someone's just sent me this link
http://www.bethere.co.uk/beonline/productHome.do

sounds too good to be true to me. not read the small print yet.

24mb boradband £20 a month no caps someting seen fishy there

Free broadband service, free connection and £20 monthly broadband service offer only valid for residential orders placed on or before 18.09.05

So how much are they going to charge after 18.09.05?

Originally posted by Avalon
Free broadband service, free connection and £20 monthly broadband service offer only valid for residential orders placed on or before 18.09.05

So how much are they going to charge after 18.09.05?

It says £20 per month for life. Still suspicious though. :suspect:

Originally posted by Kristian
It says £20 per month for life. Still suspicious though. :suspect:

It's might be a scam like juiceboosted the company that was offering free 2mb boradband for life. there site is not there anymore

I always treat these type of offers the same - If something sounds too good to be true it usually is. I may miss the odd great deal but I miss a lot more cons in the long run.

Roll on ADSL2!! :)
Mind you BT will be laggin behind by about 5yrs :rant:

Oh what a suprise (NOT) im too far away from my exchange to get it :o

Seems genuine to me guys :)

it is genuine, but I think its slower than it seems.

In the FAQs and terms and conditions, they use bits 'bits' to describe their speed, where as most companies work with 'bytes'

1 Byte = 8 bits
1 kilobyte = about 1,000 bytes
1 Megabyte = about 1,000,000 bytes
1 Gigabyte = 1,000,000,000 bytes
1 Terabyte = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes

So I think its slower than it seems. I may be wrong though

EDIT, this broadband runs at 24 Megabits per second, which is 8 times slower than 24 Megabytes per second. So in reality its a 3 megabytes per second connection.


(I think :confused: )

Originally posted by spyro2000
it is genuine, but I think its slower than it seems.

In the FAQs and terms and conditions, they use bits 'bits' to describe their speed, where as most companies work with 'bytes'

1 Byte = 8 bits
1 kilobyte = about 1,000 bytes
1 Megabyte = about 1,000,000 bytes
1 Gigabyte = 1,000,000,000 bytes
1 Terabyte = 1,000,000,000,000 bytes

So I think its slower than it seems. I may be wrong though

EDIT, this broadband runs at 24 Megabits per second, which is 8 times slower than 24 Megabytes per second. So in reality its a 3 megabytes per second connection.


(I think :confused: )

This may be true, but network connectivity speed is mesaured in MegaBITS per second, not MegaBYTES.....

Originally posted by Avalon
This may be true, but network connectivity speed is mesaured in MegaBITS per second, not MegaBYTES.....

Yeah true, but dont other internet companies advertise their connections as Megabytes per second?

like I said, Im no expert, just making an observation.

Originally posted by spyro2000
Yeah true, but dont other internet companies advertise their connections as Megabytes per second?

like I said, Im no expert, just making an observation.

Cant say i have noticed! :confused:

*goes to look at internet companies webistes*

I believe BE charge you a large amount for leasing their equipment from them.

:)

Originally posted by kentboy119
I believe BE charge you a large amount for leasing their equipment from them.

:)

Just been having a read through, and theres no mention of a charge for the equipment as far as I can see. but then again thers no mention of there NOT being a charge either, but ill keep reading.

From their FAQ;

What does '24 megs' mean?

'Megs' is an abbreviation for 'megabits per second'. This indicates the maximum speed of an Internet connection, measured in bits (of information transferred) per second. One kilobit is one thousand and twenty-four bits and one megabit is one million bits (one thousand kilobits). With Be, your connection speed will be up to 24 million bits per second.

It also says elsewhere;

# Up to 24 meg download speed
# Up to 1 meg upload speed

which I can only assume from that lot that it is actually 24meg as in 24x faster than my current connection of 1Mb.

Still not convinced though, although I think this lot have been around for a while and they were doing similar astounding offers a year or so ago.

Originally posted by Lurch
From their FAQ;



It also says elsewhere;



which I can only assume from that lot that it is actually 24meg as in 24x faster than my current connection of 1Mb.

Still not convinced though, although I think this lot have been around for a while and they were doing similar astounding offers a year or so ago.

I was just loking at the BT website at their Broadband and they use 'Megabytes' and 'MB' in their terminology. Which is a lot different to using 'Megabits' which is what Be uses.

1 Meg = I megabit
1 MB = 1 Megabyte

I beleive it is 24mb, it uses adsl2 which is the latest development in broadband capability

Originally posted by owlsman
I beleive it is 24mb, it uses adsl2 which is the latest development in broadband capability

So why does it say 24 MEG then? I dont get it? :help:

Features

* No connection fee
* Up to 24 meg download speed
* Up to 1 meg upload speed
* Unlimited Internet access
* No download caps
* Free high specification wireless Be Box modem
* 24/7 support hotline


Be Box Modem

* ADSL 2+ enabled
* 4 port 10/100 megs Ethernet switch (1 port reserved for future use)
* 54 megs 802.11 b/g wireless interface
* 2 voice over broadband ports (future use)
* 1 analog back-up (future use)
* OS Independent (Ethernet)

I believe Bulldog are implementing ADSL 2+ soon also, which has a 24Mb max download speed.

All ADSL providers are talking about their connections as megabits, a 1Mb connection from BT is 125kb/s download speed... for some reason thats just how they've all decided to describe connections and its how networking in general is described.

Anyways, chances of you getting the full 24Mb is highly unlikely, you have to be damn close to the exchange to get it... although ADSL 2 is a lot better than ADSL due to the fact it works at a higher frequency and it can travel further, I think it extends coverage by a few more KM which will increase the total broadband coverage in the UK to about 95% :)

Personally I dont currently see the need for such speeds, I've just got an 8Mb connection from Bulldog (although its currently only connecting at 5.2Mb with my old wireless modem), and I'll be lucky to use all that speed most of the time...

On the topic of DSL, I'd rather have SDSL as at least the up and download speeds are the same, as I do a lot of uploading to people, and with webpage loading, there is verry little difference between a rusty 512k connection and a 2Mb; it's when you're downloading that the differences are seen.

:)

for some strange reason upload speeds are still a lot slower than maximum download speeds even with ADSL2... currently got a 512Kb upload on my 8Mb connection... tis a little silly really, I also do a fair bit of uploading

Never mind the price being too good to be true, it sounds like the product is!
I've just found this on the computeractive site.

http://www.computeractive.co.uk/vnunet/news/2145219/24mb-broadband-myth

24MB ADSL2+ broadband a 'myth'

Technically possible but highly unlikely, say analysts
Iain Thomson, vnunet.com 01 Nov 2005

Analysts have 'reverse engineered' data from BT and come to the conclusion that the vast majority of British residents will never be able to get 24Mbps broadband direct to the home.

Research by broadband analysts Point Topic suggests that the bandwidth promised by some ISPs will not be available to most UK residents because they live too far from a telephone exchange.

"24Mbps is achievable within 300 metres of the exchange so you can get those speeds if you happen to live next door," said Julian Herbert, editor of the Point Topic UK Plus service.

"The further the signal has to travel, the lower the ultimate speed of the connection for the end user. In many cases we estimate that the signal has travelled through more than 700 metres of wire before it even leaves the exchange."

The analyst firm looked at BT's own data and worked out that less than 15 per cent of the UK population live within 2km of an exchange. Barely five per cent live close enough to get even 18Mbps downloads.

Delivery of 8Mbps is possible from around 3km, meaning that 45 per cent of the population would be capable of achieving such speeds.

The analyst said that links BT will not be able to provide high speed internet access to many customers without heavy investment in fibre links.

My mate who is well up on these things told me that, there are loads of surprising deals like this at the moment, but they have a very high contension ratio.

In otherwords, you share your bandwith with 200 other people, meaning that you would have a quicker service with a dial up modem.
Because 1 in 15 broadband users will leave a download machine on 24 hours a day using up all the bandwidth.

Thankfully all broadband speeds are referred to in megabits not megabytes which helps avoid confusion. It also makes it seem faster than it is since 24Mbits = 3MBytes

Originally posted by Zinger549
24mb boradband £20 a month no caps someting seen fishy there

Um, it's £24 a month.. Still that's only a quid per Mb I suppose... I agree though, definitely read the small print before signing up, cos IMO it does sound a little TOO cheap to be genuine.

I believe this is only available in central london, I have read about this and was dissapointed..

I also dont like DSL/SDSL/ADSL/2/2+ or any variation there-of DSL..

why? because of conjestion mostly. think about it, down the one line, you have your phone calls, and the internet connection, you have to mess around with filters and crap for dsl.. the big thing you need to find out is contention..

Most of BlueYonder is a 40:1 contention, cable (dedicated, unless you have CableTV) connection, there is no need to "dial" (you still have to with DSL, although its still faster than 56k) with cable you turn your PC on, and its there... blue yonder (for thoes who do not know) are also offering 10mb (mega bits, as all connections are measured) for £35 per month... which will be the best home connection available...

BT has the equivelant of approx 70:1 contention ratio, due to conjestion caused by it being the telephone service too.

(Contention is number of "clients" per server, 70 people per 1 server at the ISP (BT) is 70:1 or 50:1 is 50 people per 1 server at the ISP (Blue Yonder))

Obviously, with less people on the server, it will be a faster, smoother, more stable connection.

BlueYonder 2Mb currently allows a 256KB/s ACTUAL speed ( and i have had this out of it ) since 2megabit is 256KBytes/sec

I know someone with BT's 2megabit ADSL Service, and the most they have ever had was a mere 190Kytes/sec (the exact same file from the exact same location, and he lives 2 houses away from me)

Do the math yourself, and tell me which is the better?

Cable can be great. IF you live in an area which has it :) Sounds like your mate should go with a decent dsl service - they do have overheads so you will never get the full 2 mbit, but he should get a lot more than 190 KB/s (eg 512 kbit dsl usually gives about 56 kB/s). BT are far from the best provider :)

(Incidentally, there's a lot of confusion in this thread about bits and bytes. Networking is always quoted in bits when specifications are being quoted, so internet connections are always kilobits or megabits. A little b means bits and a capital B means bytes, for what it's worth. I've been a bit guilty of capitalisation sloppiness with my Ks, but at least there's not much to confuse it with by using the wrong one - unless you want to take about millibits! :))

It will be interesting to see how well BY fare with the 10 mbit service. Not so long ago I wouldn't have touched cable with a long stick, but they seem to have improved the systems dramatically - our BY connection at home has been almost flawless in the year I've been using it.

In terms of this 24 mbit offer, I'd add my hat to the "extremely cynical" pile. Bandwidth isn't free, and most companies are offering it as cheaply as they can already. It's no use connecting everyone over a fast connection if the bandwidth from the exchange can't cope. I put in my dad's phone number in Manchester (since we don't have a BT number here) and it claims his exchange will be enabled for adsl2 in January. Not that it would help him, as he is far enough away that he can't even get 1mbit at the moment! :) There's also a good reason why they offer slow uploading speeds - it's all to do with the way they buy their bandwidth to sell on to the consumer. There's no point having loads of upstream speed when the vast majority of people won't use it (and most of those who do will be using it for illegal means ;)), when their bandwidth provider can sell it instead to hosting companies etc.

There was another BBC article (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4399330.stm) about ADSL2 yesterday... According to it, hardly anyone will get close to 24mbit and less than half will get over 8mbit.

No one reads the ADSLguide.org.uk forums then I take it.
BE are getting a proper slating for non delivery of service in a lot of places.

They don't charge for rental of equipment I can add, but it's difficult to get their service working in a lot of areas.
A lot of people are saying BE will be bust before the end of 2006 but they will have paved the way for larger ISP's to take up the 24meg broadband challenge.

Yeah but BT's current Broadband technology is so crap that you have to practically live next door to the exchange to get anything like decent reception on even a 512k connection :loopy:

Took us 5 years to be able to get Broadband here in Stannington, and even then all we could get was Pipex wireless DSL at £46 a month!