NTL

[Mr E]

Right, due to some changes in my setup, I now need broadband at home.

Because I do not have, and indeed don't want a phoneline in the house (I would *never* use it), it looks like my only real choice is NTL.

Oh dear.

Just exactly how much pain am I letting myself in for?

[meeja]

Just refer yourself to the "Dear Cretins" letter......

[BliarOut]

I've been with them since time began and never had a problem with the service. Only downside is customer service takes an eternity to get through..... They say they're recruiting more staff, but they started saying that a few years ago and nothings changed. Read into that what you will.

I get my phone, 1MB broadband and cable TV for about £44 a month all in, which I think's a reasonable deal.

[meeja]

About two years ago, their email servers were up and down like a brides nightie.... but touch wood since then, all has been fine.

[Mr E]

I won't be needed their email servers. Or indeed any of their added extra rubbish. I just want a fast reliable connection that doesn't require a phone line.

The 'Dear Cretins' letter is pure class though.

Will my linksys wireless router interface with their cable modem correctly?

[__Lee__]

Mr E said:

I just want a fast reliable connection

No chance of that!.

I have had quite a lot of experience in trying to sort out employee woes for a few different companies with them and they are for the most part terrible.

The company I work for now has dumped them and returned to BT because they are that bad.

Its a lottery with NTL, it works fine for some people but if you ever get a problem you would probably be best to dig the fibre up yourself.

I think it all comes down to the fact there employees are under-trained and under-equiped. I know someone who works for them and the stories he tells me are unbelivable like workers having to bring equipment in from home to do jobs!.

The UK arm is also bankrupt and running at a massive loss, they only thing that keeps the UK arm running is all the money NTL makes in the U.S.

[roadsweeper]

I pay £24.99/month for my 2Mbit/200Kbit (download/upload) connection. I also do not have a phone line and instead pay £9.99/month to Vonage for VoIP which gives me a UK phone number and free calls to all UK landlines at all times, plus incredibly cheap internation calls.

I use a Linksys VoIP router and D-Link wireless router with an NTL cable modem, the latter being much more reliable than their set-top boxes.

Overall, NTL have been fine for me so I can't complain.

[Rob P]

Just to echo the above.

Mine is very good, but when I did have a few issues (connecting 2nd PC) they were bloody useless. Customer service is a new concept to them it would seem.

[Mr E]

So, made a decision last night. Rang NTL at half six.

Man turned up at half eight this morning with drill and cable.


Downstream 1924 Kbps (240.5 KB/sec) 2077 Kbps (inc. overheads)
Upstream 185 Kbps (23.1 KB/sec) 199 Kbps (inc. overheads)

Can't complain too much so far.