11-03-2014, 10:59 AM
(This post was last modified: 11-03-2014, 11:03 AM by camallison.)
Taking things one at a time:
1. TV - assuming you are in a reasonable reception area, Freeview via aerial is quite adequate for your (limited) viewing. When we moved into this bungalow 3 years ago, I visited Argos (aerial) and Screwfix (mast and mount), and installed an aerial on the gable end so that it just pokes up above the roofline. That is, away from the roofline. Cabling took another half an hour, including drilling through the cavity wall. Cable and connectors are quite cheap.
2. Phone and broadband - I have been with BT for both phone and Internet since 1996, albeit dial up at the start for S....L....O....W connection. Apart from when we lived in Germany, I have been with BT for a landline since 1971. Any problems I have had have mostly been sorted very quickly, even a problem not unlike yours, swapped connections. They may not be the cheapest, but customer service has been excellent.
3. Upgrades - when ADSL broadband arrived at our previous address, I upgraded immediately and, because we had been with BT so long, they upgraded at no extra monthly cost. Added to this we were given unlimited usage (option 3 at the time). Speed was 4.5Mbps - adequate for streaming TV catchup. Moving to the new address, we managed to get 7.5Mbps, even better for streaming video. A year after we moved, Fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) came to the area and we were offered a free upgrade to 40Mbps and unlimited use. I naturally took this, achieving 36Mbps. Last year, they upgraded us again to 80Mbps and I achieve 65Mbps consistently. In the changeover to FTTC, the engineer arrived on time, on the day agreed and, in exchange for a cuppa and bacon sandwich, ensured that the new modem and router were placed where it was most convenient for us. I had prewired the house for CAT5 ethernet, and he waited until I was happy that it ALL worked, including my work. More recently, I have added additional wifi outlets to extend the coverage into the garden.
Conclusion? They may not be the cheapest, but they get my vote time and again. Every now and then, they have special offers on packages - worth looking for. Since you are in a predominantly Virgin Media cable area, they will jump at the opportunity to install a BT line, probably FOC.
Colin
1. TV - assuming you are in a reasonable reception area, Freeview via aerial is quite adequate for your (limited) viewing. When we moved into this bungalow 3 years ago, I visited Argos (aerial) and Screwfix (mast and mount), and installed an aerial on the gable end so that it just pokes up above the roofline. That is, away from the roofline. Cabling took another half an hour, including drilling through the cavity wall. Cable and connectors are quite cheap.
2. Phone and broadband - I have been with BT for both phone and Internet since 1996, albeit dial up at the start for S....L....O....W connection. Apart from when we lived in Germany, I have been with BT for a landline since 1971. Any problems I have had have mostly been sorted very quickly, even a problem not unlike yours, swapped connections. They may not be the cheapest, but customer service has been excellent.
3. Upgrades - when ADSL broadband arrived at our previous address, I upgraded immediately and, because we had been with BT so long, they upgraded at no extra monthly cost. Added to this we were given unlimited usage (option 3 at the time). Speed was 4.5Mbps - adequate for streaming TV catchup. Moving to the new address, we managed to get 7.5Mbps, even better for streaming video. A year after we moved, Fibre-to-the-cabinet (FTTC) came to the area and we were offered a free upgrade to 40Mbps and unlimited use. I naturally took this, achieving 36Mbps. Last year, they upgraded us again to 80Mbps and I achieve 65Mbps consistently. In the changeover to FTTC, the engineer arrived on time, on the day agreed and, in exchange for a cuppa and bacon sandwich, ensured that the new modem and router were placed where it was most convenient for us. I had prewired the house for CAT5 ethernet, and he waited until I was happy that it ALL worked, including my work. More recently, I have added additional wifi outlets to extend the coverage into the garden.
Conclusion? They may not be the cheapest, but they get my vote time and again. Every now and then, they have special offers on packages - worth looking for. Since you are in a predominantly Virgin Media cable area, they will jump at the opportunity to install a BT line, probably FOC.
Colin
