Best internet solution where there is no fibre

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Hi

May be moving to a more rural location. No Virgin Media connection there at all and most of the broadband providers can only do 8-16Mbps.

I am a heavy user, I rarely watch TV - choosing instead to watch Netflix, YouTube, and other streaming services. I don't play games but I have in the past. I also have run a media server which involved a lot downloading - although the speed doesn't matter too much, but obviously it would take up bandwidth if I did that again.

It will only be me and my Girlfriend - no kids for the next 2 years at least (hopefully!).

Options are:

- The 8-16Mbps internet like BT or someone
- Vodafone 4G - there is a good connection there, I tested it earlier. You can also get Routers that go on the outside of the house it make it stronger.

Any thoughts?
 
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8-16 is good enough for almost everything including netflix.
when we had standard broadband in our old property I had another Bt landline installed. so 2 landlines and 2 routers .
still only £40/month
 
I swapped from BT to Vodafone this year, same Internet, half the price.

16Mbps is OK for streaming 1080p, just not 4 - that needs about 25Mps, I think

Hopefully by the time you have kids on xboxes 24/7 better internet will be available!
 
Hi

May be moving to a more rural location. No Virgin Media connection there at all and most of the broadband providers can only do 8-16Mbps.

I am a heavy user, I rarely watch TV - choosing instead to watch Netflix, YouTube, and other streaming services. I don't play games but I have in the past. I also have run a media server which involved a lot downloading - although the speed doesn't matter too much, but obviously it would take up bandwidth if I did that again.

It will only be me and my Girlfriend - no kids for the next 2 years at least (hopefully!).

Options are:

- The 8-16Mbps internet like BT or someone
- Vodafone 4G - there is a good connection there, I tested it earlier. You can also get Routers that go on the outside of the house it make it stronger.

Any thoughts?

Be careful here, BT or Openretch as i like to call them spec(estimate!) your good and bad line speeds using a simple distance/attenuation calc but the big but there is also a tolerance contracted in by most ISPs which doesn't mean you are guaranteed as such. 8-16 i would say translate to about 5-12Mbps on good or bad days and if it's lower the best they normally offer you is an option to leave your contract early. The lower figure i quoted will start to cause issues with Netflix etc so if you like a bit of 'fileshare' or the like and streaming IPTV etc you really could be having trouble here.
Remember it's all about your physical distance from the Cabinet to your house hence FTTC fibre to the cabinet. And whilst VDSL has improved this speed there comes a point where VDSL is no longer that good and ADSL is preferred however that's over longer distances the issue being VDSL is fast but really doesn't like distance over copper lines it drops off fast.
Don't rely on Openretch to give a FF if it's slow theyll show up look at you like what do you expect living out here, wiggle some stuff do a 'lift n shift' in the cabinet and f off in time for cornflakes.

Not meaning to sound cynical but i've been there in the past, it's not fun, i have fibre now real fibre (FTTP) not FTTC which is bs.

Then you may have a potential Wifi provider or Satellite, or you if you're lucky a 4G antenna all may cost more and you have latency issues then, but maybe not so bad if you're not gaming but then they normally charge data bundles over unlimited.

Do your research. Good luck!
 
Last edited:
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You can get a 4G aerial that goes on your roof or somewhere outside to ensure good signal then runs to a router, coupled with a unlimited data package with a provider you would have much better speeds than 8-16mbps, that’s the option I would go with.
 
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