trouble with dialup internet access
 

Hi

for the last few days we've had trouble connecting to ntl - it's intermittently refusing our login/password credentials

the problem seems to occur in bursts - sometimes it's fine; other times it can take 20 or more attempts before we get connected. Basically it's really tedious.

I have 3 computers equipped for internet access, each with an internal 56k PCI modem (all different types); the problem affects all 3 just the same, if one's not connecting none will connect.

there are no crackles on the 'phone line or anything to suggest intermittency

have checked with hyperterminal and also ethereal; everything indicates that some of the time our login/password pair gets refused, while at other times exactly the same credentials are getting accepted :confused: (I have packet capture files which indicate this quite clearly)

I contacted ntl and had great difficulty in getting them to understand that it wasn't something wrong with our computer(s!) - finally on Thurday 15th had to resort to the 50p /minute line, and thought I was getting somewhere, they "escalated" the matter and said they would ring back within 2 hours.. but no return call.

16th - the symptoms have changed a bit, but not for the better. Whereas before I just got chucked straight out (Login invalid: invalid user name/password pair), now I'm getting no reponse... resulting in DUN at my end re-presenting the logon credentials every 3 seconds for 10 attempts before dropping the line

Yet sometimes it works fine (like now); and when I can connect everything seems to work OK, primary email account password gets accepted every time...

In case this helps any ntl staff, we connect through NOR-CVX-1B (according to hyperterminal)

I did experiment reinstalling the ntl software and connected first time to the registration server - filled in user name and password and chose the reactivate option. It said "Processing" & "verifying security information" - and stuck like that. After ~35mins wait I gave up on it. Repeated this a couple of times with identical results.

I'm rather hoping to get some answer as a result of the 50p /minute call, they did say they would get back in touch - but failing that have no idea of how to get this matter resolved

I have seen no mention of known issues with dial-up on the service status page

any suggestions, please :confused:

TIA, and best wishes, HJ

Re: trouble with dialup internet access
 

:welcome: to Cable Forum (CF), I'm sure someone who knows the answer will be along shortley.

Re: trouble with dialup internet access
 

:welcome: indeed.

sounds very frustrating, have you thought about going on BB rather than dial up? could sort the problem.

Re: trouble with dialup internet access
 

Hi Matthew & Roy

thanks for the welcome and the :shocked: amazingly fast replies

have considered broadband, but actually am very happy staying with dialup;

only one of the three computers is really "good enough" for broadband, so it would be a case of putting "all my eggs in one basket"; I'm often fiddling with the hardware on one or other computer...

...plus there have been (quite a few) times when I've caught software trying to 'phone home** which I reckon I'd probably have missed with broadband

**although I missed one recently - my Googlebar "updated" itself and sneakily turned on several of the "bleat" features in the process. Aaargh! BHOs...

not being able to have a 'phone conversation while online is indeed a bit of a hassle, true...

...but this not connecting thing is frustrating - and trying to explain it to the CS who were convinced that I must be putting in the password incorrectly was a right wind-up!

I did remain polite though (despite steam coming out of my ears...)

==

this non-connection thing only started happening about 4 or 5 days ago - up to that point the service was fine, it was only very rarely that we would not get in at the first attempt.

best wishes, HJ.

Re: trouble with dialup internet access
 

See if this helps, it's in PDF format:

http://www.intel.com/intelpress/toc-bsn2.pdf

Re: trouble with dialup internet access
 

You say that 2 are not good enought for broadband, if you can get a network card in each you can link them upto the network and broadband will work fine on them all. Plenty of discussions on how to do this on here.

Re: trouble with dialup internet access
 

Good News ;) the problem seems to have been fixed

I was away in Yorkshire for a few days; since coming back yesterday it's connected first time every time

best wishes, HJ