Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

Utilisation means that Jem. You would also have to consider is it simply to many users or an expectable amount of users on the network, with a small amount downloading to cause such slow speeds at peak times.

Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

I think what it has shown me is that during the times when I use the internet most I am often not getting the speed I am paying to get. It has also shown me that nowadays, with my two sons having left home, I don't need the speed and it has hasn't hampered what I mainly now use my connection for.

Basically if I neither need the speed nor actually get the speed, why pay a premium price for it?

Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

Hey Jem,

Hows your internet been? I have not been online in a few days and not tested.

Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

Low speed times have basically shifted time slots to after 10pm instead of after 8pm. I don't normally use it that late so from that point of view it has got better.

I spoke to a Complaints manager on Saturday about my refund - I have been given a credit of £30 so that will give me a month to see if O2 come up with their 3 months free offer again.

I haven't tested much over the weekend - too busy shifting a few telephone extensions off Virgin and onto BT in preparation for dumping at least the phone. Then we'll have a chat about what deal, if any, they would be prepared to pay for 10Mb BB only - the Complaints manager said it would cost £20pm but did suggest speaking to customer relations as he wasn't able to offer anything as that wasn't his job.

I did tell him that if £20pm was the cost of 10Mb BB I'd be leaving to go to O2 at £7.34 for 7Mb.

Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

Well my bill came through today from virgin with no credit from last month.

Gonna call up today when I get home from work to see what the hell is going on.

Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

Sounds like typical Virgin efficiency.

My actual bill is not due for another week so I shall check carefully. However the complaints manager I spoke to on Saturday gave me his full name, telephone number and extension number should I need to contact him.

Let us know what they say.

Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

A few of you might be interested to hear my update.

Decided to get O2 BB as it was £7.50 for 12 months with 2 months free and £75 cashback from Quidco making it £0 for the whole year. I was estimated at 7Mb and it was activated on 8th January. First week was perfect and averaging around 6/6.5Mb on sync speed - speed test were around 5.5Mb, sometimes closer to 6Mb. Did have to clean up my wiring a bit with removal of bell wire - adsl sure is different from cable.

Last weekend seem to experience dropped connections and ended up with around 5 in a 24 hour time frame. Talked to O2 CS who confirmed line was fine and stable - couldn't explain drop outs. Each time router rebooted it caused speed to lower until at one point I was getting less than 5Mb. Anyway on Sunday I changed the wireless settings on router to use Channel 11 as opposed to Auto - not had a dropped connection since. I have no idea why this may be as I wasn't actually using wireless although it was switched on as I occasionally use it with my iphone.

So to Virgin. I had phoned them around 2 weeks ago and discussed the possibility of leaving and what they could do. Not a lot was the answer - best deal was £17 for 10Mb BB alone or a fee options for BB and phone - all of which were dearer. They were not moved by my telling them that O2 would be £7.50 - of course they would quote deal with BB and phone which didn't interest me as i wanted the rpice down.

So last Monday I phoned up to actually cancel my services. Of course I was asked why and I told them it was cheaper to leave. Again nothing offered but what was already discussed so cancellation booked for 17th February.

From Wednesday of this week Virgin have been phoning me every day although only spoke to them last night. This was their "real" retentions department - only an outbound department I am told. As a loyal customer of 13 years they didn't want me to leave. Realising that I wouldn't get anywhere with the, " I already have a BT line so it will only cost me £7.50 to have O2" statement I changed tact.

I told them that for BT and O2 together it would cost me £11.54pm as the O2 deal was £7.50pm with 2 free months and £75 cashback so this was why I was leaving. She asked if she could look to see what they could do so I said why not.

First offer was £14 for 6 months followed by £18 for 6 months for 10Mb BB. However she could do 10Mb BB with L phone ( evening & weekend calls) for £15.95. I started to tell he that that was still too dear when she said my manager wants to speak to me. Came back with a £30 goodwill credit authorised by manager. Plus a free wireless router to replace the one I already have from them which has never worked with my modem - keeps dropping the connection every couple of minutes. I asked for time to think it over - she said she would phone today.

Before she could phone someone else from the same department phoned - they are keen! He confirmed from the notes the deal I had been offered. I told him I was still unsure as Virgin was still £10 dearer over the year. He said he would get the original person to phone me.

20 minutes later she phoned. After a bit of friendly negotiation she agreed that I could have Anytime calls for the same price as the deal last night - price seemed to have changed to £14.95 but I wasn't arguing!

So basically I have 10Mb BB, XL phone for what amounts to £11.45pm for 12 months. I decided to accept their offer as it has basically reduced my Virgin bill by £20pm and I'm not paying anything for O2 BB. Yes I could have also saved the £11.45pm with Virgin and dropped it altogether but I figured it would let me see how the O2 6Mb package and the Virgin 10Mb package compare side by side for a year. Then I can decide what to do next year. It will also give me a good backup for both phone and BB should one go down.

My O2 speedtest;

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2010/01/45.png

Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

Virgin really are pathetic some times in their desperation to keep customers aren't they? Their retentions department needs to be reminded that VM are in business to make money at some point and not to match loss-making deals from other operators.

Still all power to you, typical Scot :p:

Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

You mean only the Scots know how to look after their money? ;)

Surely not.

Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

It's thanks to the prudence of Scottish chancellors that our nation is so financially sound...... oh hang on :o:

Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

Would we have been better off with English chancellors? ;)

Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

Unfortunately Virgin are true to form re speeds.

Virgin 10Mb connection;

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2010/01/38.png

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2010/01/39.png

O2 5.7Mb connection

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2010/01/40.png

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/...2010/01/41.png

Looks like Virgin are so far making the decision easy for next year.

Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

I have to say I have been pleasantly surprised with Virgin of late - my speeds have been consistently just under 9.5Mb day, evening and weekend for the last couple of weeks. Sometimes I have even reached 10.13Mb on my 10Mb connection.

Has someone from Virgin been reading my posts and finally got it together?

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2010/02/3.png

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2010/02/4.png

Anyway nice to see and long may it continue - or at least up until next January when my 12 months offer is up.

Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

It's a common mistake with that wretched speedtest.net for peops to move around the servers. The ONLY server we can sort of trust for results is the LONDON server. The MAIDENHEAD server is notoriously under-bandwidthed and nothiong counts from that location if the results are low.

Re: My Glasgow speed problem
 

I find I get awful pings from London. Milton Keynes always works best for me. Mind you, I'm using VM's ADSL product and the routing on that is a law unto itself, so there may not be any direct correlation with the reliability of Speedtest.net for cable users.