Finding a decent ISP for a new internet user

[clumsymum]

Hi guys, wonder if you can help here.

My mother, now 80, has decided to embrace the digital age, and has asked me to get her a laptop and sort out broadband access !!!

Great.... but I can't decide what the best option would be to get her broadband access.

She lives in rural Glos (westbury on severn telephone exchange, ADSL & ADSL Max only), so speeds aren't going to be very good, but I don't expect that to be an issue for some while yet.

What I am dithering about is download limits. I've always had unlimited download, and have no idea how much I use. Mother will start off only using a few websites, I'm sure (she has never touched a 'puter before!).

But she is a sports fan, and I'm afraid that if I start her off with a cheaper deal, she'll discover some sites where she can start watching the cricket at 3 a.m., or some such, and end up in bother.

On the other hand, I don't see the point in setting up an expensive unlimited package just yet.

She has BT phone (only option of course), and currently on a tarriff that includes evening & weekend calls. Simplest would be to go with BT then, but theres a 10 GB download limit on it's cheapest tariff, and its an 18 month contract.

Any ideas? would a 10GB download limit pose a problem do you think, if I point out she should continue watching sports on ther sky sports TV package ??

[Amy L]

Originally Posted by clumsymum

Hi guys, wonder if you can help here.

My mother, now 80, has decided to embrace the digital age, and has asked me to get her a laptop and sort out broadband access !!!

Great.... but I can't decide what the best option would be to get her broadband access.

She lives in rural Glos (westbury on severn telephone exchange, ADSL & ADSL Max only), so speeds aren't going to be very good, but I don't expect that to be an issue for some while yet.

What I am dithering about is download limits. I've always had unlimited download, and have no idea how much I use. Mother will start off only using a few websites, I'm sure (she has never touched a 'puter before!).

But she is a sports fan, and I'm afraid that if I start her off with a cheaper deal, she'll discover some sites where she can start watching the cricket at 3 a.m., or some such, and end up in bother.

On the other hand, I don't see the point in setting up an expensive unlimited package just yet.

She has BT phone (only option of course), and currently on a tarriff that includes evening & weekend calls. Simplest would be to go with BT then, but theres a 10 GB download limit on it's cheapest tariff, and its an 18 month contract.

Any ideas? would a 10GB download limit pose a problem do you think, if I point out she should continue watching sports on ther sky sports TV package ??

Hiya, have you tried to see if 3G is available in the area

http://www.three.co.uk/Mobile_Broadband/Coverage_speed

[Peter_]

If you click this link then the Samknows website will tell exactly what is available broadband wise to your property.

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/broadband_checker

[clumsymum]

Originally Posted by Amy L

Hiya, have you tried to see if 3G is available in the area

http://www.three.co.uk/Mobile_Broadband/Coverage_speed

Blimey, that strikes me as an expensive option ??

I'm also sceptical about it's reliability (mobile phone reception pretty carp in her bungalow). Getting her confidence in using it is going to be pretty hard anyway, dropped connections won't help.

---------- Post added at 20:45 ---------- Previous post was at 20:42 ----------

Originally Posted by Masque

If you click this link then the Samknows website will tell exactly what is available broadband wise to your property.

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/broadband_checker

Thanks Masque, but I've been there already, which is how I know that our options are limited. I have the list of available options. I'm really asking whther a 10gb download limit is going to seem restrictive? I don't know how much actual internet use that limit represents, IYSWIM ??

[MTJR]

Viewing the BBC iPlayer for one hour will use around 600mb (-ish). So (very roughly) you could use all the 10Gb allowance in 5 hours. However, lots of ISP's tend to have their "biggest" packages at around 50Gb and someone at home, unless they continually watched one thing, would struggle to use that inside a month.

I'd say go for the 10gb and see how it goes. It's easy enough to upgrade should you need to.

[danielf]

Originally Posted by clumsymum

Thanks Masque, but I've been there already, which is how I know that our options are limited. I have the list of available options. I'm really asking whther a 10gb download limit is going to seem restrictive? I don't know how much actual internet use that limit represents, IYSWIM ??

I think the previous poster meant 15 hours of Iplayer where he said 5. I would think that 10Gb would be plenty for a starting internet user. Unless your mother is going to torrent the latest blockbusters (which seems unlikely). If she doesn't get into streaming media she might struggle to hit 1 Gb a month.

[Maggy J]

10MB is plenty for this 58 year old and her 59 year old husband and 22 year old son and I watch some TV on my PC.

[jb66]

Try her out on bts 10gb package, if she goes over you can upgrade to the next tier up at anytime.

[MTJR]

Originally Posted by danielf

I think the previous poster meant 15 hours of Iplayer where he said 5.

* counts fingers *

Er....you could be right!

[clumsymum]

Thanks everybody, some really useful comments here. I think we'll go for adding the basic 10GB package to her existing BT account, and watch how it goes.

[LSainsbury]

Originally Posted by Maggy J

10MB is plenty for this 58 year old and her 59 year old husband and 22 year old son and I watch some TV on my PC.

10MB? Are you sure about that, Mags?!

[broadbandking]

Originally Posted by clumsymum

Thanks everybody, some really useful comments here. I think we'll go for adding the basic 10GB package to her existing BT account, and watch how it goes.

Get a bandwidth monitor so you can see what the usage is like and avoid getting charged extra for going over the 10Gb if you ever do.

[Welshchris]

get the thinkbroadband meter, it does the job and free.

[TheMegaIdiot]

Is cable available in the area?

[clumsymum]

Originally Posted by TheMegaIdiot

Is cable available in the area?

As I said in my first post

Originally Posted by clumsymum

She lives in rural Glos (westbury on severn telephone exchange, ADSL & ADSL Max only),

No, cable not available !!!!