🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <+fdI1OAOmGn8EwWr@pigsonthewing.org.uk>, Andy Mabbett 
<andy@pigsonthewing.org.uk> writes
>I'm thinking of treating myself to a brad-an 'Net connection.
>
>Who are the suppliers, in Birmingham, and what are their relative
>merits?

Blueyonder via telewest or BT ADSL via virtually any ISP of your choice.

Which you choose may be down to what's available at your postcode.  I 
have a choice of ADSL or nothing (despite having Telewest cable down my 
street - it's the wrong sort apparently.)  A colleague can get BY but 
not ADSL.

Have a peruse around uk.telecom.broadband.

I have ADSL (no choice, see above) and wouldn't go back to a modem now.
-- 
Paul

Andy Mabbett wrote:
> 
> I'm thinking of treating myself to a brad-an 'Net connection.
> 
> Who are the suppliers, in Birmingham, and what are their relative
> merits?

As Paul said, it's BY or ADSL. I'm in Longbridge, and can get either,
but went for BY as it was cheaper (at the time). If you can get, or have
active digital TV, then you can get a TW CM. You'll need a NIC for it
too, but if you don't have one then TW will sell you one for silly
money, 25UKP for a netgear one (IIRC). I just use a 10MBps Realtek one,
and its fine.

> 
> My PC is currently in the living room, but will probably move elsewhere
> when I re-furnish, shortly. How easy is it to run an extension lead
> (what type?) from the termination of their cable to my PC?

If you have no cable TV install already then they'll put a box on the
outside of your house, and another one inside. From the inside box they
run coax to the cablemodem, and then there's a short patch cable to the
NIC. But if you moved the PC then a longer patch lead can be used no
problem, or the coax could be lengthened. No doubt TW will do that, but
I bet they'd charge, but the cable will have the spec of it on it, and
so you could probably lengthen it yourself too.

> 
> Are there any FAQs I should read?

Probably.... I can't remember any URLs off the top of my head.
-- 
Nick
MSN - passport@internewt.org.uk                    internewt_uk - Yahoo!
ICQ - 125080214                                       internewt666 - AIM
          All of the above on Trillian, http://www.trillian.cc

On Sat, 23 Mar 2002 11:39:58 +0000, Andy Mabbett
<andy@pigsonthewing.org.uk> wrote:

>I'm thinking of treating myself to a brad-an 'Net connection.
>
>Who are the suppliers, in Birmingham, and what are their relative
>merits?
>
>My PC is currently in the living room, but will probably move elsewhere
>when I re-furnish, shortly. How easy is it to run an extension lead
>(what type?) from the termination of their cable to my PC?
>
>Are there any FAQs I should read?
>-- 
>Andy Mabbett
>
>                        Downloading http://*.* - disc full...
Read www.adslguide.org.uk
It's a font of knowldege for all things broadband

>>-- 
>>Andy Mabbett
>>
>>                        Downloading http://*.* - disc full...
>Read www.adslguide.org.uk
>It's a font of knowldege for all things broadband

It is a good site although it tempted me to sign with Pipex and its all
been downhill since then - good job I kept my ISDN on a separate line as
I have spent hours and hours listening to Pipex music while queuing on
their helpline - send us an email instead they say  but they never
reply.

And still no broadband - BT say "it is done", Pipex say "BT say it is
done" but it does not work. How's this - took my laptop and modem to a
BT ADSL home and it works perfectly - bring it back here, will not work.
Friend who's ADSL works brings his gear here and it will not work on my
line - well say Pipex, "BT says it is done".

AH! The joys of "Wires only, plug and go" - with the costlier BT
engineer installation, the final act is the BT engineer rolling up with
his laptop and doing a "whoosh" test to show that the ADSL works.

You get what you pay for in this world and I can see now why Pipex is a
free install - when this finally works I will have paid far more in call
charges (2-3 hours a day queuing time) to Pipex than if I had paid for a
proper BT install.

You live and learn
M Hilton