Let the blog see the rabbit...

Following recent thunderstorms we've decided to get a second ISP to improve the stability of our Internet connection. We already have ADSL with PlusNet, but every time there's a lightning strike (which has been rather too regularly over the last few weeks), the router loses sync.

Once the connection came back up for long enough, we had a look at what Virgin Media are offering and then ordered the >20Mbit "XL" package. We were going to do it online until we realised we'd be paying the £25 installation fee when we'd had a cable connection from Telewest previously - we changed from them to PlusNet because they didn't do static IPs.

So my dad phoned them up and not only avoided the installation charge but also had the TV package made free and a discount given on the Internet connection too!

This morning's post brought a parcel containing a new cable modem and, having installed a third NIC in my gateway yesterday, it took seconds to get an Internet connection through it once I'd phoned them up to activate it.

Now, I've got the job of setting up load balancing across the two links...