what service provider do you use ? are they any good ? how much do you pay and what is the mbit like ? tech support ?  any good ?  would you reccomend them ?   reason for this thread, VIRGIN MEDIA !   Mr Shaggy                                                                                                                                                                             

i used to use plus.net back in the UK.  Very good, for professionals really who demand a little extra service but are happy to pay more.   Tech support are ace as well.                                                                                                                                                                             

pipex too were supposed to be THE choice for professionals  (Always a good indicator). BUt again u pay more (Only a few quid)                                                                                                                                                                             

  Shaggy, I'm in same boat as you mate Virgin-on the ridiculous-Media. The 'providing' bit is good, it's the admin that stinks. I dread having to call them about anything cos they are so useless, I thought they'd improve when they changed over from NTL                                                                                                                                                                              

I use orange broadband i cannot fault it i think you are limited to the downloads not even shure  but its £14:99 and the speed is 2.2 worth looking into !!!!                                                                                                                                                                             

dont go with orange if u want anyone with half a brain to answer the fone (Like when u just need to ask for a setting). U get some guy in india who just repeats hiself like a robot from a sheet.  NO IDEA!  Clueless idiots.                                                                                                                                                                             

just the same as Virgin tech support (0906 number)   well spent another half an hour this morning and hopefully they have sorted it out   total time on the phone 3 hours 32 mins  to customer support (i think they should re name it,  no customer support)   total time to 0906 22mins   they are gonna get an invoice from me for the calls as it was there fault in the first place   Mr Shaggy                                                                                                                                                                             

I'm with Tiscali. Mainly because I've not found anyone worth switching for. The speed is SUPPOSED to be 2mb and until recently I was getting 2.3 - Lately its dropped to 1.1 for some reason.

You dont get much with Tiscali and I personally have found I get "dropped" quite regularly. They also dont support Vista at the moment.

But their support isnt bad. Emailing any questions always seems to get a personal and accurate response.

  Maybe Tiscali and Virgin should merge, that way we'd end up with a service that worked right across the board. Provision AND admin                                                                                                                                                                              

I'm will Daz on this one, i've had the same crap to and am on my 3rd modem from them in under a year as the others just simply break without warning. Then it takes almost a week to post you another from a UK address. Customer Support is slow to answer, often not understandable and when it is is also crap Cant wait to go elsewhere in a few months.....these lot really are ............crap, stear clear Mr Shaggy!                                                                                                                                                                             

I'm will Daz on this one, i've had the same crap to and am on my 3rd modem from them in under a year as the others just simply break without warning. Then it takes almost a week to post you another from a UK address. Customer Support is slow to answer, often not understandable and when it is is also crap Cant wait to go elsewhere in a few months.....these lot really are ............crap, stear clear Mr Shaggy!                                                                                                                                                                             

Is there an echo in here?               ....here!                                                                                                                                                                             

I'm with AOL   cus Im too lazy to change all my email addresses etc. they are OK  if you call support you are sometimes lucky and get Waterford in Eire other times its India. Cant remember how much I pay £12.99 a month rings a bell cus i just started a new contract when i had to have a wire free thingy, but i got my evening and weekend calls with them too so I pay all together.                                                                                                                                                                              

I am on virgin as I was a Telewaste customer. I applyed for a role in their tech support center in Liverpool. I was unsucsessfull because i had a degree in IT and knew too much about the service and how it worked. Regarding their 25p/min tech support line, I would contact icstis - the premium rate services regulator   http://www.icstis.org/default.asp   I am sure that they can assist you on reclaming your call costs. i would also write to Virgin media and request a copy of the service level agrements (SLA) that the contact center works to, and escilation process. If they are bumbling arround asking you to go through the same testing process everytime you call then icstis will want to know. Like wise you cannot be held in a queue waiting to be connected and charged 25p/min at the same taime as you are supposed to be told that you will be charged 25p/min.   I am dreading calling them. My cable modem, is faulty and needs replacing. it was bad enough the last time if fell over an then it was an 0845 number.                                                                                                                                                                             

I've never had any technical problems with Virgin Media (yet - fingers crossed!), but because of my wife's chronic health problems (she hasn't lived at home for over a year and is unlikely to in the forseeable future) I've been trying to get the account transferred into my name. Fat chance! They keep on losing the forms, or the direct debit mandate, or the reference number...it goes on and on. I'm on about the sixth lap round the block now and on the point of giving up. Requests to be referred to someone who can take ownership of the problem (sorry about the management-speak but it's the right phrase here) simply fall on deaf ears...I'm sick of being read to from a call centre script. Bahhhhh