trouble with dialup internet access

[Hugh Jarss]

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 (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

TIA, and best wishes, HJ

[Matthew]

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

[Roy MM]

indeed.

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

[Hugh Jarss]

Hi Matthew & Roy

thanks for the welcome and the 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.

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

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

[Matthew]

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.

[Hugh Jarss]

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