h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Don't worry, I won't tell a soul. BTW if you want to download really large files you can get software that allows you to restart downloads from the point where you got cut off.

As if I've got any more room for more software-I think I'll lay off the downloads for a bit or at least until I've got rid of a few things.I think I'll start with my two teenagers.That would free up half the memory at a stroke.

I'm with screaming.net/worldonline, and was enjoying the free off-peak access, as Mina mentioned earlier (on 'FreedomLite'). I'm now being charged an extra £2.99 per month and have had my hours cut to only 50 off-peak, which I am less than chuffed about. Yes, the connection speed is good (and I notice they've dropped the 3 hour cut-off now they're charging for calls!), but it wasn't always good, and used to take extreme perseverance to get connected at all. Also, the rest of the service is far worse than BT ever was. They never respond to e-mails, take several days to phone me back (if at all), and never send out telephone bills. They have also totally failed to apply certain options to my account, despite repeated reminders and promises.

In summary, tell me more about the current options from BT Mina!

I love the sound of the permanent connection (Telewest wasn't it? - web address anyone?), but I doubt they cover my area yet.

I HATE SCREAMING NET! *that's better*

~A~

Telewest is okay. The deal is £10 per month and a minimum £10 charge on phone calls. The speed is not too bad, but their proprietary interface can be a bit of an arse.
Try www.telewest.co.uk

Yes Telewest's propriatory interface is crap, but you don't have to use it, you can access the service as a normal dial up connection.

You can get details of Telewest's permanent connection thing at http://www.blueyonder.co.uk/ - the monthy subscription was about £30 last time I looked, but it's faster than a dial up and you won't spend all night trying to connect, so it sounds like it might be worth it.

Don't hold your breath if your waiting for Telewest to supply a cable modem link, thats the Blueyonder thingy.

So far the availability date for my area has slipped from June to November, apparently there are supply problems with the chips for the cable modems.

I'm afraid its been a case of "Real Soon Now"

Bald Bloke
Wanders off humming "I'm still waiting"

I'd like to apologise to anyone who signed up with The Free Internet on my earlier recommendation.

When I signed up with them last May, the subscription fee was £50 for the first year and £20 for each successive year. It now appears that their annual fee has increased to £89, which means that if I sign up for a second year, the fee will be almost 350% higher than advertised last year. Of course, they didn't actually mention this to their valued customers, I found it out from the TV ads and then their website.

On top of that, I found out today that they've started inserting huge adverts, ie:
-----------------------------------------------------
This email was delivered to you by the Free Internet,
a Business Online Group company.

Join TFI at http://www.thefreeinternet.net -
the UK's premier 0800, free access ISP.
-----------------------------------------------------
...at the *beginning* of every e-mail sent via their server. Not even tucked away at the end, but right at the start. And of course, they also neglected to mention this to their valued customers, I only found out by accident when I was testing my aces e-mail address.

6 months ago I would have recommended The Free Internet to anyone. Now I wouldn't touch them with a bargepole.

I use (http://www.plus.net/) PlusNet 24/7 (Which is in connection with BT SurfTime Anytime). I've never had any problems with them and I leave my PC connected all the time. The total cost of this is £25 a month which isn't bad.

EV
Not very nice of them is it

Still at least they are still going, it would appear that Redhotant may not be for much longer http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/16113.html assuming the register has got its facts right

Further to my previous post I've now got an installation date from Telewest for the cable modem (at last )
A progress report will be forthcoming once its in and working.

I've signed up with AOL now, hate the browser, it takes over your PC, but at £15 per month for unlimited use it's the cheapest option for me at the moment by far.

Still wailing for NTL to get moving with the ex-C&W customers, latest is 'maybe sometime in Spring'. Spring 2010 perhaps?

I think the only real lesson out of all this is none are ideal, and any that my seem that way sooner or later cease to be.

oh hum

I managed to just get into Freeserve off peak without additional charge (I think now it is £4 to them on top of the £5 to BT), and apart from some occasions like just no when it took about 15 attempts to connect it is fine, I can send e-mails via another ISPs server (very rare to be able to do this) and connection speed is OK.

Also they are adding more modems all the time - well they say they are. So even at the new charge I'd say it is still something to consider,

and now FreeServe has been Nationalised (OK, OK bought by a french ISP, which is owned by french telecom which is 90%ish owned by the french goverment) it should have a secure future -

BTW the French Gov are also the ultimate owners of Orange, ever get the feeling you are being taken over?

CH

Well at just £7.41 per month I reckon The Free Internet is still good value.I'm happy with them and if I get a few extra adverts I also don't mind.After a while they just become like wallpaper and I'm oblivious to them.It's still the best value I've found so far.My phone bills went down from £80 a month to between £10-£15 which is a definite plus in my book.The only thing I hate is the one hour cutoff but I will learn to live with it eventually.It at least makes me keep an eye on the time so I don't spend all my life attatched to this box in the corner.

You're oblivious to the adverts because they're sticking them at the top of your outgoing e-mails without telling you! I mean, fair enough, they have to advertise, but I object to the way they've done it.

I'm more annoyed by the fact that they have begun a television ad campaign.There's a real danger of too many people trying to join and the service suffering as a consequence.The connection had improved so much recently too.

DON'T sign up with PlusNet. At any moment they are liable to change your contract forcing you to sign up with FRIACO instead of BT SurfTime.