BT Broadband: Why does customer support lie about DNS problems?

The only problem I ever have with BT Broadband is that sometimes the
DNS servers such as ns7.bt.net sometimes stop providing me with the
names to go with the numerical form of IP addresses: so if I type
216.239.59.104 into a browser I can get to Google, but not if I type
Google.co.uk. The address of the DNS server router is provided for me
by BT (I guess? I can't see who else could be doing it...).

Phoning 0800 111 4567 always leads to the same charade: I am told that
because I am able to reach the numerical form of their address that
there is no problem at their end. I have not been able to contact
anyone who admits to knowing what DNS is, but five minutes after being
told that the problem is with my Beikin router or PC, somebody fixes
the DNS problem: it seems as if the customer support person sets
something in motion by logging the call, but whatever it is is not
reflected in the menus from which they read.

Tonight I could not resist starting our conversation by telling him
how it would end and how it would be a lie, and then ending the
conversation by telling him it was a lie. Sure enough DNS service came
back within five minutes.

Is there a more polite way to get stuff done?

Mark

On Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:19:45 -0700, Mark wrote:

> Is there a more polite way to get stuff done?

It might be worth doing a little investigation with some DNS diagnostic
tools like 'dig' or 'nslookup' when you have these problems.

--
<http://ale.cx/> (AIM:troffasky) ((E-Mail Removed))
21:14:57 up 25 days, 23:51, 2 users, load average: 0.07, 0.03, 0.00
Convergence, n: The act of using separate DSL circuits for voice and data

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:60nmk.109007$(E-Mail Removed)2...
>
>> Is there a more polite way to get stuff done?
>
> Doubt it with BT, the front line isn't technical,
> it's mostly script driven.

I think pretty much all the mass market isps do this...

Gaz

Mark wrote:
> The only problem I ever have with BT Broadband is that sometimes the
> DNS servers such as ns7.bt.net sometimes stop providing me with the
> names to go with the numerical form of IP addresses: so if I type
> 216.239.59.104 into a browser I can get to Google, but not if I type
> Google.co.uk. The address of the DNS server router is provided for me
> by BT (I guess? I can't see who else could be doing it...).
>
> Phoning 0800 111 4567 always leads to the same charade: I am told that
> because I am able to reach the numerical form of their address that
> there is no problem at their end. I have not been able to contact
> anyone who admits to knowing what DNS is, but five minutes after being
> told that the problem is with my Beikin router or PC, somebody fixes
> the DNS problem: it seems as if the customer support person sets
> something in motion by logging the call, but whatever it is is not
> reflected in the menus from which they read.
>
> Tonight I could not resist starting our conversation by telling him
> how it would end and how it would be a lie, and then ending the
> conversation by telling him it was a lie. Sure enough DNS service came
> back within five minutes.
>
> Is there a more polite way to get stuff done?
>
> Mark
>
I decided to run my own DNS server..

However unless they are seriously nanny stateish nothing stops you from
using any DNS server that will let you.

On Wed, 6 Aug 2008 22:39:10 UTC, "kraftee" <kraftee@b&e-cottee.me.uk>
wrote:

> Andy Burns wrote:
> > On 06/08/2008 20:19, Mark wrote:
> >
> >> Is there a more polite way to get stuff done?
> >
> > Use openDNS instead?
> >
> > Servers are 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
>
> Hard code around 8 different DNS servers on all PCs & never have any
> problems at all.
>
> It'll take years to get Bt to resolve the issue (it's not only confined to
> them either) so you may as well allocate your DNS manually

I just run my own DNS!

--
Bob Eager
Use the BIG mirror service in the UK:
http://www.mirrorservice.org

Bob Eager wrote:
> On Wed, 6 Aug 2008 22:39:10 UTC, "kraftee" <kraftee@b&e-cottee.me.uk>
> wrote:
>
>> Andy Burns wrote:
>>> On 06/08/2008 20:19, Mark wrote:
>>>
>>>> Is there a more polite way to get stuff done?
>>> Use openDNS instead?
>>>
>>> Servers are 208.67.222.222 and 208.67.220.220
>> Hard code around 8 different DNS servers on all PCs & never have any
>> problems at all.
>>
>> It'll take years to get Bt to resolve the issue (it's not only confined to
>> them either) so you may as well allocate your DNS manually
>
> I just run my own DNS!
>
so do i..

"Mark" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:d5a24d4c-2830-46cc-a8e5-(E-Mail Removed)...
> The only problem I ever have with BT Broadband is that sometimes the
> DNS servers such as ns7.bt.net sometimes stop providing me with the
> names to go with the numerical form of IP addresses: so if I type
> 216.239.59.104 into a browser I can get to Google, but not if I type
> Google.co.uk. The address of the DNS server router is provided for me
> by BT (I guess? I can't see who else could be doing it...).
>
> Phoning 0800 111 4567 always leads to the same charade: I am told that
> because I am able to reach the numerical form of their address that
> there is no problem at their end. I have not been able to contact
> anyone who admits to knowing what DNS is, but five minutes after being
> told that the problem is with my Beikin router or PC, somebody fixes
> the DNS problem: it seems as if the customer support person sets
> something in motion by logging the call, but whatever it is is not
> reflected in the menus from which they read.
>
> Tonight I could not resist starting our conversation by telling him
> how it would end and how it would be a lie, and then ending the
> conversation by telling him it was a lie. Sure enough DNS service came
> back within five minutes.
>
> Is there a more polite way to get stuff done?

They lie because they are BT.

You should change to a more competent ISP. OK, so you can work around the
DNS issue (as others have explained) but when you have a more serious
problem (such as a line fault) that requires BT to take real action, you
will find it much better to deal with an ISP that understands the issue.
Perversely, that ISP will then have to get BT to fix the problem !! But it
appears that some ISPs have a better connection to BT and can get things
done.

--
Graham J