Topic: Do you know of a "cheap" service provider?

[Dusty]

Hi, not been on the site for ages due to family illness and lots of bad stuff this year but I still have my allotment and hopefully will be visiting the site a lot more over the next few months.

Can anyone help with my query:  my auntie who is 82 has recently acquired a computer and is very keen to get going.  So far she has been using pay as you go and her computer, which was updated for her and is a very good computer, is so slow when she logs on to the internet.  Sometimes even the security which was put in place to stop any unwanted emails etc can take 30 minutes to download when she logs on.  Waiting for some sites to open can take the same 30-40 mins.  It is costing her 1p minute approximately but as you can imagine she is not doing anything for most of the time.

Does anyone know of an internet provider, not cable, that will not cost too much a month.  She does not need 24 hour access but something like 4-5 hours a day.

any suggestions appreciated.

thanks

[Rosa_Mundi]

Suggest you compare some of the packages available here:

http://www.broadbandgenie.co.uk/broadband_listing.html?s=3&a=specific&filter=cost&id=16&type=3&bitmask=

Many will be officially 24-hour, but they limit how much downloading you can do instead; speeds also vary.
Only word of warning I have is to compare packages carefully - some will charge an initialization fee or a connection fee, and you will need extra equipment as well - check the price carefully.

[KevB]

Dusty, When you say not "cable" you don't mean broadband? if she's online 4-5 hours a day @ 1p a minute shes better off on broadband!! by a LONG LONG way! its only about £17 per month!! if thats the case google broadband BEST suppliers for your area and pick one!!
Cheers KevB

[rosebud]

Dusty ,i have just changed my monthly payment to a special offer from NTL for
£9-99 a month for 1 year that is broadband , but i do not think you will get cheaper than that anywhere, unless of course somebody knows better ;D ;D ;D.

[Dusty]

thank you all.

NTL is cable I believe and she does not have cable in her area otherwise £9.99 would be perfect for her.
She does not want to download much really - she likes looking at sites for gardening - she is a fantastic knowledgeable gardener - and tapestry, needlework sites are her main interest.   
Pay as you go is I think her main problems as it is so slow.

I will do a check for the area  - thank you for the information.

[ken (69)]

Hi Dusty, Broadband prices are rapidly coming down, tho I am still with Tiscali Dial Up at £8 a month, Daytime only, and even cheaper £5 a month 5 days a week. Add on the free Tiscali Accelerator, you can get quite reasonable speeds.
Tiscali Accelerator compresses data as it goes thru the system and on 'maximum' does distort images.
Using a registry cleaner also helps .
Most local libraries now provide a free service, with some doing free e-mailing .

[AikenDrum]

http://www.ukonline.net/services/

Initial outlay of about £55 for ASDL modem and connection, but thereafter, £9.99 per month.     {:¬)#

[Yuet_Lee]

Hi Rosebud,
When does NTL had this offer £9.99 I didn't know ??? ??? Because I'm with them for over 2 year pay £17.99 a month. Is the offer end yet? How can I changed over?  yuet

[zaz283]

Yuet-Lee.... I was also paying £17.99 a month to NTL, but when my neighbour got an offer for under £10 a month I got on the 'phone to their Accounts Dept.

Explained that I'd already gone over to Freeview for TV, so should I start looking for better broadband supplier? Guy on other end of 'phone said 'Give me a couple of minutes', during which time I'm sure he got a cup of coffee or something, & then came back & said how about £9.99 for a year? Taken said I, but what happens after a year? You can always call back again said he!

So moral of tale is, if you don't moan you won't get

[Yuet_Lee]

Hi John,
When was that phone call you made?
I'm going to try to make a call now! Thank you!  yuet

[Yuet_Lee]

Hi John,
Yes yes yes!! I've got through to speak to them customer service to told them about this offer. She said was ended last month no longer available. So I said I'll looking for another service provider than. She said is up to you. But you needed to give 30 days notice. So put me to somebody else. Then this guy said ' right now what we can do is you can have £9.99 for 6 months instead of 12. Also credit of £30. Wow Wow Wow!! No complain with this offer! Thank you very much John. As you said  "So moral of tale is, if you don't moan you won't get " !!! yuet

[zaz283]

Really pleased yuet. Maybe when your 6 months is up & you have moan no. 2 you can let us know what happens... then I'll be prepared when my turn comes up! John

[tim]

For Broadband, the ADSL Guide is always interesting?

[windygale]

hi dusty, try aol, they have three broadband  packages, but its like everything you get what you pay for, ive been with them for years, they have a helpfull call center for problems, with having two computers on a network they help loads if things go wrong, free firewall & antivirus on e-mails, computer check up software, spyware, AND it dosent timeout, we (wife who is a moderator on a chat page-son downloading god know what & me doing rhs course work) are on line from 8am to 1.30pm most day, as my brother who is on BT has problems with his timing out during downloads ect, most days,
hope you sort things out
windy

[Columbus]

Hi Dusty, I use Demon Internet.

Not cheap, but sometimes you get what you pay for, so its value for money.

I`ve been with Demon since a long time before the internet was fashionable. I wouldn`t change for any companys offer.

http://www.demon.net/
"Demon Home offers high-speed internet access at up to 2Mbps. A low-cost service for those tired of slow dial-up connections.
Free set up and modem
£19.99 a month inc VAT
Online Purchase Only
No Limits. Demon Home is an unmetered service with no download restrictions or limits to the time you spend online"

I get more internet now for less money than I ever did, thats real progress. We have two PCs online all hours of the day and night, business hours, weekends, etc. with no slowdown and no restrictions. And the help desk is superb on the rare occasions its needed. They don`t even hassle me when I forget to pay them, which I choose to do yearly.   :o Pay them that is. When I remember.

You might want to get recommendations from friends in your area with familiarity with a particular service who can step in and help with any quirkiness in the service that might arise.

Best of luck, Col