Pipex (Avoid if possible)

[old.user4556]

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/results/id/117096701139924618569.html
This is why you avoid Pipex. 2meg goodness at it's best! :/

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/results/id/117104428349180910213.html

Mine on pipex.

Tried some tweaks, it's fucking hopeless. Pipex suck utter cock.

 

[Skyler]

Date 09/02/07 18:30:53 Speed Down 1770.75 Kbps ( 1.7 Mbps ) Speed Up 241.10 Kbps ( 0.2 Mbps )

On Tiscali at peak time, not so bad (supposed to be 2mbit).

They do suck in many ways though.

 

[Jimmae]

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/speedtest/results/id/117104626765209511259.html

pipex were good at one point, now they are beyond shite, i blame the hoff

 

[Trem]

I don't trust adslguides speedtest. I have just done mine twice and I was getting less than 2mb in the results(I am on 4mb), yet on newsgroups I am getting over 450kbs, this is immediately after I did the speed test.

 

[nath]

Yup same here. I get about 1152KB/s on the speed test but on newsgroups I download at about 2000-2200. Multiple threads are the only way to max out your connection tbh.

 

[Damini]

LOL.

On the subject of pipex just got a letter from them threatening me with account suspension due to non-payment.

Odd because I migrated away from them several months ago.

Maybe their excel spreadsheet isnt up to date?

That's why I was phoning up. Heh.

I'll save you a phone call. They are TOO BUSY, and THE ENGINES CANNAE TAKE MUCH MORE OF THIS.

 

[tris-]

im on 10mbit with ntl, think its between 30-40 per month.

i understand people have issues with them which scares them off. granted, ive had issues, maybe once per year. was always the same thing though so i could actually tell them the problem and they could fix it without going through the bull shit.

only one time was i filled with murderous rage over some Indian jobsworth, but he finally listened and sorted it out.

 

[Bodhi]

On ntl 2Mb, got 1.9 on that speed test with no optimisations which is pretty good. Haven't really got a bad word to say about them, any problems I've had were more to do with billing (taking the £30 for all 3 offer off me 6 months into my contract, funny how they didnt tell me that at the time....) and were always sorted out with a phonecall.

 

[Ch3tan]

Heh speedtest has just shown me that I am on on 4meg cable. Telewest did that upgrade without telling me, I thought I was still on 2meg. Bonus.

 

[Furr]

Im will Nildram, they are ok i guess, although they still haven't fixed my speed problem, I sync at 8meg get 4meg download, But Be internet at ultra high speeds are coming to my area next money so am i migrating to them, even have a new ADSL 2 router modem all ready lol.

 

[throdgrain]

Hmm everyone always seems to slag off BT, but Ive had an adsl service with them for years and it never goes wrong, often downloads at 800kbs and mostly provides a ping of >15 in online games.

On another note, you have a telephone disabilty Kryten ???

 

[FozzySon]

Nildram is Pipex, they bought them out a while ago.
Furr: Dont get your hopes up with Be, we waited for our exchange to be enabled (in October) it got enabled, we got our MAC from Pipex went to sign upto, Be and they took our exchange off the list again, was well pissed that day. Although I suppose I can't put all the blame on Pipex, BT probably had something to do with it too.

 

[nath]

On another note, you have a telephone disabilty Kryten ???

As I recall he has a stutter/stammer right kryt?

 

[Kryten]

Aye. Fully named it's Aspergers Syndrome (autism) - no way of knowing if the speech is related to that or separate pyschological issue.

Not so bad face to face, telephones are usually a no-no though :|

 

[tris-]

just ran a speed test out of interest, only running at 1.5mbps :\

 

[tris-]

just been on the phone. in safe mode i managed to get a speed of 5mibt. the guys diagnosis is faulty modem for some reason, though it worked on 10mbit at the last house. so now im getting a new one.
though imo its more likely they are billing us for 10mbit but only supplying 5mbit

 

[nath]

Are you plugged straight in to the modem or via a router?

 

[throdgrain]

Aye. Fully named it's Aspergers Syndrome (autism) - no way of knowing if the speech is related to that or separate pyschological issue.

Not so bad face to face, telephones are usually a no-no though :|

Yeah I guess phones are a bloody nightmare then :/

 

[tris-]

Are you plugged straight in to the modem or via a router?

tryed both methods as i thought it was the router. both give shite speeds.

 

[Kryten]

Right, now Pipex are really getting on my gonads and this post is additional to further emails sent to ISPA, CICAS and Watchdog as well as a VERY demanding email sent to the utter gits at Pipex.

Contract ended 9th February. New tenant of the property I left called me today - internet is off, but the line is *blocked* by Pipex. What in gods name are they playing at? why on earth would they block the line? He can't get a new ISP sorted because of this, and his work nature demands an internet connection, online, all the time. Naturally he's unhappy.

You may remember the issue I had with their moronic cancellation procedure, disability discrimination problems and billing - because of all that I left hardware and my details for that new flat tenant to use my account. I'm a nice guy like that and dont want to see them go without. I do sort of know them, so trust isn't an issue. Now he's got absolutely nothing, this is taking the biscuit.

His new ISP have said the block in place needs a "code" to be lifted. I'm guessing this is a MAC code. Why on earth would a MAC be needed for an entirely different account? Different people, different ISP. In normal circumstances how on earth would they get a MAC code not knowing the old ISP and not having the old account details?

I suspect I'm going to end up going FAR further with this - Pipex are going to wish they'd have just read the first email correctly in the first place.

 

[Lester]

The MAC code is necessary to move from one ISP to another - the main reason is that it tells BT (who will be doing the actual exchange work) that it's O.K. to do it. Otherwise a customer could move to another ISP even though he might owe the original ISP money or be tied into a long term deal. There have been problems getting these codes sometimes, and I think BT or OFCOM (can't remember which) are starting a program to fine companies that delay issuing MAC codes unfairly.

Even when a service has been cancelled I think that the copper is still connected to the DSLAM at the exchange and routed to the ISP (it will have a "yourname@pipex.net" domain structure still attached), it's just that the ISP won't acknowledge attempts to connect and route out to the Internet. The reason it's not disconnected properly, is that it's very likely that the line will require DSL in the future and connecting it again is just a software change.

Assuming it's a non-LLU service I think you could try BT direct and ask them to remove the legacy ISP connection as it's technically their DSLAM that is holding the info about your phoneline and ISP domain. Worth a try.

http://www.moneysupermarket.com/MediaCentre/RateAlerts/RA92.html

 

[TdC]

you guys are kidding right? you mean that BT locks your line in the DSLAM via the MAC of your modem/router/firewall? holy nefarious practices batman

 

[tris-]

nah its a different code used between ISPs. the MAC is generated between the ISP and BT. if you want to move provider, your current ISP supplys the MAC code to you and you give it to a new ISP. once the new ISP gets the MAC, they supply it to BT, BT tell your old ISP the broadband is terminated then the old ISP should close the account.

i cant remember the technicalities, been about 2-3 years since i worked for an ISPs tech support

 

[Skyler]

Not quite that Teedles.

It's more a case of we are all hard wired to the DSLAM and if you wish to leave an ISP they provide a MAC code (not the same as actual MAC addresses) which you give to your new ISP (providing they support migrations) and they will then fix it with BT about changing the cable and whatnot over to them.

It's designed to smooth the process of changing ISP's but so many didn't support it until now and it can still be a bastard to get them from your ISP.

If this system didn't exist you'd have to cease and reprovide which usually ends up with a new activation fee being paid to the new ISP and many many more days offline.

 

[SheepCow]

My brother recently moved into a new house. The phone line was "locked" as someone had requested NTL set up the line.

They had given the wrong address, so when my brother went to activate his line and setup ADSL BT told him they couldn't do anything about it for 6 months until the activation lock with NTL "timed out" -- despite him living there and have oodles of proof.

Apparently the BT support woman said it happens more often than they'd like but if they do anything they get a massive fine of Ofcom.

Not totally relevant but interesting never-the-less.

 

[Kryten]

It's fucking sick, being blunt - utter red tape, something we could all do without.

 

[Lazarus]

nail on the head Kryt.

The ISP providers face a huge fine if they dont follow procedure. Unfortunately, they do not face a huge fine for fucking off the customers.

 

[Kryten]

This is the problem, Lazarus.
In the good ol' days, when this was all fields, yarn yarn, people retained customers and kept them happy by, well, keeping them happy. If you were loyal, you might have gotten a discount, some decent offers etc. If you were happy, you stayed with them, they continued to get your money.

These days, they don't actually give a shit about customer satisfaction as long as they're getting your money. And to make sure you're not likely to give someone else your money, they'll make it as difficult as possible, inventing T&C's and legal clauses to ensure you still end up giving them your dosh.

The only real problem is, if they continue to piss a lot of people off, they will soon end up suffering a fate like Bulldog. Yeah they're still going, but how many people here would have willingly signed up after hearing all the shite?

Ironic, Pipex now own them too. It appears to me that Pipex are merely buying up all the competition to form a monopoly - forcing people to hand over their cash to them through one or more middlemen.

Just looking forward to contact from ISPA tomorrow - so far these people have been spot on in their service (sorting out errant members) and hopefully they can continue to serve in such a manner.

Only problem is, I'm happy with 123-Reg and still recommend them to people for cheap domains and hosting services. But, nothing has yet gone wrong.

 

[inactionman]

Just wait, aren't BT putting in a bid for Pipex?

 

[Kryten]

christ, I wouldn't know what could be worse.
Not that I care much now, being a Provider Formerly Known as NTL user.

Sorry, refuse to use the name Virgin regarding my internet service. What could be more unpure than Internet content