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no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Eric Jervis
Since Saturday, I've had no internet connection. How do I discover whose fault this is?
Please answer before Redruth public library opens tomorrow!

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Derek Wright
Is it associated with the severe cable disaster in east London does your ISP reside Ilford way

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Terry Willis
Telephone your ISP.

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Eric Jervis
Good afternoon Gentlemen. I'm back. I wrote you a long message yesterday at the library. They've got new computers. Now when I first learnt to type I was pretty fast, I don't mind telling you; and on this brand new keyboard yesterday I was tempted. The words practically flew from my fingers, and as I approached the end of my long message and also the end of my free half-hour I whacked the return key as you do and the POXY THING DELETED THE 8888888 LOT. I just hope Mr Gates could hear me!
Now, to business.
Derek, I don't know, but I'm pretty damn sure it was.
Terry, I'd already done that, at vast expense, to no avail. Are we all aware that this is a scam? When you ring these wretched people you have to listen to a recorded message which wastes at least 45 seconds, before getting another message which tells you that you have at least 5 minutes to wait before a human being becomes available, (should they both go on a tea break together?); so you decide that 5 minutes is probably not going to cost you that much, and hang on. After TEN minutes a most helpful person answers, and asks you a series of 'security questions' which take you a long time to answer because you've never been asked them before, and you've naturally forgotten them. He then suggests that the DSL line between the exchange and your computer is down because the DSL light on your modem/router is flashing, and suggests that you reconnect your machine to the Master telephone socket rather than the slave socket; "But don't bother now, just ring us back if that doesn't work".
Like a simple-minded fool, I hung up: and of course it didn't bl**** work, as he knew very well it wouldn't.
The second, third and fourth times I rang them back the message warned me that my wait for a person would take "at least ten minutes" which of course meant twenty so I hung up. I don't use the language of the common people myself but my mate says that Plusnet are thieving dastards, and how can I disagree?
After my return from the library the first time I had a look at my system preferences, and what a disaster I found there!
A flap was flapping up and down like a N**** B**** T*******, refused to let me change anything OR to shut the computer down. In the end I managed to make it force quit, but my nerves will never be the same. The FLAP bore the message, "Your network settings have been changed by another application". I shall go to them in a minute and click the little padlock. There must be a checking procedure one could adopt BEFORE ringing the service provider, or better still instead of, so they could be nailed immediately. Any suggestions?

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Eric Jervis
My system prefs are still in that condition. THE FLAP is still flapping. I managed to beat it in time to click the lock but then got the beachball of death. I force quit the prefs, and the machine still works, but for how long?
I am now wondering if this is really all the fault of Plusnet: I allow my six-year-old granddaughter to use the Mac as a reward for doing her homework. She goes onto sites where you can dress up dolls and change their hairstyles, shoes, etc., but several times in the past few weeks she's been unable to shut it down at bedtime. It was usually because she's got about twenty pages of Firefox open, but once, after I'd deleted them individually I found my Applications folder open. Could she have done any damage?
p.s. I have got a second hard drive; dare I try to use that?

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Thomas Maude
Hello Eric - thanks for cheering up a very dull Wednesday with your story - a very real blog and human one to boot just what we love in WAGS. I have similar memories from the dim and distant past .... till I went with macace.net - I've been with them for over six years now and would trust them with my family's life never mind my computer. There are two guys Kevin and Peers and whatever I have thrown at them over the years they have always and I repeat always managed to solve. They are a MAC only provider I'm not sure how they match up on price with other 'cheaper' providers but for an extra couple of quid a month their help and support are invaluable. In a nutshell they are the gold standard for a mac ISP - based in Bodmin in Cornwall I travel to that part of the country quite a lot and go right past their base and in former times used to call in for a cup of tea and a chat when I was passing though though they have moved to new premisses recently right next to the A 30 so not sure if they still do that. Basically if it's personal service and I mean personal your after with someone who knows MACS inside out then it's a no brainer. However I am enjoying your daily library blogs so do continue with them as I think you may have found a new talent as a professional blogger !
hope mine has been of some help
take care
Tom

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Eric Jervis
Hello Tom,
It has mate, it has, and I think I probably know these blokes. I have been to a small place in the Bodmin area a couple of years ago, and the people there were very helpful. They were in the same building as 'Petrolheadz" or something like that. I didn't know they had a dotnet though. I'll certainly give them a ring when my contract with you know who expires.
As for doing a bit more blogging, I don't think I'm cut out for that. I can only do it when I've calmed down. First I have to go through the primary phase in which I just want to kill a social worker. This usually lasts a long time.
Cheers,
Eric

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Lionel Ogden
Sad to hear you have had a bad experience with Plusnet. I must say my experience has been completely different.

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Mick Burrell
Another vote for Plus Net. Phone answered quickly by knowledgeable, Mac savvy people. Oh, and no interruption to my service this week - or in recent memory.

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Derek Wright
Poke around the Plusnet site and you find an area that allows you to subscribe to service status emails - as soon as the problem in Ilford was detected and the impact was understood Plusnet sent out emails explaining about the loss of service and impact on users. This is not much help if you can only get to your email via a dial up modem (however it is good to keep in practice with this old artisanal skill)

Also the The Register web site kept one up to date with the messing around resolving the problem - two different authorities were quoting the depth of the tunnel that was broached by the boring machine were a factor of three different - so a bit of metres and feet confusion.

And to really cheer you up the hole was being drilled because of preparation work for Blair's celebration in 2012 (the Olympics scheduled for 2012 - but to be held when the site is ready - perhaps in 2014) and paid for by your taxes.

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Eric Jervis
I must say I'm greatly surprised to find so many fans of Plusnet. It could be that they've only got one prat working for them, and only the very unlucky people get through to him. And of course, once upon a time I must have had an experience of them similar to the one that Mick describes, or I'd never have signed up with them. I shall certainly subscribe to those emails so I don't have to ask you how it was that Mick had no interruption whilst I did, and write down The Register in my diary ready for my next visit to the library.
Derek, are you sure that Tony B Liar's got time for all that mucking about, what with all the time it must take him teaching the Pope theology and creating World Peace?

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Derek Wright
T B Liar will send down an emissary to be his representative in east London.

RE PLusnet - I like them because they are OS independent and that they have a trackable trouble reporting system ie the The Ticket system that enables one to deal with them asynchronously. They have managed to fix two line problems for me as well via BT Openreach.

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Derek Wright
More details of the line hit at

http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php/topic,75585.0.html

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Eric Jervis
Thanks Derek, I'll have a look at that.

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Eric Jervis
Well, I've had a look, and fascinating stuff it is too. but I can't find out how to get emails about "outages' etc.
I like a man who knows the difference between east and East, but did you invent 'asynchronosly' just to wind me up?

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Derek Wright
Take a look at

http://usertools.plus.net/status/email.php

it took me awhile to find it - I had to use the PLusnet Search function - you may have to be logged onto the Plusnt portal.

Good luck

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Eric Jervis
Wow, Derek, it took me straight there! I am very impressed. I'll tell my mate he might be mistaken. Thank you.

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Derek Allcock
Hi
Plus Net got to be one off the best ISP

Re: no connection; whose fault?

Avatar Thomas Maude
Just noticed Macace won the best ISP category at the Macworld awards last night
Tom
 
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