Well, as the title sugests, I am in the throes of trying to register NTL Broadband. Some of you might already know that the blasted thiing is MOST unhelpful - it seems not to have been working (with the Installer CD-ROM) for weeks, and its alternative registration site 80.5.178.26 denies the existence of a cable modem.
My views on NTL being what they (understandably, I think) are, this could perhaps belong in IMHO or the BBQ pit. However, while letting off steam might be fun, it wouldn’t be half as much fun as sorting out the problem. So, it seems to me that this is a GQ question permitting of a factual answer, but I shall understand if a mod thinks it ought to be relocated.
So, has anyone else been caught in this little trap, and if so, can I fix it without spending literally hours waiting in a 'phone queue to be answered shortly, getting cut off, wanting in the queue, getting cut off…and so on?
(In the first place, they had happily neglected even to provide a PIN, - OK - that much is sorted out now, but my faith in that lot is limited - I’ll save you the long and boring story though.)
Celyn, signing off hopefully!
I struggled for quite a while getting mine going. Have you got the correct ethernet cable? You might need either a straight through or a twisted ethernet cable, depending on your box. I got the wrong one and it took me quite a while to figure that out!
Their status page said something about registration problems the other day - their free status ophone line (0800 052 4315) also had some remedial advice on registration problems; I don’t recall what the advice was because I just sat through it, waiting to see if they had anything relevant to the problem I was experinecing at the time (DNS problems, I think).
AH, it’s a USB cable (although I have an Ethernet one - the guy who came along witih the modem, pretty much attached modem to cable thingy at wall, Detached cable telly - nah - no idea why, handed me the DC-ROM and two cables and cleared off sharpish. I don’t think I have an Ethernet connection into my PC though. (Ooh yes, the CD-ROM was suggesting to use USB, I think, except just at that moment, my eye fell on the bit in the little booklet where it said that they recommended Ethernet - scope for confusion or waht?
About Kal’s link to the CableForum site , yes, thank you! - as luck would have it, I discovered that one this evening, and it is sort of hopeful-making to see that other have the same hassle and get round it eventually.
b]Mangetout** the registration “advice” was to go to an alternative NTL registration link, but I get no joy from that - it says it does not detect my modem. Thank you for the number, though - 'cos if I hadn’t devoted HOURS to “being held in a queue” I could very easily not have got that number.
What the recorded message said sounded OK,a nd I was all happy and hopeful, but not, alas, any more.
Hmm - I am sure I have a vague memeory of broadband being supposed to be so much fast, so much nicer, leaves one’s landline free et cetera. Hollow laughter, I say. (Plus, do I really want my phoneline to be free for my mother to ring me, I have to wonder)
Thanks you for your suggestions - I am sure I’m not really going to be beaten by a bit of Meccano and a bit of wire.
AHA - it works now - only about 2 weeks since the problem started but I got through to a helpful human at NTL support today and all seems to be OK.
That link that Kal provided is very very good though - and I’d recommend it to anyone with similar problems, as I somehow don’t feel that NTL is going to fix this problem for boroadband customers attempting to register at any time very soon. (A couple of members there do seem actaully to work for NTL tech suport - heck that is above and beyond the call of duty, surely, to help out in one’s spare time… Good People!
Thank you for your replies - I somehow think that the mere fact of my doing a bit of whining in public helped give me patience with it, and some faith that it would eventually work.
However, while letting off steam might be fun, it wouldn’t be half as much fun as sorting out the problem. So, it seems to me that this is a GQ question permitting of a factual answer, but I shall understand if a mod thinks it ought to be relocated.