Llu

Dan201

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Im researching ISPs for a future change. I keep seeing llu mentioned on these forums so I googled the term and from what i understand its any broadband that is on BTs system but provided by another company.

I think im wrong though as some people have said you can have sky broadband with or without llu.

What am i missing?
 
LLU = that company has equipment in your exchange they own.

Sky can resell you BT internet or LLU internet if they own some equipment in your exchange.

Pre LLU all companys selling ADSL were reselling BT's service.
 
aah. Ok.

So from this link below am I right in thinking my exchange doesn't have LLU for orange broadband, my current provider. But Be does have it.

If I changed would I have to specifically ask for LLU or would it be automatic?

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/LNBAR
 
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Be's line checker says my expected speed would be 3Mb. Christ thats crap.
 
I have LLU with Sky - much better than the resold BT.
In part because Sky LLU has no limit and much better support.
 
So they advertise and sell it as a different product?
 
So from this link below am I right in thinking my exchange doesn't have LLU for orange broadband, my current provider. But Be does have it.

Orange stopped using LLU.

Technically LLU means that the ISP takes your connection onto their own network earlier than they would otherwise, at the local exchange <5 miles away rather than at one of 12 or so regional centres (Known as a RAS).

For us users it doesn't make much of a difference but there are a couple of points to be aware of:

1. As LLU is at the exchange it can provide the slightly faster ADSL2+ rather than the usual ADSL Max (usually marketed as 'Up to 20Mbps' and 'Up to 8Mbps' respectively).

2. Because ISPs can tailor their networks to their customers and may have newer, more efficient technology LLU packages are often cheaper, especially for low capacity users.

Note that some of the LLU options listed on Samknows (e.g. Zen) are only for one or two test exchanges and won't affect the packages that ISP will offer you.

Your exchange is packed full of technology and you have, in practical terms, everything enabled (except virgin cable) so I'd advise you to just forget all this and pick the package most suited to you.

Be's line checker says my expected speed would be 3Mb. Christ thats crap.

Those estimates are pessimistic for obvious reasons, they all use the same technology though so assuming you're currently on ADSL you'll not get a maximum speed lower than you currently have (or higher, unless you're on ADSL Max and switch to ADSL2+ or FTTC). Obviously your practical speed may vary a little depending on traffic levels but it's unlikely to be enough to pick one ISP over another for.
 
1. As LLU is at the exchange it can provide the slightly faster ADSL2+ rather than the usual ADSL Max (usually marketed as 'Up to 20Mbps' and 'Up to 8Mbps' respectively)
That is a little out of date. (In fact its a lot out of date.)

Most large (and many small) exchanges in addition to ADSL Max, will also have BTW's 21CN WBC - which is an ADSL2+ based product and so can also offer up to 20 Mb/s.
 
That is a little out of date. (In fact its a lot out of date.)

Most large (and many small) exchanges in addition to ADSL Max, will also have BTW's 21CN WBC - which is an ADSL2+ based product and so can also offer up to 20 Mb/s.

Technically I stated that LLU can Provide ADSL2+, I didn't say that it was the only way to get it. As you say the latter hasn't been universally true for years now. I can see why that might be misleading though, and it was definitely worth stating that a WBC-enabled exchange also allows ADSL2+ to be offered on a non-LLU package.
 
wow, its getting quite technical in here. I think I need to loosen my collar.

For a while orange were great for me, I downloaded about 300Gb a month so couldn't complain. But with no notice they seem to have hugely capped my connection and im lucky to get 2GB a night now.

It was the same with o2 so I changed to Orange. I must be going over their fair use policies which is why Be looked so good to me. They claim to manage their traffic much less.
 
I went onto LLU a couple of years back with o2/BE. I went from about 1MB on standard ADSL to 3.5MB on LLU.
 
Thats impressive! Looking forward to finishing with orange.
 
For a while orange were great for me, I downloaded about 300Gb a month so couldn't complain. But with no notice they seem to have hugely capped my connection and im lucky to get 2GB a night now.
That is because the way that Orange have recently changed how (technically) they deliver your service. A lot of people ("in the trade") do not think that they have implemented it very well and so that is why your speed has dropped.
 
Any details on the changes? Other than my connection now sucks.
 
I went onto LLU a couple of years back with o2/BE. I went from about 1MB on standard ADSL to 3.5MB on LLU.
That was almost certainly, back then, because you moved technology. In most cases, that would not be case today.
 
orange stop using LLU because they pass it on the network over to bt.
 
Any details on the changes? Other than my connection now sucks.
Orange used to have their own DSL equipment in local exchanges (LLU). They appear to have decided not to do that from now on but rather use BT's equipment instead. The actual Line Rate will be identical, however that is FAR from the whole story. Many ISPs use the BT equipment and provide perfectly acceptable performance based on it - others do not! Orange appear not to have sorted out which camp they are in yet -or may be they have. :D
 
People refer to o2 and be together. Why? They offer different services at different prices.
 
People refer to o2 and be together. Why? They offer different services at different prices.
They are both owned by Telefonica (O2 is BE's parent company) and O2 services run over Be's infrastructure and so many things, such as performance, will be the same.
 
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Same performance but be cost more? Why would anyone go with be?
 
I heard BE is truly unlimited no traffic shaping and they delivery quality service. But 02 they say there package is unlimited but they got fair usage cap of 100GB on their all rounder package and their all work package has 250GB. If you go over this amount then they will cap your speed at peak time making it slow.

edit: looked on their website they clamining there unlimited package is now truly unlimited not sure if this is true here the link:

http://www.o2.co.uk/broadband
 
Yep, o2 seem quite a bit cheaper. I wonder what the differences are.

Orange told me they didn't shape traffic.
 

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