More bandwidth - UKonline = stupid!

Occasionally my VoIP phones are affected by my downloading/ uploading activity. For instance loading a heavy web page whilst on a call sometimes makes the call hiccup for a second.

I have tried packet shaping but my router (Monowall) is only any good at packet shaping with fixed pipes apparently - EG you might setup a 128kbps/64kbps pipe for VoIP and leave the rest for everything else. This guarantees the bandwidth is reserved for your VoIP.

The problem I found with that is that it brings me down to a speed where I can't watch streaming video smoothly...no YouTube!?!? Can't be having that.

So I figured the best thing to do is upgrade my hosting account to 8mb (from my current poultry 2mb) and then implement the packet shaping.

Alas no! Despite me having been a customer for 2 years, and being a year out of the minimum contract UKOnline can't turn up my package without me signing a new 12 month contract. This seems like madness to me.

I'll have to stick with the 2mb for now then because we're planning to move house in the next 12 months.