A VERY happy NEW IDNetter Escapee from O2 Access (non-LLU)

[T_M_D]

Woo Hoo! 

It is Friday evening - I have just set myself up (with a little help from son), with IDNet and I am giddy with excitement about my speeds of 4Mb/s + download and 378Kb/s upload on a Friday night at 21:19. Compare that with the paltry 0.2Mb/s download and 280Kb/s I have suffered every night and weekend from O2 Access for the last two months.

The only time I EVER got anything like these speeds with O2 was the early hours of the morning up to around 07:30am.

I had O2 customer services ring me tonight to say they have resolved the issues for many Access users through the implementation of Traffic Management, but that they were surprised to discover that there is a swathe of Access users who continue to experience problems; this baffled them for a while, but they are happy to report that they expect these Access users to be sorted within the next two weeks as they have traced the problem back to BT (oh yeah...?). Apparently (according to O2), BT has a problem with something called a 'Radius server' and it is their (BT's)fault that many O2 Access users are still experiencing problems. I asked why it has taken so long for O2 to discover this and why there has been no communication about it to its users and the reply was that it is a complex issue and took some time to identify a: that not all Access users had benefited from Traffic Management and b: that it turns out to be BT's fault (oh yeah...?). Big pinch of salt - but hey, who cares, I am now sorted - thanks to IDNet 

[Simon]

Welcome to Happy Land! 

[T_M_D]

Thank you!

[Lona]

Welcome to Happy Land! 

Been at the wine already, Simon. 

[T_M_D]

Been at the wine already, Simon.  [img]

I definitely have - state normal for me - with sherry topper of course!

Found out today that I can get a kit that makes 30 bottles of red for £20....

[Lance]

Welcome to IDNet!

As for a problem with a radius server, I'm struggling to see how that would cause a slowdown. My understanding is the a radius server validates the username and password before passing it through.

[Simon]

Been at the wine already, Simon.  

Nope, Gin with a tonic topper.  

[T_M_D]

Welcome to IDNet!

As for a problem with a radius server, I'm struggling to see how that would cause a slowdown. My understanding is the a radius server validates the username and password before passing it through.

Exactly what my son said. I have no idea what a radius server is and so could not challenge what the O2 guy said. He probably guessed as much. The O2 guy also said that there was a rumour circulating that BT were deliberately sabotaging equipment to cause problems to O2 as they are sour about how many customers O2 has stolen from them.

[T_M_D]

Nope, Gin with a tonic topper.  

Chin Chin.

[Simon]

 

[Sebby]

Welcome.

[cavillas]

The O2 guy also said that there was a rumour circulating that BT were deliberately sabotaging equipment to cause problems to O2 as they are sour about how many customers O2 has stolen from them.

You never know!   Welcome T_M_D and enjoy your time here.  Just remember your sense of humour and eating problems on this forum.  Food seem to be a big part of "some" peoples' lives on here.   Won't mention names (Rik)

[Rik]

Did a hear my name?

Welcome, T_M_D. I think you were getting the mushroom treatment from O2. As Lance said, it validates your username and password, then connects you to the appropriate ISP. It also monitors data flow, and provides charging data to both BTw and the ISP. However, whatever ISP you connect to, you go through the same radius server, so there's no way it could affect only O2 customers.

[T_M_D]

Welcome.

Thanks! 

[T_M_D]

However, whatever ISP you connect to, you go through the same radius server, so there's no way it could affect only O2 customers.
[/quote]

Thanks, I understand now what a radius server is. I wonder if the guy would have tried to flannel me so much if I'd been a chap....?

....I wonder what he would have done had I had the knowledge to point out he was talking rubbish? It has been O2's dishonesty about this whole continuing debacle with their Access package and their complete lack of communication (unless responding to an ISPA complaint) that finally made me leave them. I can see from their forum that they have lost many Access customers to other suppliers.

[Rik]

Like Virgin, the service they have delivered over BT lines has been abysmal. Probably a lack of investment in a 'sub structure' to their main business.

[T_M_D]

Like Virgin, the service they have delivered over BT lines has been abysmal. Probably a lack of investment in a 'sub structure' to their main business.

Agreed - I reckon they just thought they could get away with not bothering with these smaller groups of users and could continue to just blame BT or anything else they could think of and that people would just swallow all the bull, but thanks to the collective intelligence, camaraderie and interest of the people on this and other forums I think they are discovering the true 'power of the people' on the internet.

I didn't even understand what on earth LLU or non-LLU was until I joined the forums. Also, if someone on this forum hadn't told me about ISPA then I am sure I would have had a much harder time getting out of my contract early.

[Rik]

We aim to help however we can.

[Technical Ben]

Glad to hear it went well! (I was an O2 customer for 29 days, and that was bad enough!)

If O2 are blaming the Radius serve it's most likely because they have not PAID for one, or enough to match their customer base. If it is a one of incident that BT has caused, then it's O2s fault for having a 90% failure rate. If it was a 90% success, one the one off faliure we would forgive them. I have had similar here, 99% uptime. For the 1% I can forgive IDnet as they do work hard. 

[davej99]

Woo Hoo!   ...... The only time I EVER got anything like these speeds with O2 was the early hours of the morning up to around 07:30am. ........ I am now sorted - thanks to IDNet  

Can I wish you a belated welcome to IDNET. It's great to see you are getting a decent service.

Like you I moved from a large ISP with its own network, which seemed unable to provide a useable service via BT. I guess it was cheap, but after taking into account tech support call costs and the time spent having to build a case with speed test results to take to the ISPA, it really wasn't a bargain. For me all the bunk about new traffic management schemes and "problems" with BT was a sure sign that the network was oversold. You do not need to manage congestion if you do not cause it. I don't buy the unlimited broadband model any more than the notion of unlimited electricity. Imagine putting on the kettle in the evening to discover it took two hours to boil; some bargain.

I prefer the IDNET pay for your useage, low contention model. It seems to work well, and not just for IDNET, most of the top rated ISPs use it too. I also like it that the cost of going over my allowance is moderate; enough to discourage overuse and not so high as to be penalising. But the thing I really like about IDNET is that when problems occasionally arise, the management puts its hand up on this forum and commits to and delivers a fix.

[Simon]

Mooved. 

[Rik]

Was it a bovine experience?

[Glenn]

Give Simon a 'pat' on the back for moving it 

[Simon]

Well, I can't sit around here chewing the cud - got to get lunch started. 

[cavillas]

Now, now no need to keep milking it.

[Rik]

Well, I can't sit around here chewing the cud - got to get lunch started. 

And today's is?

[Rik]

Well, I can't sit around here chewing the cud - got to get lunch started. 

Ah. Cud to fat...

[Rik]

Now, now no need to keep milking it.

I've always kept a dairy, Alf, right back to the 80s.

[Lance]

You lot do speak a load of bullocks!

[Rik]

I know, I was hoping no-one had noticed.

[Glenn]

Maybe we need to steer the conversation back on topic

[Lance]

I think that would be a good moove.

[Simon]

Holy cow, what have I done?!

And today's is?

Oddly enough, DR beef rump mini roast.   

[T_M_D]

Glad to hear it went well! (I was an O2 customer for 29 days, and that was bad enough!)

If O2 are blaming the Radius serve it's most likely because they have not PAID for one, or enough to match their customer base. If it is a one of incident that BT has caused, then it's O2s fault for having a 90% failure rate. If it was a 90% success, one the one off faliure we would forgive them. I have had similar here, 99% uptime. For the 1% I can forgive IDnet as they do work hard. 

Thanks!

None of their excuses hold up to scrutiny. I think they have pretty much oversold it and not done the necessary things to make it run properly as their take-on increased. The length of time they are letting the problem go on is just appalling. I am just glad to be free of it. I expect things to go wrong sometimes, that's just the way things are, but as long as I can get good honest help and support when I need it and not be fobbed off with lies and excuses, I am a happy bunny.

[T_M_D]

Can I wish you a belated welcome to IDNET. It's great to see you are getting a decent service.

But the thing I really like about IDNET is that when problems occasionally arise, the management puts its hand up on this forum and commits to and delivers a fix.

Thanks for the welcome! I chose IDNET for the very reasons you like it. I think honesty from the supplier is a must, it gives the user confidence that things will be put right as quickly as possible and ongoing communication to users is also critical to customer retention. O2 not employing either of these, is, to my mind, the worst things they are guilty of not doing.

[Rik]

If there's an issue here, Tina, we have direct access to the MD's, and you'll often see them, or members of the support team posting in here.

[Ray]

Holy cow, what have I done?!

Oddly enough, DR beef rump mini roast.    

DR mini Pork loin joint here, Simon.  

[Rik]

DR low-salt meat loaf. Is there a theme emerging?

[Ray]

Seems to be, Rik, 

[Rik]

 

You'd think we were DRNetters at times, wouldn't you. Maybe I should suggest the idea to them?

[Simon]

DR mini Pork loin joint here, Simon. 

Don't pig out too much, Ray. 

[Glenn]

Chicken Tikka here

[Ray]

Don't pig out too much, Ray. 

I'll try not to, Simon, oink, oink, 

[Rik]

Chicken Tikka here

Shere Khan?

[Glenn]

Morrisons 

I have ordered some sauces to try

[T_M_D]

If there's an issue here, Tina, we have direct access to the MD's, and you'll often see them, or members of the support team posting in here.

Yes, I was following Tredder's post recently and I was impressed with the response from Miriam.

I just hope IDNet never gets too big to care like many other suppliers have done or sells out for big profits to some big corp - I bet IDNet has had its fair share of offers...

[Rik]

Knowing Simon & Tim as I do, I don't think it will happen in my lifetime, they are as passionate about the company as we are - many people here will tell you it's not unusual to get an email from Simon at 4 in the morning, and he personally intervened to check the state of the order for another customer-to-be this weekend.

[T_M_D]

Oddly enough, DR beef rump mini roast.   
[/quote]

If you are talking about Sunday dinner, mine is faggots (think there is pig of some sort in them, maybe a teeny bit of beef gut too), mushy peas and chips.

[Rik]

Don't forget the brains. As you may have gathered, we tend to be foodies here (hence The Pantry) and Donald Russell is an online butcher popular with many of us.

[T_M_D]

Knowing Simon & Tim as I do, I don't think it will happen in my lifetime, they are as passionate about the company as we are - many people here will tell you it's not unusual to get an email from Simon at 4 in the morning, and he personally intervened to check the state of the order for another customer-to-be this weekend.

Well beyond the call of duty - that's what I call passion and dedication.

[Rik]

It's what makes us tick, Tina. We are all looking for the same thing. (Did you spot my suggestion on your Sky box and UPS btw?)

[Lona]

Just send them a bottle of your special wine with Sherry tops, Tina.  

[T_M_D]

Don't forget the brains. As you may have gathered, we tend to be foodies here (hence The Pantry) and Donald Russell is an online butcher popular with many of us.

Lol- Yes, very good, Brains is def a good name for them. I might give Donald a try then - I fancy treating myself to something nice for Christmas. I am certainly getting a lot of good stuff out of this forum 

[T_M_D]

It's what makes us tick, Tina. We are all looking for the same thing. (Did you spot my suggestion on your Sky box and UPS btw?)

Yes I did Rik, thanks. I have replied.

[Rik]

Thanks. We can recommend almost everything on their site except the ready meals, which seem a bit bland. If you want to go mad for Xmas, their goose is very good, or you can do what we are, and go for a whole fillet. Or even this:

http://www.donaldrussell.com/p/ShopByCategory_Butchers/D462.htm

[T_M_D]

Thanks. We can recommend almost everything on their site except the ready meals, which seem a bit bland. If you want to go mad for Xmas, their goose is very good, or you can do what we are, and go for a whole fillet. Or even this:

http://www.donaldrussell.com/p/ShopByCategory_Butchers/D462.htm

Looks very nice indeed. However, I am going it alone this year and I think that is a bit much for one. I really hate smoked salmon or any smoked fish, but I love all other fish and shellfish and definitely appreciate good beef. I will probably go for some nice beef for my Christmas dinner. I have never had goose, can it be likened to other eating birds such as duck?

[Rik]

It's richer than duck or turkey, I'd describe it as an acquired taste.

Think about a Chateaubriand, they are delightful cuts, brilliant cold too. If you prefer a standard roast, the mini top rump is perfect for 2, so plenty for one. We'd also recommend the ribeye, heart of rump and sirloin roasts. However, DR recognise that not everyone needs big joints, so they tand to have the minis in all meats. They cook in minutes, are tender and full of flavour (trust the cooking instructions they supply, utter perfection every time!)

http://www.donaldrussell.com/p/ShopByCategory_Beef_Beef%20Roasting%20Joints/B547.htm

Incidentally, the forum tends to be quite lively on Christmas Day, we feel like family, so we gather for a virtual drink and exchange of greetings.

[Simon]

The mini roasts are just right for one, Tina, and you'll have some left over.  I had one for lunch today, and it was great, as usual.  I'd also recommend the short saddles of lamb, but keep your eye on the Butcher's Specials, as often offer quite good discounts.  

[T_M_D]

It's richer than duck or turkey, I'd describe it as an acquired taste.

Incidentally, the forum tends to be quite lively on Christmas Day, we feel like family, so we gather for a virtual drink and exchange of greetings.

Thanks for the advice Rik, I have noted it. I might just join in the fun Christmas Day for a while after Christmas chats with friends and family. It sounds fun 

[Tacitus]

........many people here will tell you it's not unusual to get an email from Simon at 4 in the morning, and he personally intervened to check the state of the order for another customer-to-be this weekend.

I recently posted here regarding a massive increase in pings when I tried to transfer to the new hostlink.  Rik suggested I ring support, but before I had time to do it - only about 30 minutes after my post - I had a phone call from Simon.  He identified the problem and, forced a disconnect at the exchange. I rebooted at my end which moved me over to the new Hostlink and, pings returned to normal.  

It's that sort of service that makes us loyal customers.   

[T_M_D]

It's that sort of service that makes us loyal customers.   

I can absolutely see what you mean. I really, really appreciate good customer care and people going the extra mile for me, I will stay loyal forever to any company with that kind of service.  Tina.