Hi there,
Would a non-BT engineer be able to fix problems that a BT engineer could fix (which might involve fiddling with exchange setups)? If there could be snags on that front, then maybe going for non-BT might be a bad idea, though on other grounds it would be a good idea!
The other ISPs "lease" lines etc. from BT and the physical layer will still be maintained by BT engineers :)
(I'm particularly tempted by comments on some of the ISPs that have come up recently on ALUG).
Andrews & Arnold and Zen ADSL are both very good :)
NB that BT assert on their website that their "modem/router" requires Windows compatibility. I'm not going to waste my time trying to find out from BT Customer Support whether that's really true, or whether you can just switch it on, plug in any DSL-compatible router, wait for it to get its IP address, and then simply carry on, independently of not using Windows.
So I think the dilemma can be summed up:
Would I, as a Linux user, be buggered if I got a BT installation?
For the record, I know of at least one occasion where a friend made the mistake of mentioning he used a non-windows platform (as well as a windows laptop) to them over the phone whilst querying the fact 1. The ADSL modem they'd sent him was dead and 2. They hadn't switched his service on.
They insisted all the problems were at his end, were his fault, etc. "refused to support him". It took him 3 weeks to get them to replace the ADSL equipment, by which time he'd already bought something else, and (count 'em) THREE MONTHS to admit they hadn't switched on his service, during which time, they continued to charge him, and he had to make other arrangements to keep his contracts in the meantime.
They sent him some paltry goodies afterwards, but kept his cash, and left him with the experience of paying for internet cafes almost daily and/or working from friends' living-rooms in the meantime.
Would I be buggered anyway if I got another ISP to provide the service?
The general feeling among my friends on this seems to be that you should pre-empt BT's motivational problems and go through a 3rd party. It's good to have a large rich company doing the hair-tearing and having to put up with hours of pointless bickering, condescention and prevarication on your behalf (although this isn't foolproof, you'll still have to contend with them on matters of a private phone line)..
I've known BT to behave in a silly manner many times once they've 'got their money'. At some point, I may bore you at great length with said, but for now, I'll say that I wouldn't touch BT with a barge-pole in terms of direct service.
They seem to listen to big companies a lot more. I mean, I'd say they're probably fine if everything's working, but even then I've known them to fob people off with second-rate equipment and services because the customer doesn't know any different.
As mentioned, Zen(for instance) can provide you with a cheaper, uncapped, better (in terms of actual speeds/contention attained and reliability, I'm led to believe) service, there's nothing particularly good about BTs broadband in terms of either the service, or the pricing.
Also, the only phone support I've come across that's worse than BTs is AOL. I kid you not. Now BT engineers, that's a different matter. One of the best professions around, and full of guys who really know their onions when you chat to them IRL, but speak to BT over the phone, and you get a sort of poor man's Sir Humphrey Appleby affair, where the mission seems to be "avoid being helpful at all costs"
Anyway, rant over. It's not non-comittal, and I've probably offended someone, but hey - I'm sure someone else will have an equal and opposite positive viewpoint and all will be well with the world.
For my part, I say this. Avoid dealing directly with BT. Like the plague.
Ten :)
"The only thing sitting on the fence gets you is a sore backside and a 0% share of the grass" - Anonymous.