Who do I complain to?

Is there a regulator for broadband access in the UK? My ISP (OneTel) has
been basically hosed for over a week now, apparently because their DNS
servers are <insert suitable expletive>. It makes using the web or e-mail
almost impossible at times.

Thanks,
Paul DS.

On Thu, 4 Jan 2007 11:33:16 -0000, Paul D.Smith wrote in
<news:459ce5fc$0$311$(E-Mail Removed) t>

> Is there a regulator for broadband access in the UK? My ISP (OneTel) has
> been basically hosed for over a week now, apparently because their DNS
> servers are <insert suitable expletive>. It makes using the web or e-mail
> almost impossible at times.

Have you not thought of using other DNS servers? This is a good place to
start:

http://www.opendns.com/

Paul D.Smith wrote:
> Is there a regulator for broadband access in the UK? My ISP (OneTel) has
> been basically hosed for over a week now, apparently because their DNS
> servers are <insert suitable expletive>. It makes using the web or e-mail
> almost impossible at times.

There are many other name servers which accept queries from the public internet.
One easy to remember trio, handy in the event of ISP snafu is
4.2.2.1
4.2.2.2
and 4.2.2.3

(These particular servers belong to Level3)

Of course, if you need to answer a query for which your ISP's nameservers are
authoratative (i.e. lookups for foo.onetel.net.uk would eventually have to be
answered by dns1.onetel.net.uk, dns2.onetel.net.uk or dns3.onetel.net.uk (as
specified in the whois), and all of those nameservers are not responding (and
haven't responded in the period specified by the TTL in the DNS), then you're
screwed anyway)

(sound of frantic typing in an SSH window...)

Hmm. dns1, 2, and 3.onetel.net.uk do not seem to exist. You're screwed.
However, if you do have an IP connection, you should be able to resolve
non-onetel names at any public server.

I can get a SOA record, and NS records from 4.2.2.2 for onetel.co.uk and
onetel.net.uk, but I cannot get the same from Demon's caches.

Let me guess, they are running their DNS on a windows system with a cranky
firewall that blocks addresses using some 'sooper-stealth' more (i.e. more or
less at random).

Regards,
Jim

"MikeT" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Thu, 4 Jan 2007 11:33:16 -0000, Paul D.Smith wrote in
> <news:459ce5fc$0$311$(E-Mail Removed) t>
>
>> Is there a regulator for broadband access in the UK? My ISP (OneTel) has
>> been basically hosed for over a week now, apparently because their DNS
>> servers are <insert suitable expletive>. It makes using the web or
>> e-mail
>> almost impossible at times.
>
> Have you not thought of using other DNS servers? This is a good place to
> start:
>
> http://www.opendns.com/

Thanks - I'll take a look at this tonight!

Paul DS.

On Thu, 4 Jan 2007 11:33:16, Paul D.Smith wrote:

>Is there a regulator for broadband access in the UK? My ISP (OneTel)
>has been basically hosed for over a week now, apparently because their
>DNS servers are <insert suitable expletive>. It makes using the web or
>e-mail almost impossible at times.

Run your own local DNS. http://treewalkdns.com

--
Jim Crowther.

West London MAG: Popes Grotto, Twickenham, every Tuesday from 21:00 onwards.

"Jim Howes" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:enir80$1if$1$(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> There are many other name servers which accept queries from the public
> internet.
> One easy to remember trio, handy in the event of ISP snafu is
> 4.2.2.1
> 4.2.2.2

I use these two for my xbox live connection. Good servers.

"MikeT" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Thu, 4 Jan 2007 11:33:16 -0000, Paul D.Smith wrote in
> <news:459ce5fc$0$311$(E-Mail Removed) t>
>
> > Is there a regulator for broadband access in the UK? My ISP (OneTel)
has
> > been basically hosed for over a week now, apparently because their DNS
> > servers are <insert suitable expletive>. It makes using the web or
e-mail
> > almost impossible at times.
>
> Have you not thought of using other DNS servers? This is a good place to
> start:
>
> http://www.opendns.com/

Tried it here today. Gosh it was slow.....

In message <(E-Mail Removed) id>, Jim
Crowther <Don'(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>On Thu, 4 Jan 2007 11:33:16, Paul D.Smith wrote:
>
>>Is there a regulator for broadband access in the UK? My ISP (OneTel)
>>has been basically hosed for over a week now, apparently because their
>>DNS servers are <insert suitable expletive>. It makes using the web
>>or e-mail almost impossible at times.
>
>Run your own local DNS. http://treewalkdns.com
>
worth the hassle for a 2-4 m/c domestic LAN on EasyNet LLU?

--
dave @ stejonda

On Thu, 4 Jan 2007 19:55:54, dave @ stejonda wrote:

>In message <(E-Mail Removed) id>, Jim
>Crowther <Don'(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>>On Thu, 4 Jan 2007 11:33:16, Paul D.Smith wrote:
>>
>>>Is there a regulator for broadband access in the UK? My ISP (OneTel)
>>>has been basically hosed for over a week now, apparently because
>>>their DNS servers are <insert suitable expletive>. It makes using
>>>the web or e-mail almost impossible at times.
>>
>>Run your own local DNS. http://treewalkdns.com
>>
>worth the hassle for a 2-4 m/c domestic LAN on EasyNet LLU?

Actually I'd expect YES! I always leave an installation file available
for 'clients'. Several times it is obvious they have ISP DNS problems
(get them to go to an IP address specified webpage - good, aliased -
bad) and so I've got them to install TW themselves over the phone. It's
just run the .exe and re-boot. One 'client' is a dear friend over 80
years young, and she did it with no problems. There's nothing to tweak
if you don't want to, just works out of the box.

Now I think about it further, she is on SkyBB, so a *definite* YES.

One of the very better bits of software out there at the Right Price
(tm).

--
Jim Crowther.

West London MAG: Popes Grotto, Twickenham, every Tuesday from 21:00 onwards.

OneTel was never much good on dial up, email servers or broadband.
Anyway they are now owned by Talk Talk,
so you should try to contact Charles Dunstone,
I think I have seen his email address here some time ago.
Regards,
Martin