Internet Service Providers

[bountyboat]

How many Forum members use NTL as their ISP and do you think the Dial-UP Service has been degraded as part of a Broadband marketing strategy.

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[Talbot]

I use NTL, but I have a b/b connection (via dedicated modem) I believe the connections through the tv system is fundamentally flawed and would not have it (I am still analogue on TV). However, I have no info about the dial-up system as I dont use it anymore.

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[Gunfleet]

I have the same set up as Talbot. There was quite a bit of outage on the ntl servers this week. If your dial up was working it was doing better than my broadband!

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[Oldhand]

I am a dial-up NTL user and have also experienced very long delays in sending and receiving e-mail. However, it has been considerably better over the last week and my internet connection has remained pretty good throughout, except for one recent evening when there must have been a major hub server outage.

I don't know if they are knowingly redicing resources availbale to dial-up customers to try and persaude us to go broadband or not. It could be that e-mail volumes have rocketed due to these viruses which operate like automatic chain mail and thus the NTL mail servers are getting overloaded. I did send them an enquiry on the poor performance but got no response.

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[zephyrsailor]

we have ntl through the majic telly box. it's crap. we downgraded from the superfast version after about 6hours on hold to talk to them. and its no slower on the slow version.....it's just slow or broken.

<hr width=100% size=1><font color=purple><A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.yachting-school.com>http://www.yachting-school.com</A></font color=purple>

 

[ColdFusion]

I've been a dial-up NTL user for 2.5 years (via a BT landline). The original service was excellent - always connected 1st time and reasonable speeds (for dial-up!) However, since NTL 'upgraded' the dial-up service I regularly get delays when surfing the 'net and at peak times (5 - 8pm) I now often have to try connecting 5 - 20 times because the number is 'engaged'. The reason? The old dial-up number belonged to NTL and all dial-up connections were routed through NTL's network. The new dial-up number is a BT 'FRIACO' one (Flat Rate Internet Access Call Origination) - whereby NTL pay BT a flat rate for the service. Massive cost savings for NTL but problems for NTL dial-up customers who are now subject to something called 'call gapping'. This is where BT's exchanges are configured to allow only 1 in 'n' FRIACO calls to connect at times of peak usage (thereby enabling all voice calls to connect 1st time through that exchange).

Thanks for the 'upgrade' NTL (suppose they had to do something to reduce their debt though).

Lucky for me I'm moving house soon and will share a broadband connection via a home network with SWMBO. Romantic or what? /forums/images/icons/wink.gif /forums/images/icons/blush.gif


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[thewetone]

Nice to know I am not the only one suffering, I connect via their 0800 number and normally connect first time but over the last month or two, I consistently get time-outs while trying to download my e-mails. Considering the number of phone calls I get about their Broadband service, I too considered it was a ploy to get me to 'go broadband'

<hr width=100% size=1>Randy

Once the avalanche has started, it's too late for the pebbles to vote

 

[Talbot]

The TV connection through USB is a well known disaster, so if you havent done so already, convert to a PCI network card connection. It may solve some of your problems, if not, keep complaining about the TV connection until they get fed up and start asking for a standalone modem - but make sure you connect through the PCI card!!!

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[brianrunyard]

My daughter uses Ntl dial up and has lots of trouble, even to the point of having an engineer out, still not right though.
Glad I upgraded a year ago to Broadband via a dedicated modem connected to the USB port, Fantastic!!

<hr width=100% size=1>Brian
http://homepage.ntlworld.com/brunyard

 

[sailorman]

i use tiscali.co.uk
no real probs.we cant get b/band yet as were out in the stix 9 mls south of the university city of cambridge.

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