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Those people who find that their monthly cost after the 1st 3 months increases from £5.99 to £11.99 are probably connected to an exchange which is not "unbundled" yet. This means that there is not enough business for providers other than BT to make enough money from that exchange. Like most other people on here I receive a faultless service. I have two broadband connections one for business and one for family use - both from Plusnet.

[b]What are you paying for versus what do you really need? [/b] Forget 20MB speeds and the claims made by ISPs. Headline or advertising speeds are there to catch your attention. Most of us will get our broadband from various ISPs via the same infratsructure commonly known as a BT Line. The networks that can offer higher speeds will tend to be cable networks because they use a different network structure. [b]When you receive broadband through your BT Line the following factors come into the play:[/b] distance from the Exchange your through and your home internal physical wiring. When you contact an ISP look for one that has opted into the VCOP (Voluntary Code Of Practice) monitored by OFCOM. These ISPs have all opted in to tell consumers the same thing about Broadband Speeds in a common and simple to understand language. To get the best deal and service what you should consider is plain and simply "what do I need broadband to do for me?" and go from there. Here are my tips to get what you want and only pay for what you want. [b]What do I do on the Internet?[/b] I shop online, I browse including online Banking, social sites and I send emails and I don't really download anything. All you really need is a basic broadband package. I do all of the above but I do download some stuff but not a huge amount. Then you're probably looking for the mid range package with a 10Gb or roundabout limit on your downloads. Most ISPs provide this sort of package and have reasonable terms and conditions if you exceed this on the odd month. If you're what is commonly known as a "power user" of "max user" then this is when you really need to get your shopping right. What do power or max users use the Internet for? They are you big downloaders and I think you might fall into this category catnap123. You'll probably do all or some of the following: download movies, music etc. Play online gaming or maybe even a home business. Word of warning here for all Home Businesses make sure your ISP is covering a commercial service and not just a domestic one as this could leave you with problems when your service fails. Most ISPs will quote you for domestic use unless you specify different. If you fall into this category you want Unlimited download without a doubt. [b]What is Unlimited Download?[/b] Basically it is what is says if you're seen as a considerate and reasonable user. If you're a big downloader and hog the system several hours a day every day of the week then you will be controlled not becuase ISPs just want to control you but as nickpike says the infrastructure just isn't there for anyone or everyone to have as much of the broadband bandwidth as they want. It needs to be shared the way you would share any infrastructure that moves traffic in this case the traffic being your downloads. ALL ISPs operate traffic control whether you know it or not, they have to otherwise they would be bombarded with customer issues. [b]Choosing your braodband package[/b] As I said ask yourself the question "what do I need broadband for?" and then contact or look at ISPs When you do contact an ISP they should tell you the maximum speed your physical setup can handle (Exchange to your BT Line socket) and then they should be able to tell you what the actual speed is that you will receive. It is the actual speed you will get that you should pay attention to because this is where you decide how much you need to pay. E.g. if your maximum obtainable speed is 6MB why would you pay for a 20MB download speed because you'll never achieve this? The quick anser to this one is not about speed but about download usage. Because the quirk in the broadband world is that the higher speed package is usually always the one with the Unlimited downoad. It's easy to get caught up in the money versus ISP but it's not just about this. It's about what you personally need not your neighbour, your best friend or an article telling you how much you might be able to save. Decide what it is you need and go for the package that ticks all of your criteria plus has a great service reputation and a price you are happy to pay. Then and only then will you start the journey to being a happy BB traveller. One other point that some of you might be aware of. Some ISPs offer different products and if you already use these products you could get yourself a very good deal. E.g. if you have SKY Digital TV did you know that their base telephone and broadband package is obtainable at a lower price? By the way I'm not advocating SKY I'm just highlighting where savings might also be achievable if you already get a service from an ISP. [b]Thanks for reading/listening and I hope this helps with some of your queries.[/b]

I don't know anything about 'PlusNet' so can't comment on their service but, I changed my mobile to o2 last year and get their home broadband for £7.50 a month (I was paying £18.99 elsewhere). The service is very good, the download speed is fast and the best bit, it's unlimited.