Easynews tells us to 'bug' NTL Tech Support

IanUK · 13-09-2005, 22:18

Posted in the Easynews Support Forum yesterday:

=======
Newsgroups: easynews.support,easynews.announce
Subject: Sept 12th -- NTL users who cannot use our site please read (godzilla)
Date: Mon, 12 Sep 2005 22:43:26 GMT

Sept 12th, 3:45pm PDT:

NTL seems to be having some problems with their transparent
proxy/cache servers that is preventing access to our members area.

To bypass their proxy servers, use the following url:

http://members.easynews.com:81/

SSL might work also,

https://secure.members.easynews.com/

or SSL on port 81

https://secure.members.easynews.com:81/

If you are an NTL customer, please bug their tech support people until
they fix the problem! If you get any info, please reply back in
easynews.support or our web forum at http://forum.easynews.com/

======

The trouble is we are bugging NTL but nothing gets done....

Chrysalis · 14-09-2005, 01:09

Umm tech support cant do anything, we need to get hold of someone in network management who are shielded from the public.

Chris W · 14-09-2005, 07:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

Umm tech support cant do anything, we need to get hold of someone in network management who are shielded from the public.

actually, if it is not reported to tech support, nothing will be done.

I have said time and time again, if ntl are not made aware of issues, then they can't do anything about them!

Every phone call regarding an issue will be logged by tech support and issue prioritisation is done- so the more people that report something the better!

Chrysalis · 14-09-2005, 21:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris W

Every phone call regarding an issue will be logged by tech support and issue prioritisation is done- so the more people that report something the better!

Is that whats someone at NTL told you as I would like to know who says that.

I have said on dozens of occasions tech support do not log reports, they do not accept fault reports, they always think my pc is at fault, and they will not get a supervisor. Funnily enough other users posting on this forum have reported the same. Why have they been ignored?

If I rang up now to tech support and told them cogent routing is up **** creek what do you think would happen? they cant run their own traceroute since they are in a developing country on the other side of the world, it isnt in their script so they wont know what to do, and most of them dont know what traceroute means or what cogent is. The answer is they will tell me to try bbc.oc.uk and when it works tell me my conenction is up to standard.

Ignition · 14-09-2005, 21:23

It's probably something he learned while working for ntl in, erm, tech support

There was a member of 'network management' as you put it on this site but he's left the company now

Chrysalis · 14-09-2005, 21:24

Problem is there is a big difference between say swansea tech support and india tech support.

IanUK · 14-09-2005, 23:14

Quote:

actually, if it is not reported to tech support, nothing will be done.

I have said time and time again, if ntl are not made aware of issues, then they can't do anything about them!

Every phone call regarding an issue will be logged by tech support and issue prioritisation is done- so the more people that report something the better!

I second this, the executive office guy thats trying to help with my proxy problems and the Cogent issue told me today that no one else has reported any problems with the proxies or Cogent at all in my area, if you have a site that makes you change proxy to see it properly then raise it using the Responstek form on this site, it costs nothing and doesn't take long, show them how poor these things are.
For instance if you can't get http://www.steampowered.com without changing proxies then raise a form, thse damn things will never get fixed if I'm the only one complaining about them

or maybe it is just me...

marky · 14-09-2005, 23:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by IanUK

I second this, the executive office guy thats trying to help with my proxy problems and the Cogent issue told me today that no one else has reported any problems with the proxies or Cogent at all in my area, if you have a site that makes you change proxy to see it properly then raise it using the Responstek form on this site, it costs nothing and doesn't take long, show them how poor these things are.
For instance if you can't get http://www.steampowered.com without changing proxies then raise a form, thse damn things will never get fixed if I'm the only one complaining about them

or maybe it is just me...

sorry but i have never touched a proxy and that website is no problem

nffc · 14-09-2005, 23:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris W

Every phone call regarding an issue will be logged by tech support and issue prioritisation is done- so the more people that report something the better!

Is that whats someone at NTL told you as I would like to know who says that.

I have said on dozens of occasions tech support do not log reports, they do not accept fault reports, they always think my pc is at fault, and they will not get a supervisor. Funnily enough other users posting on this forum have reported the same. Why have they been ignored?

If I rang up now to tech support and told them cogent routing is up **** creek what do you think would happen? they cant run their own traceroute since they are in a developing country on the other side of the world, it isnt in their script so they wont know what to do, and most of them dont know what traceroute means or what cogent is. The answer is they will tell me to try bbc.oc.uk and when it works tell me my conenction is up to standard.

ISP Tech supports are a pain in the nads, they just take the easy way out, and blame their problems on an alleged "faulty PC" - which then makes people bug the manufacturer because their ISP-supplied broadband USB modem isn't working despite the fact they have an IP and their PC is working... guess what, it's an ISP problem...

Pain.

IanUK · 15-09-2005, 07:38

Quote:

sorry but i have never touched a proxy and that website is no problem

Your default proxy is probably unaffected, thats part of the problem, some work some don't, I can probably get sites that you think are down or slow.

Chris W · 15-09-2005, 07:45

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chrysalis

Is that whats someone at NTL told you as I would like to know who says that.

I have said on dozens of occasions tech support do not log reports, they do not accept fault reports, they always think my pc is at fault, and they will not get a supervisor. Funnily enough other users posting on this forum have reported the same. Why have they been ignored?

If I rang up now to tech support and told them cogent routing is up **** creek what do you think would happen? they cant run their own traceroute since they are in a developing country on the other side of the world, it isnt in their script so they wont know what to do, and most of them dont know what traceroute means or what cogent is. The answer is they will tell me to try bbc.oc.uk and when it works tell me my conenction is up to standard.

perhaps the fact that i used to work in tech support gives me some idea of what goes on? 99% of calls are must have notes left. Staff are monitored and if it is less than this you face action plans and disciplinary action, oh and before you try and play the India card (again...) the same applies in BOTH ntl tech support centres.

If a first line tech cannot resolve a problem then they contact a second line tech, who would know what cogent is, and could do a traceroute. Either way your argument is flawed- neither a traceroute from india or a traceroute from the ntl corporate network will take the same route as your connection, so what would do a traceroute from india or swansea achieve?

Chrysalis · 15-09-2005, 08:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris W

perhaps the fact that i used to work in tech support gives me some idea of what goes on? 99% of calls are must have notes left. Staff are monitored and if it is less than this you face action plans and disciplinary action, oh and before you try and play the India card (again...) the same applies in BOTH ntl tech support centres.

If a first line tech cannot resolve a problem then they contact a second line tech, who would know what cogent is, and could do a traceroute. Either way your argument is flawed- neither a traceroute from india or a traceroute from the ntl corporate network will take the same route as your connection, so what would do a traceroute from india or swansea achieve?

Actually the problem hop is as it exits ntl's uk network so a trace from swansea would prove quite a lot. This problem should affect every ntl customer in the uk who is utilising usa cogent bw during peak hours.

I was unaware you have previously worked in the india call centre's my apologies.

I dont post on this forum about problems just for the sake of it, dispite what you may think I do ring up tech support about problems like this first, its when I get nowhere it gets very frustrating.

Apologies if I come across rude but I am already frustrated that tech support are doing nothing and not even passing on my fault report, then I hear people telling me to ring tech support which I have already done and telling me that will solve the problem when it does absolutly nothing and this makes it even more frustrating.
__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by IanUK

I second this, the executive office guy thats trying to help with my proxy problems and the Cogent issue told me today that no one else has reported any problems with the proxies or Cogent at all in my area, if you have a site that makes you change proxy to see it properly then raise it using the Responstek form on this site, it costs nothing and doesn't take long, show them how poor these things are.
For instance if you can't get http://www.steampowered.com without changing proxies then raise a form, thse damn things will never get fixed if I'm the only one complaining about them

or maybe it is just me...

To be fair tho it wasnt tech support that got you in touch with the guy it was mick.

IanUK · 15-09-2005, 08:36

Quote:

To be fair tho it wasnt tech support that got you in touch with the guy it was mick.

You need to raise a responsetek form first, I don't think the team want everyone contacting them before they have contacted NTL.

Chrysalis · 15-09-2005, 11:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by IanUK

You need to raise a responsetek form first, I don't think the team want everyone contacting them before they have contacted NTL.

You and me both know I have done that. As far as I know I have done all official channels to NTL there may be some more I dont know about, but right now I have a brick wall, I have to hope mick puts me in touch with the same people as you which means my message gets across.

Matth · 15-09-2005, 21:15

Every site served by EV1 is painfully slow, that cogentco link is really garbage, maybe NTL aren't getting the capacity they pay for, or aren't paying forn the capacity they need.

I hope with all the gung-ho speed increases, they can actually deliver a worthwhile speed once it leaves the local link.