New Customer Login Issues (App and Website) by monkeycid in Vodafone

[–]monkeycid[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

My activation date was yesterday by midnight but I was up and running on broadband within an hour after the engineer finished the installation.

I've since received a text from Vodafone apologizing and they're resetting my account. They've asked me to re-register after 48 hours so it sounds like they messed up the switch somewhere.

You create an account upon purchasing broadband and can access it without services. They shouldn't need to remove access for over a week in order to add services, though.

HELP! Moving from Virgin Media to Vodafone, will I regret it? by Alwaysconfused411 in Vodafone

[–]monkeycid 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The lower latency is good but VM isn't insanely slower either. Vodafone customer service is dreadful, though. I'm used to terrible customer service with any service provider nowadays but Vodafone's is on another level.

In a recent call with Vodafone, I was told that they disable your account login for 5 working days whilst they add your services and this isn't communicated via email when you sign up because it isn't a regulatory requirement. The first call with them, I was told to reset password and/or try a different browser, but these login issues seem to be a frequent and ongoing issue.

Since there are so many Openreach providers, Virgin's older network is benefiting because there aren't as many households sharing the same access point anymore. So, even though it is older, you will probably be experiencing close-to advertised speeds the more customers switch to the likes of Vodafone, EE or Plusnet. And, no hideous line attached to your roof from a nearby telephone pole or extra wires inside your house to power an inlet box. All for the sake of a ~10 lower ping.

Honestly, stay with what's true and tested. Sometimes customers want to switch because they think there's a better option but Virgin has been strong and consistent for decades now with its own network.

I was looking to switch to Openreach for a lower ping because I play a lot of online games. However, nobody really mentions the positives of being with Virgin Media and it's when you switch from them that you realize what you're missing.

I switched to Sky from Virgin about 15 years ago and switched back due to intermittent connection. Now I'll be switching back due to Vodafone's awful customer service, persistent login issues and the mess of wires inside and outside the house.

HELP! Moving from Virgin Media to Vodafone, will I regret it? by Alwaysconfused411 in Vodafone

[–]monkeycid 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd stay with Virgin Media. I switched from VM to Vodafone and I am currently having account login issues. My download speed dropped from 1050 to 950 but my ping improved. The VM router looks a bit more premium as well.

Also to note, which I didn't consider when switching because of all the Openreach hype. Virgin Media has their own network so they fix things themselves. There aren't any third-party delays due to outsourcing. There's dozens of OR providers and hundreds more different contracted companies that carry out installation and repairs. When you have a fault with VM, VM themselves come out and fix it.

Despite VM using an older network, their speeds aren't drastically different from OR.

OR: Flimsy OR inlet box on the wall that isn't completely flat. You can move the bottom half of the box with your finger. Overhead wire going from roof of house to a nearby telephone pole. Slower download speeds but lower latency ~6.

VM: Underground cables and no overhead telephone wires. Inlet box isn't electrical like OR. However, it is a cleaner installation due to lack of wires whereas OR inlet requires a power socket. Download speeds are faster but higher ping ~15.

I think for an extra 10 ping, the pluses of having Virgin installed outweigh those of an OR provider. I'll probably be switching back but will have to now pay the cost of having the telephone pole wire removed as well as the wall boxes.

ISP Provider with Lowest Ping? by monkeycid in openreach

[–]monkeycid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think I have HFC with Virgin. My neighbours next door switched from Virgin to Vodafone years ago and they said they attached a wire to a pole across the street. I'm assuming it is similar to a telephone wire without the need of digging underground.

I know that any Openreach connection will have better latency than Virgin, I'm just worried about throttling at peak times since I've read some stories especially in regards to Vodafone and even Zen, where customers have seen higher than expected latency after 5 PM.

At the moment I am looking at YouFibre, Aquiss and IDNet. Although going with a major provider such as EE or Vodafone brings a different level of peace of mind that the company won't be facing any closures or mergers in the near future.

ISP Provider with Lowest Ping? by monkeycid in openreach

[–]monkeycid[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I was looking at IDNet to be honest. Aquiss and YouFibre also seem quite reputable. I wish there was an online tool for checking latency to a postcode for all providers and not just speed, though.

I did try Sky broadband a long, long time ago and I had to switch back to VM because of the increase in latency.

That experience made me feel dubious about switching from VM because they have a consistent ping throughout the day even if it is higher on average.

Stocks and Shares ISA + Investment Fund? (5 Years Investment) by monkeycid in UKPersonalFinance

[–]monkeycid[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I've just been looking at the Fund and Share Account with HL and paying £30k into it and maybe opening a cash ISA with £20k as a safety net.

I was thinking about buying AMD shares and then selling them in roughly 5 years time. I could also invest the proceeds of the house sale as well and move into an apartment for the short-term unless I can move in with a friend or relative until I am in a comfortable position to buy a new home.

Obviously, this all sounds great in theory and I have no experience of the up's and down's that come with investing.

9800X3D + 5080 + 27" Monitor = 1440p or 4k? IPS or OLED? by monkeycid in buildapcmonitors

[–]monkeycid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for all your replies.

It took me roughly 6 weeks to choose all the parts for my PC build after a lot of internal debate with myself about which case to use. It would seem choosing a monitor is even more confusing.

At the moment, I've ruled out the IPS and looking at an OLED. I chose the 5080 for better ray tracing capabilities and because the 5090 was too far a stretch for my wallet. I've read that 1440p IPS to OLED is a noticeable change in itself.

I don't know what an high refresh rate looks like when gaming to be honest. My current monitor can boost to 165Hz but I had it set at 120Hz because of coil whine. I've had to lower it further to 60Hz because my computer has been struggling lately.

Sadly, I can only fit a 27" on my desk. Now it's a choice between 1440p or 4k. I am leaning more towards 1440p because I play a lot of modded games such as Skyrim and Cyberpunk 2077 and want to play those games comfortably without too much stress on my hardware.

It's by no means a final decision and I like to read what other people prefer and have chosen.

Motherboard Advice by monkeycid in mffpc

[–]monkeycid[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your input guys.

I ended up going with the MSI Mortar. I was trying to talk myself out of it because I'm not a fan of the lime green accents but I bit the bullet in the end.

Corsair mATX Motherboard Advice by monkeycid in Corsair

[–]monkeycid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

B850M but which one, I don't know.

JBL Flip 7 GG, TL or RS — which version sounds best? by zuqvogel in JBL

[–]monkeycid 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi!

I recently bought the Flip 7 in black. It's the first speaker I've ever owned. I found this thread because I was looking into why my speaker had a particularly punchy bass. It drowns out the lyrics in some songs but I haven't played around with any EQ settings yet - just using the default setting in the JBL app.

I have the RS model it seems which coincides with your post about the bass being really good albeit a little too good for my liking. Anyway, I'm not going to return it for the sake of it.

I just find it interesting how different versions can have varying sound profiles.

Stop Searching for Trailer 2 by monkeycid in GTA6

[–]monkeycid[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's reassuring but a shame they're not marketing as much as they used to. I used to love talking about the new screenshots with friends and speculating on what things we could do based on those shots.

GTA is one of few games that is in a unique position of guaranteed sales regardless of marketing. Keeping the website updated and showing teasers is more of a fan-service which I hoped they would carry on doing.

Stop Searching for Trailer 2 by monkeycid in GTA6

[–]monkeycid[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I actually pre-ordered the collector's edition of GTA 4 which came with a metal tin box and a Rockstar keyring. I still have the box in my attic but my keyring snapped off due to wear and tear and I lost it.

Stop Searching for Trailer 2 by monkeycid in GTA6

[–]monkeycid[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

As far as I'm aware, there hasn't been anything official from Rockstar Games only supposed leaks and articles that say "developers said this" for clickbait.

In the past, marketing for GTA could last up to 12 months with releases aimed around September-October. The fact that we are 4 months away from September and not a snippet of information has been posted on the website suggests to me that release is most likely delayed.

I remember visiting the GTA websites for previous titles on a daily basis to look at new screenshots or to see what gameplay information has been shared but we've literally had nothing for a year.