Modem Router (ot)

[zedzedeleven]

After two days wi`out tinternet I gave in and rang Talktalk. One hour and fifteen minutes and four operators later they told me I needed a new router. Operator number five contradicted operator number four and told me it wouldn`t be free unless I signed up for TalkTalk phone and tv package.  I was also informed that Modem/routers only lasted "about eighteen months". So, I rang my local `puter shop and they said it didn`t  accord with their experience and told me how to reconfigure my four year old TP-Link router, bought off them. I did what they suggested and here we are, back on line. It`s the second time that Talktalk advisers have been wrong, and also taken an hour or so to do it.  Anyone recommend a decent ISP? I`m looking at Zen at the moment. I can`t knock Talktalk until it all goes wrong, then boy, are they bad.

[woe10]

I had the same router for 6 years with Canary Net and V - Sat. Never a problem with it. The only problem was Telefonica going down all the time.

I changed it 6 months ago, and the only reason was that it wasn't compatible with my new provider's system, JRM, whom I am very pleased with. ( and the new one was free )

I still have the other one, Buffalo Air Station Turbo G. For sale if anybody wants it. Works fine with Canary Net and V-Sat.

[pete from rochdale]

TalkTalk are bad news. They will even take monies out of your bank account when you leave them .

[Globetrotter]

No problems with Talk Talk, had them for years, speed is very impressive and have even been sent a new router no problem and free, no ties, no new contract, cant fault them.

[zedzedeleven]

Well yes, like I said, I never had any problems  with Talktalk for years. In fact I didn`t actually sign up with Talktalk, I had an IP that was taken over by Tiscali who in turn were taken over by Talktalk. On two occasions  when things went wrong it became a nightmare, passed from one know nothing call centre stooge to another, hours wasted at premium rate call costs. Got the problem solved today in five minutes at my local pc shop. Have to wait and see if a new router turns up, the last conversation I had with them centred on a disagreement, one operator promised a new router but the next one said I had to sign up for a more expensive package. It didn`t get resolved because my phone battery went flat. Not sure I need or want a new one anyway, I`m quite happy with this one.

[zedzedeleven]

TalkTalk are bad news. They will even take monies out of your bank account when you leave them .

Yes, I suppose I have that bridge to cross eventually. If I remember correctly it comes out of a credit card so I should have the might of Barclaycard behind me.

[spongebob squarepants]

TalkTalk are appalling. I called them to complain about slow speed and they said they had detected my router was faulty and that they'd send me a new one if I signed an 18 month contract. In fact there was nothing wrong with my router. They're notoriously bad at giving out MAC codes if you want to change ISP too. I simply had BT connect a brand new phone line complete with broadband rather than play TalkTalk's silly games. Left 'em high and dry without even having to call them to cancel service.

[Brightspark]

They are all useless in one way or another.
In reality although they use cable Virgin sucks too but they'll dress things up to make people think they're awesome!

Looking at the above most would think WOOHOO!! mega downloads!!!
But really with a throttled upload as also above overall performance isn't as good as it should be.

[hairybiker]

I was with Tiscali and then, after takeover, with TalkTalk.  Customer service always sucked and thier technical support knew less than I did (with some exceptions when you got to 2nd line support).

Currently with EE and having no problems with kit (BrightBox) or speed (relatively - no fibre here yet).

I did look at Zen for my daughter as she needed short-term connection but it worked out very expensive over more than a couple of months. It was cheaper to take up Sky's offer, pay the annual costs up front and walk away after 6 months.  Unfortunately I've deleted the spreadsheet where it was all laid out. Sorry

In the end, she piggy-backed off someone else's connection

[Brightspark]

ZZ hows that Ubuntu treating you?

[zedzedeleven]

ZZ hows that Ubuntu treating you?

Funny you should ask that, I was just about to ask you if you had installed it yet! No major problems up to now , and no nasty viri either. Just been putting some cd`s onto it, Musicbox it calls itself. Seems a bit slow, it took ten minutes to put one fifty minute cd on. The biggest dilemma is when I installed it somehow Windows7 went awol, I have checked on the Ubuntu forums and I`m not the first one to misplace his W7, however, better people than me have tried to retrieve it and ended up with no operating system at all ! so I`m going to leave it as is for now until a man who can returns home. Another slight problem is the Western Digital solid state external hard drive I have doesn`t speak Ubuntu and so some pictures and music files are marooned on there until our lad returns, there is a fix available but again if you don`t know what you are doing nicht fingerpokken.  Still, the main reason I chose to install Ubuntu was because it doesn`t attract too much scam stuff, after my experience with that goddam ransomeware followed by the fake Flash Player update that wasn`t from Adobe and refuses to give up I can`t compain.

[Brightspark]

Great to hear
I seem to remember when I used it I had an issue with a missing drive, if I remember rightly it is a common thing and also a simple fix so as you say wait til your man arrives and sure he'll have it sorted.

I haven't got it on this pc yet but due to get it on here on a dual boot when I find the time!

[zedzedeleven]

Crickey, mebbe I  just spoke too soon. I was just trying to figure out how to transfer some music from  Musicbox to my Cowon D20, which was plugged in, I couldn`t do it so unplugged the Cowon and the pc screen went blank.  After switching the pc off and on a message appeared offering a choice of viewing some log files or continuing with a screen in low resolution . I had a look at the log files and as usual it meant nothing except  a rather ominous "fatal error" line. Anyway, clicked on the low resolution button and it`s all back to normal. Fingers crossed.

[hairybiker]

I run a dual boot Windows 7/Ubuntu set up.  I use EasyBCD to maintain the boot loader so that it defaults to W7

When you installed Ubuntu, I assume that you told it to install ALONGSIDE Windows 7?  If you did, OK.  If not you are probably screwed.

When Ubuntu updates to a new version of GRUB (the bootloader) it always seems to mess up EasyBcd so that W7 goes missing.  But GRUB offers the opportunity, at start up, to start Windows.

Try this and then reset the bootloader (If you have installed EasyBCD) or use "bootrec /fixmbr" to get back to W7 as default.

You can still access W7 files from inside Ubuntu.  You just have to poke around the other non-linux disk partitions with the file navigator (I forget it's name) until you find them

[zedzedeleven]

Thanks for the info HB, I remember when installing Ubuntu the message coming up about "wait while the disc is partitioned", thats about all I can remember. If you can find the instruction for accessing W7 within Ubuntu I would be grateful because I would like to get at the files that are on it, I would prefer to do it with W7 offline as well, cheers.

[hairybiker]

I think it best if I PM you with the details as not everybody will want to read it all.

OK?

[zedzedeleven]

I think it best if I PM you with the details as not everybody will want to read it all.

OK?

Yep, just read through it, thanks for your efforts, much appreciated. There is definitely no mention of W7 at start up so I must have over written it. I`ll see if I can get to look at W7 via Ubuntu , as I say it`s just the  music and pictures I`d like to retrieve .

[zedzedeleven]

Ah bingo! , the path goes home folder-devices-Compaq-users-<my name> computer then lots of files, I just selected one to try it and a picture of a zzr appeared ! Star man HB, thanks for your time and effort.

[hairybiker]

You are welcome. Glad to be of assistance

[Banzai]

Had terrible problem with Talk Talk in 2006 tried to switch me without authority to Talk Talk phone,ended up keeping Broadband with them till we moved in 2007 .....wouldn't trust them at all !!!