Should I Join IDnet

[wecpcs]

Having being with ZEN for over 2 months with excellent service, since leaving O2, I had a BT fault occur which resulted in zero throughput on an 8128 connection to the exchange which has given me nightmares. As an ex computer shop owner and system builder, I had already carried out all conceivable checks before even contacting ZEN (seeing as their support side was closed over the Bank Holiday weekend anyway). When I did contact them on the Tuesday following they made me do all the usual checks, in  fact several times, each time I spoke to someone different. They even made me purchase a new router (the only thing I could not test as I had no spare) which they said had a 60% failure rate when they pinged it. I reluctantly purchased one with the same result. They eventually said that they wanted to arrange a BT home visit, despite telling me previously that BT do not check thoughput, with a possible charge of £144 +Vat, which I refused as I had heard of many horror stories of lies from Openreach engineers saying no fault found especially when I have an excellent connection to my exchange (less that 1/2 mile away). My only option was to ask for my MAC as I thought then that BT has to go to the exchange for the changeover and the fault should be found. I decided to go back to O2 as it appeared their low peak time speeds and high latency problems had been cured for the majority of their ACCESS (non LLU) users. In the meantime while waiting for my O2 activation, I had an email from ZEN saying that BT had fixed the problem but it was too late as the migration had already gone too far to cancel. Yesterday was my first day back with O2 and my speed at 3pm was 6.89mb great I thought, but by peak time at 6pm it had dropped to 2.64mb and by 9:44pm it was down to 0.46 and the latency had trebled from 41 to 130. So it appears that their problems are still ongoing, so today I phoned O2 and asked for my MAC and to cancel my contract on their free 30day get out clause.

So while waiting for my MAC (3 days according to O2), the problem is where to go now. I have researched very carefully on the many forums and I have decided either to either to go back to ZEN or my better instincts tell me to try IDnet as it has similar benefits with the addition of 5mb extra cap and free telephone support as well as the telephone service which I may take on as well. So I am asking, am I making the right decision, I know that many will be biased but I just want an honest opinion.

Thanks

Colin

[Lance]

Colin,

Sorry to here of your problems. Fortunately here, as we are all customers, I don't think you'll get any biased answers. We tend to tell things as they are and for me personally recently thats been great. No major problems with the service for a while now since IDNet/BT sorted out the connection to the new central.

Again, sorry to here about you having to speak to different people each time with Zen, and them making you buy a router just for testing. My experience of IDNet and seeing other reports here is that you can just ask for the person dealing with your case (by first name!) and if needed, they have a router they loan out for fault elimination purposes to save you buying one. IDNet have a good relationship with BT and are able to escalate issues well to get them resolved.

At present there are no issues of throughput, and there doesn't seem to be any major latency issues either.

Hope this helps!

[Rik]

Hi, Colin, and welcome to the forum.

We're biased of course, but if you've looked around the forum you'll know we're a pretty happy bunch in the main. Things do go wrong occasionally, of course, but when they do we know that we can talk to the MD of IDNet to find out what's happening if needed, and he and the support staff do keep an eye on the forum.

There is no contention within the IDNet network, so the only potential chokepoint would be BT congestion at your exchange. My line runs flat out at all times of day, though. If you're on a WBC-enabled exchange, you'll shortly be able to migrate to ADSL2+, with the potential speed benefits which, in your case would be significant.

I'm on the phone package and can't fault it. Cheaper for me than BT, it just works. As with ADSL (and I've been here 30 months now), I just haven't needed to contact IDNet with a problem.

If you do phone, you'll talk to a small team who communicate together well. No call centres, no scripts and a willingness to treat you as an intelligent adult.

I think you'd like it here.

[kinmel]

Hi and Welcome

Check out Thinkbroadband and ISPReview and they will confirm what we claim.

No other ISP offers better technical support, you speak to an individual whose name you will soon recognise and whom you can speak to again later if you wish.

Earlier this week I posted a problem on this board out of Support office hours, yet within 30 minutes a technician had emailed me from his home, a senior member of Idnet staff telephoned me as their office opened next morning.

The Admin staff on Idnetters have direct access to the people running Idnet and use that facility when necessary.

Everyone here could get cheaper Broadband, but we know we cannot get a better ISP and some of us have been here over 3 years even though we can leave on just 30 days notice.

Try Idnet and you will be impressed.

[wecpcs]

Hi and Welcome

Check out Thinkbroadband and ISPReview and they will confirm what we claim.

No other ISP offers better technical support, you speak to an individual whose name you will soon recognise and whom you can speak to again later if you wish.

Earlier this week I posted a problem on this board out of Support office hours, yet within 30 minutes a technician had emailed me from his home, a senior member of Idnet staff telephoned me as their office opened next morning.

The Admin staff on Idnetters have direct access to the people running Idnet and use that facility when necessary.

Everyone here could get cheaper Broadband, but we know we cannot get a better ISP and some of us have been here over 3 years even though we can leave on just 30 days notice.

Try Idnet and you will be impressed.

Thanks for everyones replies and I have made up my mind to join IDnet as soon as my MAC arrives from O2, the only problem I am expecting is that when I phoned O2 for my MAC and the cancellation of contract, he stated that he would put it down for immediate disconnection, although he then later said that when I receive and use my MAC I would have to phone them back within 2 days to let them know that I have used it so that they could cancel the service and stop billing me. So I do not know quite how to take that. I am just worried that my broadband will cease before I receive my MAC, then resulting in a delay and a connection charge with IDnet. O2 are probably doing it out of spite.

Colin

[Rik]

It may be that under their 30 day clause, they cancel the contract rather than issue a MAC. Have you checked the small print?

[Lance]

I wonder if he meant that you will get your MAC quicker? 

[zappaDPJ]

Welcome  

I came here from Be which I believe uses the same infrastructure as O2. Your experiences mirror mine, decent throughput and latency during off peak but a totally unusable connection at peak. Having jumped from the frying pan (Pipex) into the fire (Be) I was in the position of having to pay for two contracts while looking for a third. Because of that I spent a lot of time researching and both IDNet and Zen were at the top of my list.

The reason I went for IDNet was from reading through these forums I could see that when problems occurred there was a genuine desire by the forums users and IDNet staff to resolve them.

My advice would be give IDNet a try, if it all goes wrong you are only on a month's contract. Zen are undoubtedly one of the best ISPs around but I feel from reading through thinkbroadband's forum that IDNet are better, particularly as far as support is concerned. The pricing structure is similar so I'd suggest you have little to lose by giving IDNet a go

[wecpcs]

It may be that under their 30 day clause, they cancel the contract rather than issue a MAC. Have you checked the small print?

I have just checked the small print and there is nothing about it. When I phoned to cancel he did say I would receive the MAC by post in 3 days.

[Lance]

I'm sure it'll all be fine then

[Rik]

You should be OK, then, I think maybe he's just got his language in a twist. Make sure that, once you migrate, you let them know and cancel any Direct Debit mandate you may have given.

[wecpcs]

You should be OK, then, I think maybe he's just got his language in a twist. Make sure that, once you migrate, you let them know and cancel any Direct Debit mandate you may have given.

Thanks for everyones comments, I feel a bit more at ease now and waiting eagerly for the MAC.

Colin

[Sebby]

I don't think I can add anything that hasn't already been said, but welcome.

[Simon]

  Colin, I'm sure you've made the right decision. 

[quandam]

Colin

Had very similar problems with Sky Connect (diabolical speeds between 5pm & 12Midnight). No such problems with IDNet, excellent CS in UK.  Go for it!

[wecpcs]

I have just checked the small print and there is nothing about it. When I phoned to cancel he did say I would receive the MAC by post in 3 days.

I never received the MAC as promised from O2, (in fact it was not even showing that it was asked for on their system), so I had to phone up for it but got it eventually within 2 hours and gave it straight away to IDNet. I will be migrated to IDNet on the 21st, which is excellent news, the 3day migration as advertised. I can't wait.

Colin

[Rik]

Welcome to happy land.

[talos]

  I'm sure you will be as as the rest of us soon

[cavillas]

Bring your sense of humour with you onto this forum though.  Plenty of strange people about who fantasise about food and cruises.

[Sebby]

Bring your sense of humour with you onto this forum though.  Plenty of strange people about who fantasise about food and cruises.

Mainly food.

[Rik]

Bring your sense of humour with you onto this forum though.  Plenty of strange people about who fantasise about food and cruises.

... and that's just Jill.

[Sebby]

[Den]

and some strange ones who fantasise about cruising  

[BrianM]

Then there's some of us who fantasise about anything 

[cavillas]