View Full Version : Why can't NTL fix my problem?
I reported my problem on 18th August. Pretty straight forward, the Receive light is solid but the Send light is flashing. Ok, so there's a problem with my upstream, even I can figure that one out.
An engineer gets booked and can't come out until 23rd August. Fair enough, I can survive for 5 days with no broadband.
Engineer turns up, replaces box on outside of house (ooh, that's really old was his remark) and decides there's a break in the cable between house and little green box. Books the "Cable guys" to fit a new cable. Never mind, I can survive 13 days with no broadband.
Cable guys turn up on 31st August, spend an hour trying to pull a new cable through and then give up. The road needs to be dug up they tell me and then quickly disappear.
Well, I decided to ring NTL today and find out when the road is due to be dug up. Guess what, they didn't know anything about it. Bangs head against wall and pokes eyes out with a sharp stick.
Your call doesn't seem to have been updated sir, what lights do you have on the modem? I explained I have the same flashing Send light that I reported 15 days ago. Ok, he says I'lll need to book an engineer for you. No, no, no I explain. The engineer has already been round and so have the cable guys and I need a new cable. Just ask the guys who came round last Wednesday for an update, they'll tell you.
Another long wait on hold and then he tells me the cable was replaced. Hmm, funny how it's still not working and they told me a different story when they came round.
I now have ANOTHER engineer booked (yes, another week to wait) and what's going to happen? Will I be surprised if he turns up and works out that he can't do anything because the cable needs replacing? Yes, I knew that ages ago.
What do I have to do to get my problem fixed?
DocDutch
02-09-2005, 15:50
hey it sounds like me at the moment :) dont you just love it most of the time it works but when it breaks it does so properly and NTL (no offence to the helpful people here) are clueless.
I'm happy with NTL itself and wouldnt leave for something like this but just call CS and explain to them at the moment as my connection has been bad for a while now I've managed to get a 2 month refund :) :D
Try using cable forum & ntl responsetek system ive heard it works :)
http://www.cableforum.co.uk/board/index.php?
I totally agree Levig. When the service works it's excellent but when it doesn't you're in for a long wait. I've also been happy with NTL for a long time (had broadband since January 2001) and wouldn't consider switching to another provider, I'm sure they'll get there in the end, they're just a bit slow and un-cordinated sometimes.
Saneboy13
03-09-2005, 08:44
[QUOTE=Bludger]I reported my problem on 18th August. Pretty straight forward, the Receive light is solid but the Send light is flashing. Ok, so there's a problem with my upstream, even I can figure that one out.
Umm, don't wish to be critical here, but what's the problem?
The lights are doing exactly what they should do:dozey:. The SYNC and RDY lights should be SOLID, the SEND light should FLASH when data is being passed back through the Network!
patrickp
03-09-2005, 12:03
[QUOTE=Bludger]I reported my problem on 18th August. Pretty straight forward, the Receive light is solid but the Send light is flashing. Ok, so there's a problem with my upstream, even I can figure that one out.
Umm, don't wish to be critical here, but what's the problem?
The lights are doing exactly what they should do:dozey:. The SYNC and RDY lights should be SOLID, the SEND light should FLASH when data is being passed back through the Network!
That's what I thought - but shouldn't his Receive light flash as well, rather than being solid? Even when I'm downloading, both lights flash rapidly, but neither is ever solid.
Saneboy13
03-09-2005, 12:11
That's what I thought - but shouldn't his Receive light flash as well, rather than being solid? Even when I'm downloading, both lights flash rapidly, but neither is ever solid.[/QUOTE]
But wouldn't that suggest something other than an upstream issue? If he is having a D/S light on constant, then he is getting continual data coming in! I know it's difficult to diagnose from anywhere other than sat infront of the modem, but I can not see it being an upstream issue.
johnwileqs
03-09-2005, 12:34
come on cp he's got a motorola
Saneboy13
03-09-2005, 12:37
Well that makes all the difference then:p:
And why aren't you watching the GP qualifying, big man?
johnwileqs
03-09-2005, 12:51
i am, it's just finished
Yep, well deduced. It's a Motorola Surfboard modem. Receive light goes solid when downstream locks on, Send light goes solid when upstream locks on and finally the Online light comes on, but not in my case :-(
HornetUK
05-09-2005, 09:01
My ENET, U/S and D/S lights flicker constantly SYNC & RDY on permanent.
Is that right out of interest?
Cheers
*sigh* yet another story of cable pullers of ntl not completing the job. They work on jobs completed, so get as many done as they possibly can. It wouldnt surprise me that when the service tech attends they havn't even jumpered the new cabe up in the cab.
Well they told me they couldn't get the new cable through but they told NTL that the cable had been replaced. Who did they lie to?
I'll find out tomorrow when the engineer turns up.
Maybe I should just waste 70 quid and get my BT line connected. At least then I have the option of switching to ADSL next time I get completely screwed around. It really is NTL's last chance to sort it out tomorrow, they reckon they've put a special priority flag on the call so that it will definitely get sorted whatever it takes, not sure I believe that one but we shall see !
If they haven't connected the cable in the cabinet, he'd not even get a Downstream on light. This is a return path issue.
Bludger, do you have a Digibox ? Is it's modem light flashing ? My guess is they've pulled one length of cable for both services, and he's too far away from the cabinet for it to work.
Good point, I hadn't thought of that. How can the cable need replacing if the downstream is working? Isn't the only difference the frequency they use. I'm sure a cable can't break in such a way that it lets one frequency through but not the other. I must admit I have little knowledge of how the hardware actually works.
No, I don't have a Digibox BTW, only services I have are telephone and broadband. Broadband uses a dedicted Motorola Surfboard Cable Modem which is old technology apparently, but hey, it worked fine for the last 4 years right up until 18th August :-(
Good point, I hadn't thought of that. How can the cable need replacing if the downstream is working? Isn't the only difference the frequency they use. I'm sure a cable can't break in such a way that it lets one frequency through but not the other. I must admit I have little knowledge of how the hardware actually works.
The upstream path is a bit more critical as the cable system is optimised for downstream (as this is what TV really uses the most) and theres only a certain amount of transmit power in the modem.
No, I don't have a Digibox BTW, only services I have are telephone and broadband.
OK, should rule out it being a problem with your cable being split then.
Broadband uses a dedicted Motorola Surfboard Cable Modem which is old technology apparently, but hey, it worked fine for the last 4 years right up until 18th August :-(
There's nothing wrong with the Surfboard modems. They are one of the best modems, IMHO.
Could be a fault with a circuit in the cabinet, I suppose. I'd make sure they check everything, from your modem, to the splitters/isolators, to the system in the cabinet.
Well, guess what. The engineer turned up today and worked out that the cable needs replacing. Oh, thank you NTL, you're so wonderful. I told you you that on the phone last Friday but you decided to ignore me and send out yet another engineer. What a waste of his time.
He's booked the maintenance team to dig the road up and the "useless" cable guys (again). Oh, and they can't come out for yet another week.
What a crap service, so much for the "special" flag on my call.
This looks all to familiar to me.
Some months back my internet suddenly died. Did all the usual / obvious things rebooted everythnig including modems etc. Gave it couple of hours before retrying incase it was just a local outage problem. Eventually bit the bullet & rang NTL. Got the usual pillar to post treatment. Eventually an engineer was booked for a call a week hense. He go's through the reboot routine before deciding that I need new cable pulling through, despite the fact my cable T.V. largly working. [A few channels were not as clear as they might be, but they were not 1's I watched anyway] A date was set for new cable to be pulled through. Another 10 days wait. Surprise, surprise new cable cures nothing, modem still as dead as.........TV. no better. Somebody rings from NTL saying they have booked an engineer for 10 days time to come fix my modem. Try to tell voice that there is nothing wrong with my modem, my p.c etc. they already been checked. Oh says voice & hangs up. Good omen strikes, local paper runs an article on local guy been having long running problem with NTL & gives number for NTL head office. Within the hour the local manager is knocking on my front door !!!
Seemed the green box at the end of the road needed a new "tap?" board. Problem fixed 20 minutes later.
I'm genuinly sorry to all the NTL folks who give of their time so gernerously on here to help folks out. I realise that a call from head office is the last thing you would want, but it is obvious from just a casual glance through this forum that at an organisation level the customer service leaves a lot to be desired.
spike7451
11-09-2005, 14:17
Well, guess what. The engineer turned up today and worked out that the cable needs replacing. Oh, thank you NTL, you're so wonderful. I told you you that on the phone last Friday but you decided to ignore me and send out yet another engineer. What a waste of his time.
He's booked the maintenance team to dig the road up and the "useless" cable guys (again). Oh, and they can't come out for yet another week.
What a crap service, so much for the "special" flag on my call.
Could be a blocked duct that's stopping the re-pull but why did'nt the tech try fitting a HDU?(powered booster) That might have solved it.
steve_smith
12-09-2005, 09:25
Maybe I should just waste 70 quid and get my BT line connected. At least then I have the option of switching to ADSL next time I get completely screwed around.
Think carefully before doing this... otherwise you'll find yourself in the position I'm in (I gave them their last chance, cancelled a year or so ago, and signed up for ADSL). ADSL failed yesterday, found out ISP have no technical support on Sundays (rather unexpected). Phoned this morning, and told that I need to try another ADSL modem/router on the line, otherwise if BT come round to fix it and find there's nothing wrong, I have to pay. Thats fine, but nobody I know round here has an ADSL router (everyone has NTL). So I need to wait until I am next in the office to borrow one (later this week). Otherwise, I need to go down PC World and hand over £100 just to prove it's not my router that is faulty. So I can't say to my ISP until Friday "look, I know it's not my modem".
At least with NTL you deal with one company regarding the modem, connection and line. With ADSL you end up having to deal with 3 people (the people who sold you the router, the ISP and BT themselves).
Recipe for disaster, and I've just been back here this morning trying to work out whether to risk signing up for NTL again (in the hope the fault I used to have has been rectified in the last 12 months).
To be honest, my ADSL connection hasn't had the 100% reliability I was hoping for. When it goes down, it's usually a problem at the exchange (maintance that you don't know is going on because no-one tells you, and there's nowhere you can find out). If you think NTL can drag their heels, try waiting for BT to do something...
Steve.
Well I took yet another day off work for the FOURTH week in a row and the *******s never even bothered to show up.
It's now 3 days short of a month and NTL are no nearer to fixing my problem. So, I think I can answer my own question thanks :-
Why Can't NTL fix my problem?
Because they're a bunch of incompetent idiots.
To be fair, the engineers who've come out have been very knowledgable, I think it's the maintenance monkeys who've caused all the problems. They either come out and then don't update the call so when you phone the helpdesk they haven't got a clue what's going on, or they just don't show up at all.
What do I have to do to get someone to OWN my problem? :mad:
Or have I hit the nail on the head there. It's my problem and NTL don't care.
handyman
15-09-2005, 09:43
Good point, I hadn't thought of that. How can the cable need replacing if the downstream is working? Isn't the only difference the frequency they use. I'm sure a cable can't break in such a way that it lets one frequency through but not the other. I must admit I have little knowledge of how the hardware actually works.
The way the frequencies work in coax cable mystifies me and Iâ₠¬ÃƒÆ’¢â€žÂ¢ve been on courses with networks guys.
Basically different parts of the cable can carry different frequencies so to answer you question if the out part of the cable is damaged (the shielding) then certain frequencies will stop working.
This is easy to see on dtv where if you connector is loose to the back of the digibox then you'll see some channels disappear. And its always the same channels.
Just received an email from my wife (I'm at work, she's at home) :-
Woo hoo - broadband is now working!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They turned up at 9.30 and said that it will be working in 10 mins as they've managed to get the cable through this time??!!? without having to dig the path up.
However, it didn't work straight away - they had to fiddle with it outside but now it is working.
This team had 2 men in suits and ties, so I guess they brought their supervisors this time.
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