[Merged] BB Speed Upgrades

[webvictim]

1st 128K took 1593 ms = 82280 Bytes/sec = approx 685 kbits/sec
2nd 128K took 1453 ms = 90208 Bytes/sec = approx 751 kbits/sec
3rd 128K took 1469 ms = 89225 Bytes/sec = approx 742 kbits/sec
4th 128K took 1625 ms = 80660 Bytes/sec = approx 671 kbits/sec

Looks like mine's been done. Not very consistent, but I think my brother was probably using it too.

[BIGZIPZ]

This is from an IRC channel I'm in:

<BFM|Aweh> The speed increase to 1.5meg has not yet taken place, your set top box has just been changed in preperation for when it does take place. At present you will still be on 1meg
<BFM|Aweh> The upgrade to 1.5meg will not take place until October 1st at the earliest, you should have been advised of this.
<BFM|Aweh> though i am confused as you say new customers are on it already, so im working on it
<BIGZIPZ> heh
<BIGZIPZ> email ?
<BFM|Aweh> no broadband medic, im in live chat with techie

[LostintheNW]

October 1st?!?!? well they can get stuffed, I am not paying for a service that in theory no longer exists, and also paying the same as others who are now on the 1.5meg service. Time to shufty to ADSL I think as I know getting a SACM installed is going to be one nightmare

[Kneebs]

Originally Posted by LostintheNW

October 1st?!?!? well they can get stuffed, I am not paying for a service that in theory no longer exists, and also paying the same as others who are now on the 1.5meg service. Time to shufty to ADSL I think as I know getting a SACM installed is going to be one nightmare

Well, I'm getting a SACM installed on Wednesday, although this is beacuse I'm having probs with packet loss, download dropping (but still able to upload) and other probs with the samsung

[LostintheNW]

When I used to have problems in the past with the BB locking the stb they still refused to install me a SACM, have to say this samsung box is a pile of crap, the TV jitters all the time and I have post rs errors all the time, never had those on the pace boxes. Is there something wrong with the samsung boxes as everyone seems to be having problems with them.

[BIGZIPZ]

October 1st at the earliest. Wasn't there an advert somewhere that said they aimed to get 90% of the network upgraded by November?

People we could be in for a long wait :/

[LostintheNW]

But NTL said that if people hadn't had their boxes swapped by a certain date then they would downgrade the users. My area has been done since the upgrades first started (I live in Manchester) I dont see why I should have to wait till October for the upgrade, why announce some bl00dy upgrade but not be prepared for it. Telewest had theirs done within a couple of weeks!

[BIGZIPZ]

Interesting to check the press releases, this was actually announced in April if my memory serves right.

The frustrating thing for me is, people on my street are getting 50% more bang for their buck, because they don't take up NTL tv and have a Cable Modem. And with no official announcement on when us STB'er will actually get our speeds, I do feel a tiny bit bitter.

[LostintheNW]

Its just another poorly thought out idea by NTL, they decided to up the speed as Telewest had, but Telewest were ready and prepared. I think its unfair that we have to pay the same as those on the 1.5meg service all because we dont just take the BB from them

[BIGZIPZ]

We actually give them more business too, as we take the Digtal TV from them.

[webvictim]

Three words - live with it. There's nothing you can do about the fact that your STB's haven't yet been upgraded and your service won't get faster for another month.

Think about it this way - if STB users had been upgraded first, then all the SACM users (of which there are many more than there are STB users) would say "This isn't fair, I'm paying for a service I don't get, ragh ragh ragh" in exactly the same way as you are. In fact you're only paying £2/month more because NTL were going to put the subscription fee up anyway (or at least that's their official line on it)

Telewest are a much better company by the looks of it, not only did they manage to get all the upgrades done quickly but they also offer a 2mbit (now 3mbit) service, something that NTL is very obviously lacking.

[LostintheNW]

Live with it? take it you have been upgraded then....sorry but I don't see why I should, if they are going to do this they should upgrade all users at once, and in my area there are more STB users due to the fact that SACMs have not been available that long! Oh and I am paying £37.99 for a 1meg service while others are paying the same for a 1.5meg service....is that fair?

[lima]

1st post here - be gentle - I'm no technical wizard (though thank the lord I knew how to get the connection up and running again because the "installer" ( a subby no doubt - not NTL who have always sent very helpful peeps) was in - swap the box - out in 5 mins - didn't "know" anything about the PC connection - lol...

I've spent the last hour and a half reading through the 84 pages of posts on the BB speed upgrade and I'm still confused

Have been on the 1Mb STB service for about 10 months and got the letter a while ago re upgrades. Got a call to say an engineer would come out today and he arrived about 1pm. I now have a new shiny Samsung replacing the old Pace box.

However, the speed tests show that I'm still on the 1Mb speeds :

Getting circa 1005kbps, 985kbps, 978kbps etc. results from the various tests out there.

Now, if I've read this correctly (and boy, there were a LOT of posts!) I won't upgrade until 1st October?? - even though I now have the new box? Is this right? Or is it to do with the "service outage" until 1st September where it says "no changes can be made to your service"?

BTW, have rebooted it a couple of times - no change.

In the Harrogate area north of Leeds if that helps.

Thanks in advance.

[Kneebs]

Originally Posted by lima

1st post here - be gentle - I'm no technical wizard (though thank the lord I knew how to get the connection up and running again because the "installer" ( a subby no doubt - not NTL who have always sent very helpful peeps) was in - swap the box - out in 5 mins - didn't "know" anything about the PC connection - lol...

I've spent the last hour and a half reading through the 84 pages of posts on the BB speed upgrade and I'm still confused

Have been on the 1Mb STB service for about 10 months and got the letter a while ago re upgrades. Got a call to say an engineer would come out today and he arrived about 1pm. I now have a new shiny Samsung replacing the old Pace box.

However, the speed tests show that I'm still on the 1Mb speeds :

Getting circa 1005kbps, 985kbps, 978kbps etc. results from the various tests out there.

Now, if I've read this correctly (and boy, there were a LOT of posts!) I won't upgrade until 1st October?? - even though I now have the new box? Is this right? Or is it to do with the "service outage" until 1st September where it says "no changes can be made to your service"?

BTW, have rebooted it a couple of times - no change.

In the Harrogate area north of Leeds if that helps.

Thanks in advance.

I'm afraid so - Its been said that ALL STB users will be upgraded in one foul swoop - meaning we have to wait untill everyones been swapped to the new samsungs. NTL said in the letter that if people couldnt arrange an appointment to be swapped over, then they would be lowered to the 750K service, then the 1meg STBers who have the new box could be upgraded. No-one had said (for definate) what this cut-off date will be, however rumours were the 1st of Sept, but someone today reckons the 1st of Oct, so who knows....

You had your box swapped on a bank holiday ?

[lima]

Thanks for the quick reply - phew, at least its nothing I've done - that's a relief.

Ah well, I suppose we'll have to wait and keep everything crossed then - I see that the price increased already though...

Yes, I had my box swapped on a Bank Holiday Monday. When they rang to make the appointment last week I said "you do realise Monday is a Bank Holiday". The guy that arrived was in a rush, and that's an understatment - definitely a subby on £/per box done. He swapped my Pace box while simultaneously holding a phne call with his boss and like I said, just rushed off. No "set up" of the new box etc. save the TV channels and PIN number. When I said "what about the internet" he said "oh, just switch the PC on once the signal comes through and it'll work"......yeah right...

Luckily I'd encountered the MAC address screens before but I hate to think what some normal non-technically minded customers are going through just restoring their "it was OK before" connections. Tech support will be very busy tomorrow!

Thanks again. I think I'll run a speed test once every couple of days to check.....going to be paranoid now