Should laptop make a huge difference?

brcwatters

Hi all

I just got a new O2 usb modem - E353 - to replace an older dongle I'd had for the last 2 years. On my work laptop which is a HP elitebook I'm getting approx:

Download Speed: 1701 kbps (212.6 KB/sec transfer rate)
Upload Speed: 261 kbps (32.6 KB/sec transfer rate)
Latency: 121 ms

(o2 speed test page)

On my family laptop it's like a quarter that - max 256 kbps. 2 laptops sitting side by side on the table. This is a toshiba bog standard got it in the local computer shop type thing. Should the machine be making such a difference or are there settings somewhere I should check out?

Thanks for any help.

jor el

Did your old modem suffer the same problem?

brcwatters

Thanks for getting back to me.

To tell the truth I'm not sure. I rarely went online on the home laptop as I had a work pc we just used for everything. Its speed was fine but I never measured it. It went through a router for vpn purposes. Recently I got a new work laptop so have been trying to retire the old Dell desktop and to use the house laptop for personal stuff. I have been trying to sort out the various machines to be wireless etc. This pretty much coincided with the old dongle dying - have been in a bit of a state of flux the last few weeks but think I'm getting there this morning. Had to update firmware on the router and am now working wirelessly but can't go on the vpn... never ends.

As a matter of interest I also signed up for 3 as figured with a new O2 contract I could get out of it if 3 was better - but it was completely crap. The only way I could connect was standing in the garden, pointing the modem due west and holding the laptop at head height... not exactly ideal. Hopefully he'll get back to me soon with cancellation details. So 3 is installed on the house laptop for now and I don't want messing with it till I've it cancelled. Once I've uninstalled 3 I'll reinstall O2 and check it all out again.

Thanks though!

William Powell

brcwatters wrote: »

Thanks for getting back to me.

To tell the truth I'm not sure. I rarely went online on the home laptop as I had a work pc we just used for everything. Its speed was fine but I never measured it. It went through a router for vpn purposes. Recently I got a new work laptop so have been trying to retire the old Dell desktop and to use the house laptop for personal stuff. I have been trying to sort out the various machines to be wireless etc. This pretty much coincided with the old dongle dying - have been in a bit of a state of flux the last few weeks but think I'm getting there this morning. Had to update firmware on the router and am now working wirelessly but can't go on the vpn... never ends.

As a matter of interest I also signed up for 3 as figured with a new O2 contract I could get out of it if 3 was better - but it was completely crap. The only way I could connect was standing in the garden, pointing the modem due west and holding the laptop at head height... not exactly ideal. Hopefully he'll get back to me soon with cancellation details. So 3 is installed on the house laptop for now and I don't want messing with it till I've it cancelled. Once I've uninstalled 3 I'll reinstall O2 and check it all out again.

Thanks though!

Just a note about taking the 3 modem back, if you have connected at all they get really funny about it and say you've got a connection so it must be OK. Get on to 1913 ask for a case number so you can report the issue to comreg for lack of service, if they won't give you a case number them get on to comreg anyway. Honestly 3 really can be cnuts about returning a modem and getting out of contract for lack of service. The Three:reps might be helpful but you need to be proactive or it might drag out.

brcwatters

The guy in India or wherever on tech support said he was escalating it to next level but reckoned they wouldn't be able to do anything for me. Apparently even though I don't have broadband I'm not in nbs scheme area (is that why I qualify for RBS?).. so they're not obliged to do whatever it takes to get me connected. He seemed to think I'd get out of it ok, and that someone would be back to me within 48 hours.

Do I need to contact comreg already? Or only if I get no joy within the 48 hours?

Thanks

William Powell

brcwatters wrote: »

The guy in India or wherever on tech support said he was escalating it to next level but reckoned they wouldn't be able to do anything for me. Apparently even though I don't have broadband I'm not in nbs scheme area (is that why I qualify for RBS?).. so they're not obliged to do whatever it takes to get me connected. He seemed to think I'd get out of it ok, and that someone would be back to me within 48 hours.

Do I need to contact comreg already? Or only if I get no joy within the 48 hours?

Thanks

Sounds like it will be OK with 3 just be careful that sometimes they just keep asking you to wait another 24/48hrs. Comreg are a last resort but if things aren't working out and you have a genuine issue with the ISP the sooner you contact them the better.

If you havn't signed up for the RBS yet get on to it, registration ends this month (July) afaik, what will come of it I really don't know but signed up myself just in case it turns out be something worth having

brcwatters

Cool thanks. Yes am sighed up for RBS this long time now - have had phonecall and letter etc. Not sure what I'm hoping for as I really don't see anyone sending a phone line down the lane to me, unless my new neighbour across the road gets a new line to him and they include us out of the goodness of their hearts, but doubt it.

William Powell

If your neighbor is putting in a phone line then maybe share the expense of the extra poles, but even then is your local exhange enabled for broadband?

RBS just might be subsidised statellite installation but might pay for more than that who knows at this stage?