Hi Mary
Technical issues aside, this sounds more like a failure of customer
service than a failue of copper wiring.
I have had issues with my cable connection previously which also
seemed to require me to detach the whole network and connect a machine
directly to the modem in the basement before they would take it
seriously! The cable modem has some remote diagnostics capability
which does mean they can examine some of its status to identifty
faults - this has been useful on occasion.
On other occasions where I have taken apart the problem in an attempt
to fix it, and then called support to discuss the technician has
accepted my explanation and conclusions without question and agreed to
send an engineer. So, it varies depending on which call centre you
get routed too I suspect.
Anyway, cable connection at home has been rock solid for several
months. The Netgear router I have occasionally falls over, but can be
fixed with a simple reset.
--
Paul
2009/3/9 Mary Hawking <[log in to unmask]>:
> I'm having trouble with my internet connection: not able to log on to the
> internet or receive email (even though it goes off very slowly).
>
> Can I pick people's brains on this scenario - and the implications for
> housebound patients dependent on their email for communication? (Deaf and
> speech problems - I had a patient with MND who could only communicate this
> way)
>
> My email stopped functioning on Friday (6th)
> I reported it - twice - on Saturday (7th) and was told that a. there was
> package loss on pinging www.google.com (I have been checking this - it
> varies between 20 and 60%) and I needed to download winmtr - remember, my
> complaint included not being able to connect to the Internet - and to go to
> a cybercafe to do it if I couldn't do it from home.
> I managed to download the program onto a USB stick on Sunday, ran it and
> exported the results to the email address I had been asked to send it to -
> and an hour and a half later (still unable to connect) phoned the helpline
> again.
> This time I was told that:-
> a. the ADSL support went home at 5.00 and the helpdesk couldn't access their
> email.
> (I pointed out that I had sent the email at 3.50 - so they had had time to
> see it)
> b. the problem was not only that the packages were being lost but also that
> my line kept dropping and they would not do anything until I had tried again
> from the main socket with a new microsplitter.
> (My main computer is a tower and unwieldy: I tried it on my laptop with the
> same ADSL modem - just the same)
> c. that I needed to phone BT myself and ask for a line check
> (did that this morning and was told my voice line is fine and that the ADSL
> is bulk rented by the ISP, and only the ISP can ask for an ADSL line check)
> d. if BT made a visit and there was no fault from the BT end, I would be
> charged for the visit.
>
> After some discussion on phoning back, with some reluctance, the helpdesk
> agreed to escalate the problem - and did tell me that I was entitled to a
> refund for the time the connection was unusable.
>
> Questions.
> 1. how common is it for package loss and line dropping to occur
> simultaneously on a previously fault-free connection?
> Is package loss a consequence of the line dropping or does it occur for
> other reasons? If it is a consequence of line dropping, why didn't the first
> two contacts with the help desk mention this?
> 2. how commonly do microspliters fail?
> I have never heard of this being a cause of problems - and my connection
> (via a secondary socket installed by BT and an extension) has never caused
> problems before.
> How would you normally detect a failing microsplitter?
> 3. should everyone be advised to download winmtr just in case it is needed?
> My ISP helpdesk was insistent that the reports from ping and tracert via the
> mail client (Turnpike) or cmd were not sufficient.
> 4. how common is the somewhat aggressive response of the helpdesk becoming?
> Usually they have been helpful and courteous: I am not used to being told
> that the problem will not be escalated until I have completed checks on my
> main socket, different splitters and line check with BT.
> 5. if BT Voice cannot check the ADSL line, why was I told to get a line
> check from them?
>
> Finally, I am active and have both speech and hearing: the impression I was
> given was that unless I was able to do all these things, the helpdesk would
> not be able to even look at the problem.
> So if I was disabled in any way, would I have been left unable to
> communicate indefinitely?
>
> Is cable more reliable that ADSL?
>
> I should be able to access webmail tomorrow from the surgery.
>
>
> --
> Mary Hawking
>
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