36 replies to this topic

[uya]

Anyone with NTL broadband?

What do you think of the service?

My connection is so frustrating it's untrue.

Today I finally got round to having enough time to wait the 20-30 minutes it takes to actually get to talk to someone. Someone finally answered, and asked for the MAC address of my MODEM (not that it's a MODEM anyway). However he said 'I'me just going to check your connection', and I got cut off, so there followed another 20-30 minute wait.
The next person I talked to tested the connection from their end, and said, 'I can't detect any problems from here, and the engineers won't do anything unless we can detect a fault. call back when you are experiencing the problem and we shall see what we can do.'
Is that not just total pants?
I mean, due to my working, sleeping, drinking hours, most of the time I experience the problems their closed, and even if they were open, I would have to wait half of my spare time to finally get fobbed of because the problem would have sorted itself out by the time someone got round to looking at it!
When I repaired computers with intermittent faults, well lets just say years ago (hint- spectrums, BBC's, ST's & Amigas), we put them on the bench and left them on for days, until the problem manifested itself, not just plugged them in when the customer was in the shop, and say bring it back when the problem happens again(the equivelent of pinging my IP address from the NTL office while I was on the phone to them).
Anyway sorry to rant but this has been doing my head in for some time now, and I think a poll is in order.

NTL, muts nuts, or jeff capes butt?

[Pgamblin]

Im on NTL broadband and i dont have a problem

Once you run through their install cd and it checks the connectivity it needs to establish a dhcp connection to ntl and then your good to go.

If it doesnt make this connection then you should already have your registration details including your pin number (its in your welcome pack) and also your registered name and password. if you explain this to them they can give you a different address (local address) to connect to and relaunch the login page where it will reconnect to the dhcp server.

Then they click a button and its done. There is a waiting period of anything from 5 mins to an hour but it usually works.

I had to do this when i moved a few weeks ago but yes it is frustrating and allthough i like Dire straits music sitting and listening to the same song for about an hour is soo annoying.

[joseph]

cancel the ntl service and get AOL broadband :wink:

[Pgamblin]

Your having a laugh aint ya ?

NTL = Faster broadband, ok customer services

AOL = Takes over the browser, gives you some stupid connection software and some annoying bird who tells you "YOUVE GOT MAIL"

[senorcox]

At least you guys have a bird saying you've got mail, we've got some stuffy sounding bloke who says it all the time. That's not fair.

SenorCox

[joseph]

Yea but you dont have to use the AOL software i dont i just use internet explorer 6 i would never use AOL's software it can mess up your pc.

[Bencrest]

Yea but you dont have to use the AOL software i dont i just use internet explorer 6 i would never use AOL's software it can mess up your pc.

You can do that?! Anyway, I wouldn't use AOL as the email filters make using eBay with an AOLer totally bloody impossible

The AOLer has to email YOU so that you can reply, If you email them without having first received an email from them, your email won't go through!

BarcrestBenito

[joseph]

:?

[Bencrest]

:?

Maybe I'm the only one that has that problem with AOLers on eBay?

Anyway, I've heard some good stories about NTL although don't use them myself as I can't get cable where I live. I DEFINATELY wouldn't use AOL ever, but would consider NTL if I could get cable.

Having said that, my current connections ok, very rarely a problem and the phone is always answered between 2 rings and 15 mins at Customer Service

BarcrestBenito

[cambridgecableguy]

Anyone with NTL broadband?

What do you think of the service?

My connection is so frustrating it's untrue.

Today I finally got round to having enough time to wait the 20-30 minutes it takes to actually get to talk to someone. Someone finally answered, and asked for the MAC address of my MODEM (not that it's a MODEM anyway). However he said 'I'me just going to check your connection', and I got cut off, so there followed another 20-30 minute wait.
The next person I talked to tested the connection from their end, and said, 'I can't detect any problems from here, and the engineers won't do anything unless we can detect a fault. call back when you are experiencing the problem and we shall see what we can do.'
Is that not just total pants?
I mean, due to my working, sleeping, drinking hours, most of the time I experience the problems their closed, and even if they were open, I would have to wait half of my spare time to finally get fobbed of because the problem would have sorted itself out by the time someone got round to looking at it!
When I repaired computers with intermittent faults, well lets just say years ago (hint- spectrums, BBC's, ST's & Amigas), we put them on the bench and left them on for days, until the problem manifested itself, not just plugged them in when the customer was in the shop, and say bring it back when the problem happens again(the equivelent of pinging my IP address from the NTL office while I was on the phone to them).
Anyway sorry to rant but this has been doing my head in for some time now, and I think a poll is in order.

NTL, muts nuts, or jeff capes butt?

The problem you have is either going to be.
1) Faulty modem
2) Overloading of router by ntl (they're only suppose to have approx 100 customers off of any 1 router,but i've known ntl in the past to run up to 300 people off of 1!!)
3) (and most lightly) The signal level hitting the back of your modem is incorrect (you should have +2.5dB to -2.5dB hitting the back of your modem,if you are not within these limits then your service probably wont be up to scratch.
Bad signal strength can be caused by a few factors,like.....bad cabling (any damage to the cable will cause noise to get into your connection causing fluctuation in signal.Poorly fitted/faulty connectors can have the same effect (i would advise that you check all the connectors you can get to are at least hand tight.

Btw what sort of modem do you have?

[bj7864]

1 thing to say. ....check wanadoo packages next week.

[ldc2710]

ive never had a problem with ntl but am looking to change isp when some1 faster comes to my area

[LiamsLocks]

had NTL broadband for a good 2 years now, recently moved onto 1mbit, it has NEVER disconnected me at all, well once it seemed to for like 30 seconds, thats surely great for 2 years usage.

[Steinman]

On the negative side I was given a 60 day FREE trial of 1meg B-band, but was charged for it before 60 days was up! Got my direct debit money back though. NTL admitted cock-up. :angry: On positive side my connection has been good, though now & again their email is bit iffy.
Now paying £17-99/mth 300k b-band. NO MAX LIMIT. :mrgreen:
With AOL you got to "sign in" which makes a mockery of being ALWAYS ON for b-band. Pay for the privalidge & then have tons of junk ads beamed @ ya PC.
As others have said AOL screw up ya Windows files to do things "their way" & then when you finally decide to remove AOL from ya pc God help ya Operating System, unless you really know what you are doing.:philips:

[uya]

First of all madman said

what is the fault as i may be able to tell you what prob is.as that was my job.....

well basically the connection keeps dropping, and sometimes the modem re-boots itself. I have been with them for over a year, and no problems until about 2 months ago, and it seems to be getting worse.

pgamblin wrote

Once you run through their install cd and it checks the connectivity it needs to establish a dhcp connection to ntl and then your good to go.

Once registered, removed all the crap that came with it, and it always get the IP configuration from the dhcp server automatically on re-boot, even when I reformat, or use my other machine with a different OS.

I think cambridgecableguy could be onto something, I thought it might have been a faulty modem, as it sometimes re-boots itself, but too many people on the router makes complete sense, as it only started a couple of months ago, and is getting worse, so they must be plumbing in more people in the area.
Oh and the modem is an NTL:home 120, plugged straight into my NIC.

Lastly, wouldn't touch AOL with a bargepole, have you not seen the spoof advert someone did for them? anyway there in bed with microsoft, and the biggest software company in the world, and the biggest ISP in the world having anything to do with each other scares the shit out of me.

Anyway cheers guys

[eyleyro]

NTL are a mixed bag;

The speed itself - rocks
The 1gb/day guideline - sucks
The pings are variable
The mail servers - suck, big time (to quote ntl, you dont' actually pay for e-mail, it's a courtesy extra (my arse)
TV - pixellated, like a lo-grade mpeg
customer service - nearly been to court with them, been referred to debt collectors, sent dozens of registered letters, spoken to ofcom, watchdog, 2 regional directors

uya - you don't connect via usb do you as that can lead to mass instability, sorry, can't see opening post as to wether you use set top box or stand alone modem.

EDIT ignore last bit mate, can see modem via nic in last post

Check This siteout if you haven't already...

[Pgamblin]

While were on the subject of NTL i was recently talking to a mate who works for them and they are going to upgrade all 128k-600k users to 1mb for free in a bid to promote their new 3-5mb links that are coming out very soon.

If you are already an NTL customer and you have 500-600k then stick with it as a free upgrade will be coming your way in the near future....

8)

[cambridgecableguy]

First of all madman said

what is the fault as i may be able to tell you what prob is.as that was my job.....

well basically the connection keeps dropping, and sometimes the modem re-boots itself. I have been with them for over a year, and no problems until about 2 months ago, and it seems to be getting worse.

pgamblin wrote

Once you run through their install cd and it checks the connectivity it needs to establish a dhcp connection to ntl and then your good to go.

Once registered, removed all the crap that came with it, and it always get the IP configuration from the dhcp server automatically on re-boot, even when I reformat, or use my other machine with a different OS.

I think cambridgecableguy could be onto something, I thought it might have been a faulty modem, as it sometimes re-boots itself, but too many people on the router makes complete sense, as it only started a couple of months ago, and is getting worse, so they must be plumbing in more people in the area.
Oh and the modem is an NTL:home 120, plugged straight into my NIC.

Lastly, wouldn't touch AOL with a bargepole, have you not seen the spoof advert someone did for them? anyway there in bed with microsoft, and the biggest software company in the world, and the biggest ISP in the world having anything to do with each other scares the shit out of me.

Anyway cheers guys

NTL 120.....ok,on these models there is a diagnostics page within the modem...type http://192.168.100.1 into your browser,and you should be prompted for a username/password type in "root" for both of these fields and it will take you to the diag screen....then go to DOWNSTREAM STATUS and see what your power level says (should be around the 0dB mark)...then check UPSTREAM STATUS....the power level on here shouldnt be any more than 55dB....let me know what your getting in both of these fields and i will see if i can advise you anymore
P.S...DONT CHANGE ANY SETTINGS WITHIN THESE PAGES !

[uya]

Hi, tried that.

Downstream Receive Power Level : -3.60 dBmv
Downstream SNR : 33.46 dB
Upstream Transmit Power Level : 44.50 dBmv

Managed to get NTL to agree to send out an engineer on monday afternoon, after getting a chance to phone them when the connection was down long enough for them to find a problem from their end, so hopefully get it sorted then.
Incidentally, whats the normal SNR, cause that seems very low, but I'm looking at it from a sound engineers perspective?