slow speeds since sign up

[sturitch]

Hi i am new to this forum but have found some vey usefull information here and decided to join.
I have only recently discovered the kind of service I should be getting for the 4meg service I have been paying for and I have to say ignorance is bliss.
I have never had download speeds of more than 50kb/sec most often it was 10kb/sec. After going through it all with a technical support guy I am told I should be expecting 500Kb/sec and the problem was that the service in my area bristol is running at 95% capacity and is simply over subscribed.
I am not too technically aware and it has taken me six months to to get as far as discovering how poor this service is.
I have to write now to the main office in order to get somekind of compensation in the mean time one of the technical guys moved me on to a another ,"stream" and for a week i got used to the dissy heights of 250K/sec which was lovley however my fuse went and the power went off so my modem has gone back to the old service but now I cant get as far as a technical support guy to do the same thing as it a known service issue.
I have to wonder just how many other people are living in blissfull ignorance It would be very usefull if anyone else who has had simmilar problems especially if they have resolved them could tell me howor any general advice for the comuter dummy would be greatly appreciated.

[Graham M]

There is a way of getting into the Modem settings and changing the channel in use yourself, I'm sure someone who has some more experience will be along in a minute!

to CF!

[jaggedx]

changing id channel - if they all are busy - just gets u another busy channel with oversubscribing at its worst.

id channel switching works for most until that day happens - then its oh crap.

u can phone customer services for reduced cable fees. 150 - then dont put up with any crap from the 1st guy u get - get the manager.

[sturitch]

thank you very much for your replies , much appreciated they insist i have to write to head office to ask for refunds so i am.
I checked out the programme watch dog and they are taking the broadband company bulldog to task this week for simmilar stunts.
I think if telewest isnt very carefull we'll see them on there very soon
I have to say telewest must have known about this for some time and they are still signing up new people there must be thousands of people geting this treatment that are not even aware of it.
It comes very close to fraud in my book or at the very least obtaining money by deception which is what they would charge me with if I tried the same manouver.

[jaggedx]

you should be at least getting half price for ur cable modem via phone team.

aye it grates

[sturitch]

just a quick reply to let people know i recived a full refund for 3months braodband it worth complaining , am told too they are rezoning this area adding twice as many channels to help sort the problem thanks for the fedback

[hoofner]

Sturitch, it seems there are quite a few of us in Bristol with these problems; my area (Redland/Cotham) seems to have improved recently so I've stopped needing to get a refund each month.

If it's bad you just need to keep phoning them up and getting them to change the upstream channel, sometimes this is no good as all the channels are at capacity. Unfortnutely quite often you'll speak to some idiot who doesn't know how to read the notes on their screen that state your re-occuring problem, instead they'll insist to check for spyware or disconnect your router and move your pc and plug directly into the modem - like you're gonna be arsed to do that each time!

If their English is poor I tend to just speak quickly or chuck in technical words and you soon get to speak to the second line who've actually been techically trained.

Regarding what Zeph said about changing the channel yourself, it depends which modem you have, and as far as I know you'd need the black Motorola SurfBoard to do this, and most people I know have the Webstar (greyish one) which doesn't support this.

Also, when you said you'd called and they wouldnt change the channel because there's a known service issue, all that seems to mean is a number of people have phoned in complaining of a congestion problem and they stop changing channels for that area as they know they'd end up changing everyone. If you insist enough they may still change it but sometimes you just have to wait.

[sturitch]

Thank you very much for taking the time to reply the engineer who visited replaced my old modem so I now have the black one you describe.
Aparently i am on the the best stream for now , but interestingly as i had to stay up lat last night i checked the speeds at 2.00am and it no surprise to anyone to find out they were more in the 200kb/sec region nowhare near the 500 i should get but significantly better than the 10-50 kb/sec standard rates.
I think for the time being I will down grade to the cheaper service and when they have the majority of the demand issues sorted out I,ll get the 4meg back again, I am lucky I am out of the contract period and have more freedom than most.
The engineer also told me there a court case going on just now that will affect all users of file sharing programmes. They are attempting to force the companies to disclose what you use your connection for and release details of all trafic on your ip adress.
Big brother is on the way.
I was also warned that the wording of the services is always up to a certain speed meaning that they feel they can give you any old service and they are covered all we can do to improve matters is to vote with our cash.
I must finish by saying telewest headquarters have been very quick to refund me even if the inital support is a bit hit and miss and for that i am content.
Thank you again for taking the time to reply it is very much appreciated