Hiya

I have just moved into a house and haven't connected the BT line but there is one in it. The box is pretty scraggy with the wires hanging out and BT have said if it works they will connect it for free, if not I will have to pay in excess of £100 (can't remember the exact amount) to have a new one!

Well I am after some sort of broadband. What is the cheapest broadband/phone package and do you have to have a BT line? Also is there anyone who could fit me a new BT box?

thanks

You do need a working BT line before any broadband supplier can get you connected up, yes.
As for which package, there's a handy guide here: http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/phones/cheap-broadband

Vince

Are you in a Cable area? use the post code checker on Virgin media's web site.

Unless you're in a cable area then you need a bt landline. Bt will charge you £120 if an engineer needs to visit your house. They will also tie you in for 12 months contract for the phone line.

There's plenty of cheap broadband offers at the minute (ie: tiscali, sky, etc) however dont expect a great service or a short contract term. I'm with freeola who charge £23 per month, no contract, 30gb allowance and so far a very reliable service. I suppose time will tell if they're any good.

You could probably pickup a 3g datacard/usb dongle for £10-£20 per month if you're just going to be browsing the net. This way you wont need a landline but downloading is probably a no no!

I am in the same situation BT charge £160 to reconnect, but the answer lies in a doggle, Mobile USB Broadband that you connect to your PC. It use G2 and G3 technology, you can use it almost anywhere in the country not just at home.

You don't need a landline and it costs as little as £5.00 per month, there are a few supplies, I have my contract with Planet 3.
Hope this helps

If you're in telewest area then you don't. Much better to have cable broadband and Telewest are easier to get hold of than BT.

If you're in telewest area then you don't. Much better to have cable broadband and Telewest are easier to get hold of than BT.

Telewest are now Virgin Media (see neeeeeeeeeeks post), and I found their service frankly awful (see Tech Chat for other peoples experiences). I'd say if you were intending on staying there for a while then it might be worth getting the BT line reconnected.

One of my colleagues has a BT socket in his new house but, since the previous tenants had the line switched to TalkTalk, BT want £120 to reconnect him :o. £120 seems a bit steep for switching a few jumpers in the local exchange!

We're on Virgin MEdia, and they are generally poor. We were promised major refinds due to our poor speeds (under 1MB on a 20MB connection - although we can get around 13MB first thing in the morning), but now they are refusing to cough up and insist it's a problem with my computer (even though it's the same rubbish speed on all 4 computers in our house, even when they are plugged directly into the virgin modem).

We're seriously considering mobile broadband, which is predicted to be the major broadband player by the end of 2009. It just makes sense (unless you are a heavy user) - totally portable, no BT line required, and in some cases available without lengthy contracts. Prices are coming down every month and no doubt data transfer limits will get better over time. Reliability may be an issue though....

posting live from my mobile broadband...

well, its ok. My recommendation? get a hold of a friends and test it out before investing, or try a pay as you go version (3 has one)

Its fine at the moment. Its totally useless for chat rooms, and things like msn and the like. keeps dropping those connections.

also it has to be treated like a phone, and moving my computer next to the window has done wonders for the reception i get (although sat and sun are hell)

it depends on the area 100%. the availability checkers only go so far in telling you what its going to be like.

Im an internet junkie, and I do ok. ok, so no you tube or anything heavy, but its the difference between having and not so i put up with it.

personally waiting for the end of my contract to get a "proper" broadband.

..dull...

verydull - who is your current mobile broadband provider?

3
im on an 18 month 3 gig limit 15 pound a month

With ref to BT line, put a phone into the socket, if ther's a dialtone dial 17070 & that will give you the phone number attached to the line, this will be what BT call a 'stopped' line, If the line has no dialtone it is called a 'ceased' line & the connection charge (charged by OPENREACH NOT BT) is £124.99 due to openreach having to reinstall the line @ the exchange (there are various reasons 'cease' happens, Line loop unbundling- talktalk are the worst offenders for that one, or even if the previous line user took their number with them when they moved,the equipment is transferred to the new address at the exchange leaving you without equipment.)

There is possibally a way around it though, BT used to do a half price connection charge if you signed up for 18 months (you can't have any other special offers on your line within the 18 months) but if you just want it for broadband, get the line connected & attach broadband onto the line.

Make sure you go onto paperfree billing coz that makes your line rental with BT £10.50 per month!!!!!!!

:headbang: