Opinions on O2 16mb deal
gp
cashback sites makes it even sweeter.
Just wondering if anyone has this package or a similar? How long do they
take to hook you up and running?
Ta
Andrew MacPherson
> Just wondering if anyone has this package or a similar? How long
> do they take to hook you up and running?
There was an 8 day gap for me between entering my MAC on the O2 website, and being
flawlessly connected. My only 'problem' was that they sent the router etc. three
days before they said they would. :-)
There are text messages (if you give them your phone number) and emails at every
stage of the process. And so far, on O2 hardware at my (very) nearby exchange, I've
had a month or so of perfect broadband. The 2.1Mb/s I get from some sites is really
spoiling me! Especially after being stuck at 120kb/s on my '8Mb' service down the
same copper from Pipex on Tiscali hardware at the exchange.
When the O2 service starts to get more clogged (as happens to them all eventually,
no matter how well they start out) I'll be heartbroken. Until then, I don't have a
bad word to say about O2. I'd certainly recommend them based on my limited
experience so far.
Andrew McP
www.GymRatZ.co.uk
Just taken up both a Be* and an O2 account.
My main gripe about O2 compared to Be is they are more "restrictive"
when it comes to more advanced features.
Biggest problem for me was it was much harder to switch the O2 box to
bridged mode whereas Be box was a doddle.
Also service profiles are user-changeable with Be. O2 you get what you get.
Saying that both perform impecably.
V V Happy customer for both.
Pete
--
http://www.GymRatZ.co.uk - Fitness+Gym Equipment.
http://www.bodysolid-gym-equipment.co.uk
http://www.trade-price-supplements.co.uk
http://www.water-rower.co.uk
John
> In article <ge1vim$iae$1...@news.mixmin.net>, gp3...@privacy.net (gp)
> wrote:
> my (very) nearby exchange, I've had a month or so of perfect
> broadband. The 2.1Mb/s I get from some sites is really spoiling me!
> Especially after being stuck at 120kb/s on my '8Mb' service down the
> same copper from Pipex on Tiscali hardware at the exchange.
If you're exchange is very close, there's no reason whatsoever why you
should have been stuck at 120kbps before, and only getting 2.1mbps now. I'm
1.76km (that's line length, from the days when dialling 17070 used to tell
you the line length) and my router synchs at 8128/448 and my actual download
or throughput speed is usually between 6.7 and 7.18mbps depending on which
sites I'm visiting. Something seems to be sadly wrong for you my friend and
I'd be inclined to chase it up if I were you.
John
John
> x@y.z (John) wrote:
>
>> there's no reason whatsoever why you
>> should have been stuck at 120kbps before
>
> investigate because I was getting more than the guaranteed minimum.
> Not their fault, they were just following their call centre rules. I
> knew it'd be something daft, because I was syncing at 8000+ every
> time, but nothing changed at all when I moved from the 1Mb to 8Mb
> package. I got tired of paying for phone calls to try and explain
> that.
>
> I could've probably have pushed harder, but once I realised o2 were
> at my exchange I just waited patiently until my renewed Pipex
> contract was finished.
>
> Don't get mad, get even. In this case, even faster broadband for the
> same money. :->
Yeah, but you said:
***The 2.1Mb/s I get from some sites is really spoiling me!***
and you also said:
***When the O2 service starts to get more clogged (as happens to them all
eventually, no matter how well they start out) I'll be heartbroken.***
which is making me think (unless I'm reading it wrong) that you're still not
getting above 2.1mbps, even though your exchange is really close - like I
said, I get an actual download speed of between about 6.5 and 7.2mbps.
Andrew MacPherson
> which is making me think (unless I'm reading it wrong) that you're
> still not getting above 2.1mbps,
Sorry, I said Mb/s, not mbps. A bit confusing perhaps; my fault. I can assure you
there is nothing shabby about a top download speed of 2.1Mb/s. :-)
Andrew McP
Jim Crowther
wrote:
>x@y.z (John) wrote:
>
>> which is making me think (unless I'm reading it wrong) that you're
>> still not getting above 2.1mbps,
>
>Sorry, I said Mb/s,
Mega-bits per second, a standard measure.
> not mbps.
milli-bits per second, whatever they are...
> A bit confusing perhaps; my fault. I can assure you
>there is nothing shabby about a top download speed of 2.1Mb/s. :-)
Did you mean MB/s (Mega-Bytes per second) perhaps? ;)
--
Jim Crowther
Andrew MacPherson
> Did you mean MB/s (Mega-Bytes per second) perhaps? ;)
I picked the wrong group to be an amateur in, didn't I. I've always dealt in bytes
rather than bits, and it was only when talking about ADSL that I've ever had to
contemplate bits.
Previously I've always used kb/s for bytes and kbps for bits. I just extended that
to the mega world. As for the M/m distinction... well, in the absence of such a
thing as a milli-bit I think it's safe to assume I meant mega. Nevertheless, I
consider myself re-educated. :-)
Andrew McP
John
OK maybe I'm getting confused with units of speed, but I still reckon 2.1
whatevers are low for you if you live very close to the exchange. Just to
avoid any further confusion, try running the speedtest at
www.speedtester.bt.com (it's the only tester an ISP will take any notice of
if there are speed-related issues as it's the only one that reports your IP
Profile and actual throughput) and post back what you get.
As I said earlier, I live 1.76km (line length) from the exchange and here's
my results:
1. Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
Your DSL connection rate: 8128 kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP profile for your line is - 7150 kbps
Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 6566 kbps
John
Andrew MacPherson
> but I still reckon 2.1 whatevers are low for you if you
> live very close to the exchange
I got a maximum of ~5.5kbytes/s with a 56k modem. :-)
I got ~60kbytes/s downloads with 512k ASDL
I got ~120kbytes/s with 1megabit Pipex ADSL
I got ~120kbytes/s with 8megabit Pipex ADSL (spot the deliberate mistake!)
I now get 2.1megabytes/s (peak) with 20megabit O2.
2.1megabytes is what, 2150kbytes/s... which is roughly 18x faster than with the
1megabit ADSL. So I think it's pretty close to optimal.
Even if it's not, I've very happy, and increasingly spoiled! :-)
Andrew McP
John
Well Andrew, if you're happy with it my friend, then that's fair enough. But
do you not get frustrated that there's a problem * with something somewhere*
and that it could be even better than it is now?
Andrew MacPherson
> But do you not get frustrated that there's a problem * with something
> somewhere* and that it could be even better than it is now?
I'm confused. As far as I can see I've very close to the maximum theoretical
download speed.
I was certainly frustrated with Pipex's 1megabit sheep in 8megabit wolf's clothing,
but O2 seem to be delivering me very close to the maximum download speed possible
on their 20megabit package.
Bandwidth (Up/Down) [kbps/kbps]: 2,446 / 21,732
...is what my router's reporting, and 2.1 megabytes seems like a fair amount of
data to be squeezing down that pipe from a fast site.
Andrew McP
Andrew MacPherson
> and 2.1 megabytes seems like a fair amount of
> data to be squeezing down that pipe from a fast site.
...every second.
Andrew McP
John
DOH!!! It's me again Andrew, getting units mixed up, not your connection. A
back injury forced me into medical retirement and the constant pain makes my
brain fuddled - not to mention the legitimately hospital-prescribed Ketamine
that I take to try to overcome it :o)
Carry on as you were, sir, and now that my brain has grasped what you were
telling me all along I'm rather quite envious :o)
John
Andrew MacPherson
> A back injury forced me into medical retirement and the constant pain
> makes my brain fuddled
You have my deepest sympathy. After 19 years in a very physical job I and my back
are barely on speaking terms. My last bad episode was only sixteen days ago, and I
could barely walk for a week or so before all the usual 'tricks' started to have an
effect.
If I had any sense whatsoever (which I clearly haven't) I'd be finding something my
spine was happier with before I end up in the same position as yourself!
Anyway, it was an interesting exchange. I learned something in the process. :-)
Andrew McP