Are you…?
Tired of dropped connections? Sick of waiting ‘months’ for web pages to load? Had enough of the ‘will it, won’t it connect’ while dialling up? Like to use the phone and surf at the same time? You know what I’m talking about.
Tight Git…
I’ve been on the verge of ordering ... Read review
Advantages: Fast, fast, fast, fast, cheap, fast, did I mention the speed yet? Disadvantages: 12 month contract, 2 GB bandwidth cap
Are you…?
Tired of dropped connections? Sick of waiting ‘months’ for web pages to load? Had enough of the ‘will it, won’t it connect’ while dialling up? Like to use the phone and surf at the same time? You know what I’m talking about.
Tight Git…
I’ve been on the verge of ordering some form of broadband connection for what seems like forever BUT being a canny Yorkshireman (def. ... ...him…), I could never quite bring myself to spend the extra cash each month. It was always just above the threshold of what I was willing to pay for the service and if the monthly price was right, there was usually as snag in the form of activation fees and cost of modem and filters which meant that the partially filled in sign up form got binned …again…
Sigh, back to the crappy 56k then. The situation for me was made worse by having a superdoopermegaspeedy ... more
Are you…?
Tired of dropped connections? Sick of waiting ‘months’ for web pages to load? Had enough of the ‘will it, won’t it connect’ while dialling up? Like to use the phone and surf at the same time? You know what I’m talking about.
Tight Git…
I’ve been on the verge of ordering some form of broadband connection for what seems like forever BUT being a canny Yorkshireman (def. A Scotsman with every ounce of generosity squeezed out of him…), I could never quite bring myself to spend the extra cash each month. It was always just above the threshold of what I was willing to pay for the service and if the monthly price was right, there was usually as snag in the form of activation fees and cost of modem and filters which meant that the partially filled in sign up form got binned …again… Sigh, back to the crappy 56k then. The situation for me was made worse by having a superdoopermegaspeedy office connection, which only highlighted the trauma of putting up with the dial-up at home. Restraint was needed, it would do no one any good if I really did sling the whole lot out of the window would it?
Enter Wanandoo, the artist formerly known as Freeserve.
The ad that hooked me was actually at the bottom of a review I was reading on Ciao…it works then (take note marketing peeps). 512k broadband for 17.99 a month...hmmm, clicks the ad, no set-up fees…hmmm…free modem…extra hmmm…not a lot more than I pay for unlimited dial-up…one more time…hmmm.
Legging it downstairs to get my bank details I arrive gasping at the PC and begin to sign up, before they change their mind! All going well till the final page when I’ve filled in my card details and the next page fails to load…bugger (crappy 56k connection). Try again then…same again. Third time lucky? Nope. Old tech to the rescue, I phone up and speak to a human being, not a recording offering 30 options of which mine is ALWAYS the last. He is efficient, helpful and sorts my membership in a few minutes. The line will take around 10 days to be activated, I’ll get an e-mail letting me know it’s ready and then they’ll debit my account for the first month! Great!
3 days later postie arrives with a package. Excitement! Can you feel it! There’s a letter (cast aside in the unpacking frenzy), a shiny silver Speedtouch USB modem, two ADSL filters and a cable plus a ‘resource pack’ with membership guide and software. JOY, I read the instructions (unusual) but a good thing in this case. ‘Hold fire on the modem!’ it says in big letters, (how did they know?) better take notice then, install software first. OK, all done. Now you can plug it in and when (in 10 days, groan) you get 2 green lights, you’re ready to surf at 512k! As I connect it, the PC pings up that the new hardware is ready to use and two green lights appear, surely not, I have to wait don’t I? Checking the connection it fires up right away and I’m in! Smokin’…
You get…
Everything you need to get up and running within minutes of your kit arriving, if like me you’re lucky enough to get the line activated straight away. The modem is very small affair that takes up about as much room as a handprint on the desk. Two ADSL filters that you have to have in order to separate the talk from the data otherwise your phone will be unusable. One has to be fitted to each device you connect though the telephone connection although it’s OK to connect a double adapter after the filter for Sky etc. Software installation was simple using Windows XP and it all went so smoothly I could hardly believe it. The general advice is that you don’t use a phone line extension as it can interfere with the signal but mine is running perfectly at 576Kb on a 15m extension, odd that?
You also get…
Unlimited e-mail addresses, unsure about web space though it’s not an issue for me as I’ve never used any yet! A tenner to spend on legal downloads from the Wanandoo music club and McAfee Security Centre software free for 30 days but with a permanently free privacy service which allows you to stop nasties popping up. It has a very comprehensive database of rude options for you to block…I learned quite a lot of new stuff there…ahem, anyway it stops the kids, or anyone else accidentally hitting naughty sites which is a big plus as I can let them wander round the web in peace!
You don’t get…
Bandwidth.In line with most other providers, and in an attempt to regulate the few who use the net to transfer literally hundreds of GB worth of data (it’s reckoned that 1% of users hog 90% of the bandwidth available) you don’t get unlimited bandwidth, this is the amount of data you can download and upload over any given period. In this case you’re capped at 2GB a month, no good if you intend to use it to load your hard drive with movies or music then but for average surfing it’s plenty. According to industry sources, (Virgin net) the average user gets nowhere near 2GB in a month. It works out at 64MB a day, which is a lot of browsing and e-mail, which is all my home PC, does. If I want movies etc I have the office PC don’t I? If you don’t have a speedy office PC you can pay the extra £10 and get a 15gb cap.
Freedom to jump providers. It’s a 12-month contract but at that price I couldn’t care less! There are providers offering migration services to people with active connections, NDO for one offer an uncapped 512k service for £19.99 BUT I didn’t have the connection OR the modem and filters. Next year tho!
Well? Worth it or what?
With their acquisition of Freeserve and new marketing strategy, Wanandoo have gone for the jugular in the sub £20 broadband market here. BT’s comparable offering at £19.99 only gives you 1GB bandwidth and the activation and modem fees take the monthly cost back up to around £26, a very small saving over the uncapped version with free kit! Come on BT, we all like a laugh but not at our expense!
After a week of 10x modem speed, I did try the old dial up again and was mortified at the performance. For just a few quid more, it has to be worth it. The reduction in general stress levels caused by slow connections (you’ve all had a rant at the pc haven’t you, come on I know you have!) The open connection, the ability for the missus and kids to run up the phone bill while I’m surfing (hang on a mo, I’ve been had!), all make it a joy to use. Twelve months ago the perceived wisdom was that the market would not see further reductions in costs but it looks like the shake up is only just starting and it can only get better!
Advantages: Fast - when it is working Disadvantages: 12 month contract, broken promises, no service
We chose Wanadoo Broadband (previously Freeserve) as when we connected in October ’03, the price of £27.99 was one of the cheapest around and we were already using Freeserve’s Dial-Up service. We were connected within a couple of weeks and had no problems with the service until we moved home and tried to move our Broadband connection with us.
Having Broadband was like a breath of fresh air - no waiting for dial up to connect us, you can use your ... ...yourself.
To connect to Wanadoo you have to ensure that you have a USB port, a BT phoneline, a suitable debit or credit card and Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000 Professional or XP. Mac OS 8.6 or higher. Wanadoo's £27.99 internet package gives you a speed of 512K, which I have always found more than adequate and never had more than a second or two delay in browsing between "pages" on the net. You have a download limit of 15 Gigabytes. Now I won't pretend ...
emilyo 14.07.2004
· Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Wanadoo ISP (Freeserve)
Advantages: Easy to set up, cheap, works great Disadvantages: 2 GB download limit, Filters may pose you a problem if you use an extension.
...and enagaging the services of Wanadoo (formerly Freeserve). A change for the better? Without doubt. I came across Wanadoo having picked up a free CD at my local Dixons (these CD's are available at almost any electrical store curry's, dixon's etc.) and after doing research on other ISP's, decided this was the one for me. Why? Well it's the cheapest one around for a start (£17.99 a month with free modem and self-installation) and despite the 2GB a ... ...had a look around the Wanadoo website (which is excellent I might add) and have generally had lots of fun ever since. What's the catch you are probably thinking. Well, as I mentioned, the 2GB download cap is worth considering before contracting yourself to this package (which is of 12 month duration). 1 GB is apparently equivalent to 6 hours surfing a day or two hundred music tracks but I like to think of it in terms of: you have 64MB's a day. Basically ...
daks 08.07.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Wanadoo ISP (Freeserve)
Advantages: Free modem, Value for money, Competitive package Disadvantages: Bandwidth capping, Punitive charges
...service, I have now left Wanadoo for another provider. This was exclusively due to (and with some regret) cost considerations.
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Writing this is one of my first acts on my brand spanking new Wanadoo 512Kbps ADSL broadband connection, naturally following the checking of e-mail and a quick whiz around the web; consisting of a visit to BBC News and a music video service, just to test out the capabilities of this new found freedom. In general I ... ...Result: Thank you for ordering Wanadoo Broadband, we'll be in touch shortly. They go on to tell you that the lead time, that is the time that it takes for BT to change your line to ADSL is ten days. Now bearing in mind that I placed this order Saturday evening the following events are quite extraordinary. Monday ~12:00: Pick up the phone no dial tone… jiggle the receiver button… no response, I resolve to call BT on my mobile, but first a cup of tea. ...
eastanglian 29.06.2004 (03.09.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Wanadoo ISP (Freeserve)
Advantages: There seems to be a temporary improvement at the moment - but its a case of too little too late Disadvantages: I don't think they understand the concept of "Service"
...even its new incarnation as Wanadoo could give this story a happy ending.
When Freeserve first came on the market they were an absolute godsend. As one of the first Internet Service Providers to charge its users at local rates they helped to bring down the cost of the internet for the average man on the street. As my parent's still use the internet relatively infrequently, they still find this the most cost effective way to access the internet. ... ...needing this if you chose Wanadoo Anytime package:
Wanadoo Customer Care
PO Box 73
Leeds LS10 1WZ
__________________________________
I'll give them one extra star for the temporary improvement in the service that appears to have occured recently. Its not enough to make me stay though, or convince me that they offer a service. ...
ickkate 15.09.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Wanadoo ISP (Freeserve)
Advantages: RELIABLE SERVICE. Disadvantages: A LITTLE EXPENSIVE.
...help establish the reputation of Wanadoo in the U.K. When I started on the Internet four years ago, I was connected through Wanadoo, and although the name is new in the U.K., it is an old and established Internet Service Provider in France, run by France Telecom and the idea that Wanadoo have now the intention of putting all their businesses across Europe on the same band seems like a good idea in some senses, I am a little hesitant in being completely ... ...AS A SERVER ?
Wanadoo are professional in their approach, and a little more in synch with people's needs than the likes of AOL, plus connection to their server has not once been a problem, whereas with AOL, it has always been a little hit and miss, and there are certain days when I cannot connect to the Internet.
Here in France, they offer packages of a certain number of hours per month, and knowing the French as I do, I cannot imagine that this ...
thingywhatsit 23.04.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Wanadoo ISP (Freeserve)
