Newsgroups completion
 

Anyone like to hazard a guess as to when/if NTL will get their news servers working again and we'll get something better than the 10% completion that has been present for the last month or so??

Failing that - any idea who to complain to about the service / lack of? Phoning faults just gets you a very confused operator who doesn't even know what newsgroups are... :rolleyes:

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

Still suffering that too... other (payable) News Servers have 100% of the files, so it's definately an NTL problem, but newsgroups seem to be the poor relative of NTL "services" so I don't expect them to do anything about it any time soon....

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

Well it sucks. Having access to newsgroups has been the only reason I've stuck with NTL for all these years (only really using a few groups on an irregular basis its hard to justify spending extra for a 3rd party newsserver when NTL's have done adequately), but now that they don't seem to care that their service is unusable (both newsgroups and the speed of the internet in general) its looking like I'll have to seriously think about going elsewhere.

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

well i've noticed that the completion rate has dropped a bit but it hasnt been anything that pars havent fixed so far (except once but that file was on the brink of 7 days so i wasn't suprised there).

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

For the past month the completion rate has been crap and the few groups i use have almost 90% incomplete with no chance of pars filling the gap.
Next to useless at present and couple that with the speed drop at 5pm and it feels like back to the dial up days.
Virgin on the ridiculous.

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

Am I right in assuming that when a post is made to a newsgroup it is mirrored to newsgroup servers all over the world?

If so NTL's servers aren't fully updating?

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

HI Guys
It seems to me that over the past month that I have had to use pars more than ever But now even the pars are not complete. I am thinking of leaving NTL and going with BT or someone else. I use a.b.s. radio BBC a lot for plays and other stories, but now it is a waste of time, because nothing is complete anymore. I don`t want to have to pay extra when NTL servers used to be good and I suppose could be again with a little EFFORT on their part.

Who can I complain to.....:mad: :mad: :mad:

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

BT have a worse news service than NTL, so you'd have to pay for a news provider to get the completion anyway.

I have an Astraweb Pay by download Account and use that as fill server in Newsbin, I then grab as much data from NTL's servers (if it carries the group) and let Astraweb fill the missing chunks, that way I still get complete files.

The completion on NTL's servers is pathetic now, it needs addressing or shut the servers down as they are 'not fit for purpose'!

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

how come theres yet another thread on here about the same subject thats been posted over and over again?
If you want completion pay for it (same thing I find myself saying over and over)

simple search found
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...ght=newsgroups
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...ght=newsgroups
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...ght=newsgroups

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

Yes, it is mirrored. This mirroring obviously takes time, but, TBH, I don't know how long.

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

The propagation of posts is the whole point of the newsgroups as far as im concerned also why its impossible to police which is why I just gotta love a good paid for one ;)

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

how come theres yet another thread on here about the same subject thats been posted over and over again?
If you want completion pay for it (same thing I find myself saying over and over)

I pay NTL, the newsgroups are part of the service that I pay for, So they are not free.

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

Show me where in your contract it says your paying for them? go on show me if its there ill never say it again ill just ignore these threads

btw if you click the quote button it will work better rather than just repeating what I said :)

like this look
still does not alter the fact of course this is just a repeat thread like the bbc ;)

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

Your incessant prattling about paying for newsgroups is becoming a bit of a broken record, if you want lots of people to respond to your pleas so that you can obtain the referal benefits why not start a seperate thread for your adverts.
If you have a beneficial response re the completion rate problem with ntl servers please share it, but please give the "pay for a server " whine a rest

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

It isn't a 'whine', it is practical advice from someone who finds the NTL newsgroups inadequate for their purpose & has found an alternative.

The 'whining' is coming from people who can't accept that NTL do not consider newsgroups to be any more than a peripheral part of the service they provide.

In my opinion this won't change, so if you want decent newsgroup service, NTL isn't the place to get it - hence zinglebarb's advice....

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

I thought the purpose of these forums was to air problems related to the ntl services and as such that is what i do on occasion, be it proxy problems or newsgroup problems.
When i signed up for ntl the newsgroups were a part of the service that i paid for and which i still pay for. Therefore if there is a problem which cannot be resolved by talking to some poorly paid and misinformed person in india i feel that this forum offers the last resort.
Zinglebarb does not offer advice he just touts for referral fees.
Ntl offers a perfectly acceptable newsgroups service which i find adequate for my use, it is only a month or so that this problem has been going on, it started with the inability to connect to the newsserver and after the intervention of someone on a ntl newsgroup this problem was solved, unfortunately the present propagation /completion problem then started up, in time someone will sort this and until then reminders of the problem on this forum are perfectly acceptable.
Whatever your views may be on ntl's policy re newsgroups it does not alter the fact that they offer the service as part of the service that i signed up for and pay for and as such it is perfectly acceptable for problems re the newsgroups to be aired in this forum.

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

absolutely, no-one is saying otherwise, what we are saying is that NTL newsgroups are not suitable for people who want consistent, reliable service. There is no AUP on newsgroups, NTL will say they offer 'access', but do not guarantee service levels.

I remember a time when all binary groups were unavailable for weeks, with only a text server, set up by an NTL employee, available.

I think you are being unfair with the 'referral fee' allegation, by the way, not really on without any evidence, in my opinion. He seems to be offering advice based on experience, as far as I can see.

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

If you don't think Zingle offers advice then you need to look further afield.

At any rate, perhaps we should all calm down before we say something we regret ;) :)

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

[QUOTE=homealone;34178564

I think you are being unfair with the 'referral fee' allegation, by the way, not really on without any evidence, in my opinion. He seems to be offering advice based on experience, as far as I can see.[/QUOTE]

I mention the referral fee because a post made a while back re newsgroups problems got a response from zinglebarb offering giganews as a solution and mentioning the referral option, so this has clouded any opinion of further posts from zinglebarb re newsgroup problems, i appreciate the he may offer good advice on many other matters but on this newsgroup matter it is always "pay for a server" and personally i find that not very helpful.

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

Not a problem, I am not disagreeing with that, only the implication that zinglebarb offers his advice 'solely' for gain, my understanding is he would offer the advice, anyway - but, 'tongue in cheek' if he could get a referral, as well, it wouldn't do any harm. :)

I've just tried alt.binaries.e-book 85% completion on NTL, 94% on free teranews

alt.binaries.e-book.flood is 90% on NTL & 100% on tera

- so I'm not denying there is a problem, just that I'm not sure NTL will consider it a priority, at the moment :)

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

I have not touted for referral fees ive not received any as far as I know.I have not posted my Giganews account number anywhere on here so stick that in your pipe and smoke it Tony.Could you post a link to me asking for a referral.I just done an advanced search using the keyword referral posted by myself and got linked here only

Also Tony read my sig ;)

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

I must have misunderstood this post:

http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/sh...3603206&page=2

Post 18.

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

http://www.ntl.com/home/contact/generic/customer.asp - is it worth complaining or do messages sent from here end up in the bin like most fault reports at NTL?

.. actually, that's a silly question. I already know exactly what will happen..... ho hum.

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

ask the other guy if he ever heard from me go on do it..... I do not need referrals mate ive been using them a long time and get my moneys worth. I have downloaded over 600 gig in a month and guess what yes you got it most the posts are complete.I would not expect a limited free to use news server to offer me a good service but hey im a reasonable man maybe I should start hassling ntl asking them for blood . I will continue to offer the same responses as ever and you know what like or lump it mate

BTW did you read my sig it still applies you know ;)

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

I must admit I was the same, I relied on NTL's own news servers and when they are good they are good but when they are bad they stay bad for a long time. I also looked at people like zingle and thought they must have more money than sense etc etc why pay out £15+ a month when it's free normally on NTL.


Saying that, I took the jump to a pay one and now I can't remember the last time I've used NTL's nor looked back. Giganews all the way, less hassles and more choice.

I understand what you are saying though, that the completions are terrible at the mo, there's not a lot you can do, it's up and down all the time, you have to just sit it out till it gets better, enjoy it when it's good, grin and bear it when its bad. Get yourself a real new provider if you use usenet a lot. Simple.

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

I think that summed it up very well :)

Re: Newsgroups completion
 

BT actually outsource their server from giganews now, the best server you can get