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Best UK Internet provider for the MacBook Pro Max

T

Totty1987

macrumors regular
Original poster
Oct 7, 2011
153
14
Not too sure where to post this question.

Hopefully I’ll be getting my BTO MacBook Pro next week. I’ll be looking to upload videos to YouTube and other social media sites.
I currently don’t have broadband at home, but I would like a fast reliable connection but there is so much IP choices available.

Which provider would you guys recommend that would allow me to make use of the MBP to its full potential.

Thanks guys
 
It totally depends on what is available in your area, and it varies greatly. Despite living 5 miles outside Leicester on relatively new estate I was stuck at ~10-12 Mbps on FTTC with no other options for years (Sky, BT, Talk Talk that I tried over the years all the same as they use the same copper and my house was right at the limit distance wise from the exchange) so I ended going with SpaceX Starlink which is miles better for upload, download and stability now but costs a lot more.

Can you get FTTP? FTTC, is fibre via Virgin “cable“ in your area? How fast do you need? Maybe if you could expand this info someone with experience of those options could help you?
 
Try chucking your postcode at BT. If they give you a decent rate then probably many others can. uSwicth might throw some more at you but beware of sites doing this, always check the T+C and watch out for lower upload speeds, I noticed a difference coming from BT to Virgin for the package I chose, great download but half the upload speed I had with BT. Bit of a pain. But a different package with Virgin has the higher upload.

BT, I had no problems with their fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) and good reliable speeds around 68mb/s but their prices just kept going north all the while (I had sports package as well). 20mb'/s up I think. Never needed to call them for BB. The TV box went south, they remote checked it then had a new on in the post a few days later. Router was rubbish with devices though, used my own Nighthawk but that was an older router than what they have now.

Now with virgin fibre to the premises (FTTP) all works fine. 100mb/s down but 10 up (other packages have different speeds). Not had any issues but introductory offer was a no brainer. Router is OK with the mobile devices.
 
YMMV but we have 300mbps cable with virgin media and it’s superb; rock solid too, even with multiple video calls, HD streams and the like running throughout the day (family, plus two home workers/small businesses).
 
Totty1987 said:
Not too sure where to post this question.

Hopefully I’ll be getting my BTO MacBook Pro next week. I’ll be looking to upload videos to YouTube and other social media sites.
I currently don’t have broadband at home, but I would like a fast reliable connection but there is so much IP choices available.

Which provider would you guys recommend that would allow me to make use of the MBP to its full potential.

Thanks guys
Click to expand...
Virgin 1gig, have nothing but good things to say about it;) If you are in the UK;)
 
I've just gone from BT to Sky (no cable system here) and I have DL of c440 to 480 Mbps and upload of 60 Mbps.
All been just installed (FTTP and ONT installation done by BT) and no problems yet.
£42 a month iirc.
 
Having said the above I've just run a couple of tests. I have a couple of things open and I'm on wifi (around 12ft away from the router).
Not as good as when I'm doing nothing but still pretty good I think.
Screenshot 2021-11-12 at 22.48.08.png

Screenshot 2021-11-12 at 22.49.10.png
 
Grayburn said:
35…I’m hitting 50 here with Virgin 1gig.
Click to expand...
Concur with this,

950 down and 50 up.

I actually have 1150 coming into the property but because of the ****** proprietary Virgin router only having cat 5e ports you will only ever get 950mbps max. So technically it’s not 1gbps lol
 
Depends on your area - I went with 1Gbps Full Fibre from BT. Mainly for the upload as you say you upload YouTube videos.

If you are lucky enough to be in an area covered hyperoptic for 1Gbps upload, even better.

P.S. you will need to use a wired connection to maximise the use of the download on BT or both up/down on Hyperoptic.

I can occasionally get my devices to hit 600Mbps on WiFi and I have 3 separate AP's hardwired to a switch to distribute the traffic but reality is, there is always some small talk going on and speeds are usually in the 350-500Mbps range. Keep this in mind when buying an ISP fibre package. You will need to be tethered to maximise speeds. 350Mbps is sweet spot, 500Mbps for the ambitious wifi user, just a shame BT upload speeds aren't higher on those packages. I got a good deal on 1Gbps with 2 mobile contracts included and a price lock so I aint moving.
 
I use Zen 1GB. Their customer service is second to none, every one of them feels like trained engineers when you're talking to them, and they are extremely helpful and reliable.
 
AAISP are well worth a look too. Not the cheapest around but a quality service & like Zen their customer service is great, real technicians rather than robots working from a script.
 
Fubar1977 said:
AAISP are well worth a look too. Not the cheapest around but a quality service & like Zen their customer service is great, real technicians rather than robots working from a script.
Click to expand...
Seconded, been with them for years and they are great. Owner is a big privacy advocate and they don't monitor, filter or block any of your traffic. Recommended.
 
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