSthlm]

I just want to add that I have just ordered a 26Mb up & down VDSL connection for my home broadband here in Sweden. In Sweden there is nothing called ratio for that matter. For that speed I will pay roughly about 38 Pounds or 55 EUR. :)

[mrlipring]

and for that, i hate you. :)

why can't my government subsidise connections? why ain't there a TRULY competitive market?

gaaah...

[JediSthlm]

LOL, lucky me

[Arky]

Originally posted by JediSthlm
I just want to add that I have just ordered a 26Mb up & down VDSL connection for my home broadband here in Sweden. In Sweden there is nothing called ratio for that matter. For that speed I will pay roughly about 38 Pounds or 55 EUR. :)


Posting such information on a forum is tantamount to SADISM! :scared: lol


you are SO lucky!

I second mrlipring's sentiment - I hate you too! :D


Arky ;o)

[SeeMoreDigital]

Originally posted by JediSthlm
I just want to add that I have just ordered a 26Mb up & down VDSL connection for my home broadband here in Sweden. In Sweden there is nothing called ratio for that matter. For that speed I will pay roughly about 38 Pounds or 55 EUR. :) Pardon me for my ignorance but what is a VDSL connection? Cable, ADSL, Satellite, Microwave link... what?

26Mb that's 3.25MB! is this per second?

Jeez at that speed you could nearly stream DV.avi video!

Cheers

[mrlipring]

it's dsl.

like adsl is a variant of dsl.

[Arky]

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/vdsl3.htm


Arky ;o)

[JediSthlm]

I am a lucky bastard, yes I now. There are now two companies with a similar service in Sweden. It do seem that VDSL is more sensetive to distance than ADSL. To get my speed I need to be at below 300 meters from my telephone station, if not I would have gotten 8/8Mb instead. So not many can get the high speed that I get. The ohter company have 10/10 instead but for the same price. What I now VDSL is just continuation of ADSL. It still uses the coppar lines from the telephone stations. It´s like a overclocked ADSL :)

[SeeMoreDigital]

Thanks for the link Arky

Well, I'm just stunned that it's technically possible for data to travel along two copper wires at these kind of speeds. 16Mbps (2MB)uplink. 52Mbps (6.5MB) downlink at a max distance of 1,200m from the telephone exchange.... amazing!

I know it's changing the subject a bit. But does anybody live in a country that's been experimenting with sending data down 'power lines/cables'?

There has been some talk about it in the UK but if anyone has any first hand experiance and can post some info, I think it would be interesting all the same.

Cheers

[JediSthlm]

Yes, we have had it in Sweden for some time now, but it has not been that big of a success. Only some power companies uses it. Since we have only a few big telephone companies (2) in Sweden they have taken most of the ADSL customers.