Newb Question

[cfposi]

So I've been spending quite some time on the forum trying to figure out why my internet is so crap. I have recently moved from Canada (where I used to think the internet was bad) to London. I assumed the largest and most economically significant city in Europe would have decent internet connections. So...boy was I wrong!

I have now lived in two relatively central areas in London, only to find that I was being stuck on ADSL. The first time I was mid-range from the exchange and the second time (my current place) I am just about as far from the effing exchange as is physically possible (5.8km). I now live with an insignificant 1.1mbps, which seems to dip to about 600kbps in the evenings.

I am desperate for a solution or even some sign of hope! I am on virgin "beyond cable" now and would like to know if there is any chance virgin will be expanding its cable network. I know its a longshot, but looking at the cable areas in London, I seem to be living in a weird island of unavailability surrounding by areas which have cable. Is it true that virgin has suspended their expansion? If so...what can I do?

I live in SE16

Thanks

[General Maximus]

Rather than looking at what area you are in have tried plonking your full postcode in the post code checker http://allyours.virginmedia.com/websales/service.do?id=2

If you arent in a cabled area I doubt you'll be cabled any time soon. I think Virgin's main priority over the next year is upgrading their existing equipment to docsis 3 to they can rollout 50mbit across the country to the existing cabled areas.

[Welshchris]

i read somewhere that Virgin have stated publicly that they had no plans of increasing their network to non cabled areas until after 2012.

[cfposi]

i read somewhere that Virgin have stated publicly that they had no plans of increasing their network to non cabled areas until after 2012.

Ugh...is there a suicide emoticon on this forum??

That is brutal...anyone thought of starting an online petition on this subject? I bet we could easity get people to sign up to that! Especially the thousands of students living in London!

Just a thought...

[Graham M]

Ugh...is there a suicide emoticon on this forum??

That is brutal...anyone thought of starting an online petition on this subject? I bet we could easity get people to sign up to that! Especially the thousands of students living in London!

Just a thought...

Do you really think an online petition would have any effect whatsoever?

[Charlie_Bubble]

You would be better off putting your postcode into this website (http://www.samknows.com/broadband/checker2.php) and seeing if you can get a better ADSL supplier.

[Graham M]

You would be better off putting your postcode into this website (http://www.samknows.com/broadband/checker2.php) and seeing if you can get a better ADSL supplier.

However, if he is only getting 1.1MBit on Virgin.net it's likely to be his line surely?

[Stabhappy]

yes but no doubt the evening dips to 600k are the fault of virgins, at that low of a speed the ISP should have no problem delivering it.

[General Maximus]

try this link http://www.top10-broadband.co.uk/, plonk in your post code and not only does it tell you which isps you can use in your area but also what the maximum speed you will receive is due to the distance from your exchange. It is handy because it saves you from signing up to a 16mbit package when you know you are going to receive a max of 3.5mbit or something.

[chickendippers]

Virgin National is a DSLMax service, the OP will notice a speed improvement by switching to an ADSL2+ ISP (eg. Bethere) if available.

[cfposi]

Virgin National is a DSLMax service, the OP will notice a speed improvement by switching to an ADSL2+ ISP (eg. Bethere) if available.

Bethere is the best option, but I am 0.4km too for fromt he exchange. The ADSL2+ service only goes up to 5km from the exchange. I WISH!

As for the petition...ya never know...the oddesst things can work...i'll try. It will take very little effort methinks.

Cheers

[caph]

ADSL 2+ goes further than ADSL. It was half of the reason for 2+, it gives higher speeds closer to the exchange, same speed mid-distance, and degrades slower at further distances thus enabling people to have broadband further away from the exchange than was previously possible. You might want to double check on that distance thing.