Re: Why can't NTL fix my problem?
 

Good point, I hadn't thought of that. How can the cable need replacing if the downstream is working? Isn't the only difference the frequency they use. I'm sure a cable can't break in such a way that it lets one frequency through but not the other. I must admit I have little knowledge of how the hardware actually works.

No, I don't have a Digibox BTW, only services I have are telephone and broadband. Broadband uses a dedicted Motorola Surfboard Cable Modem which is old technology apparently, but hey, it worked fine for the last 4 years right up until 18th August :-(

Re: Why can't NTL fix my problem?
 

The upstream path is a bit more critical as the cable system is optimised for downstream (as this is what TV really uses the most) and theres only a certain amount of transmit power in the modem.

OK, should rule out it being a problem with your cable being split then.

There's nothing wrong with the Surfboard modems. They are one of the best modems, IMHO.

Could be a fault with a circuit in the cabinet, I suppose. I'd make sure they check everything, from your modem, to the splitters/isolators, to the system in the cabinet.

Re: Why can't NTL fix my problem?
 

Well, guess what. The engineer turned up today and worked out that the cable needs replacing. Oh, thank you NTL, you're so wonderful. I told you you that on the phone last Friday but you decided to ignore me and send out yet another engineer. What a waste of his time.

He's booked the maintenance team to dig the road up and the "useless" cable guys (again). Oh, and they can't come out for yet another week.

What a crap service, so much for the "special" flag on my call.

Re: Why can't NTL fix my problem?
 

This looks all to familiar to me.

Some months back my internet suddenly died. Did all the usual / obvious things rebooted everythnig including modems etc. Gave it couple of hours before retrying incase it was just a local outage problem. Eventually bit the bullet & rang NTL. Got the usual pillar to post treatment. Eventually an engineer was booked for a call a week hense. He go's through the reboot routine before deciding that I need new cable pulling through, despite the fact my cable T.V. largly working. [A few channels were not as clear as they might be, but they were not 1's I watched anyway] A date was set for new cable to be pulled through. Another 10 days wait. Surprise, surprise new cable cures nothing, modem still as dead as.........TV. no better. Somebody rings from NTL saying they have booked an engineer for 10 days time to come fix my modem. Try to tell voice that there is nothing wrong with my modem, my p.c etc. they already been checked. Oh says voice & hangs up. Good omen strikes, local paper runs an article on local guy been having long running problem with NTL & gives number for NTL head office. Within the hour the local manager is knocking on my front door !!!

Seemed the green box at the end of the road needed a new "tap?" board. Problem fixed 20 minutes later.

I'm genuinly sorry to all the NTL folks who give of their time so gernerously on here to help folks out. I realise that a call from head office is the last thing you would want, but it is obvious from just a casual glance through this forum that at an organisation level the customer service leaves a lot to be desired.

Re: Why can't NTL fix my problem?
 

Could be a blocked duct that's stopping the re-pull but why did'nt the tech try fitting a HDU?(powered booster) That might have solved it.

Re: Why can't NTL fix my problem?
 

Think carefully before doing this... otherwise you'll find yourself in the position I'm in (I gave them their last chance, cancelled a year or so ago, and signed up for ADSL). ADSL failed yesterday, found out ISP have no technical support on Sundays (rather unexpected). Phoned this morning, and told that I need to try another ADSL modem/router on the line, otherwise if BT come round to fix it and find there's nothing wrong, I have to pay. Thats fine, but nobody I know round here has an ADSL router (everyone has NTL). So I need to wait until I am next in the office to borrow one (later this week). Otherwise, I need to go down PC World and hand over £100 just to prove it's not my router that is faulty. So I can't say to my ISP until Friday "look, I know it's not my modem".

At least with NTL you deal with one company regarding the modem, connection and line. With ADSL you end up having to deal with 3 people (the people who sold you the router, the ISP and BT themselves).

Recipe for disaster, and I've just been back here this morning trying to work out whether to risk signing up for NTL again (in the hope the fault I used to have has been rectified in the last 12 months).

To be honest, my ADSL connection hasn't had the 100% reliability I was hoping for. When it goes down, it's usually a problem at the exchange (maintance that you don't know is going on because no-one tells you, and there's nowhere you can find out). If you think NTL can drag their heels, try waiting for BT to do something...

Steve.

Re: Why can't NTL fix my problem?
 

Well I took yet another day off work for the FOURTH week in a row and the *******s never even bothered to show up.

It's now 3 days short of a month and NTL are no nearer to fixing my problem. So, I think I can answer my own question thanks :-

Why Can't NTL fix my problem?
Because they're a bunch of incompetent idiots.

To be fair, the engineers who've come out have been very knowledgable, I think it's the maintenance monkeys who've caused all the problems. They either come out and then don't update the call so when you phone the helpdesk they haven't got a clue what's going on, or they just don't show up at all.

What do I have to do to get someone to OWN my problem? :mad:
Or have I hit the nail on the head there. It's my problem and NTL don't care.

Re: Why can't NTL fix my problem?
 

The way the frequencies work in coax cable mystifies me and Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve been on courses with networks guys.

Basically different parts of the cable can carry different frequencies so to answer you question if the out part of the cable is damaged (the shielding) then certain frequencies will stop working.

This is easy to see on dtv where if you connector is loose to the back of the digibox then you'll see some channels disappear. And its always the same channels.

Re: Why can't NTL fix my problem?
 

Just received an email from my wife (I'm at work, she's at home) :-

Woo hoo - broadband is now working!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

They turned up at 9.30 and said that it will be working in 10 mins as they've managed to get the cable through this time??!!? without having to dig the path up.

However, it didn't work straight away - they had to fiddle with it outside but now it is working.

This team had 2 men in suits and ties, so I guess they brought their supervisors this time.