New connection - Speed confirmation

lee · Apr 22, 2008, 23:32:41

Hi,
I have just joined Idnet, having gone through what can only be described as the most painful 3 months of my life trying to extricate myself from the clutches of Pipex/Tiscali/Soon to be Carphone Warehouse.
Just needed to ask a quick question, I have a brilliant Speedtouch Pro Router that is now 9 years old, and its awesome, never broke and never let me down in all that time, I run a Mac Book Pro 2.4 Ghz Intel with 10.4.11.

Should I in my first week/10days with Idnet be turning my router on and off once each day to help the exchange get the best speed or just leave it on and the exchange takes care of the rest. I ask this because it's been 10 years since I last changed ISP and I can't remember and the speed i was getting from Pipex was 3.5mb and I am currently getting 1.8mb with Idnet.
So I just want to give Idnet the best possible chance of providing the best service.
I have got to say though, it is unbelievably amazing to deal with a company that says they will do something and actually does it. You guys get a big thumbs up from me!

Sebby · Apr 22, 2008, 23:49:59

The switching off daily thing is a bit of myth that started in the early days of ADSL max, but it's completely unnecessary. With ADSL max, you want to maintain stability, so leaving the router connected 24/7 is the best bet. Nothing is actually different during the first 10 days; it's just a period where BT don't have to look into faults because the line may be stabilising. That said, ADSL max is permanently rate-adaptive, so things can equally change after the 10 day training period.

It sounds like you might have a stuck profile, which is common on migration. The good news is that it should clear by itself within 5 days.

Just to make sure that this is the issue, could you do a BT speed test and post the results? You might need some patience as it tends to be busy and throw random error messages. Just keep trying.

Simon · Apr 22, 2008, 23:57:14

Lee!

What Sebby said, and you'll not regret the move.

lee · Apr 23, 2008, 00:12:28

Hi Sebby,

Good god you responded quick, I'm not sure I'm going to be able to cope with this level of service. As soon as I get the site to work i will post it up. Thank you for the feedback.

As an additional note, when I received my confirmation details for connecting up the details for the smtp email ended on the letter with .net. When I put this in on entourage the emails wouldn't send or recieve. However on further checking your website the entourage guide you have showed it ending in .com and it worked fine. Just thought you might be interested incase this is a spelling error.

Simon · Apr 23, 2008, 00:16:23

It's always been smtp.idnet.com as far as I know, but .net is supposed to work too, I believe.

Inactive · Apr 23, 2008, 01:06:25

A warm welcome.

Sebby · Apr 23, 2008, 07:26:54

I always thought it was .com but that .net should work too. I'll double check my settings tonight.

Tacitus · Apr 23, 2008, 07:48:33

Quote from: leehampton on Apr 23, 2008, 00:12:28
As an additional note, when I received my confirmation details for connecting up the details for the smtp email ended on the letter with .net. When I put this in on entourage the emails wouldn't send or recieve.

I think it is .com for email as I had a similar problem when setting up Apple Mail. A quick phone call and Miriam sorted it straight off. To have technical support that is efficient and comprehensible is a good start. Good Mac support is a bonus, particularly having come from the Tiscali shambles.

You won't regret the move.

vitriol · Apr 23, 2008, 08:37:58

Hello and welcome,

I migrated to idnet last week and initially only had 1.8 down, after a couple of days it rectified itself and now I'm getting personal bests on the speedtests. Leave your modem / router powered on and don't worry about it.

Regarding the smtp server, in my welcome email it was stated that it was .net but after checking the website found it to be .com

This really is a top notch service and I'm sure you won't be dissapointed.

Rik · Apr 23, 2008, 08:44:52

Quote from: leehampton on Apr 23, 2008, 00:12:28
As an additional note, when I received my confirmation details for connecting up the details for the smtp email ended on the letter with .net. When I put this in on entourage the emails wouldn't send or recieve. However on further checking your website the entourage guide you have showed it ending in .com and it worked fine. Just thought you might be interested incase this is a spelling error.

Welcome to the forum.

It is an error, Lee, the correct server is smtp.idnet.com. When did you receive the email (I ask because this was supposed to have been corrected last week).

lee · Apr 23, 2008, 11:08:24

Hi Rik,

I received the email with all the details on:
From: IDNet Broadband <adsl@idnet.com>
Subject: IDNet Broadband Order
Date: April 17, 2008 04:18:18 PM BST

Hope this helps you out.

Lee

Rik · Apr 23, 2008, 11:11:11

Thanks, Lee. I'll follow it up.

Rik · Apr 23, 2008, 11:26:44

Just checked, that was the day before it was changed.

Malc · Apr 23, 2008, 13:45:03

Lee to a great service, you won't be disappointed.

David · Apr 23, 2008, 13:55:21

Hi lee not very good with words

Lance · Apr 23, 2008, 17:25:25

Welcome to the forum, Lee!

lee · Apr 23, 2008, 23:19:47

Quote from: Sebby on Apr 22, 2008, 23:49:59

It sounds like you might have a stuck profile, which is common on migration. The good news is that it should clear by itself within 5 days.

Just to make sure that this is the issue, could you do a BT speed test and post the results? You might need some patience as it tends to be busy and throw random error messages. Just keep trying.

Hi Sebby,

As requested attached and included below are the results from the BT speedtest site. Boy does it take a few goes to get it to work. Does this help?

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
IP profile for your line is - 2000 kbps
DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM) 8128 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 1875 kbps

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

If you are experiencing problems with specific applications, servers or websites please contact your ISP for assistance.

Your test has completed please close this window to exit the performance tester.

[attachment deleted by admin]

Sebby · Apr 23, 2008, 23:29:28

Thanks, Lee; that confirms my suspicions. Your profile is currently 2000k when it should be 7150k, hence you're getting pretty much the maximum throughput you can at the moment. This is always the case following a move to a max product, and should correct itself by the 5 day mark. If after 5 days it hasn't moved, let IDNet know and they'll get BT to reset it manually.

lee · Apr 23, 2008, 23:38:48

Thanks Sebby,

I really appreciate your help, and I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone for welcoming us into the Idnet family. I have to say I was suspicious and cynical of being too optimistic having had a nightmare with Pipex but you guys are awesome. The engineer at Pipex said having not been provided internet service for 3 months by pipex due to them killing our service when they switched to Tiscali that we should have built up sooooo much good Karma that whoever we signed to would be great...and clearly he was a great prophet. In fact I might see if he knows the 6 numbers on Saturday

I will keep an eye on the speed and keep people posted...in the meantime I must try and prize by good lady of Mario Kart.

Sebby · Apr 23, 2008, 23:41:31

You are very welcome; that's what we're here for.

A stuck profile can always be a bit worrying - if only because it's not always clear where the issue lies - but rest assured that this is BT-imposed and it will shift itself, then you'll be able to really enjoy IDNet.

lee · Apr 26, 2008, 23:52:57

Hi All,

Just done my test on the BT Speed site again, here it is:

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
IP profile for your line is - 7150 kbps
DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM) 8128 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 6325 kbps

Fantastic, now all I have to do, is get Pipex to stop raising invoices for internet services, after they've already taken the final payment and we'll be home and dry.

Got to say, I am sooo impressed with Idnet. Thanks for everyones help!

[attachment deleted by admin]

Simon · Apr 27, 2008, 00:02:06

Great news, Lee!

The best thing to do, and forgive me if you've done this already, is cancel the direct debit to Pipex direct with your bank. Don't rely on them to stop taking payments.

lee · Apr 27, 2008, 00:24:00

Hi Simon,

Oh no we've done that and they are still generating invoices, I just have to make sure that when they say our account is closed that it actually is and that we don't suddenly get a bailiff knocking on the door. They told me originally that because they had failed to provide any internet service for 3 months (they broke it when the swapped to the Tiscali network) that we wouldn't receive a fial cancellation charge for coming out of our contract early. I said I'd cancel my DD and they said not too as the system wouldn't register it closed , but i could rest assured no money would be taken...sure enough they then took £99.97 out. This is supposed to be refunded on Tuesday..fingers crossed. I have the direct line and name of the manager at the credit control dept in Stoke.
Additionally 8 days after we cancel the account we get our mac code (glad i got it off the engineer on the phone) in the post and the day after that we get an email to let us know that as we have now chosen another phone provider (BT) we would be receiving a final cancellation charge in addition to the other cancellation charge. When i logged in to my old account they showed another invoice for my normal monthly bill including both phone and broadband package for May to June. they initially told me (the Manilla call centre) that this was correct..until i had a small nuclear detonation on the phone and it is now supposed to be corrected.

I am totally amazed at the massive decline in Pipex/Tiscali..I think hate is too mild a word for the grief they have put us through over the last 3 months. Hopefully tuesdy will see this all resolved and i won't have to mention their name again. I have already gone to 3 of my friends two of whom are with Pipex and recommended you guys....they need to se the light

Rant over...thanks for listening

Simon · Apr 27, 2008, 00:37:49

No problem about the rant, Lee, and I'm sad to say, we've heard it all before, and probably will again. Pipex has gone from a respectable, reliable service provider, to a Fred Karno's Army, and the way they treat their customers, I'm surprised they have any left.

Recommend away, and don't forget to make use of the IDNet referral scheme.

Colin Burns · Apr 27, 2008, 00:52:54

Quote from: leehampton on Apr 27, 2008, 00:24:00
Hi Simon,

Oh no we've done that and they are still generating invoices, I just have to make sure that when they say our account is closed that it actually is and that we don't suddenly get a bailiff knocking on the door. They told me originally that because they had failed to provide any internet service for 3 months (they broke it when the swapped to the Tiscali network) that we wouldn't receive a fial cancellation charge for coming out of our contract early. I said I'd cancel my DD and they said not too as the system wouldn't register it closed , but i could rest assured no money would be taken...sure enough they then took £99.97 out. This is supposed to be refunded on Tuesday..fingers crossed. I have the direct line and name of the manager at the credit control dept in Stoke.
Additionally 8 days after we cancel the account we get our mac code (glad i got it off the engineer on the phone) in the post and the day after that we get an email to let us know that as we have now chosen another phone provider (BT) we would be receiving a final cancellation charge in addition to the other cancellation charge. When i logged in to my old account they showed another invoice for my normal monthly bill including both phone and broadband package for May to June. they initially told me (the Manilla call centre) that this was correct..until i had a small nuclear detonation on the phone and it is now supposed to be corrected.

I am totally amazed at the massive decline in Pipex/Tiscali..I think hate is too mild a word for the grief they have put us through over the last 3 months. Hopefully tuesdy will see this all resolved and i won't have to mention their name again. I have already gone to 3 of my friends two of whom are with Pipex and recommended you guys....they need to se the light

Rant over...thanks for listening

i had that problem leaving Tiscali and they really dont have any problem sending out letters from debt collectors to collect money you dont owe them.

though i left tiscali cause i broke the Unfair usage policy and they were throttleing my conection during peak hours to the point of unusable

Malc · Apr 27, 2008, 09:57:47

Quote from: Colin Burns on Apr 27, 2008, 00:52:54

though i left tiscali cause i broke the Unfair usage policy and they were throttleing my conection during peak hours to the point of unusable

It's unusable whether you break there unfair 'Unfair usage policy' of not.

Colin Burns · Apr 27, 2008, 11:27:42

ok you win there

lee · May 03, 2008, 21:32:23

Hi Guys,

It's been 11 days now since we saw the light and connected to Idnet, does this mean that the below speed test result is the final speed as it has gone through the 10 day settling in period?

If so......awesome!

Simon · May 03, 2008, 22:08:24

If it seems stable and consistent, you should be there, Lee.

Sebby · May 03, 2008, 22:26:25

Quote from: leehampton on May 03, 2008, 21:32:23
Hi Guys,

It's been 11 days now since we saw the light and connected to Idnet, does this mean that the below speed test result is the final speed as it has gone through the 10 day settling in period?

If so......awesome!

It looks like you are getting the maximum speed possible, which is great.

lee · May 04, 2008, 00:59:59

That's great!

Can't quite believe it. Really am impressed with Idnet. Fantastic service.

Tacitus · May 04, 2008, 08:11:28

Quote from: Sebby on Apr 22, 2008, 23:49:59The switching off daily thing is a bit of myth that started in the early days of ADSL max, but it's completely unnecessary. With ADSL max, you want to maintain stability, so leaving the router connected 24/7 is the best bet.

Welcome to iDNet and the forum.

I agree with Sebby. However, I just heard the weather forecast which says thunderstorms are on the way, particularly in the west. These will produce a lot of noise on the line which will probably drive down your profile, particularly during the first 10 days. If there is the possibility of any storms where you are, it would be prudent to switch the modem off for a while until they pass over.

It's never a bad idea anyway as there have been instances of modems getting fried by lightning strikes.

Sebby · May 04, 2008, 09:26:03

Quote from: Tacitus on May 04, 2008, 08:11:28
I agree with Sebby. However, I just heard the weather forecast which says thunderstorms are on the way, particularly in the west. These will produce a lot of noise on the line which will probably drive down your profile, particularly during the first 10 days. If there is the possibility of any storms where you are, it would be prudent to switch the modem off for a while until they pass over.

It's a good point, though Lee is out of the training period.

Rik · May 04, 2008, 09:59:17

I use this site:

http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/weather/light0900.htm

to track where the storms are...

Tacitus · May 04, 2008, 10:06:09

Quote from: Rik on May 04, 2008, 09:59:17
I use this site:
http://www.ukspeedtraps.co.uk/weather/light0900.htm
to track where the storms are...

Useful link Rik. Does the location you get vary according to where you are? On mine it gives the station location as being in Staffordshire - is it the same for you or does it go by IP address so everyone gets the nearest to where they are?

Rik · May 04, 2008, 10:10:20

It's a fixed location, but as it's triangulated (the little green dots) the plot is fairly accurate for the whole country. Between keeping an eye on that and watching the Routerstats noise margin, I can anticipate when it's time to unplug and retreat gracefully.