[DeadKenny]

Originally Posted by Ignition

No we don't, network balancing from ntl uses a command which doesn't disconnect customers modems at all.

NTL did cut me off quite often during their attempts to mess about with the network. The number of times I found my modem in a poor state and then looked up the online status page (when it was working), and I'd find they'd been playing about in my area about the exact time the modem went down . I also remember it would often reboot at midnight.

Be interesting to see how badly they start shaping on the 4/8M services, especially considering how much they are struggling with the current 2Mbit service pricing. If you think cable won't keep up or go faster you're quite wrong

From what I understood, 3Mbps was a struggle with concern whether the network would cope, needed to roll out new equipment, and certain management would have rather not offered such high speeds to "bandwidth hoggers" anyway

However when forward thinking Telewest come on board, things may change.

Can NTL's cable network really can cope with 8Mbps across the board for all customers without a major level of investment?. Sure the modems (some of them) can go to 30Mbps, but the same issues apply in regards to distance and fibre/coax is quite susceptible to noise and interference (certainly in my experience).

As I understand it NTL are looking to ADSL technology (maybe ADSL2+) over their copper phone lines instead to deliver the goods as they know cable can't cut it . Actually I'd be quite interested in that as NTL can put equipment quite close to the customer which means high speeds are quite achievable and cheap to provide. Just a shame I cannot put up with their customer service (again maybe Telewest will help there).

Interesting how these same people were fine before hand and Plusnet by their own admission have made some mistakes with the shaping. Also interesting how in at least one of those threads a guy was complaining of slow speeds on all applications, when he logged on through the BT test, eliminating PN entirely from the equation, speeds were fine, strange that.

Speed tests on Plus for me, including using their own tester, shows I've been getting pretty much bang on what's expected for 2Mbps all during this (non)"event".

If you're happy with this fair play to you. Though when was the last time you had anyone complain of ntl being congested?

I believe it was NTL themselves who wrote letters to customers who were maxing out the network to the detriment of other customers

There's basically zero congestion anywhere now.

They may as well remove this clause from the UP then...

"Customers who use the services more heavily than a normal home user will reduce the performance of the network for other customers."

(BT's 50:1 product is actually delivered at 25:1 or better usually, though PN are enforcing 30:1 through shaping, and customers on the 20:1 product which PN alledge has 15:1 are seeing the same issues as resi custs, because when a pipe's full it's full whatever you're paying)

To quote PN...

"PlusNet network contention and the BT contention ratio are different, but both apply to your connection. PlusNet network contention is the maximum contention you will experience on our broadband network, which helps you choose the most appropriate product. The BT contention ratio describes how many other broadband users you share with at your local telephone exchange."

BT's exchange contention is one you'll never really experience anyway. PlusNet's is the same as all other ISPs in existance in that there are always going to be a finite number of customers contended for a limited resource (the pipe). They've just put a number on it and used QoS to split between two packages instead of using a cap.

What it is not is PN applying 30:1 on a 50:1 contented product. It doesn't work like that. 50:1 is the exchange contention, 30:1 is the pipe contention. Totally different.

Anyway, I've never experienced congestion issues with PlusNet myself, even when using P2P. Most "complaints" with PlusNets are all based on announcements and not experience. At the end of the day the service still runs at a quality level of service for the vast majority.

Nah, I've a beef with lying scrote ISPs who lie to their customers about major things, sell them products then change the terms, and unlike ntl and the previous cap issues refuse to let customers out of their contracts despite this blatant change to T+Cs.

They normally let people out of their contract. They'll probably change their mind here anyway

I can take constantly changing T&Cs, so long as at the end of the day my broadband works, I get about the speed I'm paying for and I can still do everything I could before. All this, for me, is absolutely true of PlusNet who have delivered everything I want

NTL on the other hand couldn't deliver a stable connection despite years of pestering them in the hope it would change. Can't deliver... customer leaves.

Interestingly, NTL is still a dirty word in the office I work

Add that to their various methods to cut down usage, the 'Bad Boy Pipe' stuffing all the heavy users onto a single network segment so they can contend (not actually a bad idea!), the Fair Use Policy that came then went, etc, etc.

All came out in the wash though. As I say their fault is in being honest about what they're planning and announcing things without thinking. At least they listen to their customers

Sympathy with them that it's BT prices that cause them to be in this situation, zero sympathy that they are charging a cut price for a *******ised service in an attempt to gain customers, and their quality of service is suffering as a result, both technically and from the support point of view.

I strongly dissagree with you over their customer service. I've been nothing short of extremely impressed with it. Can't say that at all about NTL who's customer service you well know I viewed as the worst of the worst in the world (where's my compensation for all those days they never turned up and screwed up making me take time off work? ).