Manc - can't just be a handful of us?

10-03-2008, 21:02

Had a 3 hour outage today. Begrudgingly rang tech support who said it was my fault and wouldn't have anything to do with me when they discovered I had *gasp* a router, even though I could give them a valid IP to the router from STB.
Charged call to Bombay who wouldn't even check their service status and said my only choice was to call 'PC Help' whatever the hell that is.
Tech support in virginmedia.support.broadband.cable say massive outage somewhere in Manchester. "M" postcode of which I'm not. Speed tests say I'm hitting less than 512k (on 4mb line) HTTP, NNTP, POP & SMTP all shot to hell.
Tracert's time out.

What can a reasonably savvy user do more than tell Bombay that IP's/green bloody lights/DNS etc are all ok but still everything's borked?
Up until me saying there was a router in the mix, the CS was doing OK.
I was virtually sharp-cut off after that.
25ppm to be told to start/run/ncpa.cpl etc despite my saying I know where we're at guys.
There's an outage - it's obvious. I only rang to ask for an update on a fix.
Still screwed anyway. Can't even NNTP to see what VM tech's are replying with. CS say not their fault (it's my router.. ffs...) VM tech says can't help with reimbursement for call, not their dept.
Not one to moan, but recently it's all gone a bit Pete Tong, no?
8pm gone so banjaxed until tomorrow.

What a load of my harris.

Ballgirl · 10-03-2008, 21:26

I just had the pleasure of paying 25ppm aswell to be told that they need to send a engineer out, something which I highly doubt I need and its a regional outage.

I'm in postcode OL9 so fairly close to manchester. Wonder how long it will take to fix

10-03-2008, 21:33

OL4 here.
I stayed on the line long enough to give the CS a chance to sort things, but to be told it's a problem with my router was just taking the proverbial in my opinion.
Zero chance of any reimbursement I was told.
God strike me down for having the audacity to use a router...

Ballgirl · 10-03-2008, 21:42

i have a router too but they got me to hook up direct to the modem and surprise surprise it still wasn't working properly.

UnReaL · 10-03-2008, 21:45

I was told over the phone that it would take around 4 - 5 hours, its been around 8 hours past that time now.

It will probably go back to normal by 4:00am, as thats what usually happens when this problem occurs.

10-03-2008, 21:59

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ballgirl

i have a router too but they got me to hook up direct to the modem and surprise surprise it still wasn't working properly.

I wish I'd given her my 85. IP address that the router had.
The second I gave a 192. address I was talked over.
"No, there's no problem here. It's a simple connectivity issue" etc etc.

I tried to tell her there were several users complaining of an outage but I was wasting my time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnReaL

I was told over the phone that it would take around 4 - 5 hours, its been around 8 hours past that time now.

It will probably go back to normal by 4:00am, as thats what usually happens when this problem occurs.

Yeah, only difference this time is I was STUPID enough to call BB support.
What a mug.

UnReaL · 10-03-2008, 22:09

I was credited the call charge + Ãƒâ€šÃ‚Â£0.25 for each minute I was on the phone to them, I have nothing against Virgin Media, it works perfectly when it does, but it always seems to go wrong at the wrong time, I've got alot of things to do and the browser keeps timing out, etc.

I've been bombarded like 80 with eBaY and Amazon.co.uk emails that I can't even get to, Windows Live Mail has only downloaded the headers for the emails, but I can't access them which is crazy.

I accept that this will happen and I have no hard feelings against Virgin Media, they always do a great job.

AmAtoL · 10-03-2008, 22:11

Manc internet is the work of the Devil.

Me just now on my :cough: 20 meg.
Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:06:23 UTC
Test 1: 1024K took 6844 ms = 149.6 KB/sec, approx 1233 Kbps, 1.2 Mbps
Test 2: 1024K took 10312 ms = 99.3 KB/sec, approx 818 Kbps, 0.8 Mbps
Test 3: 1024K took 9297 ms = 110.1 KB/sec, approx 907 Kbps, 0.89 Mbps
Test 4: 2048K took 15219 ms = 134.6 KB/sec, approx 1109 Kbps, 1.08 Mbps
Overall Average Speed = approx 1017 Kbps, 0.99 Mbps

Using this connection :- cpc1-stkp6-0-0-cust***.manc.cable.ntl.com

Bloody well feels like it as well.

73arm3 · 10-03-2008, 23:05

M43 here 4mb connection..

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 21:37:42 UTC

Test 1: 1024K took 9265 ms = 110.5 KB/sec, approx 911 Kbps, 0.89 Mbps
Test 2: 1024K took 14969 ms = 68.4 KB/sec, approx 564 Kbps, 0.55 Mbps
Test 3: 1024K took 6125 ms = 167.2 KB/sec, approx 1378 Kbps, 1.35 Mbps
Test 4: 2048K took 13578 ms = 150.8 KB/sec, approx 1243 Kbps, 1.21 Mbps

Overall Average Speed = approx 1024 Kbps, 1 Mbps

10-03-2008, 23:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by UnReaL

I accept that this will happen and I have no hard feelings against Virgin Media, they always do a great job.

Fair do's. I'm not a troll or a serial whinger. Been with VM since they were Nynex or whatever, and always stuck up for them.
Just don't like being treated like a mug and being charged for it.

slowcoach · 10-03-2008, 23:22

OL8 struggling to download at less than 1Mb.
Browsing crap.
Like this every evening again.

Florence · 10-03-2008, 23:23

M43 had to call them twice streange since I could use ICQ IRC and send also receive emails jsut all potsd for browsing and MSN reported ports problemand DNS second time hard set DNS in and was able to brows

joglynne · 10-03-2008, 23:24

cpc1-stre3-0-0-custxxx.bagu.cable.ntl.com

Quote:

Mon, 10 Mar 2008 22:13:41 GMT

Test 1: 1024K took 1641 ms = 624 KB/sec, approx 5142 Kbps, 5.02 Mbps
Test 2: 1024K took 2468 ms = 414.9 KB/sec, approx 3419 Kbps, 3.34 Mbps
Test 3: 1024K took 2188 ms = 468 KB/sec, approx 3856 Kbps, 3.77 Mbps
Test 4: 2048K took 4234 ms = 483.7 KB/sec, approx 3986 Kbps, 3.89 Mbps

Overall Average Speed = approx 4101 Kbps, 4.01 Mbps

and not believing that result :-

Quote:

Date 10/03/08 22:15:47
Speed Down 3842.07 Kbps ( 3.8 Mbps )
Speed Up 376.29 Kbps ( 0.4 Mbps )
Port 8095
Server speedtest1.adslguide.org.uk

M41 here. For a change I seem to be getting a fairly good run for my money.

When did your outage start, and is it still ongoing? I have had a live connection all day and I don't seem to have been hit by the usual contention problem.

Ballgirl · 10-03-2008, 23:26

i think its fixed now. now do i ring them to cancel the engineer? decisions, decisions

deek72 · 10-03-2008, 23:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ballgirl

i think its fixed now. now do i ring them to cancel the engineer? decisions, decisions

Ok here too. But isn't traffic shaping supposed to end at 9pm? I'm maxing out at the usual shaping 4.6Mbps. Or have I got the times wrong?