More Talktalk woes?

Talktalk broadband went down about a week ago; the adsl light continues to
blink and doesn't go into a steady state on the router.

TT level 2 support has checked their kit into the exchange and tell me it's
reporting okay. They are now looking to send out an engineer to check
things out at my end with the usual condition that if my equipment is faulty
they'll charge £47.

I've plugged a filter straignt into the BT test socket with no change. I've
taken my router to a friends house and connected it to their broadband
service. Still no adsl activity. I've plugged my friends working router
into my broadband service and got no adsl activity. That tends to suggest
both the line in and my router have both gone down.

My question is, should you get broadband/adsl activity when you connect up
any old router to an activated account? By that, I'm saying you don't need
to enter username or password to determine connectivity? Is that right?

I'm simply trying to rule out any problems my side of the BT master socket

Many thanks for any pointers

(Talktalk is LLU'd and we pay our line rental to them. Other than one
extension socket there is nothing else this side of the master socket)

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, PeterL
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>Talktalk broadband went down about a week ago; the adsl light continues to
>blink and doesn't go into a steady state on the router.
>
>TT level 2 support has checked their kit into the exchange and tell me it's
>reporting okay. They are now looking to send out an engineer to check
>things out at my end with the usual condition that if my equipment is faulty
>they'll charge £47.
>
I had the same, although a massive drop in speed rather than complete
loss of Internet. Was also told everything checked out OK from their end
and that I'd be charged £47 if the fault was found at my end.

This may sound silly, but did you confirm with them that they actually
tested the right line? With mine they told me they'd tested it and
wanted to send an engineer, they wanted to check my details, so I gave
them my name and address and they told me that wasn't right, they had a
completely different name and address down! I did ask if they had
actually tested my line or the one belonging to this other mystery
person which they assured me they had, but there's really no telling.

>I've plugged a filter straignt into the BT test socket with no change. I've
>taken my router to a friends house and connected it to their broadband
>service. Still no adsl activity. I've plugged my friends working router
>into my broadband service and got no adsl activity. That tends to suggest
>both the line in and my router have both gone down.
>
>My question is, should you get broadband/adsl activity when you connect up
>any old router to an activated account? By that, I'm saying you don't need
>to enter username or password to determine connectivity? Is that right?
>
>I'm simply trying to rule out any problems my side of the BT master socket
>
>Many thanks for any pointers

I changed my router, all the filters and cables and plugged directly
into the test socket which made no difference.

As far as I know, the ADSL light should come on whether you have a
password or not. I bought a new router and just connected that up
without configuring it first, just plugged it straight into the phone
line and the ADSL light came on.
>
>(Talktalk is LLU'd and we pay our line rental to them. Other than one
>extension socket there is nothing else this side of the master socket)
>
>
Thankfully their engineers (at least when they eventually turn up, my
one didn't turn up at all at the arranged 9-12 time and it was only when
I rang to complain that they got in touch with another one in the
vicinity and sent him out that I actually got one!) seem a bit more
competent than their "technical support" who didn't even manage to get
my name and address right when they called me.

Bottom line is, 3 weeks later, despite their engineer coming out and
checking my equipment was set up and functioning correctly and the
problem lay elsewhere, I'm still no further forward. Tech support keep
sending me emails saying the problem has been resolved and I reply that
it hasn't then they want me to go through the whole, reboot the router,
check the filters, run speed tests 3 times a day, first level support
stuff and then escalate it to second level. Despite me telling them
several times that we've already been through this whole thing and
second level support and had an engineer out who confirmed the problem
is not my end.

They really are an absolute shower of shit and the sooner my current
contract runs out and I can escape from them the better.
--
Sean Black

On 25/02/2011 09:00, Sean Black wrote:
> In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, PeterL
> <(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>> Talktalk broadband went down about a week ago; the adsl light
>> continues to
>> blink and doesn't go into a steady state on the router.
>>
>> TT level 2 support has checked their kit into the exchange and tell me
>> it's
>> reporting okay. They are now looking to send out an engineer to check
>> things out at my end with the usual condition that if my equipment is
>> faulty
>> they'll charge £47.
>>
> I had the same, although a massive drop in speed rather than complete
> loss of Internet. Was also told everything checked out OK from their end
> and that I'd be charged £47 if the fault was found at my end.
>
> This may sound silly, but did you confirm with them that they actually
> tested the right line? With mine they told me they'd tested it and
> wanted to send an engineer, they wanted to check my details, so I gave
> them my name and address and they told me that wasn't right, they had a
> completely different name and address down! I did ask if they had
> actually tested my line or the one belonging to this other mystery
> person which they assured me they had, but there's really no telling.
>
>> I've plugged a filter straignt into the BT test socket with no change.
>> I've
>> taken my router to a friends house and connected it to their broadband
>> service. Still no adsl activity. I've plugged my friends working router
>> into my broadband service and got no adsl activity. That tends to suggest
>> both the line in and my router have both gone down.
>>
>> My question is, should you get broadband/adsl activity when you
>> connect up
>> any old router to an activated account? By that, I'm saying you don't
>> need
>> to enter username or password to determine connectivity? Is that right?
>>
>> I'm simply trying to rule out any problems my side of the BT master
>> socket
>>
>> Many thanks for any pointers
>
> I changed my router, all the filters and cables and plugged directly
> into the test socket which made no difference.
>
> As far as I know, the ADSL light should come on whether you have a
> password or not. I bought a new router and just connected that up
> without configuring it first, just plugged it straight into the phone
> line and the ADSL light came on.
>>
>> (Talktalk is LLU'd and we pay our line rental to them. Other than one
>> extension socket there is nothing else this side of the master socket)
>>
>>
> Thankfully their engineers (at least when they eventually turn up, my
> one didn't turn up at all at the arranged 9-12 time and it was only when
> I rang to complain that they got in touch with another one in the
> vicinity and sent him out that I actually got one!) seem a bit more
> competent than their "technical support" who didn't even manage to get
> my name and address right when they called me.
>
> Bottom line is, 3 weeks later, despite their engineer coming out and
> checking my equipment was set up and functioning correctly and the
> problem lay elsewhere, I'm still no further forward. Tech support keep
> sending me emails saying the problem has been resolved and I reply that
> it hasn't then they want me to go through the whole, reboot the router,
> check the filters, run speed tests 3 times a day, first level support
> stuff and then escalate it to second level. Despite me telling them
> several times that we've already been through this whole thing and
> second level support and had an engineer out who confirmed the problem
> is not my end.
>
> They really are an absolute shower of shit and the sooner my current
> contract runs out and I can escape from them the better.

I think that neatly sums up the Talk Talk operation.
Having their "own engineers" speaks volumes!
Why do they do that when other ISPs will do tests with Openreach and
then if a fault is found, a "proper" engineer from Openreach will do the
business?
I'd hazard a guess that they pay their "engineers" peanuts - hence the
threatened £47 abortive work charge, whereas Openreach would charge over
£100.
Pay peanuts - get monkeys...
In any case, if a fault is found in the network, it would have to go to
Openreach anyway.

George

Sean Black <(E-Mail Removed)> considered Fri, 25 Feb 2011
09:00:12 +0000 the perfect time to write:

>In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, PeterL
><(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>>Talktalk broadband went down about a week ago; the adsl light continues to
>>blink and doesn't go into a steady state on the router.
>>
>>TT level 2 support has checked their kit into the exchange and tell me it's
>>reporting okay. They are now looking to send out an engineer to check
>>things out at my end with the usual condition that if my equipment is faulty
>>they'll charge £47.
>>
>I had the same, although a massive drop in speed rather than complete
>loss of Internet. Was also told everything checked out OK from their end
>and that I'd be charged £47 if the fault was found at my end.
>
>This may sound silly, but did you confirm with them that they actually
>tested the right line? With mine they told me they'd tested it and
>wanted to send an engineer, they wanted to check my details, so I gave
>them my name and address and they told me that wasn't right, they had a
>completely different name and address down! I did ask if they had
>actually tested my line or the one belonging to this other mystery
>person which they assured me they had, but there's really no telling.
>
>>I've plugged a filter straignt into the BT test socket with no change. I've
>>taken my router to a friends house and connected it to their broadband
>>service. Still no adsl activity. I've plugged my friends working router
>>into my broadband service and got no adsl activity. That tends to suggest
>>both the line in and my router have both gone down.
>>
>>My question is, should you get broadband/adsl activity when you connect up
>>any old router to an activated account? By that, I'm saying you don't need
>>to enter username or password to determine connectivity? Is that right?
>>
>>I'm simply trying to rule out any problems my side of the BT master socket
>>
>>Many thanks for any pointers
>
>I changed my router, all the filters and cables and plugged directly
>into the test socket which made no difference.
>
>As far as I know, the ADSL light should come on whether you have a
>password or not. I bought a new router and just connected that up
>without configuring it first, just plugged it straight into the phone
>line and the ADSL light came on.
>>
>>(Talktalk is LLU'd and we pay our line rental to them. Other than one
>>extension socket there is nothing else this side of the master socket)
>>
>>
>Thankfully their engineers (at least when they eventually turn up, my
>one didn't turn up at all at the arranged 9-12 time and it was only when
>I rang to complain that they got in touch with another one in the
>vicinity and sent him out that I actually got one!) seem a bit more
>competent than their "technical support" who didn't even manage to get
>my name and address right when they called me.
>
>Bottom line is, 3 weeks later, despite their engineer coming out and
>checking my equipment was set up and functioning correctly and the
>problem lay elsewhere, I'm still no further forward. Tech support keep
>sending me emails saying the problem has been resolved and I reply that
>it hasn't then they want me to go through the whole, reboot the router,
>check the filters, run speed tests 3 times a day, first level support
>stuff and then escalate it to second level. Despite me telling them
>several times that we've already been through this whole thing and
>second level support and had an engineer out who confirmed the problem
>is not my end.
>
>They really are an absolute shower of shit and the sooner my current
>contract runs out and I can escape from them the better.

You don't need to wait until the contract runs out, since they are
failing to fulfil their side of it.

I escaped from Tiscali that way, after they acquired Nildram.
It carried on working fine until I moved house (which meant a new
contract), after which the service fell apart.

I got out a mere 2 months into the new (12 month) contract.

On Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:00:12 +0000, Sean Black
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, PeterL
><(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>>Talktalk broadband went down about a week ago; the adsl light continues to
>>blink and doesn't go into a steady state on the router.
>>
>>TT level 2 support has checked their kit into the exchange and tell me it's
>>reporting okay. They are now looking to send out an engineer to check
>>things out at my end with the usual condition that if my equipment is faulty
>>they'll charge £47.
>>
>I had the same, although a massive drop in speed rather than complete
>loss of Internet. Was also told everything checked out OK from their end
>and that I'd be charged £47 if the fault was found at my end.
>
>This may sound silly, but did you confirm with them that they actually
>tested the right line? With mine they told me they'd tested it and
>wanted to send an engineer, they wanted to check my details, so I gave
>them my name and address and they told me that wasn't right, they had a
>completely different name and address down! I did ask if they had
>actually tested my line or the one belonging to this other mystery
>person which they assured me they had, but there's really no telling.
>
>>I've plugged a filter straignt into the BT test socket with no change. I've
>>taken my router to a friends house and connected it to their broadband
>>service. Still no adsl activity. I've plugged my friends working router
>>into my broadband service and got no adsl activity. That tends to suggest
>>both the line in and my router have both gone down.
>>
>>My question is, should you get broadband/adsl activity when you connect up
>>any old router to an activated account? By that, I'm saying you don't need
>>to enter username or password to determine connectivity? Is that right?
>>
>>I'm simply trying to rule out any problems my side of the BT master socket
>>
>>Many thanks for any pointers
>
>I changed my router, all the filters and cables and plugged directly
>into the test socket which made no difference.
>
>As far as I know, the ADSL light should come on whether you have a
>password or not. I bought a new router and just connected that up
>without configuring it first, just plugged it straight into the phone
>line and the ADSL light came on.
>>
>>(Talktalk is LLU'd and we pay our line rental to them. Other than one
>>extension socket there is nothing else this side of the master socket)
>>
>>
>Thankfully their engineers (at least when they eventually turn up, my
>one didn't turn up at all at the arranged 9-12 time and it was only when
>I rang to complain that they got in touch with another one in the
>vicinity and sent him out that I actually got one!) seem a bit more
>competent than their "technical support" who didn't even manage to get
>my name and address right when they called me.
>
>Bottom line is, 3 weeks later, despite their engineer coming out and
>checking my equipment was set up and functioning correctly and the
>problem lay elsewhere, I'm still no further forward. Tech support keep
>sending me emails saying the problem has been resolved and I reply that
>it hasn't then they want me to go through the whole, reboot the router,
>check the filters, run speed tests 3 times a day, first level support
>stuff and then escalate it to second level. Despite me telling them
>several times that we've already been through this whole thing and
>second level support and had an engineer out who confirmed the problem
>is not my end.
>
>They really are an absolute shower of shit and the sooner my current
>contract runs out and I can escape from them the better.

Why wait. Tell them (LLU) to get lost under breach of contract and go
back to BT (LINE) who will welcome you with open arms and then go to a
provider of your choice NON LLU! Mine took a week to sort out and I am
now with FAST. One of the advantages of going LLU means you can dump
them if they prove useless. Not sure TT will ever rel;ease the LLU
side for going LLU again, but after your experience the last thing you
want is another LLU bunch of cowboys, oh and PlusNet as well who also
wear the same dunces cap!

Xilo resell TalkTalk LLU, this may save you a few £ as you won't
have to switch from LLU to a BT line. Also the service relies on
Xilo's backhaul so you get a solid service.

They have pricing on their forums or you can just contact them.




--
--------------------------------- --- -- -
Posted with NewsLeecher v4.0 Final
Web @ http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
------------------- ----- ---- -- -

On Sun, 27 Feb 2011 11:32:15 +0000, just as I was about to take a
herb, Pendragon <(E-Mail Removed)> disturbed my reverie and wrote:

>Why wait. Tell them (LLU) to get lost under breach of contract and go
>back to BT (LINE) who will welcome you with open arms and then go to a
>provider of your choice NON LLU

DO go LLU, but keep the line with BT. I was so glad to rid myself of
BT's profiling ADSL product. With LLU, what you sync at is what you
get.
--

Cheers,

DrT

** Stress - the condition brought about by having to
** resist the temptation to beat the living daylights
** out of someone who richly deserves it.

In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, DrTeeth
<no-(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>On Sun, 27 Feb 2011 11:32:15 +0000, just as I was about to take a
>herb, Pendragon <(E-Mail Removed)> disturbed my reverie and wrote:
>
>>Why wait. Tell them (LLU) to get lost under breach of contract and go
>>back to BT (LINE) who will welcome you with open arms and then go to a
>>provider of your choice NON LLU
>
>DO go LLU, but keep the line with BT. I was so glad to rid myself of
>BT's profiling ADSL product. With LLU, what you sync at is what you
>get.

My problem is the sync rate has dropped right down. It was syncing at
1536/280kbps for years and now it's 337/480kbps.

Would I have grounds for breaking the contract? Surely they could just
say the contract states for a line *up to* 8m they don't specify a
minimum speed?
--
Sean Black

"Pendragon" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Fri, 25 Feb 2011 09:00:12 +0000, Sean Black
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>In message <(E-Mail Removed)>, PeterL
>><(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>>>Talktalk broadband went down about a week ago; the adsl light continues
>>>to
>>>blink and doesn't go into a steady state on the router.
>>>
>>>TT level 2 support has checked their kit into the exchange and tell me
>>>it's
>>>reporting okay. They are now looking to send out an engineer to check
>>>things out at my end with the usual condition that if my equipment is
>>>faulty
>>>they'll charge £47.
>>>
>>I had the same, although a massive drop in speed rather than complete
>>loss of Internet. Was also told everything checked out OK from their end
>>and that I'd be charged £47 if the fault was found at my end.
>>
>>This may sound silly, but did you confirm with them that they actually
>>tested the right line? With mine they told me they'd tested it and
>>wanted to send an engineer, they wanted to check my details, so I gave
>>them my name and address and they told me that wasn't right, they had a
>>completely different name and address down! I did ask if they had
>>actually tested my line or the one belonging to this other mystery
>>person which they assured me they had, but there's really no telling.
>>
>>>I've plugged a filter straignt into the BT test socket with no change.
>>>I've
>>>taken my router to a friends house and connected it to their broadband
>>>service. Still no adsl activity. I've plugged my friends working router
>>>into my broadband service and got no adsl activity. That tends to suggest
>>>both the line in and my router have both gone down.
>>>
>>>My question is, should you get broadband/adsl activity when you connect
>>>up
>>>any old router to an activated account? By that, I'm saying you don't
>>>need
>>>to enter username or password to determine connectivity? Is that right?
>>>
>>>I'm simply trying to rule out any problems my side of the BT master
>>>socket
>>>
>>>Many thanks for any pointers
>>
>>I changed my router, all the filters and cables and plugged directly
>>into the test socket which made no difference.
>>
>>As far as I know, the ADSL light should come on whether you have a
>>password or not. I bought a new router and just connected that up
>>without configuring it first, just plugged it straight into the phone
>>line and the ADSL light came on.
>>>
>>>(Talktalk is LLU'd and we pay our line rental to them. Other than one
>>>extension socket there is nothing else this side of the master socket)
>>>
>>>
>>Thankfully their engineers (at least when they eventually turn up, my
>>one didn't turn up at all at the arranged 9-12 time and it was only when
>>I rang to complain that they got in touch with another one in the
>>vicinity and sent him out that I actually got one!) seem a bit more
>>competent than their "technical support" who didn't even manage to get
>>my name and address right when they called me.
>>
>>Bottom line is, 3 weeks later, despite their engineer coming out and
>>checking my equipment was set up and functioning correctly and the
>>problem lay elsewhere, I'm still no further forward. Tech support keep
>>sending me emails saying the problem has been resolved and I reply that
>>it hasn't then they want me to go through the whole, reboot the router,
>>check the filters, run speed tests 3 times a day, first level support
>>stuff and then escalate it to second level. Despite me telling them
>>several times that we've already been through this whole thing and
>>second level support and had an engineer out who confirmed the problem
>>is not my end.
>>
>>They really are an absolute shower of shit and the sooner my current
>>contract runs out and I can escape from them the better.
>
> Why wait. Tell them (LLU) to get lost under breach of contract and go
> back to BT (LINE) who will welcome you with open arms and then go to a
> provider of your choice NON LLU! Mine took a week to sort out and I am
> now with FAST. One of the advantages of going LLU means you can dump
> them if they prove useless. Not sure TT will ever rel;ease the LLU
> side for going LLU again, but after your experience the last thing you
> want is another LLU bunch of cowboys, oh and PlusNet as well who also
> wear the same dunces cap!

But surely if you stick with BT you have to have this idiotic business where
a small temporary problem on your line can result in them throttling your
throughput and/or increasing your noise margin for days so you go slow even
when everything is fine again.

Any problems you have with the line are almost definitely going to have to
be sorted out by BT Openreach anyway even if you are LLUed.

--

Brian Gregory. (In the UK)
(E-Mail Removed)
To email me remove the letter vee.

Brian Gregory [UK] wrote:

>
> But surely if you stick with BT you have to have this idiotic business where
> a small temporary problem on your line can result in them throttling your
> throughput and/or increasing your noise margin for days so you go slow even
> when everything is fine again.
>
that can be reset,but a bad line cannot.

> Any problems you have with the line are almost definitely going to have to
> be sorted out by BT Openreach anyway even if you are LLUed.
>
exactly.