NTL/Virgin Media broadband SNAFU

[alexander.keys1]

Virgin Media have just taken over my broadband Internet service from NTL, and it's not working very well.

Firstly it takes several attempts to launch Internet Explorer and Outlook Express, someti sometimes my PC has to be rebooted, and Interent access is generally sluggish.

(Something has also happened to Google which is causing this text to be mangled I have to press the return key at the end of each line or else text does not appear, in fact the right hand part of the screen is obscured).

Also I can't reliably access my e-mail, I received an e-mail in Outlook with a link to the Virgin Media homepage, which I am supposed to use to access my e-mail f from now on, this asks me to sign in then links to another page, which asks me to sign in again, then goes back to the previous one.

Anybody know how to get it working, or will I have to change to BT ( I also get telephone service from NTL, and I've been having problems there too, such as no entry in the BT directory or even Directory Enquiries, they don't have my number. No 1571 service either.)

NTL/Virgin's faults line is busy, I've tried phoning them.

[Mark McIntyre]

actually they haven't - ntl have renamed themselves Virgin Media...

All this sounds far more like a problem with your PC, your ISP can't affect how your browser displays data.

:-)

[Brian Sharrock]

AIUI; there is _not_ a 'BT directory anymore. Ofcom are the publishers of a book that (is supposed to) contains all the phone numbers that are not ex-directory. This book is called 'The Phone Book' and is distributed to each subscriber once per year. This task is 'huge' requiring databases, printing, distribution capability, etc, etc.; so OFcom puts the job out to tender . The Ofcom contract -to produce the 'Phone Book' has been won by a telco trading under the name _BT_ . it may look like a BT directory, it may feel like a BT directory ... but it's no longer the BT directory ... it's 'The Phone Book".

[Phil L]

As per the other reply, this is a problem local to your PC and not your ISP...have you done a virus scan with up to date definitions?, likewise a spyware scan, again with up to date definitions?

on the virgin page, you are supposed to use the drop down list for whichever ISP you use, they are Virgin, NTL, Blueyonder, when you click these, you go to a login page

Please don't go to BT, they are a bunch of wankers of the highest order

[Tx2]

In article , Brian Sharrock of [e-mail], felt we'd be interested in the following...

Wow, I didn't know that. I bet you're great at parties....

:-)

[Mike Roebuck]

snip

It's working fine here, no problems whatsoever.

[Mike Roebuck]

True. I get that here.

However, I too have an NTL phone, and my number is not, and never has been listed in it.

[Frank Erskine]

Were that so, it's unlikely that BT would be allowed to have their corporate logo on the front, or be "copyright British Telecommunications"...

[J Clavox]

Ah yes did you not expect this to happen ? I did that is why I closed my BY account , my BY connection had been going slower and slower since last October. Now I get full 8Mb during the daytime and from around 5 PM onwards I get 5 1/2 Mb and from around 11 PM the speed goes back up to full 8Mb and all for an extra two pounds a month more than I was paying TW for a 4 Mb connection which I never got from 5 PM onwards every evening .

[J Clavox]

BT are the BEST in the buseness NOW never used to be though and at least BT staff do not lie to customers like a certain BY staff member did not all that long ago .

[Terry W.]

"Phil L" wrote in news:BhNyh.8283$ [e-mail]:

I have been with BT for telephone AND as my ISP for the last six years. I have had precisely 2 (TWO) days without service in that 6 years !!!

Not bad for a "bunch of wankers" !!!

Please operate brain before putting fingers to keyboard.

Terry W

[J Clavox]

Terry BT broadband was total crap when I first joined and was supplied with the Frog and I told them where to go it was total rubbish now how ever BT Internet seems like a different ISP to the one I got rid of a few years ago and 200% better than Blueyonder/NTL/Virgin Media or whatever they are calling themselves to day .

[Brian Sharrock]

Ah! You've read the entire contract have you, Frank? The copyright declaration prevent outfits such as Tnompson photo-copying the pages and.or OCR the data.

[Stickems.]

Two days down in six years is bad, very bad.

[Fred]

I had NTL before Virgin took over (or did not take over). It was OK then. It's total crap now. From the middle of last year it was a nightmare. I'm in the process of moving to another ISP before the baseball season starts.

Fred.

[Stuart Noble]

What are the symptoms? Proxy servers can make a big difference if you don't have total loss of service.

[IPGURU]

Check your PC for Viruses & Spyware

check for Viruses & spyware

Your Pop3 mailbox is still operational (& there is no known intention to close it at present) the web access is only to allow access when you are not at your own PC. carry on using Outlook/Express, Thunderbird or whatever email client you were previously using

call customer services & ask them (although with all the telesales companies out there many would consider this a blessing)

I called yesterday to enquire about upgrading to the V+ box & was shocked to be answered in less than 5 minutes (without having to put up with that obnoxious Geordie either). & was then transferred directly to the correct department when previously I would have been told to dial an

0845 number & pay for the privilege.

Have you also noticed that Cust services & Faults are now manned 24/7

I do not believe that all f NTHells failings can be cured overnight but I cannot see Richard allowing any company using his trade name to continue to be as poor as NTHell

[Fred]

Have you heard of the west coast train lin Glasgow to London?

[Dom Robinson]

That's why you'll always find him in the kitchen... :)

I get the directory once a year and look at it less often. It's free to search on BT.com (and presumably other sites) for numbers if I need them, so anyone who rings expensive directory enquiries numbers need their head read.

[J Clavox]

Nothing wrong with the trains I use on the Virgin west coast ,the train I catch is ALWAYS in London spot on time or a couple of minutes or so early never late and the 17 45 from Euston always gets me back home on time also.