anyone else getting internet connection probs in ED area?

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

[ayresc]

BT are a nightmare.

I've been with them for 3 years and my internet connection over teh last 3 montsh has got worse and worse, it just keeps cutting off more and more frequently. I'm not even getting a tone on the phone line.

Phoning BT techincal support is so frustrating, based in India but give themsleves English names, priceless. Howver they're sending an engineer round to sort the problem out but you DO NOT GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR!

[ianr]

Has Penguin68's first question been answered?

Alternatively/additionally, has a similar webstick, known otherwise to be working, been tried in the problematic location, on Karrie's own computer(s) or another one?

[Penguin68]

ayrec wrote:-

BT are a nightmare.

I have been with BT (fixed line, ADSL) for a number of years, without any long-term or deep seated problems - and their tech support is at least on a free 0800 number. Apart from a line-card upgrade about 2-3 months ago, which BT did warn about and which took about 10 days to settle down I have been virtually problem free as regards the BT line and ADSL service - although I have had computer and system conflict problems which have led to problems with some computers I use.

There are on occasion entire system outtages - normally cleared within hours if not minutes, and local disruption caused by local junction work - but hardly either frequent or generally long-lasting. I do use the BT routers supplied as part of the BT service. Although on a nominal 20Mgb service (which is what the line-card upgrade was about) I normally get about 13Mgb now. Any drop-outs are normally cleared very quickly with a router re-set, and seem caused by 'hand-shake' issues between my wireless modems and the router. The new line-card system can also cause reset issues, and it may be that your router either needs updating in its entirety, or needs its core operating system updated. BT supplied routers should get software updates automatically; others may not.

If you are without tone on your phone line this seems like a connection problem on your own line (rather than a systemic fault) - not of course pleasant for you and very frustrating but may be very localised - and could well arise from work done in a local cabinet to you (at one time - albeit 15-20 years ago - something like 20% of line faults were caused by engineers in cabinets working on other things and disrupting service accidently).

It would be interesting to know if the engineers can clear the fault on your line causing you these problems, and what that fault was.

[ianr]

>If you are without tone on your phone line this seems like a connection problem on your own line

>(rather than a systemic fault) - not of course pleasant for you and very frustrating

That would be quite good news in my book. I previously had two protracted periods of BB ADSL deterioration. I could monitor and see clearly the intermittent decreases in Signal/Noise margin (especially after raining) and subsequent line drops, but couldn't definitely tie it to a line hardware fault (rather than, say, intermittent electrical noise interference from a nearby source). And the line quality passed BT voice tests, so no immediate cause for calling in a BT engineer (I don't buy BB from them). But each time, once the line fault got so bad as to make voice calls impossible, I was home and dry. Each time the fault was due to a corroding wire junction within 15m of the house.

[dbboy]

Anyone with Virgin who are having email server problems.

[ianr]

dbboy, yes, in part. And there has been talk about it on the forum on the Virginmedia site.

In my case, there were problems with all my email addresses at the end of last week. They were apparently corrected by Virgin later in the day. But since not too long afterward, I've not been able to download from a mailbox on pop3.virginmedia.com. My pop.virgin.net mailboxes are accessible, as is smtp.virgin.net, which I use for posting. I have login and password set for both POP and SMTP access.

In both cases I'm _not_ currently using SSL ports, for POP download or SMTP posting (though I did try them, experimentally, to see if they resolved the problem -- they didn't.) I know Virgin have now specified them, but I've delayed any switches till absolutely necessary and any switchover is stable. Interestingly, some of the posters on the forum have actually recommended using the standard, non-SSL ports.

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

Sorry

[Sue]

Eat your heart out, Lesley Gore :))

It's my thread

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

[ianr]

Looking forward to reading My Signal's Back.

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

[Sue]

ianr Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Looking forward to reading My Signal's Back.

My signal's back

ETA Oh sorry Karrie, just realised that you might have wanted to post this when, er, your signal was back :-$

Let me know if you want me to delete this post :-$

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

[Karrie]

[Deleted] Safety reasons

[Sue]

Respect!

:))