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steve_smith · 27-10-2004, 19:19

Interesting to read this thread.

I'm in BH12 postcode. Recently got fed up with 5 months of total lack of action regarding packet loss and general upstream problems on my cable modem connection. Nobody treated the problem seriously, probably because it generally only affected upload. In fact, what made me decide to close the account was when I was more or less told that the quality of the connection I had was probably the best NTL could deliver. Quite ridiculous when for the first 12 months of being a customer, it worked perfectly with zero packet loss and good ping times. Some piece of equipment or cable had obviously degraded, or they had got greedy and shoved too many customers on to an overloaded network segment. I gave them enough information to suggest the problem was local to my street (since I know an NTL customer in the next road to us who had and still has no problems with their connection), but again I don't believe that was followed up.

What I did find out over the months of various NTL engineers calling to the house was that NTL's upstream is crap (I think that was more or less a quote) and that BH postcodes, and especially the particular segment of the network in which BH12 and some other BH postcodes lie has been plagued with problems.

Now on ADSL, which although on paper is slightly slower in the download department (512k as opposed to 750k), feels much faster and has thus far been 100% reliable. If I choose to, I can upgrade it to 1Mbit, but haven't felt the need yet.

Its very sad, because until May of this year, I was completely happy with NTL. I guess it goes to prove what people say about only being able to judge the true quality of a provider by the way they deal with a customers problem.

Can only advise those who are having problems in our area to consider switching to ADSL if you can get it. You might save yourselves 5 months of calling tech. support once or twice a week and paying for a service that doesn't work properly.

Steve.

27-10-2004, 19:19	#4
steve_smith Inactive Join Date: May 2004 Location: Poole, Dorset Posts: 70	Re: Broadband virtually dead in BH area Interesting to read this thread. I'm in BH12 postcode. Recently got fed up with 5 months of total lack of action regarding packet loss and general upstream problems on my cable modem connection. Nobody treated the problem seriously, probably because it generally only affected upload. In fact, what made me decide to close the account was when I was more or less told that the quality of the connection I had was probably the best NTL could deliver. Quite ridiculous when for the first 12 months of being a customer, it worked perfectly with zero packet loss and good ping times. Some piece of equipment or cable had obviously degraded, or they had got greedy and shoved too many customers on to an overloaded network segment. I gave them enough information to suggest the problem was local to my street (since I know an NTL customer in the next road to us who had and still has no problems with their connection), but again I don't believe that was followed up. What I did find out over the months of various NTL engineers calling to the house was that NTL's upstream is crap (I think that was more or less a quote) and that BH postcodes, and especially the particular segment of the network in which BH12 and some other BH postcodes lie has been plagued with problems. Now on ADSL, which although on paper is slightly slower in the download department (512k as opposed to 750k), feels much faster and has thus far been 100% reliable. If I choose to, I can upgrade it to 1Mbit, but haven't felt the need yet. Its very sad, because until May of this year, I was completely happy with NTL. I guess it goes to prove what people say about only being able to judge the true quality of a provider by the way they deal with a customers problem. Can only advise those who are having problems in our area to consider switching to ADSL if you can get it. You might save yourselves 5 months of calling tech. support once or twice a week and paying for a service that doesn't work properly. Steve.