Topic: Changing ISP

[asbean]

I've been with Pipex for about 6 years and resisted all the adverse comments people have made, as I have always found them to be helpful and sorted out any (very few, to be realistic) problems we've had.  But recently I've had trouble with them with regard to my webspace, and can't get a civilised answer out of them, to the extent that they ignore my requests for an answer to my query.  Bit like politicians, they don't answer to the question.

So I've been looking around and my son sent me to this site http://www.thinkbroadband.com/isp/compare.html to compare ISPs, and he and some of his other cronies recommend IDNet.  It certainly comes out well on the comparisons, does anyone here have experience of them?

I think Pipex must have started going rapidly downhill since they merged with Tiscali.  Today I received a letter from them saying "As we have no method of payment your Pipex account has now fallen overdue as we are yet to receive payment from you".  Spoke to the bank and they said the problem is that Pipex didn't take their payment - it's a direct debit!  The bank lady said "you give them what for!".  The 0871 number was music ad infinitum, so I sent them a stern email, and hope for a response.  Perhaps I'm being punished for the webspace query.

Rant over, I'm going back to the lottie to whack the grass with the heavy duty strimmer and imagine it's Pipex.   >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:( >:(

[ceres]

Which? magazine reported on broadband suppliers in March.  They looked at around 30 suppliers but IDNet wasn't one of them.  The best buys were 3 Zen packages and Waitrose.

[woppa30]

Can I ask what your webspace query was. In my experience this feature isn't supported very well and you may get more hlep from people on the web.

[asbean]

They don't support "third party ftp programs" and I'd like to know why.  They won't answer the question.  In fact the person I spoke to had never heard of Dreamweaver. I hardly ever use it, and it's only 50MB and I'm leaving anyway.

I eventually spoke to someone, and the reason for my "non payment" was that their computer had crashed and they had "lost" the bank details!  So they couldn't take the money so they sent the stroppy letter to say I was a bad payer!

Been doing a bit more research and talking to people and Zen or IDNet come up well, we'll probably go withIDNet, they have a 30GB download cap as opposed to 25 with Zen and also an adverrtised 0800 number (UK people!!!).

Incidentally, the last thing the customer service assistnat I spoke to lyesterday afternoon  asked me was "is there anything else I can help you with?"  my reply was "yes, find me a decent ISP".  She didn't know what an ISP was.

Still, she now knows that it is anger not angryness that I was suffering from.   :) :) :)

[Eristic]

I use Fire ftp, a plugin for Firefox web browser. Easy to use, efficient and free.

[asbean]

I use dreamweaver's ftp, I am webmaster for a charity website, as well as the 56-page site for my own business. I just wanted an answer to their question.

My blood pressure shot up at lunchtime - the friend that recommended Pipex in the first place, all those years ago, told me that he had received an email saying that their computer had crashed,they hadn't taken one/two/three payments (he couldn't remember how many) and they were waiving the payment as it was their fault!!!!

World War III has started.

[Larkshall]

I use Fire ftp, a plugin for Firefox web browser. Easy to use, efficient and free.

I have recently used three ftp programs, Gftp, Nico's Commander and now FireZilla. After using the first two for a considerable time I started having problems (mainly due to permissions), I have now settled on FireZilla as the best. It is available for Windows, Mac and Linux.

You should be able to use whatever you want, I haven't seen anyone complaining of this until now.

[floraldi]

I want to change from AOL and to have a full package with free evening and weekend calls etc. At present I use Primus for my ohone calls and also pay them for the line.   Last month the bill was £11.30 which meant I only used £1.30 approx on telephone calls. When I said I might move they said they too could offer a full package with broadband but at £23. I believe Tiscali are cheaper so I'm not sure which way to go. We are very low 'phone users anyway.

Never heard of the Firefox plug so will go see what it is all about.

[Larkshall]

I've just found the free download address for FireZilla

http://www.uberdownloads.com/14576/download-filezilla-free-ftp.html

I normally use it under Ubuntu (Linux) but it is available for all platforms.

Floraldi: Don't go for "free calls" packages then, they usually charge about £5 a month extra. So if your calls amount to less than £5 a month it's not worth it.

I thought of changing to a "free calls" package but checked and found that my call charges (5p per call, with a swiss company) were only about £3 per month.

[Rosebank]

Hi Asbean., Funnily enough I had an email and letter from Pipex on the same vein.  They had no method of payment to take my payment.  They have given me 6 days to pay up!!  Phoned and got India who I couldn't understand and they couldn't understand me.  Sent 4 emails and have not had a reply.  I am off to Talk Talk. >:(

[asbean]

Rosebank - It's a tossup between Zen and IDNet (both been recommended) - I've been checking this site and talk-talk doesn't look any better than Pipex.
http://www.thinkbroadband.com/isp/compare.html?isp_16=1&isp_20=1&isp_22=1&isp_6=1&commit=Compare

[Rosebank]

Had a right nasty email from Pipex today threatening me with a debt collector and being put on a bad payer register.  Phoned and was put on to 3 different numbers all passing the buck.  Asked to close my account and told I must give a month's notice and must pay up before I could close the account.  I wont tell you what I said but it was like water off a duck's back.  They couldn't care less.  I have now signed up with Talk Talk as we know several people on this and they have had no bother - finers crossed!!!

[asbean]

This is what my son emailed me a couple of months ago when he was checking our ISPs with his friends:

"What is the difference between DataStream and IPStream Broadband?

ISP's using Datastream connections (Tiscali, Bulldog etc) are the ones that
are being complained about most on many ADSL forums. This is because BT,
under OFCOM rulings, had to open their exchanges up for the sake of
competition. Since they had to do this, it now allows ISP's to install their
own equipment in the exchange. This is the key to Datastream services.

A Datastream provider can install a 2Mbit circuit into a telephone exchange,
but this immediatly causes contention issues, as the capacity to run
thousands of connections is not specifically there from the offset.

The main issue currently facing Datastream broadband providers is the speed
that users can access the Internet and email services. Because the ISP
routes traffic through its own network, the more users on board directly
affects the speed in which users can use the Internet. The busier a
telephone exchange, the worse the connection speed becomes.

IPStream Broadband Providers (BT, IDnet, Proweb etc) channel all customers
down a 155Mbit network circuit. This is fed directly onto a BT controlled
network, which gives us a balanced speed. The number of users connected to
the exchange does not affect the connection speeds, as it is a completely
balanced network, regulated by OFCOM."

...he did go on to post that-so far-ID net's customer service has been
outstanding, though he doesn't mention which package he is on with them, I
suspect one of the high-end ones....I'll look at their site in a bit :-)

[Spruance]

As a former long term Pipex customer myself asbean I can sympathise with your predicament since Tiscali took over. I had always been satisfied with the original Pipex. Virtually no problems or outages, helpful support staff on a local call rate number, and good linespeeds. The latter began to deteriorate towards the end of last year to the point where I was often getting under 1Mbps on my supposedly 2Mbps connection.

The final straw came on 21st January this year when Pipex-Tiscali (as I now prefer to think of them) 'upgraded' my connection overnight to the 'Up to  8Mbps' service. Over the next fortnight my connection was at times dropping every minute, with linespeeds down to almost dial up levels. :o
Pipex Support were no help at all, but having compared notes with fellow malcontents on the Think Broadband site I elected to switch to Plusnet and have not regretted my decision for a minute. I have been a member of the Think Broadband (formerly ADSL Guide) forum since February 2003 and have always valued the advice offered. If you want to read up on my experiences run a search on the Pipex and Plusnet sections for Spruance.

Having made up my mind to switch I had to wait 5 days for my MAC (Migration Authorisation Code) from Pipex, but on receipt of this Plusnet made the transfer in only three days which I was really impressed with. I noticed an immediate improvement in stability and linespeed on moving to Plusnet, and this improved further when the free router arrived.

Pipex had always maintained that my BT line would not support more than a 2Mb broadband connection, and they tried to use this to explain away the failings in January. Plusnet said that this was nonsense, and this is borne out by the fact that I am currently enjoying a 5.5Mb connection with no outages whatsoever.

Plusnet is a division of BT but operates independently. They have a very good reputation, a UK call centre (in Sheffield) and very good packages in my opinion so I can certainly recommend them if you want to get away from Pipex..... ;)

http://www.plus.net/residential/broadband/

[asbean]

A couple of weeks ago my connection crashed (BT exchange problem) for 24 hours. I had to go through Pipex tech support, three calls in all, got connected almost immediately each time, the guys at the other end knew what I was talking about and apart from the second and third operators wanting me to go through the full story again (which was already recorded with a job reference by the first chap) they were very helpful. They also checked back afterwards to make sure everything was OK.  I can't fault them on that at all, and they were just as good the last time I had problems with BT (McNick severed our phone line while digging the pavement outside the house amongst other probs).

My gripe with them is (1) being sent a badly worded, shockingly ungrammatical letter insinuating that I am a bad payer and not apologising for it and (2) not answering a straightforward question, which I sent them on 30th May. They replied, but did not answer the question.  I keep reminding them every 3-4 days.

[Green_Gooseberry]

I think Pipex must have started going rapidly downhill since they merged with Tiscali. 

Tiscali, Ouch, they used to be my ISP (got sent 3 fair usage policy letters when I dont download and the internet was bad), I am now on TalkTalk (better than quite a few providers) but Zen is also supposed to be good and the magazine 'Computer Shopper' said Virgin Broadband is good for download speeds and customer service.

[Nemesia]

I have been with AOL for a long time and after advice from one of the lads on MSE Techie section I haggled the price down to £9.99 month.  Tech help is free but is always prompt and very very polite (Indian people I assume). Carphone Warehouse now owns AOL UK and I have been looking at a Carphone all in package i.e. broadband, phone and line rental. We are very low phone users so I'm not sure it's worth marking a change. I pay Primus for line rental £10.50 per month plus calls which were only £3.56 last month. For anyone who telephones Oz it is only 4p per minute. Uk calls are very cheap. Thing is I'd like a free router as I want a laptop and I believe Carphone are including routers (and laptops too?).