Back online!

[briarwood]

OMG! I'm back, my internet is back!

I had to take a day off work to wait for the guy who came to fix it. But I don't care. It's fixed!

Though, looking at the number of times my cable modem service has screwed itself up lately, combined with the continuing utter incompetence of their telephone tech support line (which is now premium rate - outrageous!) I think it's time to give serious thought to switching to a new provider.

Any of my UK friends care to rec an ADSL provider?

NTL's (sorry, Virgin Media now) tech support has always been crap but the engineers they send out to houses are really, really great. Alls you've got to do is convince the idiots on the phone lines that a) you're not completely ignorant and b) no, it's really, really not a PC fault. Then they send someone friendly and competent.

I've been loyal to NTL for the simple reason that the only alternative (for TV) is Sky and I hate the thought of lining Rupert Murdoch's pocket. I didn't consider switching when we lost Sky One because I believe it will eventually get sorted out and I really want to see the Competition Commission smack Murdock. Hard. But this is too much. Freeview still isn't up to scratch (though it does get ITV2 so I wouldn't lose my Supernatural) so Sky is the only realistic option. I know they do a broadband package, too, but I haven't checked out the TOS.

To switch, we'd have to switch phone service, too, which is a major PITA, but I think Mum would, as she's sick of VM herself. She hates the new channel numbers and the black TV guide.

Ah, well.

New fic posted - check.

Now I've got some work-related stuff I must do even though I'm on a day off, and then I can re-start work on all the things I've promised to do.

Comments

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

Wheeeeee! You're back - that's got to be good news. *g*

[morgan32.livejournal.com]

Yes. Oh, three and a half days with no internet. I can't cope, I tell you!!!

[caoilin-noir.livejournal.com]

So I don't know if this is a bit late/welcome, but I got the Sky, Surf, Speak package for £26 a month a few months ago, just after the whole virgin media "we're taking our ball home fiasco".

I don't know if it was just me, but it was amazingly simple and still seems like a really good deal. Everything arrived quickly and went together like a dream and I'm not amazingly computer savy at all!

I have other friends who've had ntl/virgin media before and I know they have had major problems - in their words it was the best deal when they moved into their house (5 students sharing) 3 years ago, but it really isn't anymore, but they can't be bothered to go throught the pain of changing...but have their internet down about once a week.

But having sky...not good for my work ethic.

BTW, have friended you so your spn fic shows up on my friend page - hope this is okay!

[morgan32.livejournal.com]

I have other friends who've had ntl/virgin media before and I know they have had major problems

Yeah, the problem with ntl is the service is only as good as the cable network. I used to work for them (in internet support, actually) so I know that in some places the hardware just isn't good enough to support internet. But they sell it anyway.

Thanks for the info on Sky. Do they have bandwidth limits on their broadband?

I need to find out if we can get the Sky package we'd need with them re. television. That's the real trouble: We'd need three boxes and to be able to watch different channels on all three. I don't know if they can do that. I guess I could live with just freeview, though.

BTW, have friended you so your spn fic shows up on my friend page - hope this is okay!

Of course it's okay :-)

[sesaworuban.livejournal.com]

I use Plus.net who I've been pretty pleased with. They have a peak use bandwidth limit but unlimited off-peak.