NTL broadband on an NTL phoneline impossible?

[confused_j]

Hi

I really hope someone will be able to help me.

I live in London in a flat which has an NTL phoneline. I would like to get broadband. I have looked on their website to try and set this up and when I put in my postcode it tells me that I can only have dialup!

I could understand this if NTl could only do broadband via cable but now I learn that they have recently started doing broadband on BT phonelines. So, can't they do it on their own?!

This makes no sense to me and I was wondering if anybody could offer any help / guidance at all...

Are there any other broadband providers who could let me have broadband on my NTL phoneline, if they for some reason can't do it themselves?

Thanks for your help!

[Neil]

1) :welcome: to the site. :)

2) The only way to get BB from ntl is (believe it or not!) get a BT phone line, then use ntl's 'Offnet' (for non ntl areas) Freedom Service.

BB won't be coming to your part of the world any time soon from ntl, so I would at very least get a BT line anyway, that way you can choose from the huge list of ADSL suppliers.

More info on ntl Freedom here: https://secure.ntlfreedom.com/broadband_512k.aspx

More info on ADSL suppliers here: www.adslguide.org.uk

FWIW-I don't think the ntl offering is very good value for money (same package as BT/Wanadoo offer), & you're better off going with one of the DSL 'big boys' IMHO. :)

HTH, enjoy the site.

[Stuart]

As far as I know, because of the way NTL's phone system is designed, it would be physically impossible for NTL to provide ADSL services, even if the relevant hardware were installed on their exchanges.

[confused_j]

Oh that's helpful, thank you.

I don't actually really want NTL broadband but I thought it was the only option really since I have an NTl phoneline. Then I discovered that it was actually not an option, so therefore I had zero options... hmm.

In terms of installing a BT phoneline - I'm a little confused about my options here.... basically I live in a large block of apartments, pretty newly converted, the whole block is on NTL - all 12 floors.

How easy would it be to get a BT phoneline put in? It seems to me like I'd be creating a lot of work for BT, to get a phoneline installed on the 8th floor. Not that I'm averse to the idea of giving them something to do, but my other concern is - am I even allowed to do this in such a building? they're presumably going to need to get access to a lot of communal areas and I just don't know if this would be possible.... Or maybe they could use the current NTL lines? I don't know much about these things....

I realise that this is probably the wrong forum for this but any help much appreciated - thanks!

[Stuart]

Oh that's helpful, thank you.

I don't actually really want NTL broadband but I thought it was the only option really since I have an NTl phoneline. Then I discovered that it was actually not an option, so therefore I had zero options... hmm.

In terms of installing a BT phoneline - I'm a little confused about my options here.... basically I live in a large block of apartments, pretty newly converted, the whole block is on NTL - all 12 floors.

How easy would it be to get a BT phoneline put in? It seems to me like I'd be creating a lot of work for BT, to get a phoneline installed on the 8th floor. Not that I'm averse to the idea of giving them something to do, but my other concern is - am I even allowed to do this in such a building? they're presumably going to need to get access to a lot of communal areas and I just don't know if this would be possible.... Or maybe they could use the current NTL lines? I don't know much about these things....

I realise that this is probably the wrong forum for this but any help much appreciated - thanks!

The best thing to do would be to call BT. They will need to check with your landlord whether they can install lines, but they will be the best ones to tell you if they can install a BT line in your block.

Then check with one of the ADSL Broadband suppliers. Neil would probably suggest pipex (http://www.pipex.com). I personally would recommend Bulldog broadband (http://www.bulldogbroadband.com/), but you may be better off checking ADSL Guide (http://www.adslguide.com). They may need to liaise with BT about the installation, so it will take a few weeks.

[Neil]

How easy would it be to get a BT phoneline put in?

Probably very easy I'd say: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/showpost.php?p=89078&postcount=1

It may cost you an installation fee from BT if there has never been a BT line in there, but that will at least give you a good chance of getting ADSL (no guarantees though!)