Best broadband package for gaming?

[172boost]

Any thoughts people?
I'm currently with Orange BB as I get it free with my mobile phone, but I'm sick of it as it's such a low speed and I need a decent connection for online gaming.
I think the max my line can take is about 3 Meg which is piss poor but I only get about half of that normally with Orange.
Is the best option for me to go with Virgin and get fibre run into the flat instead? Been a bit put off by the £20 a month price tag.

 

[172boost]

ha ha ha, think I might need to go with Virgin:

Broadband checker results

We have tested your line and can confirm your line supports the UK's most complete broadband package, BT Total Broadband. We estimate your maximum connection speed to be 1.0Mbps, which is the fastest speed your line can currently support.

If you're a new customer sign up to BT Total Broadband now or order a package which includes BT Total Broadband.

We always give you the best speed possible and this is the fastest speed your line can currently support. We are rolling out speeds of up to 20Mb across the country but this is not currently available in your area. You can keep up to date by visiting www.bt.com/20mb, where you can get the latest information and availability dates.

The actual speed you get could be lower and is dependent on several factors such as whether you have any internal home wiring, our network management policy and the number of people using the internet at the same time. Speeds are generally lower in the evening at peak times. You can find more information on all of these on BT.com.

 

[richy22]

You won't get fibre run into your flat. They will use the normal cable already there

 

[richy22]

Where abouts are you?? As if your in the sticks there isn't much you can do as it's all dependant on line length.

 

[172boost]

You won't get fibre run into your flat. They will use the normal cable already there

I don't know the techinal info mate, do they run cable in from a local substation/box?
Can I gurantee that if I have cable installed that I will get a 10mb speed? My options are exttemely limited at the moment, put up with crap speeds through BT line (ADSL) or have cable installed.

Live in a small town by the way, not countryside.

Postcode check results

Cable services

Because you're in a fibre optic cable area, you can get all this.

• Up to 50Mb broadband
• Over 165 digital TV channels
• Great value home phone packages

 

[richy22]

Depending on where you are hey will just buy the existing line off BT or who-ever and use the cable already there. I can't be 100% sure but I'd guarantee you won't get a cable run from the exchange.

Normally they run a coax I think from the pole outside your house (you should be able see the telephone cable running from a pole into your house??)

I could be wrong of course but 90% of the time the above will be the case.

 

[172boost]

Depending on where you are hey will just buy the existing line off BT or who-ever and use the cable already there. I can't be 100% sure but I'd guarantee you won't get a cable run from the exchange.

Normally they run a coax I think from the pole outside your house (you should be able see the telephone cable running from a pole into your house??)

I could be wrong of course but 90% of the time the above will be the case.

That sucks ass, big time. So it doesn't really matter what provider I am with, my connection will always be limited.

 

[Mark One]

the fibre optic ends somewhere up the road. All the VM stuff runs off the existing copper cable (that is, if your house is on cable already). If your not on cable, I don't think they put one in specially.

 

[SC03OTT]

Depending on where you are hey will just buy the existing line off BT or who-ever and use the cable already there. I can't be 100% sure but I'd guarantee you won't get a cable run from the exchange.

Normally they run a coax I think from the pole outside your house (you should be able see the telephone cable running from a pole into your house??)

I could be wrong of course but 90% of the time the above will be the case.

If he is in a cabled area - which that test result suggests he is - the fibre is run to the cabinet, then co-ax from there to your house. BT's cable has nothing to do with it. That's how I understood it worked anyway, but I'm prepared to be educated.

 

[richy22]

Pretty much..UNLESS they physically come and lay a new cable from your house to the exchange (which aint gonna happen!)

Going with Virgin probably wont help your case im afraid. Name of your town/what road you live on?? PM me if you like...I can check what exchange your on and how far away you are and confirm if my suspicions are correct!

 

[richy22]

If he is in a cabled area - which that test result suggests he is - the fibre is run to the cabinet, then co-ax from there to your house. BT's cable has nothing to do with it. That's how I understood it worked anyway, but I'm prepared to be educated.

They wont run a fibre to the cab just for one person though is my point.

BT's cable does have somthing to do with it if Fibre is not there..as the line is BT's and they lease it out to other companies.

Hardly anywhere in the UK has fibre to the cabinet. Big places will but not smallish towns.

I cant be 100% sure with the Virgin side of things but BT/Orange etc still run cables to the cab then the pair to your house (but a pair in a cable with 24+ more pairs).

Would be a lot better if BT upgraded to ADSL2+...France runs ADSL2+ and we see speeds of 20mb on copper lines...no need for fibre! (well unless you want to get faster then that of course))

Edit...oh I didnt notice that he had done a virgin speed check and posted the results..swear they weren't there a minute ago??!!

 

[SC03OTT]

They wont run a fibre to the cab just for one person though is my point.

BT's cable does have somthing to do with it if Fibre is not there..as the line is BT's and they lease it out to other companies.

Hardly anywhere in the UK has fibre to the cabinet. Big places will but not smallish towns.

I cant be 100% sure with the Virgin side of things but BT/Orange etc still run cables to the cab then the pair to your house (but a pair in a cable with 24+ more pairs).

Would be a lot better if BT upgraded to ADSL2+...France runs ADSL2+ and we see speeds of 20mb on copper lines...no need for fibre! (well unless you want to get faster then that of course))

Edit...oh I didnt notice that he had done a virgin speed check and posted the results..swear they weren't there a minute ago??!!

His postcode test shows that he is able to receive VM's 50MB BB and digital TV. That surely means his area is FTTC.

Edit: Just noticed your edit. Ignore, lol

 

[172boost]

I was under the impression that Virgin ran fibre to the boxes and then a copper (coax) feed underground to your house. If that is the case then surely my speed would go up significantly compared to using the BT line?

 

[richy22]

In which case IF they reckon you are in a fibre area might be worth a shot but remember the speed qouted is "upto 50mb"... youcould go onto it and find your still at 3mb or something.

My posts wee about if you werent in a fibre area and I didnt notice you posted the Virgin postcode checker

 

[richy22]

His postcode test shows that he is able to receive VM's 50MB BB and digital TV. That surely means his area is FTTC.

Edit: Just noticed your edit. Ignore, lol

...I swear it wasnt there to start with!

 

[172boost]

...I swear it wasnt there to start with!

Speed edit FTW!

 

[172boost]

Just spoken to VM, they can offer me full 10Mb BB for £15 a month for 3 months then £20 a month thereafter. She said the minimum speed I would get is 9.6/9.7Mb! Sounds like the only option really!

 

[SC03OTT]

I'm on their 10Mb service. Just did a speed test and it's coming back with 12.7Mb.

You will be subject to traffic management between 4pm and 9pm. You are bumped down to 2Mb if you download over a certain amount. I can't remember what that figure is off the top of my head.

 

[172boost]

I'm on their 10Mb service. Just did a speed test and it's coming back with 12.7Mb.

You will be subject to traffic management between 4pm and 9pm. You are bumped down to 2Mb if you download over a certain amount. I can't remember what that figure is off the top of my head.

I just read their traffic management policy and it seems fair enough. I can't see that a bit of web surfing and online gaming between 4pm and 9pm is going to put me in the high usage bracket, but even if it does then my speed will still be 2.5Mb which is more than double what I get now. I know it's £20 a month but I think it's worth it and it looks like my only option. I think the figure is 1500MB.

 

[powey]

ha ha ha, think I might need to go with Virgin:

Broadband checker results

We have tested your line and can confirm your line supports the UK's most complete broadband package, BT Total Broadband. We estimate your maximum connection speed to be 1.0Mbps, which is the fastest speed your line can currently support.

If you're a new customer sign up to BT Total Broadband now or order a package which includes BT Total Broadband.

We always give you the best speed possible and this is the fastest speed your line can currently support. We are rolling out speeds of up to 20Mb across the country but this is not currently available in your area. You can keep up to date by visiting www.bt.com/20mb, where you can get the latest information and availability dates.

The actual speed you get could be lower and is dependent on several factors such as whether you have any internal home wiring, our network management policy and the number of people using the internet at the same time. Speeds are generally lower in the evening at peak times. You can find more information on all of these on BT.com.

I did the check and it came back with 7.0mbps yet my connection on live is usually shite

My icon notifiction in the task bar says its 2.2mbps

 

[Chad]

I'm probably a bit biased as I work for Virgin as a business engineer but I honestly don't think you can beat there BB service at the moment. It should only get better as well because they have to keep the the network spot on for the 50MB customers. If I didn't work there and get everything for next to nothing I would probably go to Sky for the tv package but no-one else comes close for BB.

 

[172boost]

I'm going to bite the bullet and ring them up today I think. 10Mb BB FTW!

 

[DrR]

It's all about the ping tbh.

 

[172boost]

Yep and my new Virgin BB connection should sort that out, as of 2nd December! Woohoo!

 

[DrR]

You hope anyway lol

 

[172boost]

It HAS to be better. lol. I can't see how it wouldn't be but how is ping speed determined?

 

[Chesh]

I have been capped on virgin's adsl service a few times, rang them up and asked them why my internet was completely c**ted and they said it wasnt to do with how much i actually downloaded, but how much i downloaded in relation to other people in the area. I had downloaded i think 12gb in a week and that was a in the top 5% or something like that. So i was capped between 4pm to12 pm i think it was. Not sure how it works on fibre though.

edit: Ping speed is how quickly it can actually establish the connection. Think of it as a truck, it will take ages to get there but can take a large load, so you may have a quick download speed but it might take a while to establish that connection.

 

[DrR]

It HAS to be better. lol. I can't see how it wouldn't be but how is ping speed determined?

Imagine it this way, truck going 50mph can carry 10 tons

Car going 70 can only carry 1ton but is obviously going to get to the destination quicker.


But generally faster the download the quicker the ping, but if it's purely for gaming i'd be going for the one with the best latency/ping.

 

[Chesh]

a car carrying a ton????

not gonna happen mate

 

[172boost]

Well my current ADSL line is about 1.4Mb at the moment and with Virgin it will be between 9-10Mb on fibre, even if I do get capped (which I highly doubt) then it should still be a better connection.

 

[DrR]

Car could carry a ton easy!

 

[Chesh]

i doubt my car could tow a ton let alone carry one inside it. It definitely wouldnt go anywhere at 70 if it did!

 

[Iain C]

Im on virgin and ive never had any grief. Currently running 7.09mb/s

 

[PinkoCommie]

I'm on their 10Mb service. Just did a speed test and it's coming back with 12.7Mb.

You will be subject to traffic management between 4pm and 9pm. You are bumped down to 2Mb if you download over a certain amount. I can't remember what that figure is off the top of my head.

http://www.virginmedia.com/help/traffic-management.php

Gives you a nice table for all the connection speeds, the time bands and hpow much you can download/upload.

But generally faster the download the quicker the ping, but if it's purely for gaming i'd be going for the one with the best latency/ping.

Bandwidth is limited by latency, basically, there is a maximum amount of data (TCP Window size) you can transmit before you need an acknowledgement of receipt packet. The latency of the line determines how quickly this response can come back (Round trip time/RTT).

For instance, if you use the maximum TCP window size of 65535 bytes (can't be arsed to mess around with Window scaling), the maximum amount of bandwidth you can get out of a link is:
TCP Window Size/Round Trip time

so for a 10ms ping and a 65535 byte window you can get 6.24 Megabytes per sec (i.e. a 50MBit connection) of theoretical throughput (Including protocol overheads).

One the same connection if you got a 100ms ping you would get a max of 0.624 Megabytes per sec through it (5 MBits).

 

[Ronnie R]

O2 4 me however - I cant get VM