Internet Service Providers - help please

[Dr Imran T]

I am looking to get broadband internet for my wife and need to find an ISP that offers a short/no contrct.

So far I have thought about joining sky and getting their broadband for £5pm on top of their TV package. Total cost will be about £26 and she can have all the channels too. I know that she can also take the package with her when she moves too.

Other option is to go with the 'dongle'(Three, vodafone, o2) option but I am unsure of the 'good' deals on offer and whether these 'dongles' are any good?

Finally, I suppose I could just use a 'traditional' ADSL ISP such as BT or freedom2surf etc but I am not so keen on this option. These seem rather pricey and for a little extra one could get the sky package.

What do you chaps suggest? I should add that cable is not an option.

Thanks

Dr T

[Odie]

Zen Internet are good was with them for about 2 years before I moved to Virgin Fibreband

[staceyb]

We've got a 3 dongle and it works well. 5gb for 17ish quid a month. What does your wife use/will be using the internet for?

[maxrider]

Been with PlusNet at work and at home for the last 8 or so years. They do phone/broadband etc. packages starting around £10pm. Had absolutely no problems with them at all whereas mates are constantly getting me to sort out their AOL/Virgin/other mainstream ISP etc. troubles (IT monkey )

[Hudson]

Be broadband offer 3 month contracts, which is a bit better than BT`s 18 month ones. and if you live with your telephone exchange attached to your face, you can get up to 24meg.

[FourWheelDrift]

There's an ADSL Sticky thread above with recommendations and such.

[Dr Imran T]

staceyb said:

We've got a 3 dongle and it works well. 5gb for 17ish quid a month. What does your wife use/will be using the internet for?

more general stuff like banking/admin and general surfing. A large download limit or anythin in excess of 2mb speed it not essential.

[Dr Imran T]

maxrider said:

Been with PlusNet at work and at home for the last 8 or so years. They do phone/broadband etc. packages starting around £10pm. Had absolutely no problems with them at all whereas mates are constantly getting me to sort out their AOL/Virgin/other mainstream ISP etc. troubles (IT monkey )

what is the deal with PlusNet? I don't want her to get into a long contract as she is on placement for six months.

[tinman0]

Dr Imran T said:

staceyb said:

We've got a 3 dongle and it works well. 5gb for 17ish quid a month. What does your wife use/will be using the internet for?

more general stuff like banking/admin and general surfing. A large download limit or anythin in excess of 2mb speed it not essential.

Vodafone dongle for £39 inc £15 credit, you only pay for credit when you run out of bandwidth. If she isn't using much internet it could be the cheapest solution by far.

[staceyb]

Dr Imran T said:

staceyb said:

We've got a 3 dongle and it works well. 5gb for 17ish quid a month. What does your wife use/will be using the internet for?

more general stuff like banking/admin and general surfing. A large download limit or anythin in excess of 2mb speed it not essential.

i think you can get a 3gb one for about 12 quid as well. 3, o2 and t-mobile seem to be the main dongle providers. If you go on their respective websites you can type in your postcode and they tell you roughly what speed you can get in your area via the dongle.

FWIW I can download a 20kb file in about 10mins and we only have an iffey signal where we live.

[Dr Imran T]

Thanks people, I also found out that o2 offer upto 8mb broadband for £7.34pm and provide free hardware etc.
There is also a 12mnth contract to sign which is better than the 18month ones..
The only catch is that you need to be an 02 customer, luckily my brother is so I can utilse his service.
I think £7.34 per month is the cheapest I have found and you can take the service with you when you move.

[Dr Imran T]

tinman0 said:

Dr Imran T said:

staceyb said:

We've got a 3 dongle and it works well. 5gb for 17ish quid a month. What does your wife use/will be using the internet for?

more general stuff like banking/admin and general surfing. A large download limit or anythin in excess of 2mb speed it not essential.

Vodafone dongle for £39 inc £15 credit, you only pay for credit when you run out of bandwidth. If she isn't using much internet it could be the cheapest solution by far.

Is this a pre-pay system?

[tinman0]

Dr Imran T said:

Is this a pre-pay system?

yup

[onlynik]

maxrider said:

Been with PlusNet at work and at home for the last 8 or so years. They do phone/broadband etc. packages starting around £10pm. Had absolutely no problems with them at all whereas mates are constantly getting me to sort out their AOL/Virgin/other mainstream ISP etc. troubles (IT monkey )

Plus net are an awful ISP, who traffic shape and then lie to you about it.