Who is the best internet provider in Forest Hill?
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crochetlady18
Posts: 1
Joined: Sep 2020
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05-09-2020 12:00 PM
Hi there,
I will be moving to the area in the next few weeks and i need a quite a high speed (60 mps plus) for work.
what is everyones experience with internet providers here and the best speeds you get?
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jgdoherty
Posts: 373
Joined: Nov 2007
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05-09-2020 02:34 PM
BT provides a normally consistent and good high-speed broadband service out of Forest Hill Exchange. I say normally because there has been a persistent fault affecting some users in the last 12-14 days which appears to be difficult for OpenReach to fix. Apart from localised isolated faults the service availability is high.
The exchange was one of the original pilots for fibre optic roll-out in the UK and had a split in the types of cable installation architecture.
One part of the exchange area has fibre optics laid to the cabinet nearest to the premises (FTTC) and then uses the old copper link into the home. Generally good but not as fast as the Fibre to the Premises installations (FTTP) where fibre is connected all the way into the home.
There are checkers available that will advise whether any address has FTTC or FTTP architecture.
I have a an FTTP service which is in the process of being upgraded to a 510 Mbps service with a monthly fee (inc phone line) of £49.90. Maximum download speed is 510 Mbps, maximum upload speed is 73 Mbps with a guarantee at 250 Mbps below which a daily compensation sum is paid by BT.
Sky broadband is good. Customers are very loyal and reports are that it is fairly reliable.
Virgin similarly - although recently there have been reports about localised pockets of failures.
TalkTalk are perhaps the least reliable - but that may have improved recently and others may report differently.
Good luck on your move.
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jgdoherty
Posts: 373
Joined: Nov 2007
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05-09-2020 02:45 PM
One BT issue that bears a separate comment.
BT determines what service it can or will provide to a specific address, irrespective of that the advisory sites might report.
On more than one occasion that I am aware of, BT has advised a customer that a full broadband package is available in an area and to their specific address.
However when the OpenReach engineer turns-up to do the cable installation, they occasionally decline to do the work, despite the BT commitment.
As best as I can determine there is still uncertainty about certain types of installation, particularly if a building has several disparate homes in it. As an example if a building has been converted into say four flats, OpenReach seems to have a long term problem because it has not yet have a reliable solution for that configuration.
I have no insight or reports how other providers may or may not deal with this issue, but it is worth being aware of this BT issue if you are moving into a multi-occupancy building.
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jgdoherty
Posts: 373
Joined: Nov 2007
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07-09-2020 01:30 PM
Thanks to poster @ChrisR on SE23.life I have learned something about why BT and Openreach have this issue with what they call MDU’s (multiple dwelling units ie flats!) for FTTP installs.
@ChrisR may be the same member on here - in any event, thank you for filling the gap in my knowledge, I had never found info on that fact that BT had decided not to include provision for this feature on an elective basis. All part of the confusion and modification to the pilot scheme perhaps, around the change from FTTC to FTTP part way through the programme? FTTC addresses are NOT affected by this issue.
@crochetlady18 Getting fibre may depend on whether you’re moving into a house or a flat. When I queried with Open Reach why the house next door was able to have fibre but I’d been told I couldn’t have it in my flat they responded that they’d made a commercial decision not to include what they call MDU’s (multiple dwelling units ie flats!) in their fibre rollout for the Forest Hill exchange.
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jgdoherty
Posts: 373
Joined: Nov 2007
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08-09-2020 12:44 PM
After an unexplained delay by BT, my upgrade package was activated by BT overnight.
It is planned to deliver 510 Mbps but tests this morning are showing results that fluctuate wildly.
One test result shows this rather unreal result.
![](https://xub4pg.am.files.1drv.com/y4mEYG_MDToefr0T1-CoIlctWGAQTFQN5zPVF_VNyz4Ud_zj9iinMwDHQGXkXNmz3T9L1CTH83zzL4-X5eL0N-X8T1LIWNdYTstQALKNByZL7Orr6G8UqhyQnz2Bzs6z8hARVIzNIL8h7fWEhLVAW_3W8Vnvx5J1-Cc_r2WZHomsjxxfqjzzsCAqDVI6ISlE-SQLJLMvlQLyh4fjTYBlGvjwQ?width=568&height=612&cropmode=none)
Don't really want the BT enforcers turning up to tell me to stop it.
Please don't mention this to anyone.
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jgdoherty
Posts: 373
Joined: Nov 2007
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09-09-2020 10:18 AM
A more realistic test result.
Not yet at the contracted levels of service.
There may still be an underlying BT fault at the Forest Hill Exchange.
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jgdoherty
Posts: 373
Joined: Nov 2007
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14-09-2020 10:08 AM
Ramping up towards - perhaps a little too slowly - the new contracted speed.
Is anyone else experiencing complete but brief dropouts from BT on the Forest Hill Exchange - albeit it intermittently?
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jgdoherty
Posts: 373
Joined: Nov 2007
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StuartG
Posts: 80
Joined: Apr 2011
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30-09-2020 06:37 PM
72.8 Mbps down here in Lawrie Park using Zen. And up is 13.3 Mbps.
I always recommend Zen or A&A if your connection is mission critical. IMHO the rest are amateurs.
![](https://sydenham.info/extras/zen.png)
Stuart
This post was last modified: 30-09-2020 06:47 PM by StuartG.
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rbmartin
Posts: 1,094
Joined: Nov 2007
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28-10-2020 12:32 AM
Worth noting that Lawrie Park is on the Sydenham Exchange, although parts of Sydenham are managed by the Forest Hill Exchange.
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jacobhencke
Posts: 1
Joined: Aug 2021
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25-08-2021 11:49 AM
I can also recommend that you use an amplifier to boost the internet signal. I personally prefer https://www.myamplifiers.com/en-ca/, they offer a wide choice and provide great quality.
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jgdoherty
Posts: 373
Joined: Nov 2007
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26-08-2021 02:02 PM
This first post from a newly joined poster links to a website that sells kit that notionally "boosts" 5G and other service speeds from mobile phone transmitters.
Not at all clear whether any of the kit "enhances" ADSL, FTTC or FTTP services.
Caution may be required.
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rbmartin
Posts: 1,094
Joined: Nov 2007
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27-08-2021 04:46 PM
Agreed, it has nothing to do with boosting standard internet WiFi signals around the house.
I use a basic £30 booster from TP-Link to get the WiFi into the furthest away room from the router. But you can get mesh antennas which boost the signal and the speed for a price that is cheaper than a mobile phone signal booster.
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