Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Ever since NTL decided to have a day of last week, I have been unable to send attachments or upload files to my websites. The predictable response from NTL was that it was nothing to do with them, it was my anti virus software or firewall even though disabling them makes absolutely no difference.
Being so pigged off, I did an online speed test which showed downstream speeds of over 700 kps, but an upstream speed of only 16kps.
Any ideas anyone? I'm no expert but it does seem that the NTL help wallahs aren't going to be much use to me and I would like to resume sending email attachments.

Re: Can't send attachments
 

What happens when you try to send attached files? What email client are you using? What OS are you using? If you're on the 600 (or whatever speed it is now) service with NTL, then 16kbps upload is perfectly normal.

Re: Can't send attachments
 

I'm using Outlook Express 6 on Windows 98 SE. It initially starts to send the mail and I get the following error message.


Your server has unexpectedly terminated the connection. Possible causes for this include server problems, network problems, or a long period of inactivity. Subject '', Account: 'xxxxxx', Server: 'smtp.ntlworld.com', Protocol: SMTP, Port: 25, Secure(SSL): No, Socket Error: 10054, Error Number: 0x800CCC0F

I'm not part of a network and haven't changed or added anything since before these problems began.

Re: Can't send attachments
 

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=813514 it seems to infer that actually uninstalling your AV software, testing, then reinstalling might cure the problem.

Re: Can't send attachments
 

The alternative is to use a good email client like thunderbird http://www.mozilla.org/products/thunderbird/ which can import all your mail from OE6.

Re: Can't send attachments
 

I wouldn't run Ie or Oe 6 on anything but Xp, I have seen them cause so many problems in both flavours of 98 and Me.

M$ seemed to have fixed most of the problems with Ie6 sp1, but I still wouldn't risk it.

Tech_Boy

Re: Can't send attachments
 

I have unistalled my AV software and it made no difference. This problem only started after NTL upgraded me - everything was fine before that. Now, even a simple text email takes a while to go.

I've tried to send files by Hotmail, but it times out before uploading them. My websites time out when uploading and I really am desperate to know whether or not NTL are to blame as it seems very little is allowed to be uploaded from my pc.

Re: Can't send attachments
 

16kbps (kbit/sec, kilobits per sec) is not normal

16kB/sec would be normal (128kbps [128kbit/sec] is roughly 16kB/sec).

Ashover - Are you sure of the units for the speed test values you quoted?

You say "over 700 kps" for the download.... meaning over 700kbps (kilobits per sec), which is fine.

But for the upload, you say "16kps" (i.e. using the same units as for the download)...Do you mean 16kB per sec (kilobytes) or 16kb (kilobits)?

Re: Can't send attachments
 

The 16 kps refers to kilobits per seconds. There's a massive difference between upstream and downstream speeds and my opinion is that it's an NTL issue but I'm open to be proved wrong.

Re: Can't send attachments
 

So are you uploading at 16 kilobytes or around 1.6 kilobytes a second? (make this easy for me as obviously I'm clueless when it comes to using the right acronyms).

Re: Can't send attachments
 

NTL refer to my speed as 750k which I assume is kilobits per second and the speed test proves that to be OK. The same measurement of kilobits per second is applied to the upload speed of 16kps but this should be in a range of 200 to 220 kps

Re: Can't send attachments
 

ok, now you're confusing me further, kps = kilobytes per second, kbps = kilobits per second, how many kilobytes per second (not kilobits) are you able to transfer up? you should be able to get around 16kps, 16kbps as Matt D pointed out would be wrong and indicative of a problem.

Re: Can't send attachments
 

Sorry, it's late and I've had a drink! All of the figures are kbps, kilobits per second.

Re: Can't send attachments
 

OK, so they're definitely all in kilobits per second?

In which case... your upload is awful :(


The "750k" service (750 kbps....kilobit per second) should have an upload of 128kbps (128 kilobits per second).

...Yet you appear to be getting only 16 kbps (16 kilobits per sec)!


Try this upload speed tester:

http://www.pcpitstop.com/internet/BandwidthUpTest.asp

I'm on the 1.5meg service (with a 256kbit/sec upload), & just got

(where "Kb/s" = kilobits per second)

...Which is pretty good.


If your upload really is as bad as it seems from your earlier test, then it could be that your local UBR is oversubscribed.


Try phoning ntl again, & explain to them about your upload being so unbelievably poor.

Also, hopefully one of the ntl people here will see this thread & try to give you some help.


If it does definitely seem that the upload is the cause of your problem, I may well move this thread (& add a bit to the title) to the Broadband support forum - could get a better response there (& it would be the correct forum, if the problem is the upload, & not simply email problems).

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Ashover, I'm having similar problems. I can't attach files to my Yahoo or Hotmail e-mails and can't upload files to my Yahoo briefcase. I also can't upload attachments with newsgroup posts! I'm in the Notts NG17 area!

See my post here:

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...ad.php?t=16465

I also wondered about the upstream speed being lowered to compensate for the higher downstream speed! I'm on the 600k > 750k service.

I tried using the speed test at adslguide but it won't complete the test, just sits there saying:

Starting speed test...
Do not use your connection until the test has finished.

How do I test my upstream speed online? I DO NOT want to download programs or plugins.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Hi, I used that speed guide, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. My speed this morning was down to 9kbps!
I spent half an hour on the phone to NTL tech support today, but we're no further forward at present. I'll keep you posted.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Same here! See my post I linked to earlier to see how I got on!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

That pitstop download test seems suspect. My CM is set to 1536000, other tests (like Robins and ntlhell) show my d/l speed at 1500kbps - Yet pitstop constantly reports 1053kbps (or similar). :rolleyes:

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Try the one at www.testmy.net, I found that to be OK!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

It gave me a reading of 11kpbs! I really am at my wits end with this. I've got a website to update today and I can't upload any files!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I've just had an interesting conversation with a friend who lives nearby. Guess what? Yes, he's got exactly the same problem and he also knows someone else nearby who is also suffering.
Given all of this, why does tech support suspect that my pc is the problem?

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Yep, same here. Just been to mates house 2 streets away and same problem on a totally different PC, modem and green box, he can't upload file attachments 100% of the time. Files sometimes upload, sometimes they don't, anything over about 1.5mb just won't upload. I even took my PC and modem down and the same thing happens!!

Time to phone NTL yet AGAIN!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Hi,

Exactly the same problem in Poole, Dorset. Nothing to do with my network (because the same fault occurs when I plug a laptop straight in to the NTL modem).

Also, like you, no problem at all with download. However, upload is very poor, leading to connection time outs when sending large emails or uploading files to FTP sites.

Uploaded a 1Mb Access database to some web space I have, and the FTP client (after an age of waiting) reported average speed of less than 2k per second... used to do far better than that on NTL dialup internet.

Someone on here diagnosed my problem to a fault on the local UBR. I did manage to track down a particular person at NTL who was very apologetic and was managing the fault for a while. However, NTL have now decided that it should all be fixed, and can't understand whats going on (a network engineer is supposed to be coming to visit, but not holding breath in the process of waiting). Mind you, I did also ring technical support the other day and was told it's a known problem and a fix is 4 to 5 weeks away... grrrr! So there appears to also be some kind of misinformation or internal communication problem too.

In short, I guess it's the kind of problem a lot of people in a particular area won't notice (because average Joe customer uses their NTL connection to send short emails and surf the web). They will see this problem as packet loss (the bigger the packet you send the more chance it gets dropped), which may bring the occasional "page not found" error in IE. They'll just ignore it and hit refresh.

So if you are the one person in an area (like me) who does send big emails with attachments and happens to need to upload stuff to websites, then you are going to have trouble persuading NTL there really is a problem.

My advice would be to keep phoning tech. support and/or write an email to your area manager (there is a list of them somewhere on this site). At least there are people within NTL who are aware of my complaint.

Steve.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Phoned em' 4 times now and finally convinced the guy on the phone It's THEIR problem not mine! So he booked an engineer to call me to arrange a visit, but he did say he had a job convincing their techies the problem was NTL's citing they said it was my PC config!! Total b******s!! If after all the hoops I've jumped through and testing and lugging PC's, modems and cables to another persons house to have exactly the same problem is not convincing enough, then it sounds like NTL are covering up a problem they don't want to acknowledge?

If a dialup on the same PC to Freeserve can upload to Yahoo and send large e-mails it's NOT the damn PC config!!!

Anyway, I'm now waiting for a call (which may or may not be made) to get an Engineer out!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Yeah, I'm waiting for a call as well. Where exactly do you live? I'm on the Farndale Estate.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I'm in the Sutton-in-Ashfield area!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Me too, just off Farndale Road.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

About a stones throw away, i'm up near the school :) The friend I went to see when I was testing my PC/modem works there! Still waiting for the phone call though! Missed one phonecall today, 01642 area code? Don't think would have been NTL would it?

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I'm still waiting for a call. I'll have a word with the others that I know that have this problem and see if we can hit NTL with a joint effort, given that they don't want to admit there's a problem. It's easy to fob one person off, not so easy if there's a group.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Well that's 3 of us within a half mile radius of each other with the same problem, so do NTL still think all our PC's are to blame then :)

This sounds like something that might not be fixed by an Engineer (if he ever turns up) as it may be a Network problem. There's scheduled maintenance for the Mansfield area, selected quotes from the Service Status Page:

Wonder if that will make it worse?

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I suspect that there will be quite a few in this area, but as previously stated, a lot of people won't realise as they don't upload files or send attachments.
The part about UBR upgrade sounds particularly interesting given that someone has identified that as a possible problem.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

uBR upgrades, resegmentation & load balancing should hopefully make things better rather than worse. Perhaps your local uBR is oversubscribed at the moment, hence the upgrade & reseg work (& the problems you're having).

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Sorry Matt, a facetious comment :)

I hope it does help alleviate the upload problems we're experiencing in this area as it's getting beyond a joke now. The UBR upgrades will be well underway by now and then it's wait until Thursday for the resegmentation/load balancing to be complete, then we'll see whether NTL will emerge villains or heroes!

Place your bets!!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Given that they won't admit that there's a problem in the first place, I know where my money is!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Me too, i've just tried upping a 1mb file to my Yahoo briefcase again and diddly squat!

Unplugged the modem from the power for a minute then powered it back up in the hope it might have done something (like those nice robots on the phone keep telling you to do) but still diddly!! I even reset the modem to factory defaults and let it re-learn all the settings, still nothing uploads!

What else do those robots say? Ah yes, "Would you like to fix your own problems?". Maybe we could download Broadband Medic and let that fix the problem like those nice robots tell us it can do, no more phone calls to NTL, now wouldn't that be a miracle. No more NTL would be better :)

So now we wait for Thursday, given up on the Engineer already :rolleyes:

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I have exactly the same problem but I'm using a STB and based in SE London, infact when I want to FTP files to my webserver I need to drop my BB connection and use my old Virgin dial up account. Sorry but as yet I have not found a solution. Let me know how you get on?

Cheers
H

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Just been talking to someone nearby who has this problem and broadband medic suggested that he use webmail. What a bunch of muppets, they can't even grasp that we can't upload files. How do these people hold down the job?

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Have just spent a most informative ( :o ) 1hr and 35mins talking to a very charming woman on the NTL broadband medic facility, who ran out of excuses then told me that she had not had a reply from me for 5mins so decided to end the session there and then ( after advising me to use there webmail :Yikes: ) i have learnt more on here in the last 5mins and await to see what the outcome entails:dozey:

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Ashover, don't insult muppets, they are useful :)

THE RIFLE, nothing to do with 'The Rifle' pub up Skegby?, you might be waiting a while for the problem to be fixed as so far no Engineer has called me yet to see what my problem is, so much for being contacted within 48 hrs!! I guess they are ducking the issue again!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Yes, my 48 hours has also passed. Curious customer service, just ignore us and hope that we go away. My upload speed is a little better today, but still can't upload anything.

Definitely the Rifle in Skegby!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Have a few memories of drinking in the Rifle, especially one Christmas many many years ago when I was absoutley para, walking home over the playing field, down to the spider rec, then fell flat on me face walking down to the railway line, best clothes, in the mud as well :(

Remember going to the Computer Club they used to run across the road at the Forest Tavern too, but that was a long time ago too :)

Hmm.. anyway, I noticed my upload speed was a little better today too! Started after my connection was lost for a minute or so and came back up earlier this afternoon. But like you say, I still had trouble uploading a 1mb file, managed it about 2 out of 5 attempts, which is still not acceptable!

And we are not 'customers' we are just sources of 'income'!! I think their motto is 'Just shut your mouth and keep paying us' :)

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

My upstream speed this morning reached 122 and I was able to send a 1mb attachment. Unfortunately I'm now back to normal and still awaiting the promised call back from NTL (promised last Saturday).

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Same experience, had success uploading a few 1mb files yesterday, but not all the time. Even NTL's own webmail suffers the same problem. Today there is little to no upload speed at all, everything I try to upload just fails!

Am now getting 'Server Hangup' everytime I try to access a folder in my Yahoo briefcase, so the test files I managed to upload I can't even delete unless I delete the actual folder, whereupon I get the same error but the folder does get deleted! If I shutdown AdSubtract which I've setup to use the Dublin proxy, I revert to NTL's default Notts proxy servers I then get 'The page cannot be dispayed' error when accessing the same folder. This could be a Yahoo problem, but not sure?

A friend in Mansfield however, doesn't seem to have this problem. He sent me 2 files of about 700kb last night in the same e-mail using Outlook and they uploaded in about 1 min 20 secs, no apparent speed problems he says, so someone at least appears ok. I tried to send the same files back using Outlook too, but they won't go:

Retried and got:

Third try and oh what a surprise!!:

Dare I try a fourth time? Oh go on then:

This is with NO FIREWALL, NO ADBLOCKER and NO ANTIVIRUS RUNNING! It's actually taken NTL about 3 1/2 years to give me an e-mail address and when I finally get it's totaly F****D!!!!

Absolutely sick to death of this fiasco! NTL will be getting a phonecall from a rather p****d off MR ANGRY tomorrow!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I can't get on to them tomorrow, I'm at a funeral over in Boston. Give them hell from me as well because I don't think they will ever ring me back.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Sorry to hear about the the funeral :(

Got through to NTL, didn't have to shout at them at all. Gave them the name of guy who booked an engineer last time and the reference number he gave me and was then passed through to 2 ladies and finally through to faults where they rebooked an Engineer for (I'm sure this is the date he gave me) Tuesday 2nd September between 8am-12am :erm: except the 2nd is on a THURSDAY!! So had to ring them back to clarify the date and it was indeed THURSDAY!

So with crossed fingers we wait ANOTHER WEEK for THURSDAY!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

You've got more stamina than me, I'm kicking NTL into touch, phone, tv and broadband.

The last straw for me was a telephone billing issue which, coming on top of waiting over a week for a call back from tech services (which hasn't materialised) and still having these crap upstream speeds, has finally finished me off.
NTL can obviously afford to lose the £100 a month that I pay them so things must be good.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Bingo! That's most likely why my connection's gone and screwed!

Take a look at this thread...

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...ad.php?t=16757

Guess what? On the morning of the 26th I had a modem reboot, new IP address and I noticed the UBR IP address had totally changed (it's now a 10.x.x.x address), and ever since I'm getting *major* packet loss! (all on the upstream, thus causing stalled/failed web requests and bad upstream traffic when uploading, this includes making my web server run at a crawl, though 256kbps was never speedy anyway) :(

I've been told this may be down to my 58 upstream power level (at that level it would be readjusting power and that causes the packet loss), but I've been living with a power level of between 56 to 58 for a year now with no problem. The problem only started when NTL "fixed" things :(.

So now it could be down to me to chase up NTL, get engineers out, wait in for them, etc, to sort it :(.



P.S. Can you guys do a quick test?

Do a traceroute to www.ntlworld.com and find the UBR IP address on the list. It will be the first or second hop (depending whether you've got a router or not), and probably a 10.x.x.x address. Then do a ping to that address to check on packet loss ('ping -t' for a continuous ping on Windows and CTRL+C to stop it, and it will tell you how much packet loss if any).

I'm interested to see if anyone getting upload problems is getting packet loss too (as it would probably explain it, and is what I'm getting).

Also are you getting problems with web pages where you sometimes have to refresh to get the page to load?

In addition to that if you can check your upstream power level too that would be great (browse to http://192.168.100.1 on most modems).

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

@Ashover: I don't give in that easy, if I did then NTL win! They can then sit back and afford to lose customers without doing a damn thing about the problems. I intend to make sure I'm not going to get messed about with lame excuses and ensure someone knows it!!

@DeadKenny:

Traceroute through deafult proxy:

Using 'ping -t 10.175.71.254' seems OK though:
Upstream from Surfboard 4100:
and a 'netstat -s -p tcp'
Not sure if this info helps but I do know I have to use the refresh button on web pages more than I used to. Trying to preview this message has also resulted in several time outs causing 'The page cannot be displayed' error! I'm having to copy the entire message before previewing in case the page craps out!!

If this were Southpark it would be "NTL!! OMG they've killed broadband!!" :)

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Hmm, sounds like it's similar to my problem, though you're not getting packet loss. In your case it looks like a slow connection to the UBR with high ping times (and in my case the connection just fails). Your upstream is close to the limit like mine, though netstat isn't reporting failed connection attempts, but some retransmits.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I pinged all 9 hops on the trace route and no packet loss.

You obviously have an additional problem on top of the existing problem to compound it.

I still can't upload to Yahoo briefcase, send attachments via my NTL e-mail and ftp uploads still time out! So it's not purely a packet loss issue, you're just one of the 'lucky' ones to be gifted with 'extra' problems at no additional cost courtesy of NTL!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I'm thinking maybe if the signal is 'over' the limit then you get the packet loss. Maybe when it's near you don't but perhaps could see some performance problems? i.e. not enough to drop packets but certainly to cause serious delays which I guess could make things time-out.

Or it's two separate issues.

I don't know, I find these upstream hassles so frustrating. I went through a year of hell with them before but that was with the connection dropping and the modem rebooting endlessly.

:(

I've said it before that it would be much better if NTL did the same as BT and refuse to install if the line quality is too poor. I think the problem with NTL is they just hook you up and assume because it's cable it will work first time. When I got mine installed no one bothered to check the signal at all. It was, drill the hole, plug the cable in, clear off to next job. The result in loads of call outs wasting my time (and money) and theirs.

I even get the impression that the network just can't handle broadband and digital TV. It wasn't designed for that when it was put in and dodgy signal levels weren't an issue with analogue cable TV I guess (and they usually were dodgy in my experience).

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Well, the engineer should come tomorrow so I can show him first hand the problem and then see what he says. Then again, I could be on the phone asking why he didn't turn up.

Upstream signal level is still 57 dBmV, downstream is 2 dBmV today.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I've been there before :(

Worse was one where they turned on the wrong day and had the balls to accuse me of not being in and promptly cancelled the call out!! (meaning I had to re-arrange and them saying it would be another week before they could come out:mad: ).

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

<snip>

If there is no apparent packet loss (or very little packet loss) when doing ping tests, you might find you have a similar problem to me in that small packets (eg. those of default ping size) get through with much less packet loss than larger packets.

Try opening up a command prompt window (if you're using Windows) and do this:

ping -L 2000 -N 20 www.bbc.co.uk

(ie. ping www.bbc.co.uk with 2000 bytes 20 times)

If I do that test, I get 50% packet loss.

If I ping the same site with the default size of 32 bytes, I get little or no loss.

Steve.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

OK Steve:

This is with no Adblocker or Firewall running, but going through the default Notts proxy server (which to me is very slow and causes slow browsing and time outs).

May seem a silly question but I thought 1500 was the biggest packet size that ethernet uses? That's what WinXP's MTU is set to, so I did the same test with a packet size of 1500:
Looks like pinging with lower values until one works 100% and use that as the MTU value?

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I think (and will be corrected if I'm wrong!) that only web traffic goes through the proxy server. So your ping tests are making a direct connection between your computer and the server at the other end (without any proxying going on).

I thought that and did try lowering my MTU value to 300 bytes. Didn't seem to help very much :-(

My brother has an NTL broadband connection in his flat (he lives in London, same modem and connection speed as mine). I took my laptop and doing that same test with 2000 bytes to www.bbc.co.uk resulted in zero packet loss. My laptop is running XP Professional. So the fact is that in your area and my area, there is something wrong with the network that is causing this behaviour. It seems to me that the more data you send at once, the more chance there is that it won't get delivered.

Don't know whether any network experts out there can come up with a diagnosis or any ideas based on this information, or just tell me that I'm barking up the wrong tree altogether.

Steve.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

We shouldn't have to be altering MTU values anyway! Would Mr and Mrs Smith who bought broadband for their daughter be expected to know how to set MTU values, reconfigure network settings, how to diagnose packet loss or slow ping times to their UBR just to convince NTL their own network is at fault?

It does seem certain areas are affected and others not. I have a friend in Mansfield, the next town to me, who runs WinXP and he can send 2 attachments of 700kb each to me using NTL's mail but I can't Forward the same mail back to him with the same attachments, the mail server just chokes! Maybe they rotate the problems around different areas to hide the problem?

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

OK, I'll wait and see what the engineer (if he appears) says tomorrow.

I have a friend who lives near Sutton junction and she has absoloutely no problems sending me email attachments, so the problem seems to be very localised.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Will keep you posted, but you now not to hold your breath where NTL are concerned :)

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I just tried the same test...


Better times, but still loads of packet loss :(


and to the UBR...

:eek:


or at default packet size...
:(

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

checked speeds this morning , downstream = 699kbps \ 87.4kb/sec
upstream = 116kbps \ 14.5kb/sec
fairly happy with that , but have this sudden urge to start "pinging" NTL vans with my air rifle ;)
still no change on the attachment side :mad:

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Well the Engineer *DID* turn up!! /me faints!!!

And guess what, he KNOWS there is a problem and therefore couldn't do anything for me as it's NTL'S Network at fault, he suspects the UBR that feeds the area where I live is the problem. He said someone up near Sutton firestation has the same problem and somewhere on the estate near the same place! I was the 5th person on his list reporting the same problem.

Got his name and TEC number so now we wait and see what happens as he didn't give me any info other than 'Leave it with me'!!

So at last an NTL guy has acknowledged a problem that is NOT a customer problem :)

Now how long will it take for them to fix it? Any guesses this side of Christmas??

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Hmm, now my connection is going up and down. I don't think my router is dead this time as once it dies it stays dead (I'm at work so can't tell for sure, at least no until it comes back online again). This means it's could be the modem is rebooting :(

IP address doesn't appear to have changed today.


I still maintain the point that all of this started exactly when NTL started messing about on the 26th.


edit: Yep, modem rebooting...

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

It started before the 26th as I had upload problems before that. For me it all points to an outage we had a few weeks ago during a thunderstorm, after that is when the problems started, at least for me and others in my area!

I also had an interesting conversation today with a lady from www.svp.co.uk!!

I was trying to order some stuff today online at their site, when i'd entered all my CC details and clicked the 'Authorise' button to finalise the transaction, I got 'The page cannot be displayed' error. So I rung them up to ask if the transaction had gone through and the first thing she asked me was 'Are you on NTL?', I said I was and she told me she'd had no end of complaints from other NTL customers who are unable to access or use their site!! Interesting no? So I told her to ring up NTL a tell them to get it sorted on our behalf :) My transaction hadn't gone through anyway!

Had to reinput all the details again but thankfully the second transaction was successful! So even online stores are aware of problems with NTL!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Well, things are getting worse. My cable modem has now been endlessly rebooting meaning I've effectively got a dead broadband connection. I'm now right back to where I was over a year ago when I had exactly the same hassle. It was "fixed" supposedly (thanks eventually to some on nthellworld.com), but now I'm back to square one :mad:

I'm on dial-up currently, and it's very slow, plus ntlworld.com is extremely slow (even for dial-up).

NTL: Whatever you did in Woking on the 26th, can you please UNDO IT! :mad:

I've had a perfect working system for over a year until that change :(.

Well, I'd better ask my boss for a day off work then to sort it out. Just hope I can do that next week sometime, but it might be later.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

2nd day 'dead'. It recovered late evening yesterday but died mid-morning today and has not come back up.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Have you *COUGH* phoned NTL?

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Yes. It's a total joke :mad:...

Blah, blah, blah, waste a load of my money (why no free support no. for broadband?) with numerous idiot advice and options, blah, blah...

"please note our technical support are only able to offer limited support due to technical dificulties"

:LOL: (priceless)

"... they will be unable to access your account details or check on local problems in your area, blah, blah... and because of the technical problems our lines are extremely busy, blah, blah"

:rolleyes:


Okay, wait for a dozen more options, get to the bit where I can press '2' to report my broadband as not being working...

Guess what?

Go on...





Okay...


CUT OFF!!! :mad:


Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! :mad:

This is EXACTLY how it used to be a year or two back when it was a 40 minute wait on the phone every time, only to be cut off. People have been saying it's improved, but has it hell :mad:

Obviously no point in it anyway as they won't have access to the account or diagnostics stuff I guess.

There's not much they can do anyway until next week when I get a chance to ask for time off (which is likely to be at the mid to end of next week at the earliest as I'm quite busy at work). This weekend is out of the question but they don't do weekends anyway.

Oh well, I'll just have to enjoy my 36kbps analogue modem for now (yep, even analogue isn't giving me the full 56kbps :()), at extra expense to me of course. It means my webserver and mailserver is now down and I have to work around that (redirecting mail to NTL's spam-tastic, ever offline mail server :rolleyes: ).

I still maintain that if this was all installed properly in the first place I wouldn't have this trouble. Even when it was "fixed" before all they did was get the upstream to the mid 50s and it drifted back to the limit again, but whatever they did on the 26th has broken it totally.


Oh well, I'm try using the email form on their web site... :LOL: (I never get replies from that, but what the hell :rolleyes: ).


It's been a while, but the stuffed modem GIF is now back as my avatar.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

At least Web Junkie seems to be getting somewhere(?). I think that Rifle and myself should get the engineer out given that it seems the only way to get NTL to acknowledge that we have a problem.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Which is of course madly inefficient, sending engineer(s) to a series of faults that all stem from a single network issue, as well as irritating customers due to the slow resolution of their faults.

I think things are in progress to try and improve fault diagnosis, I *hope* they do!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I couldn't agree more, but I don't know how else to approach it. The last time that I spoke to TS, I was promised a call back (2 weeks ago) and it hasn't materialised, so the conclusion that I drew was that they would say anything just to get rid of me.

If anyone from TS would like to follow this up and find out why I've been fobbed off, I would be grateful - otherwise Rifle and myself will have to call out an engineer just to acknowledge that we have a genuine problem.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Hmm, there seems to be a pattern to this.

Mid-morning to mid-day (i.e. between 11am and 1pm)... modem reboots and fails to recover for more than a couple of minutes at a time before rebooting again.


Evening (around 7pm ish)... modem locks on and stays on until the next morning.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Well the email form on ntlworld was hopeless. All they said was to contact them by phone on the regular tech support number (which is just as hopeless) :rolleyes:


I don't suppose (anyone cares but...) does anyone know when NTL's "technical problems" on the tech support line will be resolved? I got the impression all of this was just supposed to last the bank holiday weekend, but it's been over a week now.

Are NTL going to admit there's been an almightly cock-up somewhere?

Also, for this level of work going on we should have been contacted in advance by email for each of the affected areas, seeing as it was planned work.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Well, the problem is still there for me but as JustAnotherN00b says, it's annoying when an engineer turns to tell you exactly what you've been telling NTL for the past 2 weeks, their Network is the fault! And he can't do anything for you except report the problem back to NTL whereupon we are right back where we started, same poor service and no idea what's being done to resolve it!

I still have no idea what is going to be done (if anything) to resolve the issue and as DeadKenny has found out NTL are unable, or more likely, unwilling to give you any information whatsoever!

And if monkeybreath is reading this, can you find out if "Mick Services TEC #3411" has reported a problem in the Sutton in Ashfield area regarding upload problems/packet loss please?

And Ashover, keep looking for an alternate ISP, this may take a while!!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Yep, and that's basically what happened a year or two back when I last had this problem. Going round in circles endlessly explaining from scratch what the problem is every time I call them (they had no history of previous calls) and each time they just shrug and send a basic engineer who doesn't really know the answer and does the same diagnostics every time. Every time I say it's not my modem, it's your network (or at least the box down the road), stop coming round to check my modem/PC/etc, and each time they don't listen.

On and off my modem would be up and down, with periods of hours, days or weeks of down time depending on god knows what (maybe even the weather!), and I never got anywhere with the official NTL tech support. A year later (with some months of no problems and some really bad) and certain people at nthellworld had some proper experts out quickly and they did fix it... for about a year until NTL did some "work" in my area on the 26th August and now it's bust again, and I can't get through to the right people to complain.


:banghead:

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

In situations like this I cheer myself up by reading a Letter of Complaint someone posted in the Newsgroups:

Although funny, it's sadly near to the truth I suspect!

Note to the mods:
Sorry for altering a few words to get around the profanity filter, but it doesn't look or come across as well with a load of ***** all over it!!

I can hear the mods now: "Banned for a week young man" :erm:

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Whoo! I rang NTL today to try to find out what the hell they are doing about this upload problem, after being passed around I managed to get through to fellow named 'Alan' at the local faults office.

As a result of 'Mick' the engineer who visited me last week and told me NTL have a network problem, 'Alan' informed me that 'Mick' has since been gathering information about the fault and has passed it onto his manager to look at. At this point the don't know what the problem is but affects 'a few thousand' people he said.

So there is definitely a problem but it won't be fixed overnight! Was given the 0800 052 2000 number to call so I could find out the current status of the problem. So I'll be ringing that number every week to see what's going on.

Nothing more to do now but grin and bear it!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Tomorrow I will be calling NTL to have an engineer to attend and I'll ask The Rifle to do the same. The more people creating a fuss and dragging engineers out, the better chance of getting NTL to do something about it.

It's now 3 weeks since TS promised to ring me back and I'm sure that they will and didn't just promise that to get rid of me.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

LOL @ WJ-It was actually me that first posted that letter way back when on NTHW.com. :D

:notopic: Ah-the memories! I believe that the letter was later modified & sent to Sky/BT etc etc!

Ok-back on topic. :)

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

@Neil: Thanks for giving me a bally good laugh then. I love humour like that ;) Did you post the one about 'If NTL ran a pub' by any chance?

@Ashover: Yep, definitely report the problem as it may make them more aware of it, but it 'appears' they are aware of it and may not need to send an engineer, unless they haven't twigged people in the same area are reporting the same fault yet and go through the whole 'we'll ring you back' scenario :rolleyes:

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

That's what I thought, but just trying to get in contact with them is near impossible.

If they do realise there's a wider problem, shouldn't it be listed on the Service Status Page? :erm:

I've given up anyway. I said last time when I had all these hassles that if it happens again I'll be off to BT, and so it seems my life with NTL is going to come to an end this time. The application has gone in for a BT line. Oh well (still, don't count your chickens yet, chances are my line will fail ADSL tests and I'll be back :()

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Hiya all ntl users im new in this forum, rencetly ive been having problems with my broadband 1.5 meg upload speed since the 1st august 2004 its always seems to bounce up and down all the time i present a show on a radio station so thats why i need my upload stream to be running at a steady stream but its not even now 13 sept 2004 still having the same problems with my upload stream ive ran a few test's and it shows my kpbs is one minute at 228kbps then it drops to 4kbps and so on but its not just now and again its all the time and ive rang tech support over and over again and nothing seem to be getting done can any one help as i can't broadcast my radio show with my upload stream being like this.

slider.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

The NTL engineer is coming out to me on Thursday and he will tell me what I already know - there's a network fault somewhere!

At least it will be an acknowledgement that there is a problem, something that nobody seems willing to officially admit to us.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Ashover, don't forget to take his name and TEC number so you can quote them when chasing NTL for a progress report.

I'm going to call them Monday for a progress report as it's been over a week since they confirmed to me there was a fault, let's see if they have an ETA on a fix.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

These upload problems seem to be going on and on, and affecting a lot of people in a lot of different areas.

It would be interesting at some point if we could help NTL establish if this is a network wide problem, or restricted to certain areas of the country.

A lot of people at NTL have looked in to my upload problem, and no-one seems to know why it's occuring. They also seem to be a bit puzzled as to why I see it as a problem when download is working fine. Had people out to check the quality of the cable connection, and everytime it all checks out fine. Also had my cable modem swapped out.

This to me is the bigger issue. Those of us who use upload a lot are affected by this problem, but a regular user is not even going to notice it (how many people actually regularly send big emails or maintain websites?). So if you are the only one in your area complaining about the problem, they are going to think it's your connection, rather than looking for an area fault.

I am currently compiling an Excel spreadsheet of ping tests at different times of the day to various sites. The figures are pretty consistent: the more bytes I send out, the more chance there is that they won't reach their destination. Approximately 20% packet loss when sending 1000 bytes, and approximately 35% packet loss when sending 2000 bytes. Hopefully this will be useful to someone at NTL when they next call me back about my ticket.

Steve.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Without an Upstream you wouldn't have a Downstream as the requests you send UPSTREAM via your Web Broser, FTP program, Newsreader, e-mail program etc, are acknowledged and sent back DOWNSTREAM to you and so on until you receive the data you requested.

So when a packet of data goes AWOL during the UPSTREAM transmission phase, you sit like a lemon waiting for your web page or whatever to receive the acknowledgement back to your request, but it never receives it because NTL have lost the packet of data, so you have to resend the request. This is what's happening because of the UPSTREAM problem, and NTL don't see that as a problem???

I gave up phoning them today, tried a couple of times 20+ minutes and then had to go out. Can't say I want to keep racking up a lousy phonebill from the same company that's screwed my connection for nearly 2 months now!!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Yes, but in my case, small packets of data like this seem to make their way through with little or no problem. It's only sending larger amounts of data that cause a problem.

My ping tests kind of prove this. Pinging with 50 bytes results in little or no packet loss. But take that up to 2000 bytes and you're looking at 35% packet loss.

I know that larger amounts of data are actually sent as a series of smaller packets. So it's almost like some machine somewhere is misbehaving and not being able to keep track of whos sending what.

Very strange, and no-one at NTL seems to have any idea what is happening.

Steve.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I know you understand all that network stuff, it was for the benefit of others (Hint, NTL) who may read this thread :)

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I wouldn't claim to be an expert :) I made the point to NTL that since small packets get through OK most of the time, the average user wouldn't notice the problem. If they get a "page could not be found" error every now and again, they'd most likely just hit refresh and not even think about the cause.

This nightmare for me could nearly be over. I read that BT have just launched this long reach ADSL thing. Typed my phone number in to the ADSL checker, and I can now get 1Mbit ADSL :tu: Previously they couldn't even guarantee 512k would work, so that's quite a big change.

I don't want to change from NTL. For one thing, it's going to cost me a lot of money. I'll have to pay an activation fee, and also replace my wireless router for one which supports ADSL. However, this "don't know whats wrong" attitude has been going on for nearly 5 months now, and I'm getting fed up with it. At the first engineer visit, they said if it didn't improve, they would replace the cable out to the street cabinet to see if that helps. 5 months later, that hasn't even happened.

However, since I can download at the full speed of the modem, I would guess the cable isn't at fault. Not being an expert, my guess is that some piece of kit somewhere back down the line is either faulty or overloaded and is dropping packets. Its all the more frustrating because I only live a couple of miles away from NTL's local office (where I believe the local network terminates). Can't imagine there is that much kit between there and here. If I lived dozens of miles away, I could understand it...

The local network manager from NTL who promised he would call me Monday to find out whether things have improved has not called back, so now I have to play this waiting game again.

If any NTL techies out that could help me out, before I get completely fed up and decide to cancel my account, then it would be very much appreciated.

Steve.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Now my connection is completely shafted again, just like it was all day on Saturday... :(

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I'm having the exact same problems with upload. I've tried every way I can think of; MSN, Yahoo briefcase, e-mail - nothing seems to work! On MSN the file fails and on everything else I get a timeout message.

I just tried an upload test and it first said 13kb per second and I did it again and it now says 105, yet my files still won't send!

I had this problem when we were on 300k and it still continues now we've upgraded to 1.5meg. I live near Sutton-in-Ash too, so maybe that's the problem. I talked to someone on broadband medic yesterday and they said it sounded like a problem with Internet Explorer. I'm no expert but I'm 100% sure that isn't the problem.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I went on medic again, this time they closed the session before I'd even replied - great help as usual!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

:welcome:

Problem with IE... :rolleyes:


Have you tried phoning Tech Support about it instead of using the crappy BB Medic?


Also, hopefully one of the ntl people here will see your post & pop along with some help.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

eib, I live in Sutton in Ashfield and can tell you it's not Internet Explorer or your computer mate, it's flippin NTL!!!

I've done all the upload tests to Briefcase/NTL e-mail/NTL Webmail/Hotmail/FTP/USENET and it's all FUBAR! I keep trying upload tests from time to time but I'd probably get more success nailing jelly to the wall!

>Also, hopefully one of the ntl people here will see your post & pop along with some help.

They've had a blinkin long time to 'pop along with some help' then Matt!

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

We keep hearing the same song over and over again. I just wonder how many people there are out there who have this problem and don't even realise it.

On a brighter note, the NTL engineer is coming this evening so all of my troubles will soon be over (what's that pink thing with the curly tail flying past my window?)

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/im...cons/icon7.gif

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Have you tried writing to your area managing director? I did that on advice received here. To a certain extent, it has helped. I got a name and number (very helpful lady) who I can now speak to at NTL regarding the problem. She is in contact with the local network manager down here in Poole. To be fair, they are trying hard to sort the problem out. They brought forward the maintenance of our segment of the network to attempt to sort it. Evidence of this is in the number of NTL vans I've seen driving around, and parked in front of street cabinets in our area.

Strangely enough, yesterday there was a collection of NTL vans around the green cabinet I connect to, and the problem mysteriously vanished for a while (no packet loss at all, even when pinging with 2000 bytes!). However, it returned when they left.

But I am under the impression they are trying their best to get it sorted, and I have been promised another phone call today or tomorrow with a progress update.

Yes, I'm sure there are plenty of people in the same boat as us, who have no idea they have the problem! Apparently a lot of upload problems are caused by excessive noise on the network. The way they sort it out is to go "noise busting", which means checking all the street cabinets, and looking for customers with faulty equipment or damaged cabling. So if this is the case in your area, NTL need to go out and play with all the cabinets and give everything a good check over.

Steve.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Well, we'll never know. Needless to say, the NTL engineer hasn't turned up! No phone call to say that he wasn't coming, no apology for not coming, absolutely nothing - it just shows the comtempt that NTL appear to have for their customers.

I take the point of writing to the correct people but have no idea of how to find out who they are so it looks like I will have to give them the elbow.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

If you'd like to write to the people in charge of ntl, have a look here: http://www.cableforum.co.uk/kb/19/wh...rge-of-ntlhome

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

Many thanks for that, I'll get straight onto it.

Re: Can't send attachments - V poor upload problem
 

I just spent 30 minutes trying to track down someone about the engineer's no show, with no success.
I have also emailed the M.D. for the South and Midlands, but quite frankly, I would be amazed if I get any response. Next step is to try and get some compensation for the service that NTL are incapable of supplying.