Sky broadband - Orange broadband problems

[happyhero]

Hi I have Orange broadband which was previously Wanadoo and Freeserve before that for me, so I have basically stayed put for a while, but ever since Orange took my service over I keep getting loss of service, approximatly twice a month, sometimes for a few hours and sometimes days. Also my speed is diminishing into infinity I think, its terrible in the evening, about 0.2M and I was supposed to be on 2M.

I have complained and asked for refunds for the no-broadband days but my emails get ignored completely and the refunds they promise on the phone never appear, so I am rapidly getting fed up with them and thinking of moving but it doesn't seem that there is a very good provider out there. They all seem to have their share of problems. When I was with Freeserve and Wanado I never had a single problem that I can remember.

The Orange tecnical help is always very apologetic and achieving nothing, thats if we can understand each other of course.

I use this site for speed checks http://www.speedtest.bbmax.co.uk/ amongst others. What speeds are you getting with Orange or anybody else for that matter?

I am now tempted with the Sky offer (£5 a month seems gret stuff) but initially I heard there were lots of problems getting connected to them when they first take you on. I heard that I would have to wait 10 days first after leaving my previous service provider before applying for Sky and then it would take up to 15 days for connection if all went ok. Thats 25 days without service, thats crazy in this day and age. I do a lot of work on the net and struggle if I am without it for a day never mind 25.

I complained to them about this via an email since they keep sending me stuff to join and someone now at their end has come back and said that because I am already with a broadband service it will only cause a maximum dissruption of 30 minutes (thats more like it) but what do I believe now?

I have heard a few months ago friends having trouble when they tried to join Sky broadband but then again they had nothing before. They gave up in the end and went elsewhere.

Also when they quote you speeds they say "Up To", so if I went with Sky what might I actually get? If I paid for 8M would I get anywhere near 8, ever, and if I paid for 16M what would I get if it is "UP TO"? I mean if I join them and only get 2M ( which is a lot better than what I get now) why pay for 16M, when that would come in the scope of 8M? Are people who pay for 16M garanteed over 8M or is it just a con?

What speeds are Sky people actually getting? http://www.speedtest.bbmax.co.uk/ I would be interested to know and are you getting any disruptions of service?

I am confused what to do, help please.

 

[Belle427]

im on the sky mid package and i got 1555 kbps download and 334 upload,i was told 10 to 15 working days to activate the line,which it was,i wasnt without broadband as my other provider kept me online up until the changeover day,i had no issues at all with waiting etc and have had no real issues with service apart from a few router resets

 

[happyhero]

Hi ch427 and thanks for your reply, see what I mean though you are paying for the Mid package of 8Mb but getting less than the Base package of 2Mb which is free. It makes me wonder what you would get if you took the Base package possibly still 1555kbps, so is it a con and what if you took the Max package of 16Mb, maybe still 1555kbps. Seems to me there should be tolorences set so you get a minimum and not just that they say "up to" otherwise you could get anything below the 16Mb you pay for.

 

[Belle427]

that was with a wireless connection,i tried it again with a lead and it was 3180 kbps and 343 kbps,still not that good but its not slow on the computer

 

[Softus]

... I am rapidly getting fed up with them and thinking of moving but it doesn't seem that there is a very good provider out there. They all seem to have their share of problems.

I don't agree - I could recommend several excellent providers.

When I was with Freeserve and Wanado I never had a single problem that I can remember.

Then you were fortunate. But the acid test of a provider's capabilities is when things go wrong technically and have to be put right. The good ones act swiftly and effectively, and the sh*te ones take forever to get nowhere.

What speeds are you getting with Orange or anybody else for that matter?

I don't know, and, frankyl, I don't really care - download speed isn't important to me. Reliability is important.

I am confused what to do, help please.

See this web page that you can use to compare the results of consumer ratings, then choose a good provider, then change to them. Migration should take less than a week, as long as Orange give the MAC code when you ask for it.