Hemel Hempstead area problems?

vaiolator · 15-04-2006, 15:42

Hi all.
I seem to be having occasional connection problems, pages not displaying until I've hit refresh a few times, speeds of 1Mb when I'm on 2Mb, for example.
I just tried to read the the modem configuration page, http//192.168.100/ as I have in the past, and all I'm getting is a page with 401 unauthorised displayed.
Any suggestions how to get around this, or have the modems been closed to this now? I believe my modem is an Ambit (silverbox, dark front panel).

vaiolator · 16-04-2006, 03:45

Oh well. I still cant get into the modem config page.
I wish for those days of free dial up when pages would magically appear.
Unfortunately I have 2Mb bb with these wonderful speeds, unless I can get an adsl contract very soon.

Sun, 16 Apr 2006 02:38:35 UTC
1st 128K took 9670 ms = 13554 Bytes/sec = approx 113 kbits/sec
2nd 128K took 15710 ms = 8343 Bytes/sec = approx 69 kbits/sec
3rd 128K took 19610 ms = 6684 Bytes/sec = approx 56 kbits/sec
4th 128K took 16150 ms = 8116 Bytes/sec = approx 68 kbits/sec

vaiolator · 17-04-2006, 15:22

Still having problems.
I have managed to get into the modem config page with another computer and it all seems ok there.
Having had slower than dial up speeds the other night, a few hours later it was fluctuating between low 20's to an unbelievable high 20000's on the speed test.
The symptoms I am getting are web pages very slow to open, if they ever do. Often most or all images are missing and replaced by the little red x. Often the page will show with no formating, looking almost like a bare word document.
I have tried various proxy servers and there is no difference, except when mine will not get a connection at all.
Invariably, down the bottem left of the browser it will say it's connecting to the ip number rather than the name of the website.
If anyone from NTL knows of any problems in this area, I would be grateful if they could let me know. The service status, when I can get to it, shows nothing.
Thanks.

---------- Post added at 15:22 ---------- Previous post was at 14:33 ----------

Does this mean anything to anyone?

C:\Windows>tracert www.bbc.co.uk

Tracing route to www.bbc.net.uk [212.58.224.84]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 * <10 ms <10 ms 192.xxxxx
2 * 14 ms 14 ms 10.xxxxxx
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 14 ms 41 ms <10 ms 213.105.174.65
6 14 ms 14 ms 27 ms nth-bb-a-ae0-0.inet.ntl.com [62.253.185.117]
7 * * * Request timed out.
8 28 ms 13 ms 28 ms 213.105.174.138
9 * * * Request timed out.
10 * 14 ms 55 ms 212.58.238.133
11 * * * Request timed out.
12 * * * Request timed out.
13 * 14 ms 27 ms www54.thdo.bbc.co.uk [212.58.224.84]

Trace complete.

headrush · 19-04-2006, 09:27

I'm in Chesham and get very similar symptoms occasionally, with web pages not properly loading. I often wonder whether it is my wireless network/router playing up, but as its only the internet that has problems I guess its NTL. I usually end up resorting to resetting the router (which sometimes resolves it) and occasionally the STB as well.

Its as though the system is getting clogged as the majority of the time my resetting of equipment solves the problem. I would be interested to know if you are using a STB or proper cable modem? Another problem I get is when trying to download using bittorrent on one pc, the others lag horrifically (no web pages load) even when the upload is throttled to 5k and downloads are going less than 20k. Where is the other 25k upload/~100k download bandwidth?? Am i missing something?

Would be grateful for any ideas as I seem to have very similar problems (intermittently) to vaiolator, albeit I'm on 1mb.

**Chris** · 19-04-2006, 09:41

Vaiolator, this sounds like it could be a problem with your local cable, or your modem dying off. Have you spoken to anyone in NTL tech support, and have they run any tests?

nemesis01 · 19-04-2006, 09:50

my connection is exactly the same, pages not loading until 3-4 refreshes, tried proxy but makes no difference. even tried changing IP address but that had no effect, brother in laws connection is exactly the same, we are both in scunthorpe. no planned work on the status page as far as i can see.

**Chris** · 19-04-2006, 09:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemesis01

my connection is exactly the same, pages not loading until 3-4 refreshes, tried proxy but makes no difference. even tried changing IP address but that had no effect, brother in laws connection is exactly the same, we are both in scunthorpe. no planned work on the status page as far as i can see.

Same question to you then nemesis - have you phoned them?

nemesis01 · 19-04-2006, 10:06

no, not on the phone here just BB and don't have enough ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£ÃƒÆ’Ã† â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£ on mobile to ring them on that.

**Chris** · 19-04-2006, 10:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by nemesis01

no, not on the phone here just BB and don't have enough ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£ÃƒÆ’Ã† â€™ÃƒÂ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£ÃƒÆ’Ã†â€™ÃƒÂ ¢Ã¢â€šÂ¬Ã…Â¡ÃƒÆ’Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£ on mobile to ring them on that.

I'd say you're a bit stuck then. You could try emailing their support desk but I don't know how reliable they are at replying.

If you ever suspect you have a technical problem with your connection, calling them should be one of the first things you do.

nemesis01 · 19-04-2006, 10:19

only way i have communicated with ntl when i had a problem before was through responsetek system, i can get the use of a phone if i brave the damn rain though so i'll leave it while later and see how it goes.

vaiolator · 21-04-2006, 13:26

Update; yes I have just called tech supp. It has been a lot better the past day or so. However, an hour ago with no proxy specified, I could not get anything other than the error page. I specified a Watford server and it was ok for a while, then the same happened to that connection. I'm now going through without specifying and it works. I still have to refresh pages, for example if I click on four threads here, one will not display, so 25% failure rate to be simplistic.
The tech supp were as helpful as possible, but they blamed the router until I said I've tried direct to the modem.
Have I got a firewall, anti-spyware and anti virus? Yes of course I have so you can't blame that aspect. Yes we can, they tell me. It is because you have those running, it is too secure to be able to connect to the internet. I must have been imagining web pages for tha past 6 years then.
I asked them to test the line and they said all was fine, although the ip address they tested was the same as most routers in the world.
So, that's where I stand at the moment. Either put up with not getting some web pages and call them when I am disconnected, even though I tell them I don't believe I am disconnected as p2p programme seems to be uploading at the time. It may be disconnected for a short period, enough to interfere with web pages, I really just don't know. NTL don't know either, so the only way forward is perhaps to jump ship after 6 years and bite the bullet of a BT line.

**Chris** · 21-04-2006, 15:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by vaiolator

Have I got a firewall, anti-spyware and anti virus? Yes of course I have so you can't blame that aspect. Yes we can, they tell me. It is because you have those running, it is too secure to be able to connect to the internet. I must have been imagining web pages for tha past 6 years then.

Ah, yes - The Alternative CS Manual, approach #264, blame the customer's equipment at all costs.

Try phoning again. You will get someone else, and there's almost no chance of there being any record of your previous call on the system. With any luck you'll be connected to one of their fine, customer-oriented, happy-to-help staff, instead of someone who just wants to tick the boxes and get you off the line as quickly as possible.

vaiolator · 21-04-2006, 17:43

I may try tech supp again, but only once more. It really would be easier to get adsl, even though I don't want to.
If I recall, a few years ago, alot of people had a problem, me included that was a DNS server fault or something. Then, as now, the browser would state it was connecting to the number rather than the domain name. Just an observation really. It had similar symptoms to what is happening now.
These tracert things don't mean a great deal to me, but I can see when they are exceptionally bad.

tracert www.bbc.co.uk

Tracing route to www.bbc.net.uk [212.58.224.35]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms 1 ms 1 ms 192.xxxx
2 11 ms 52 ms 14 ms 10.136.xxxxx (does this one need to be edited?)
3 28 ms 20 ms 49 ms lutn-t2cam1-a-v109.inet.ntl.com [80.4.118.97]
4 12 ms 10 ms 11 ms lutn-t2core-a-ge-wan63.inet.ntl.com [213.107.47.
85]
5 40 ms 23 ms 48 ms pop-bb-a-so-201-0.inet.ntl.com [62.253.188.185]

6 33 ms 14 ms 13 ms pop-bb-b-ge-000-0.inet.ntl.com [213.105.174.230]

7 24 ms 24 ms 25 ms gfd-bb-a-so-500-0.inet.ntl.com [213.105.172.137]

8 114 ms * 15 ms gfd-bb-b-ae0-0.inet.ntl.com [213.105.172.6]
9 25 ms 21 ms 38 ms redb-ic-1-as0-0.inet.ntl.com [213.105.174.138]
10 14 ms 14 ms 15 ms 212.58.238.189
11 14 ms 14 ms 16 ms 212.58.238.133
12 33 ms 29 ms 18 ms www5.thdo.bbc.co.uk [212.58.224.35]

Trace complete.

This one seems an the slightly poorer side of average for the ntl parts compared to others I have seen. Please correct me if I'm wrong. Does this indicate anything at all to anyone?

I have tried four computers,
1 x 98se and xp (dual boot)
1 x me and xp (d/b)
1 x xp
1 x xp
Symptoms the same on all, regardless of OS.
AVG and ZA on all.
Connecting through Belkin wireless router, but have tried direct to modem through an ethernet port.
Bearing in mind no changes to any of them prior to the problems.

vaiolator · 23-04-2006, 13:02

Could this be why I am having problems? Surely someone on here must have more knowledge of this than me.

Tracing route to www.bbc.net.uk [212.58.224.113]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

1 1 ms 1 ms 2 ms 192.xxxxxx
2 * * * Request timed out.
3 * * * Request timed out.
4 * * * Request timed out.
5 * 19 ms 12 ms nth-bb-b-so-310-0.inet.ntl.com [213.105.174.65]

6 * * * Request timed out.
7 * * 24 ms gfd-bb-b-so-400-0.inet.ntl.com [62.253.185.98]
8 17 ms 16 ms 16 ms redb-ic-1-as0-0.inet.ntl.com [213.105.174.138]
9 16 ms 14 ms 18 ms 212.58.238.189
10 13 ms 22 ms 11 ms 212.58.238.133
11 16 ms 14 ms 13 ms www13.thdo.bbc.co.uk [212.58.224.113]

Trace complete.

kstrachan66 · 23-04-2006, 16:02

Hi ,

I had these problems with NTL in Hemel too up until a couple of months ago. They told me it was my firewall, but when I asked to cancel my service they sent out an engineer.

He fiddled about with the NTL box settings externally and said that it was 'set too high' - he adjusted the settings and I've had no problems with the speed of service since then.

It may be worth your while to persist with the faults line (although I know that's not fun).

Karen