Talktalk: Anyone have a clue as to what this idiot is on about?

Situation: Wired ethernet to router; router configured and working since
February 6th. All settings known to be saved and correct. Typical
settings for a BT-provisioned ADSL connection, i.e. 0/38, PPPoA,
<telephone number>@talktalk.net, Authentication set to 'Auto'. Exchange
is Highcliffe, Dorset.

From 10am today, 'Authentication failed' at router. A restart results
in the same. Last known working on Friday; Password problem, eh? No
change of password has been made, yet the router still gets
authentication problems.

From my experience, authentication problems are caused by two things:
1. The username and/or password is wrong
2. The authentication server is not working or reachable.

Given that 1. has not changed, I suspect 2.

TalkTalk's network status page does not exist, so I have to call the
helldesk.

Apparently according to the script-reader, "some kinds of wireless
router have settings which change, and if the VPI and VCI change, you
will not get a signal. You must talk to the manufacturer to reset it".

I'm sure residents of this group do not need warning about the perils of
TalkTalk; it's not as if their product is aimed at people capable of
reading news.

Having gone through the settings with my dad over the phone, because the
router is some 30 miles away, everything appears correct, so does anyone
have the slightest idea what the indian helpdesk operator is talking
about? (I haven't, and I'm fairly certain he doesn't either)

Jim Howes wrote:
> Situation: Wired ethernet to router; router configured and working since
> February 6th. All settings known to be saved and correct. Typical
> settings for a BT-provisioned ADSL connection, i.e. 0/38, PPPoA,
> <telephone number>@talktalk.net, Authentication set to 'Auto'. Exchange
> is Highcliffe, Dorset.
>
> From 10am today, 'Authentication failed' at router. A restart results
> in the same. Last known working on Friday; Password problem, eh? No
> change of password has been made, yet the router still gets
> authentication problems.
>
> From my experience, authentication problems are caused by two things:
> 1. The username and/or password is wrong
> 2. The authentication server is not working or reachable.
>
> Given that 1. has not changed, I suspect 2.
>
> TalkTalk's network status page does not exist, so I have to call the
> helldesk.
>
> Apparently according to the script-reader, "some kinds of wireless
> router have settings which change, and if the VPI and VCI change, you
> will not get a signal. You must talk to the manufacturer to reset it".
>
> I'm sure residents of this group do not need warning about the perils of
> TalkTalk; it's not as if their product is aimed at people capable of
> reading news.
>
> Having gone through the settings with my dad over the phone, because the
> router is some 30 miles away, everything appears correct, so does anyone
> have the slightest idea what the indian helpdesk operator is talking
> about? (I haven't, and I'm fairly certain he doesn't either)

Do you know if you're provisioned on BT IPStream or LLU? If BT IPStream
then try logging on using the following details. You will not be able to
browse any web pages but if it connects it strongly suggests a general
username or password error or a problem with your Talk Talk account:-

user:bt_test@startup_domain
passwd:test

Kind Rgds,

--
|Bob Pullen Broadband Solutions for
|Support Home & Business @
|PlusNet plc. www.plus.net
+------ PlusNet - The smarter way to Internet! -----

PlusNet Support Team wrote:
> Do you know if you're provisioned on BT IPStream or LLU? If BT IPStream
> then try logging on using the following details. You will not be able to
> browse any web pages but if it connects it strongly suggests a general
> username or password error or a problem with your Talk Talk account:-
>
> user:bt_test@startup_domain
> passwd:test

Therein lies the problem - I do not know if the service is currently provisioned
via a BT DSLAM or some kind of LLU. For STHICLF, all I can see is that a
TalkTalk RFS date has been set, but I cannot get the date itself. I am working
on that, as I have some agents within BT I can call..

Until I can get on site, I'd rather not try and get my dad to change any
username or password, because he will undoubtedly have difficulty distinguishing
_ from -, and the configuration saved in the router config _DID_ work in the past.

I trust CPW/TalkTalk about as far as I can legally fly a 747 underground when it
comes to being truthful about outages. As it is, I am having to trek some 30+
miles to fix this thing tomorrow, assuming that it can be fixed. Last time, the
idiot at the helpdesk told me that a password change takes five days. A
non-idiot at a different TT helpdesk (possibly in South Africa?) changed the
password back on February 6th, and it affected the login instantly.

So, there exists at least one non-idiot in the TalkTalk helpdesk service.
Unfortunately the chances of getting through to that non-idiot are about one in
ten to the power of my telephone number.

Their comments that the VPI/VCI may be incorrect are puzzling. If they are
seeing login attempts failing from their end, then surely the router is
configured to talk to their network, yes? If the settings are wrong, my login
attempts would be disappearing into hyperspace, or so I thought.

Jim

"Jim Howes" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:et35lp$5gu$1$(E-Mail Removed)...
> PlusNet Support Team wrote:
>> Do you know if you're provisioned on BT IPStream or LLU? If BT IPStream
>> then try logging on using the following details. You will not be able to
>> browse any web pages but if it connects it strongly suggests a general
>> username or password error or a problem with your Talk Talk account:-
>>
>> user:bt_test@startup_domain
>> passwd:test
>
> Therein lies the problem - I do not know if the service is currently
> provisioned
> via a BT DSLAM or some kind of LLU. For STHICLF, all I can see is that a
> TalkTalk RFS date has been set, but I cannot get the date itself. I am
> working
> on that, as I have some agents within BT I can call..
>
> Until I can get on site, I'd rather not try and get my dad to change any
> username or password, because he will undoubtedly have difficulty
> distinguishing
> _ from -, and the configuration saved in the router config _DID_ work in
> the past.
>
> I trust CPW/TalkTalk about as far as I can legally fly a 747 underground
> when it
> comes to being truthful about outages. As it is, I am having to trek some
> 30+
> miles to fix this thing tomorrow, assuming that it can be fixed. Last
> time, the
> idiot at the helpdesk told me that a password change takes five days. A
> non-idiot at a different TT helpdesk (possibly in South Africa?) changed
> the
> password back on February 6th, and it affected the login instantly.
>
> So, there exists at least one non-idiot in the TalkTalk helpdesk service.
> Unfortunately the chances of getting through to that non-idiot are about
> one in
> ten to the power of my telephone number.
>
> Their comments that the VPI/VCI may be incorrect are puzzling. If they
> are
> seeing login attempts failing from their end, then surely the router is
> configured to talk to their network, yes? If the settings are wrong, my
> login
> attempts would be disappearing into hyperspace, or so I thought.


Take a spare router with you, just in case ...

--
Graham J