Sun are due to release a 64 bit plugin in the next Java update which supports 64-bit Linux plug-in under FF3. You can get your hands on it now from the following location, otherwise it will be on general release in the next couple of months:

https://jdk6.dev.java.net/6uNea.html

The iPlate seems to be helping a lot of people with poor broadband performance. I came a across this site while looking for information on iplates and there seems to be a lot of happy campers:

http://www.broadbandbuyer.co.uk/Shop/Reviews.asp?ProductID=7256

As per Kevin’s comment, I can also vouch for Be There Broadband and highly recommend them if they’re in your area. Don’t forget to get cashback if you join them:

http://www.cashbackguide.org/be+broadband/offers.aspx

Good luck,

Chris.

- My mate in Woolston was on Pipex NOT PlusNet – hence Plusnet/Pipex not to blame specifically, that’s down to BT OpenReach, but neither provided transparency.

- Checkout http://www.samknows.com/broadband/ for lots of interesting BB related stuff. The site predicted very accurately what Be Broadband (www.bethere.co.uk/) would *actually* be able to deliver.

Here’s my PlusNet related story – PRE BT ownership….

Everything was fine in the early days, bliss 512Kbps up from 56Kbps. Then, unbelievably, I could move to 2Mbps “wow” I was feeling privileged!

Something then went wrong. I can’t remember whether it was before or after a move to an “up to 8Mbsp” service, but, in essence, my line speeds dropped to similar speeds as you are quoting. BT OpendReach (BT Wholesale as it was then) came out on a couple of occasions but without effect. PlusNet weren’t to *blame* for any problems, but they didn’t really make fixing them any easier – its this 3-way “business” which appeared to be the root of the lack of transparency – but back to the problem!

A third engineers visit was scheduled, for a week hence. BUT in the mean time, our phone line stopped working properly! So (within 48rs! compare that to the BB rate of fix!) a BT (voice) engineer was dispatched. He arrived at our house, bizzarely, a couple of hours after the BB engineer. The BB engineer couldn’t find any problem at our house and said he would go to the exchange – he couldn’t find any problem there either. So at this point we had SLOW BB an NO voice. I heard nothing further from the BB team.

The BT voice engineer (same company in the past as the BB engineer) also couldn’t find anything wrong at our end. He too went to the exchange. He phoned (yes, kept us informed) to say that the switch was faulty and that he was going to replace it – or something. He did this and asked us whether the line was working now. It was! Yippee, voice calls!

Oh, and btw…BB was running at the best speeds I’d ever reached previously.

Yup, the “no BB problems at the exchange” had been fixed NOT by the BB guy, but by the voice guy – oh, except that BT said that it was just a fluke!. That’s right, BT claim that the BB problem went away by themselves, and the “coincidence” that the BB problems disappeared at the exactly the same time as the voice line fix was made was just that – coincidence. You make your own conclusion.

One last part to the story. My friend who lived in Wooslton and was on the same exchange as me, had (almost!) EXACTLY the same story to tell! Coincidences eh – marvellous.

Good luck.

I’m glad that fault reporting process seems as silly to PlusNet insiders as it does to me (and presumably other customers.) It explains it, but I’m not sure it justifies it! And whilst I don’t hold individuals responsible for the process a company imposes on them, it doesn’t mean the company or the process is off the hook. I also understand that other ISPs offering ADSL services over the same line will face the same technical problems with BT. But as a customer I expect my ISP to look after me and I shouldn’t really need to know about the technical or political processes between BT and my ISP.

I’ll certainly look up the iplate, although I haven’t made any changes to the phones or devices connected in that time. Suggestions of trying a different router or microfilters always mean additional expense for me without the guarantee that it will resolve the problem. I’d then be stuck with microfilters and an ADSL modem which I’d have to get rid of or ebay etc. Time and money I don’t really have. Perhaps I should stop moaning and put my hand in my pocket. At least, if the problem still exists we can be sure it’s a line issue.

As for “no quick wins”, well, you don’t need to tell me that!

Good luck

Eck

I’d suggest contacting your telephone provider (BT?) and tell them that when you’re making phone calls there is a lot of noise. They’ll investigate the voice fault, the resolution of which should help your broadband.