Tesco to Orange migration

I'm currently with Tesco.net and thinking of migrating to the Orange
"free" broadband. Am I right in thinking that Tesco a) don't give out
MAC codes and b) are Datastream whereas the Orange (same as Wanadoo?)
offering is IPStream, and hence a MAC code would be of no use anyway?

Presumably I am stuck with the same problem ie. an inability to migrate
from Tesco to anywhere...

Assuming this is the case, has anyone come up with a reliable way of
minimising the break with a cancel and reprovide? Is it feasible for
it to happen over a 2 week summer holiday for example? Is there some
means of, say, getting a temporary second line? I use broadband for
work and couldn't really afford to lose it for significantly longer
than that.

trogit

"trogit" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) ps.com...
> I'm currently with Tesco.net and thinking of migrating to the Orange
> "free" broadband. Am I right in thinking that Tesco a) don't give out
> MAC codes and b) are Datastream whereas the Orange (same as Wanadoo?)
> offering is IPStream, and hence a MAC code would be of no use anyway?
>
> Presumably I am stuck with the same problem ie. an inability to migrate
> from Tesco to anywhere...
>
What did Tesco say when you contacted them to discuss your account with
them?
They certainly give me a different answer.

trogit wrote:

> I'm currently with Tesco.net and thinking of migrating to the Orange
> "free" broadband. Am I right in thinking that Tesco a) don't give out
> MAC codes and b) are Datastream whereas the Orange (same as Wanadoo?)
> offering is IPStream, and hence a MAC code would be of no use anyway?

Have you asked them ? Never been a Tesco.net (NTL) ADSL customer so not
ever needed to check - you may find the info on www.adslguide.org.uk

> Presumably I am stuck with the same problem ie. an inability to migrate
> from Tesco to anywhere...

There was a piece only today about BT dropping the price for companies
offering LLU to have users switch from IPStream and DataStream to LLU.

Does Orange/Wanadoo already have kit at your exchange ? If not they're
either going to put off accepting /offering the service to you (the way
CPW/TalkTalk is likely to do for some 250,000 to 500,000 customers) or
will use BT's service anyway, until they do have kit in the exchange,
so it might only be the problem of getting a MAC which affects you.

> Assuming this is the case, has anyone come up with a reliable way of
> minimising the break with a cancel and reprovide? Is it feasible for
> it to happen over a 2 week summer holiday for example?

Probably, but awkward to guarantee, as you'd need to know the lead time
for getting the Orange/Wanadoo service enabled, and that order placed
only when your line was "clear" of the marker for ADSL being on. In
some cases it has been a few months to get that cleared!

> Is there some means of, say, getting a temporary second line? I use
> broadband for work and couldn't really afford to lose it for
> significantly longer than that.

A second line would cost you 99.99 +VAT and I doubt they charge much
less for a temporary second line. Anyway, what would be the point of
it being temporary, as you would then have to pay another set of fees
for that to be activated, only to cancel service a while later, when
your first line is active. If you want it for work, get them to pay
for the line (and business service ADSL of course, as many have an
explicit ban on use for business, if paying "residential" fees), or
do what anyone wanting a "guaranteed" connection could do, and have
two - get a cheap (11.75/month) account as backup on the second line.

When I asked (might have been 6 months ago, not sure) they said they
don't do MAC codes. Has the situation changed?

Thanks,
trogit

Ian C wrote:

> "trogit" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed) ps.com...
> > I'm currently with Tesco.net and thinking of migrating to the Orange
> > "free" broadband. Am I right in thinking that Tesco a) don't give out
> > MAC codes and b) are Datastream whereas the Orange (same as Wanadoo?)
> > offering is IPStream, and hence a MAC code would be of no use anyway?
> >
> > Presumably I am stuck with the same problem ie. an inability to migrate
> > from Tesco to anywhere...
> >
> What did Tesco say when you contacted them to discuss your account with
> them?
> They certainly give me a different answer.

trogit wrote:
> I'm currently with Tesco.net and thinking of migrating to the Orange
> "free" broadband. Am I right in thinking that Tesco a) don't give out
> MAC codes and b) are Datastream whereas the Orange (same as Wanadoo?)
> offering is IPStream, and hence a MAC code would be of no use anyway?
>
> Presumably I am stuck with the same problem ie. an inability to migrate
> from Tesco to anywhere...
>
> Assuming this is the case, has anyone come up with a reliable way of
> minimising the break with a cancel and reprovide? Is it feasible for
> it to happen over a 2 week summer holiday for example? Is there some
> means of, say, getting a temporary second line? I use broadband for
> work and couldn't really afford to lose it for significantly longer
> than that.
>
> trogit

Datastream to IPStream migrations are possible, IIRC. As to MACs... they
haven't signed up to the BB code of practice, so they're not obliged to
give them out. But they might do. They take migrations in.

Ceasing broadband takes about a week, providing it takes about a week.
Unfortunately, complications can happen so there's no guarantees.

xF,

....Nick