IP Profile

zappaDPJ · Jun 09, 2009, 17:02:17

No need to apologise, I'm just ranting to get it out of my system. I made a stupid mistake, I shouldn't have migrated. My daughter is in the middle of her exams and I had a job which required heavy use of the Internet. If I'd had any sense I would have thought about it before I place the order. I just assumed that as I'd had the service here before I could have it again without problems.

The problem with switching back is the time it will take to do it. Every day that goes by without a usable connection presents another problem e.g. I'm now overdue on bill payments because I do all my banking online. I have a second disconnected phone line which I'm trying to get hooked up and online but unfortunately it appears BT only hires idiots and that is not going too well either

Rik · Jun 09, 2009, 17:07:47

Any chance of using a 3G dongle to tide you over, Zap?

zappaDPJ · Jun 09, 2009, 18:06:59

I'm currently on the Orange network with lousy signal strength so I'm not sure that it would work, it may be something to pursue tomorrow though. Thanks for the suggestion

Rik · Jun 09, 2009, 18:15:27

I have a 3 dongle, Zap, which works fine around here. There were giving them away, but that would probably be too slow for you. Vodafone sell them for £39.99 with £10 of credit pre-installed, 3 for £29.99 'bald' or £59.99 with £15 of credit. I can't work that maths out.

Sebby · Jun 09, 2009, 18:50:07

Bald? I suspect they shave it before posting.

Rik · Jun 09, 2009, 18:53:16

Glenn · Jun 09, 2009, 19:02:53

The beauty of the Vodafone dongle is that the credit lasts for 6 months if unused, unlike 3 where is is 1 month.

Rik · Jun 09, 2009, 19:04:39

Though, with the 3 one being free at the time, I can live with that for a year, as I only need it in 'bursts'.

zappaDPJ · Jun 10, 2009, 13:03:33

Well it was 4th time lucky. This time the engineer did turn up and he was extremely accommodating. As I already suspected there is nothing at all wrong with my line. In fact he said I am very lucky, it's close to perfect. Even so he still moved me to a brand new copper pair because there has been a massive amount of new BT infrastructure put into this area recently and the new pair takes the shortest possible route to the exchange with no detours though another cabinet. He did a line test, showed me the results which indicated I should be getting 99% of the potential capacity of ADSL2+ and yet I still have exactly the same noise ratio on the downstream of 30.25 db.

So don't have a line problem, there is no interference my side of the face plate, (this was proved because the engineer got the same result at the exchange) and yet I still haven't got a usable Internet connection. These are the results of a BT line test, the first one that I've managed to complete since all this started:

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
Your DSL connection rate: 285 kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 1221 kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP profile for your line is - 135 kbps
Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 102 kbps

If you wish to discuss these results please contact your ISP.

The engineer did seem rather informed and has made some suggestions which I need to take up with IDNet.

Rik · Jun 10, 2009, 13:07:01

It looks like there's something very odd indeed going on, Zap, possibly an MSAN/router conflict. Let us know how you get on.

zappaDPJ · Jun 10, 2009, 15:10:09

I will do Rik, I can tell you that Engineer didn't suggest it was a router compatibility issue.

I'm waiting to hear back from IDNet.

Rik · Jun 10, 2009, 15:17:49

Odd, I wonder what's left, Zap?

zappaDPJ · Jun 10, 2009, 16:16:07

At the moment only dispair I think. I've spoken to IDNet and the engineer has for all intents and purposes reported back that he's left me with a 'service' which is totally at odds with reality. I've informed IDNet are trying to get more information out of BT.

Rik · Jun 10, 2009, 16:23:32

As I understand it, Zap, IDNet escalated the fault with BT, which got you the engineer out this morning. He changed the E-side pair, but determined the fault lay in the line card at the exchange. Unfortunately, within the time slot allocated, he couldn't fix that. When I spoke to IDNet, I could hear Brian having a very strong go at BT over your problem. What is now needed is a lift'n'shift' to move you to a new port on the line card, and IDNet are pushing hard to get that done asap.

zappaDPJ · Jun 10, 2009, 16:31:34

Thanks for the info

I should have said I'd spoken at length to Brian but I've resorted to small posts as it's less irritating if they get lost to cyberspace. I'm glad to hear that BT are getting an earful, they really do deserve it. The engineer's verbal report to me was totally at odds with his written report to IDNet.

Rik · Jun 10, 2009, 16:36:03

I gathered, Zap. Brian really was raising the roof while I was talking to James, they are very frustrated with BT as they'd escalated the fault and the job was still only half done, and the half which didn't really matter at that! BT are so useless at times that you want to chew lumps out of them.

zappaDPJ · Jun 10, 2009, 16:47:07

I fully appreciate that it must be very frustrating for IDNet. They have me on one end and I'm not always the easiest of people to deal with and BT incompetence on the other. Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place

Rik · Jun 10, 2009, 16:49:12

Their only concern is to get you back up and running, Zap. They are as annoyed as you must be at the way BT are going about this. The effective monopoly which BT have make the immune to commercial pressure, and it shows.

zappaDPJ · Jun 10, 2009, 18:36:09

A quick update. Unfortunately there is no update as BT failed to get back to IDNet during office hours. Let's see what tomorrow brings.

Sebby · Jun 10, 2009, 18:36:44

Why am I not surprised?

Rik · Jun 10, 2009, 18:37:30

Words fail me, Zap. BT are just too protected. I'd be inclined to email the CEO if I were you...

Sebby · Jun 10, 2009, 18:39:12

He doesn't seem as bothered as old Ben did, though, which is a shame.

Rik · Jun 10, 2009, 18:41:54

That's true, but it still excites a certain interest at lower levels when it comes down from his office. MPs have the same effect.

zappaDPJ · Jun 10, 2009, 19:12:51

I need to breathe a bit and get a resolution (if it's actually possible) before I take any action. The effect this has had on me and my family is pretty dire, we are all so reliant on the Internet. I can't work, my daughter hasn't been able to revise properly for her GCSE exams, we can't carry out any banking transactions and horror of horrors, my wife can't shop (lol!). The list is endless. On top of that I've had to cancel two hospital appointments to accommodate engineers who didn't turn up and didn't bother to cancel. Had they at least done that I could have attended the appointments. Basically I need to cool off before writing any letters.

In ten years the longest I've been without the Internet is an hour or two and I guess I've come to take it for granted which was a mistake on my part as I don't have any contingency plans although that will change if BT manage to install the second line I've ordered... which I doubt as they've already missed one appointment

If it wasn't for the fact that IDNet are also getting the run around (just read the announcement regarding other member's upgrades) I would think BT were deliberately playing games with me :paranoid_smiley!

Rik · Jun 10, 2009, 19:16:58

I do understand just how you feel, Zap, sometimes we all get left feeling we are standing against the world. This, though, is part of a gigantic cockup by BT, which has screwed IDNet and all its customers. When you think about it, IDNet were due to be taking WBC orders this time last year - it's taken BT an extra 7 months to install the hostlink, then a further three months to let IDNet even place an order for a connection to it, and then this gigantic snafu with the ordering system.

Simon and Tim must despair at times.