No cable in new house - don't know what to do!

[Zee]

As someone else said here, you may be better with a mobile broadband connection. How good is the 3G signal in your area on any of the networks? i know 3 offer an unlimited plan

[martyh]

Originally Posted by Pia

Ok thanks that's what i suspected. Itching to get Sky ordered but need to get permission for the dish first

you need permission for a dish ....in darlington?

[Pia]

I thought those dongle things worked out quite expensive? And i need wireless, for the mobile phone, 3DS, Wii, other laptop etc, is that possible with those?

Lol marty it's a new house and it's in the T&C's, i'll be good and not give them a reason to start trouble

[Zee]

i have an iphone 4 on 3 with unlimited internet usage and can set up tethering and use it to broadcast a wireless signal so others can connection too, not sure about the dongle though.


ok just checking i think the dongles dont allow you to do that, but i think these "mifi" things do

http://store.three.co.uk/Mobile_Broadband/MiFi

[martyh]

Originally Posted by Pia

I thought those dongle things worked out quite expensive? And i need wireless, for the mobile phone, 3DS, Wii, other laptop etc, is that possible with those?

Lol marty it's a new house and it's in the T&C's, i'll be good and not give them a reason to start trouble

I'm more surprised that a new build isn't better serviced for BB

[Matt D]

Which Sky Broadband services are available to you?

Sky Broadband Unlimited (the LLU service) is excellent, costing only £7.50 per month for those with Sky TV and Sky Talk, and has truly unlimited usage.

Sky Broadband Connect (for people outside Sky's network) apparently sucks, and you will find many horror stories about it here and at a variety of other forums.

What's your exchange?

[Pia]

I don't know the technical term but when i put new postcode in it says this:

Great news

You're in a Sky Broadband network area, so you can choose from Sky Broadband Everyday Lite or Unlimited. You can also benefit from inclusive evening and weekend UK# landline calls with Sky Talk.
You don't currently have an active landline so any Sky Broadband and Talk products are dependent on you also taking Sky Line Rental. We will need to arrange for an engineer visit to install a new Sky phone line at your property as part of the checkout process.

[Matt D]

That's good

As you're in a Sky Broadband network area, it means that the exchange has been "unbundled" (LLU - local loop unbundling), and Sky has installed its own equipment at the exchange.


You are still limited by the length and quality of your phoneline, as you would be with any ADSL ISP, but being able to have Sky's LLU product at least means you can benefit from the cheap price and truly unlimited usage.

[qasdfdsaq]

Originally Posted by Pia

BT and Sky sites said between 1 and 4 mbps, not sure what to believe!

I'm wondering if Virgin ADSL would be any faster or is it all the same?

They're all just about the same these days as most run on BT's ADSL2+ Wholesale.

Sky would probably be an overall faster service at the same line speed though, as they've got a superfast LLU network. If the line estimator on BT gives you "1-4mbps" I'd expect closer to 4 - as it's generally a conservative estimate.

Mine, for example, says "Between 6.5Mb and 15.0Mb (Estimated speed: 11.0Mb)". I got 16.7. General consensus seems to be it's quite conservative for everyone not just me.

[Matth]

If you have to get the phone line, it may be cheaper to have that as part of the Sky package. http://www.sky.com/shop/broadband-talk/talk-linerental/

If you don't have a compatible line, you can get a new one from Sky.

The usual cost for this is £39 when you join Sky TV and take Sky Line Rental.

Also, if speeds are borderline, it may help if you use a master plate filter, to keep ADSL off any extension wiring.
http://www.solwise.co.uk/adsl_splitters-faceplates.htm
Otherwise, disconnect the bell wire (number 3), so that extension wiring causes less degradation of ADSL signal, and the standard microfilters provide their own filtered bell feed.

[Pia]

Just a quick bump...

Sky is sooooo crap compared to Virgin.

I have had the TV installed. I've got Sky+HD with HD Pack + Entertainment extra. I don't know what this "Anytime+" thing is all about but it's got 5 programmes on it? It doesn't even have BBC iPlayer? Is that because i don't have phone/internet on yet or something and it needs that to work? Or is this it??!

I hate the EPG. It's depressingly bad. Most annoying thing is... WHY when i'm watching a programme, can't i bring up the mini menu (not full screen TV Guide), type in 101 and see what's on BBC1??! Like you can with Virgin. Nooo if i want to do that i have to hold the button down and wait for it to scroll all the way through. And WTF is the channel line up all about?!?! On Virgin it was so simple and made sense. i.e Channel 5HD was 150. Easy to remember. All the ITV channels were together etc. On Sky it is completely random and it is so annoying.


I haven't got off to a good start with Sky after they messed up my online (?!) order twice! and had to cancel and do it all again. This means i lost my original install dates and i'm not sure if my Quidco cashback (£116) will confirm or be declined now. And they didn't give a monkeys and couldn't offer me any goodwill etc.

Re. the internet and phone, I was meant to be getting that installed on 2nd March. Sky know it's a new build but they said that was the date and i'd be all up and running. So Openreach come out and say they need to do underground cabling and it'll be around 15th March. Fine.... Whatever.
Sky didn't bother to contact me or update the order progress online so i rang them last night and they are clueless. She rang BT who tell her it'll be after 26th March now.

Branson i miss you so much

(Edited to add) I've borrowed a PAYG dongle and spent £30 on it so far!!! I only topped it up £15 each time cos i was promised install dates of 'near future'. Would have bought a bigger bundle and saved money if i'd known.

[Kymmy]

A bit late but had you checked SAMKNOWS for what your exchange is capable of... BT, SKy and many others here say 6.5Mbps but checking on SamKnows it told me that the only provider with an LLU here is TalkTalk which could give me 12Mbps..

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

[qasdfdsaq]

Yeah, what she said. £55 a month sounds like the Sky "connect" package which other people have said is utter crap. The Sky LLU product is much better - as is just about all LLU products - course no point if you can't get it.