PC Pals Forum
Technical Help & Discussion => Broadband, Networking, PC Security, Internet & ISPs => Topic started by: Lona on August 28, 2005, 21:20
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Since being upgraded to 1mb with Pipex it's been nothing but problems.
I am having constant disconnections and BT say there is no fault on the line.
When I am cut off I get the message "no dialtone", if I lift my phone and press the call button and get dialtone I can connect.
I have been away for a 3 day break and when I got back there was a message on my answering machine that BT had been in touch with Pipex to say there was a fault on my line and that to contact them after it was sorted.
I can't decide who are the cowboys here and who are the indians as BT told be the exact opposite from what they told Pipex.
I have spent a fortune on phonecalls to Pipex and now they are saying I have to contact them again after BT sort the fault on my line.
I have to ask myself 2 questions here.
1 Why do I need to contact Pipex again and
2 Why are Pipex not in contact with BT regarding my problem as I am paying for a service, should it not be up to Pipex to negotiate with BT as I am their customer.
If this problem is not sorted out soon I really don't know what I am going to do. If my line cannot sustain the 1mb upgrade then it's back to dialup as the exchanges are all upgrading to 2mb lines. Even if Pipex are capping my speed, it's still a 2mb line.
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My friend is having the same problems, Lona. He has also been getting random disconnections since the Pipex upgrade. They sent him a whole list of things to do, by way of checking all his hardware (filters, modem, etc), and at the bottom of the list, the BT Line Test you mentioned before. I am still a little confused as to how that works. How long are you supposed to leave it running? If it disconnects, are you supposed to reconnect, and if so, how many times should you do this? Where does the information go, to BT or to Pipex, and how is this followed up?
I have to agree with you, in that it does seem that Pipex should be sorting this out with BT. You are paying Pipex for the service, which includes support, so if there are any problems, Pipex should be sorting them out, not passing the buck to the customer. My friend has given up, for the moment, because it's too technical for him, and he honestly can't be arsed to go through all their suggestions, when the fault is clearly something to do with the upgrade.
I would 'do your worst' with them on the phone, Lona, and threaten them with further action if they don't sort things out. Even if the fault lies with BT, as I said, you are paying Pipex, so it's down to Pipex to resolve, just as if you bought a cooker from Currys, the onus would be on them to have it repaired if it went wrong, not on you to deal with the manufacturers.
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I will reserve judgement on my current situation with Pipex, but I asked them if they could transfer my service to my new address when I move. They said no, I would have to cancel the existing service, giving 30 days notice, then sign up again once I have moved, as I can't have two accounts running on the same phone number. As I am moving in just over two weeks, and am taking my phone number with me, if they insist on the 30 days cancellation term, I will therefore be without service for two weeks from moving in, plus however long it takes to initiate a new account. When I said to them that I would therefore be better off using another broadband provider, they said they would "see what they could do" about the 30 day term, as I have been with them for three years, and wished to continue with the service once I move. I sarcastically replied "thanks very much", and I await their further communication.
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Your friend has my sympathy, Simon. I have spent days and days checking and rechecking all my hardware, telephone sockets etc to no avail.
I have a BT engineer coming tomorrow to the house but I have been told that if it's my fault I will be charged.
The last time an engineer called he told me it was a faulty modem, which was rubbish, as a second engineer came and told me there was a fault and whatever he did things were fine until the upgrade and it's reverted back to how it was before.
Regarding your house move. While looking around for a new provider, I noticed Zen were allowing loyal customers who need to move house a free transfer with no additional connection costs.
There is a £50 setup cost to migrating customers but no charges to existing ones who have to move house.
Pity you hadn't been with them.
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There are a number of providers who offer free migration, NDO being one example, but unfortunately, there are few others who offer an unlimited service for what Pipex are charging.
Edit:- If webspace is not required, Demon Internet (http://www.demon.net/echannel/webProduct-Details.do?strProductId=UFJEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDYx&strGroup=Consumer%20Broadband&strCategory=Internet%20Access&strGroupId=Q0FUMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAz&strPromotionId=&strPreviewFlag=no&strCategoryId=Q0FUMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAx) looks tempting.
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Demon offer looks good, Simon.
I've searched the site for migration information but can only see an order form for new customer connections.
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Perhaps there isn't actually a 'migration' procedure? If what Pipex have told me is correct, and you can't have two broadband services running simultaneously on the same line, surely it's a simple matter of cancelling one service, and just before the cancellation date, signing up for the new one? Some ISPs I have seen charge £15 for migration - what for? Perhaps it's not quite as simple as it seems? I would be tempted by Demon myself, but the lack of any webspace is the stumbling block for me.
I have sent them an e-mail, asking a number of questions, which will also act as a test to see how good their support is. One of my questions is whether webspace is available as an add-on to the Home package, and at what cost. If it's available, and will work out no dearer than Pipex, I may well consider switching.
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Sorry for hijacking the thread a bit Lona!
Have you looked at force9 / plus.net Simon?
I've been with them for a few years now and not had any problems. Currently paying £21.99 for unlimited 2mb broadband with 250mb webspace.
DJ
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I used PlusNet for dial up, years ago, DJ, and naver had any problems with them. I actually thought their services were capped, but I'll have another look, although I don't know if I'm changing yet. Depends how easy / difficult Pipex make things.
:thanks:
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I have to admit, PlusNet Broadband Premier (http://www.plus.net/residential/broadband/broadband_premier.shtml) does seem to offer eveything I need. I'm sure there was some reason why I was put off them before - is there / was there some sort of restriction on file sharing?
Edit:- Found the catch! To qualify for the free modem and set up, you will be contracted to them for 5 years. If you cancel within that time, there will be a cancellation fee of £58.75, which is reduced by £11.75 for every year you are with them, so in 5 years it will be zero.
Edit:- Doesn't seem this applies to migrating customers. :thumb:
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Not that I know of Simon. They were thinking of capping the service a while back, but the fuss that most of the customers kicked up stopped that :D
I can't seem to see anything on there website about file sharing - but maybe an email to find out coult answer it.
DJ
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Like DJ i'm on the premier account too and i'm very happy with the package :thumb:
They host my domain name for free i'm sure and you link it to their generous space they give you :)
One thing i would say is make sure it's the premier account coz the terms can be a bit different on some other packages :wink:
A well performing 2mb isp for £21.99 pm which i doubt even the heaviest of downloaders would be pushed to go over what they deem to be acceptable use :whistle:
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If your looking to change Simon in the future - have a look at this thread on MSE - its about overlapping costs when changing.
http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=86220
DJ
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Edit:- Found the catch! To qualify for the free modem and set up, you will be contracted to them for 5 years. If you cancel within that time, there will be a cancellation fee of £58.75, which is reduced by £11.75 for every year you are with them, so in 5 years it will be zero.
You can buy a good modem/router or just modem cheap these days...
Here's a starting point..>> LINK (http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=10276059023&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X3Jldmlld3M=&product_uid=48409)
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To get back on topic guys, I thought you might want to hear what the BT engineer found when inspecting my line.
All cables in the house are fine. Line coming into the house is fine. The problem is at the "Green Box" at the end of my street.
He said the feed from the cable I was on was overloaded and he's transferred me onto a different feed line.
He also said that the more and more people in my area who have joined BB is putting extra strain on the BB line and that BT have no plans to upgrade the cables.
It would appear that the upgrade to 2mb is putting a bigger strain on the signal so I don't know where I go from here.
At the moment, I am not being disconnected and the engineer told me to keep monitoring the connection and get back to them if there is no improvement.
He himself told me he has similar problems with his own connection as he lives in my area also, so if a BT engineer is having the exact same problem, there is little hope for me.
I doubt changing providers would help as it's the same BT adsl cable that would be providing the signal.
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Edit:- Found the catch! To qualify for the free modem and set up, you will be contracted to them for 5 years. If you cancel within that time, there will be a cancellation fee of £58.75, which is reduced by £11.75 for every year you are with them, so in 5 years it will be zero.
You can buy a good modem/router or just modem cheap these days...
Here's a starting point..>> LINK (http://www.ebuyer.com/customer/products/index.html?rb=10276059023&action=c2hvd19wcm9kdWN0X3Jldmlld3M=&product_uid=48409)
Yeah, thanks for that, Cammy, but as I read it, the £58.75 is for the activation cost, not the modem. In any case, reading it again, it seems if you migrate to them, there is no charge, and no 5 year thing either. I already have a modem, from Pipex. One would assume they won't want it back after three years!
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Lona, going back to where this started from, is there any reason why Pipex can't throttle your connection to 1Mb? If it's simply a matter of the BT line not coping, wouldn't that solve the problem?
I do think Pipex shot themselves in the foot by completely withdrawing the 512Kb service, as a lot of people were quite happy as they were. To not offer the original service, after finding out that customers were having problems following the forced upgrade, seems stupid to me, and I can't see what they hoped to gain by removing the 512Kb option. They could even get away with charging the same price as the 1Mb service, by calling it "up to 1Mb - BT line permitting".
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I must have speed read that... :scoot:
:D
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Further update
Just got a call from Pipex asking me if I was withdrawing my fault as I hadn't got back to them and she assumed all was well.
I told her all was not well and that BT engineer had just left. I explained that it was BT's equipment from "Green Box" to exchange that wasn't up to the job.
Although I am capped to 1mb from Pipex's end, she explained that I am still connected to the 2mb line at BT's end. I told her a colleague of hers had told me that BT do that to make it easier to be upgraded at a later date. She then said that she would get back on to BT and that I could be changed at BT's end to a 1mb card. She also told me if that doesn't work I would have to go back to 512k package but pay the 1mb rate. I said I would have to move to a different provider as prices were more competitive now and that there is no point paying top dollar for a poorer service.
I am really disappointed with Pipex, as they should have been fighting in my corner with BT rather than leave me to deal with BT on my own, after all I am Pipex's customer and they are obliged to provide me with a service. I shouldn't be arguing with BT about cables, signals, wet weather etc. They are supposed to be the experts but as the BT engineer says, most isps just tell everybody to contact BT as they don't want the expense should it be at their end.
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Well, it does at least look like the problem is being sorted, Lona, although I have to agree with you, Pipex should have done a lot more to support you in this case. It doesn't really look like changing providers would be of much benefit, apart from giving you the satisfaction of sticking two fingers up at Pipex. Until BT get round to upgrading their green boxes, it seems this issue may continue to rear it's head, and the more people who take up the higher speed services, the worse the situation will get. :(
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Just a point you made there, Simon, most of my disconnections are during Friday/Sunday when the BB lines would be very busy.
The BT engineer says there are more and more people joining every day in my area, where before I think I must have been the only person in Beith to be on BB. :D
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I am hoping that when I move, the green boxes will be modern enough to cope with a decent broadband connection. The property is in a development only three years old, and also has pre-installed cable, so I would perhaps also have that option for a broadband service - as long as it's not NTHell!
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An interesting conclusion, as I have been arguing for months that backward Britain should forget about super-speed internet access until the infrastructure is in place.
Unfortunately, most people still believe what their Grandparents told them - that "we live in the best country in the world" - so when someone like me tells it like it is I am treated with contempt for being unpatriotic.
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Guess what?
Pipex got Bt to put me on a 1mb line and I'm back to disconnections every five minutes again.
I'm just off the phone to pipex after holding on for over 30mins which I am sure is just another way of making money for them.
They are going back to BT to see why my connection is cutting off again.
I wish I had left well alone as yesterday and all night I didn't have one disconnection.
:cry:
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Gawd help us!! This is ridiculous, isn't it? Why didn't Pipex check the capability of the phone line, before forcing the upgrade on you? I don't think they are entirely to blame for this, if the fault is due to BT's lack of line upgrades, but it would have helped if this had been checked out in the first place.
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Wow, what trouble you are having lona!! Sounds like BT are lousing it up, and Pipex aren't helping, I'm glad I didn't go over to them then!
By the way, hope you had a nice break! and Back to this :(
Simon, where are you moving to, still west sussex?
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Simon, where are you moving to, still west sussex?
Yes, just a couple of miles up the road.