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View Full Version : Network upgrade stops internet. Is it just us?!


jpjeffery
02-04-2009, 15:09
Hi

We're in the BR3 area of London (Bromley).

Our BB internet went offline late on the evening of Monday 23rd. I can ping the two DNS servers 194.168.4.100 and 194.168.8.100 but only with a LOT of dropped packets (about 50%).

Numerous phone calls and two service engineers visits later and it transpires our existing set top box (a Samsung) is not compatible with the new high-speed broadband network they've just upgraded to!

Well thanks for thinking it through VM...

Call Centre staff didn't seem to have any idea that the upgrade was happening and just went through the usual script of rebooting the box, rebooting the PC, etc. etc. then finally blaming my laptop/wireless router.

It was only the second engineer who visited who advised we need a new BB modem but he can't supply that as we need a visit from an installation crew. So I had to phone AGAIN and book one in...for which the earliest available was Wednesday 8th April.

Really, this is pathetic. Two and a half weeks without broadband internet access when the problem could have been mitigated for by providing a suitable modem BEFORE the upgrade.

Trawling around t'internet I've not found any articles about this shambles, are we really the only ones affected?

(By the way, I realise this is an independent forum so I'm not having a go at anyone here! :))

Regards

Jeff

Welshchris
02-04-2009, 15:22
When it comes to billing tell them u want a partial refund for the time u have been offline as it wasnt ur fault.

jpjeffery
02-04-2009, 15:29
Oh they've already offered me all of £20...

Stuart
02-04-2009, 15:33
Hi

We're in the BR3 area of London (Bromley).

Our BB internet went offline late on the evening of Monday 23rd. I can ping the two DNS servers 194.168.4.100 and 194.168.8.100 but only with a LOT of dropped packets (about 50%).

Numerous phone calls and two service engineers visits later and it transpires our existing set top box (a Samsung) is not compatible with the new high-speed broadband network they've just upgraded to!

Well thanks for thinking it through VM...

Call Centre staff didn't seem to have any idea that the upgrade was happening and just went through the usual script of rebooting the box, rebooting the PC, etc. etc. then finally blaming my laptop/wireless router.

It was only the second engineer who visited who advised we need a new BB modem but he can't supply that as we need a visit from an installation crew. So I had to phone AGAIN and book one in...for which the earliest available was Wednesday 8th April.

Really, this is pathetic. Two and a half weeks without broadband internet access when the problem could have been mitigated for by providing a suitable modem BEFORE the upgrade.

Trawling around t'internet I've not found any articles about this shambles, are we really the only ones affected?

(By the way, I realise this is an independent forum so I'm not having a go at anyone here! :))

Regards

Jeff

:welcome: to the forum. I have to admit, I wasn't aware that any upgrades were planned that would actually cause problems with the STBs.. Yes, they are limited to around 5 meg.

Virgin have, however, stopped installing broadband on STBs and, TBH, should have offered to install a modem for your Broadband. Even if they didn't offer beforehand, one (or both) of the engineers should have.

If you send your name, postal address, accounr number and a contact telephone number, I can refer this to our contacts within VM who will hopefully resolve the problem for you.

BenMcr
02-04-2009, 15:34
I really don't know why Service Techs don't install modems when they go out and then get the operation centres to swap the codes over on the computer system

jpjeffery
02-04-2009, 15:40
I really don't know why Service Techs don't install modems when they go out and then get the operation centres to swap the codes over on the computer system

Not allowed to, according to the service engineer who came along. All to do with the Data Protection Act, he said, as we may have to change our password or supply personal details...

chickendippers
02-04-2009, 15:46
Well a £20 credit seems very reasonable, especially as that amounts to an entire month free on BBL!

jpjeffery
02-04-2009, 15:55
:welcome: to the forum.

Thank ee!
:)

I have to admit, I wasn't aware that any upgrades were planned that would actually cause problems with the STBs

The second engineer said it was quite common at the moment and they'd had a team briefing about it that morning. Also the first engineer said he'd just come from someone elses property with the exact same problem and that the team doing the upgrades were aware of issues being caused.

Perhaps it's not got out yet because all the people affected can't get online to this forum. ;)

Virgin have, however, stopped installing broadband on STBs and, TBH, should have offered to install a modem for your Broadband.

The first engineer theorised that it might be necessary but said he'd get back to us...he didn't, although he did give us his mobile number so we could call him (and we did!)

Even if they didn't offer beforehand, one (or both) of the engineers should have.

Quite agree, but see my other reply (to BenMcr)...

If you send your name, postal address, accounr number and a contact telephone number, I can refer this to our contacts within VM who will hopefully resolve the problem for you.

Once upon a time I had contacts at ntl: because I used to work for IBM on the ntl: contract and had my own little office at the ntl: building in Hither Green. Just a little aside... :)

Anyway, that would be great. The lack of internet access is making my wife really tetchy!! :( I'll send you a PM.

J

Peter_
02-04-2009, 17:24
Not allowed to, according to the service engineer who came along. All to do with the Data Protection Act, he said, as we may have to change our password or supply personal details...
That sounds a bit unlikely can any of our Service Techs advise if this is the case.

Stuart
02-04-2009, 17:28
Not allowed to, according to the service engineer who came along. All to do with the Data Protection Act, he said, as we may have to change our password or supply personal details...

That sounds wierd. When I went from STB to Modem (also in Bromley, but a couple of years ago), at no point did the engineer require any personal details. He plugged the modem in, fired it up, then called VM who disabled the BB service on the STB and enabled the modem.

jpjeffery
02-04-2009, 19:14
Well, it sounded a bit weird to me too but either way, off he went and we STILL have no broadband internet and my wife is now researching other providers (Sky, BT etc).

The phrase 'It takes years to build a reputation but seconds to lose it' comes to mind...

But, I am a little more optimistic now I find VM employees watch this forum and that members like Stuart have contacts in VM, so hopefully this gets sorted before next Wednesday (I only have fantasy sports teams to manage, but my wife is self-employed so REALLY needs to keep in touch with her e-mails!!)

jpjeffery
03-04-2009, 12:42
Well, something seems to brought about a reaction. My wife has had a call from someone in VM's Head Office (is that still at that wonderful business park in Hook?) who is trying to get someone out to us today or tomorrow...

Stuart
03-04-2009, 12:56
I did refer it to the site's contacts. It was probably them..

jpjeffery
03-04-2009, 13:06
I thought it might have been thanks to you.

So, thanks!

:drunk:

Latest update is "Slight possibility of it happening today. More chance tomorrow. No guarantees though"

jpjeffery
03-04-2009, 16:29
Aaaand it's all sorted! Even the Area Manager tipped up and said sorry to my wife (presumably not for tipping up...)

Thanks to all who exerted influence and submitted advice.

Pillhead
03-04-2009, 22:06
im in BR3 and have this as well!!!!

Its a massive problem in this area

This is briefly what i know............

50mb is on docsis 3 .............2 4 10 mb and 20mb are on docsis 2 in this area on the dates you said 50mb went live and they thought they would move all 20mb users on to the docsis 3 platform this is where its all gone wrong! the modem reboots with the new config file and is bricked. virgin cant even access it.

Basically they cant get out the walled garden ive had 4 modems and 6 engineers visits and im self employed and this has cost me £250 in lost work and is unacceptable the indian call centres have no clue. you call english customer accounts and they talk to india and they still are none the wiser. im giving it till monday then cancelling everything and i have tv,phone,mobile,mobile internet, and xl internet so its a loss for them.

on a side note if they upgraded me to 50mb it will work and if they downgrade me to lower packages it will also work......but computer says noooooo and i will lose all my discounts.

So frustrating.

dh-
09-04-2009, 01:43
Thought I'd reg and bump this up for others who have this problem and are gradually finding their way online. Summary of the below: Virgin upgraded their internet without set top boxes being able to support it, and then complement this problem with ****-poor service.

On Saturday 4th April our internet went down and after waiting a couple of hours we phoned India who recommended a new set top box and booked an engineer for three days later (Tuesday 08 April).

The engineer came and was completely baffled by the whole concept of internet coming in through a set top box. He had been transferred from another region where set top boxes had been eliminated entirely and he had never dealt with one. Nethertheless he phoned base and a bloke on the other end lead him through a standard test procedure and concluded that the ethernet cable from the set top box from the box to the router was faulty. This was clearly not the problem and I proved this to the engineer. Still, the bloke on the end of the phone insisted that the box was fine because by connecting an unregistered laptop directly into the box the ntl "start" page would sign up - but registration of new devices has been disabled.

The engineer agreed that the ethernet cable was not the problem but didn't want to override his supervisor because it was his first day in this region. He said that he could replace the box with one of the old PACE boxes, which would be a downgrade from the current box so that would be pointless. He therefore recommended a seperate modem, which he had in his van on the day and - in his words - would take 10 mins to install but he wasn't qualified so we would have to book another appointment. I shouldn't have let him out the door because when you phone up to book another appointment you get put to the "back of the line" and we were told we couldn't get another enginner until the 17th April!

It's incredible how Virgin expects a long term customer to go 300 hours without internet in these times, due to two of their mistakes The first - upgrading internet when the boxes can't support it - is unbelievable. Anyway we phoned for a bit and just got passed around so that's that really. I'm a student and I've had to go back to university at my expense so I can get my work done.

Excuse the long story, just wanted to get this tale of incompetency out and make this topic visible to those who are having the same problem.