how NOT to pay 25ppm for broadband support

[DOGNOSH]

I posted a few weeks ago to say I just paid 25ppm and been connected to a call center in India talking to a guy who was reading off a script:td:
I got no joy and it cost me, so a bad result:td:

My modem kept on locking up, I thought it might be me downloading too much, but it happens willy nilly expecially as I download very very little every month

Today I decide to ring and cancel my account and take the £60 penalty
I get a nice chap and I explain why I am canceling , especially as I mention that I suspect my modem is old and needed changing(a webstar 100) but the tech support chap wouldn't have any of it

This guy said that actually it probably is my modem as it is too old to cope with the 20mb speed(I thought I was on 10 ! )
He is now posting me a new modem and I will let you know how it goes

end of the day all ISPs mess up, but what virgin had going for itself was knowledgable UK support staff with no phone charge ! now that has gone and virgin is just another ISP who used to have impeccable support and broadband uptime

shame:td:

so , If you want free tech help phone 150 and speak to someone about closing your account, you could be suprised !:)

[xspeedyx]

not all issue can be resolved by having a new modem and 150 is customer care not realtions

[goldoni]

You spoke to a Broadband expert in Customer relations who is able to check you modem connection and other things. If in doubt send a new modem. I have a new modem and still have crap speeds along with lots of other people along with slow slow browsing.

20Mbps BB on Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:11:27 UTC

Test 1: 1024K took 1362 ms = 751.8 KB/sec, approx 6195 Kbps, 6.05 Mbps
Test 2: 1024K took 5438 ms = 188.3 KB/sec, approx 1552 Kbps, 1.52 Mbps
Test 3: 1024K took 8672 ms = 118.1 KB/sec, approx 973 Kbps, 0.95 Mbps
Test 4: 2048K took 16033 ms = 127.7 KB/sec, approx 1052 Kbps, 1.03 Mbps

Overall Average Speed = approx 2443 Kbps, 2.39 Mbps

I don’t care what speed I get, I just want to be able to browse web sites and not wait ages for these pages to refresh.

[DOGNOSH]

no, not an expert, but someone who listened to me rather than read from a script without deviation unless the end of the world was nigh

If you bothered to read my problem you would have realised I have one of the very first modems, and it doesn't seem to like the high speeds we have today

with regards to internet speed, I am currently on 4 to 6 meg on my 10 meg line(now 20meg), so I hope with the new modem I would be near 15 meg

but my main issue is the constant locking up of my modem, if that is sorted I will be a happy bunny

[sstainer]

as most have the new speed now them that are on the 20mB of course a program we found useful or at least worth a try was called or is tcp optimizer seems to sort a few bugsout with pc's

for them that wish to try it ?
click here http://www.speedguide.net/files/TCPOptimizer.exe

[Bonglet]

I file tcpoptimiser in my junk or overrated folder another excuse on vm's side for the poor speed im sad to say.

[ambc_666]

most of the people that actually phone up bonglet for slow speeds is actually a fault with their pc where its capping the speed. you'd be suprised what the tcp optimizer does...

[Chrysalis]

VM can say what stats they like.

If a call centre manager tells its operatives to right everything down as customer fault then they can bleat out most of problems are customer side.

[WHISTLED]

You may be right and probably did need a new modem but you have just suggested people speak to to Customer Relations if they have a faut?!

You got your modem because the Advisor made a few quid for a save not because he had even a sniff of BB support knowledge

[goldoni]

I don’t see any problem with paying .25p per min plus a connection charge of 10p because you get a full refund if you do have a BB problem but if its your computer you will pay.

Ok some facts as I know them. I phoned 150 to give notice and was directed to customer relations who put me in touch with a BB expert “SR” who finds the area is oversubscribed so can offer no assistance but recommends a modem change which he was able to sort by sending one in the post.

He was then able to swap the MAC address without having to wait 24 / 48 Hours for the switch. This did not sort the problem of my slow browsing which I can hear you lot saying it must be my computer.

Only problem with this is when connected to BTs ADSL my computer is so fast when browsing, even when I connect to my daughter’s connection of 1.3Mbps ADSL due to the distance away from the exchange my computer flies when browsing the www.

https://www.cableforum.co.uk/images/local/2007/10/21.png (http://www.speedtest.net)


Sat, 13 Oct 200710:09:31 UTCTest 1: 1024K took 5658 ms = 181 KB/sec, approx 1491 Kbps, 1.46 Mbps
Test 2: 1024K took 5378 ms = 190.4 KB/sec, approx 1569 Kbps, 1.53 Mbps
Test 3: 1024K took 6920 ms = 148 KB/sec, approx 1220 Kbps, 1.19 Mbps
Test 4: 2048K took 16764 ms = 122.2 KB/sec, approx 1007 Kbps, 0.98 Mbps

Overall Average Speed = approx 1322 Kbps, 1.29 Mbps

Not bad for a 20Mbps connection :mad:

[Bonglet]

tcp optimiser has nothing to do with capping speed sure you might free up 5-20k if you are really lucky but for a top tier service ala 20mb and most people are getting 5mb or less without hitting any limits or caps or whatever virgin want to call there random shaping policy, how come no one needed tcp optimiser on stable 10mb or did the 20mb upgrade screw everyones machines in that case vm is liable :D especially when im lucky to see any stableness at all with the 20mb rollout one minute fine the next im timewarping back 6 years to 512k connection days.

[DOGNOSH]

I don’t see any problem with paying .25p per min plus a connection charge of 10p because you get a full refund if you do have a BB problem but if its your computer you will pay.



you would get miffed if it cost you £4 and the "script reader" at the other end of the phone who is 5000 miles away cannot resolve your problem

p.s. I have just found out where all the tech support experts have gone, and I mean it when I say experts as in the past I found tech support have been spot on and knew their stuff. thsy all work on the business side of VM tech support:shocked: