COMPUTERS, THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY

[Big Kev]

Haven't heard from Orange all day despite them saying all would be working this morning (it isn't) and I would be regularly updated on progress. I have a connection to the exchange but can't open any web pages. Apparently this is a recognised fault that BT need to put a fix in to resolve, it's affecting multiple Orange Broadband users (according to the BT engineer). I can send emails without a problem. I will be checking out Talk Talk, Sky and BT and see what deals they can offer me.

[Stanley]

Watching your problems Kev. All I can say is thank God they missed me and Pluggy! Speaking too soon?

[Big Kev]

We have a work around. A small change in the router and pages are displaying. Orange have informed me that the issue is with BT, it is affecting multiple ISP's who use the IPStream network. A permanent fix will eventually be found but, in the meantime, the work around is faster than the 3G connection I have been using.

[PanBiker]

My Talk Talk connection is still around 17Mbps. They do have their own kit at the exchange though I believe.

[Big Kev]

My Talk Talk connection is still around 17Mbps. They do have their own kit at the exchange though I believe.

They do indeed, as do Sky. Orange did have their own kit but it was removed last year. I had the choice of Talk Talk, Sky or Orange when I moved away from BT, for the faster connection. Looks like I chose the wrong one.

[Pluggy]

We have a work around. A small change in the router and pages are displaying. Orange have informed me that the issue is with BT, it is affecting multiple ISP's who use the IPStream network. A permanent fix will eventually be found but, in the meantime, the work around is faster than the 3G connection I have been using.

Whats the small change ?. My sister in law would no doubt be interested. In the past, tweaking the MTU has helped such issues but the livebox doesn't appear to have settings for it.

[Big Kev]

We have a work around. A small change in the router and pages are displaying. Orange have informed me that the issue is with BT, it is affecting multiple ISP's who use the IPStream network. A permanent fix will eventually be found but, in the meantime, the work around is faster than the 3G connection I have been using.

Whats the small change ?. My sister in law would no doubt be interested. In the past, tweaking the MTU has helped such issues but the livebox doesn't appear to have settings for it.

It was an increase of the MTU size to 1500. It works on my Netgear router but the connection is still a bit unstable. I have no idea where the WAN set up would be on the Livebox though. Can you swap out the Livebox for another wireless router? I have another Netgear one you can borrow if this issue is going to be long term.

[Stanley]

Kev, glad you have an improvement. Pluggy, if you want to try the router you sold me that worked so well just pop round and borrow it.

[Pluggy]

I have another Orange router which didn't have MTU either. Butchering it within Windows remains an option, next time I'm across there if she doesn't get it sorted.

[Big Kev]

'tinternet is back, hurrah!

[Stanley]

Thank God for that. Nearly March, perhaps we'll get the 'October Revolution' we were promised...

[Pluggy]

My sister in law says hers is working again too. Undoubtedly the same issue.

[Big Kev]

My sister in law says hers is working again too. Undoubtedly the same issue.

Orange say there was a duplicate ip on the ipstream network...

[Stanley]

When I had my big problem with Orange and BB I asked for a month's free service and got it. Worth a try?

[Big Kev]

When I had my big problem with Orange and BB I asked for a month's free service and got it. Worth a try?

I'll be asking for a lot more than that, I got 4 months free broadband and phone line rental because they were a week late installing it...

[Big Kev]

Orange account payments have been suspended for 3 months as compensation, that's handy then. It was a DHCP problem, it was only providing a limited range of IP's and had spat out some duplicates, interesting.

Orange have been given a date, by BT, for the "go live" of the 21cn network, March 31st 2012. We (Orange customers in Barlick) should be connected to this "within a couple of weeks" of the go live date. Lines have been tested with a potential of providing 19.5mbps

[Stanley]

Good news Kev but like you I will believe it when I see it!

[Pluggy]

Just checked 'Sam Knows' again for the 21CN date, it said the end of March on the 25th January (3rd post in this thread), it now says the end of May. Methinks ol' Barlick isn't a priority. They are too busy updating those already on 21CN to fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) aka BT Infinity.......

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/LCBAN

[Big Kev]

Just checked 'Sam Knows' again for the 21CN date, it said the end of March on the 25th January (3rd post in this thread), it now says the end of May. Methinks ol' Barlick isn't a priority. They are too busy updating those already on 21CN to fibre to the cabinet (FTTC) aka BT Infinity.......

http://www.samknows.com/broadband/exchange/LCBAN

I was just going on what "Dave", from tier 3 support at Orange, told me yesterday. As Stanley says (above), I'll believe it when I see it...

[Stanley]

I'm lucky in that I am not hampered by 6mps as I don't do big data transfers so my system works. As far as Orange are concerned we are pawns in a commercial world. Same applies to all the other providers. Hunker down and endure!
Tiz raised another matter on another thread. Can you remember me having problems communicating with the Science Museum about Apron Hooks? If you try to send an email with 'apron hook' on the subject line it is rejected. I tried it again this morning and T bird won't accept the message. I'd love to know why. Anyone got any ideas? Try sending a mail to yourself and see what happens.....

[Pluggy]

Its Oranges mail server. I tried using their webmail it rejected it as well, but gave this error message :

Your email has not been sent because it was rejected by the server. Please check you have not used any special characters in the address, subject or body and that you have not attached any blocked file types (eg .exe).

If I use my own webmail it sends without any problems. Since Orange block port 25 to all but their own mailserver, you're stuck with it if you use a mail client to send email. Its a hangover from the Freeserve days (and mindset from that era).

[Big Kev]

I'm lucky in that I am not hampered by 6mps as I don't do big data transfers so my system works. As far as Orange are concerned we are pawns in a commercial world. Same applies to all the other providers. Hunker down and endure!
Tiz raised another matter on another thread. Can you remember me having problems communicating with the Science Museum about Apron Hooks? If you try to send an email with 'apron hook' on the subject line it is rejected. I tried it again this morning and T bird won't accept the message. I'd love to know why. Anyone got any ideas? Try sending a mail to yourself and see what happens.....

It'll probably be an oner zealos spam filter that's blocking apron. It's probably close enough to the word porn to warrant blocking.

[Stanley]

So, it sees it as 'A Porn Hook'. Brilliant!

[PanBiker]

Saw this on the news tonight, might have a play with one of these when supplies stabilise out. ARM processor based. Aimed at engaging kids in computer coding, belting idea.

Raspberry Pi

[Pluggy]

I've been following the pi forum for a couple of months, its no surprise they sold out almost immediately judging by the interest on there. Its a charity based company and they only had funds to have 10,000 made. Future batches will be much larger. They flogged a few prototypes (10) on ebay a while back, they went for silly money (one fetched 10 thousand quid). I'll be having one when they become available. It beats hacking ARM NAS boxes to get a low powered server.