Moving house - quickest way to get online!
ZipZap
previously, so I need to get the line connected by BT. I'm wondering if
there's any way I can have my broadband up and running as soon as the line
is working. I spoke to BT today and was told if I use BT Broadband they
would activate my ADSL in advance, but they seem a bit expensive compared
with other options out there and the reviews are hardly outstanding. I've
called a couple of other ISPs and who have said I have to wait until my BT
line is activated on the day I move in, then it will be a further 7-10 days
before my broadband is activated. Does this apply to all other ISPs? People
will still be living at my current address, so I won't be transferring the
number or broadband over, it'll be an entirely new account. I don't have
access to the flat until 2 November, so I presume I wouldn't be able to get
the BT line activated until then? Does the engineer visit the house, or is
it done entirely at the exchange? Phone sockets etc. are already in there.
If the above is not possible (and this is a little OT), does anyone know of
any dial up service that offers 24/7 access on a freephone number (I expect
a subscription fee obviously) where I can sign up without a contract in
order to just use it for a couple of weeks until the broadband goes live? I
presume with dial up I could get online immediately? (I have an old PCI
modem somewhere!)
Aside from the usual net addiction, I work as a freelance web
designer/developer, so a connection is pretty essential!
Mortimer
news:6cGdnZO99aMOqoja...@giganews.com...
> I've called a couple of other ISPs and who have said I have to wait until
> my
> BT line is activated on the day I move in, then it will be a further 7-10
> days
> before my broadband is activated.
Only 7-10 days? I've just been chatting on MSN to a friend who is about to
move into a house which already has a BT line and broadband activated on the
line, and she's been quoted 21 days by Tiscali to move her account from her
old line to the new one. She's also getting the number changed to a new one,
but apparently that doesn't make any difference - it would be the same time
even if the new house was keeping the original phone number.
If a line exists and has broadband activated on it, what work do BT actually
have to do? The line is already physically connected to the DSLAM to provide
the old service, so surely it's a software problem which could be completed
in a few minutes. Is it that BT and ISPs routinely run with a long backlog,
instead of having a concerted effort to clear the backlog and then not let
it build up again?
What's Oftel's view on the time it takes to provide/move broadband? Have
they put any pressure on BT to reduce the lead time?
ZipZap
"Mortimer" <m...@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:13haf7m...@corp.supernews.com...
> "ZipZap" <ha...@hahah.com> wrote in message
> news:6cGdnZO99aMOqoja...@giganews.com...
>> I've called a couple of other ISPs and who have said I have to wait until
>> my
>> BT line is activated on the day I move in, then it will be a further 7-10
>> days
>> before my broadband is activated.
>
> Only 7-10 days? I've just been chatting on MSN to a friend who is about to
> move into a house which already has a BT line and broadband activated on
> the line, and she's been quoted 21 days by Tiscali to move her account
> from her old line to the new one. She's also getting the number changed to
> a new one, but apparently that doesn't make any difference - it would be
> the same time even if the new house was keeping the original phone number.
I'm not tranferring a broadband account either, the plan is to get the line
activated, then sign up for a new broadband account the same day (unless I
can do it in advance). Tiscali was one of the ISPs I spoke to and they were
slightly slower. I think they said something like 5 days to receive
confirmation from them, then I would receive my 'pack' within the following
7 days. I already have an ADSL modem, so I'm asuming that as soon as the
ADSL goes live, I'll be able to connect without waiting for this pack. If
they're sending out their packs after 7 days of confirmation, I'm also
asuming that it means they definately expect the lines to be live by then in
order to stop lots of calls from people claiming they've received the pack
and the connection won't work, though maybe I asume too much :)
Andy Burns
> I spoke to BT today and was told if I use BT Broadband they
> would activate my ADSL in advance
I'm surprised they're allowed to offer preferential terms to one ISP.
Mortimer
>
> "Mortimer" <m...@privacy.net> wrote in message
> news:13haf7m...@corp.supernews.com...
>> "ZipZap" <ha...@hahah.com> wrote in message
>> news:6cGdnZO99aMOqoja...@giganews.com...
>>> I've called a couple of other ISPs and who have said I have to wait
>>> until my
>>> BT line is activated on the day I move in, then it will be a further
>>> 7-10 days
>>> before my broadband is activated.
>>
>> Only 7-10 days? I've just been chatting on MSN to a friend who is about
>> to move into a house which already has a BT line and broadband activated
>> on the line, and she's been quoted 21 days by Tiscali to move her account
>> from her old line to the new one. She's also getting the number changed
>> to a new one, but apparently that doesn't make any difference - it would
>> be the same time even if the new house was keeping the original phone
>> number.
>
> I'm not tranferring a broadband account either, the plan is to get the
> line activated, then sign up for a new broadband account the same day
> (unless I can do it in advance).
No I realise that you are activating broadband for the first time. I'd have
thought that this would have been the longer process because it may require
work to be done at the exchange to connect your pair to a DSLAM, whereas a
transfer from the old owner's ISP to the new owner's ISP ought, in theory,
to be quicker. And yet my friend was being quoted 21 days for the latter
instead of the normal 10 days for the former.
> If they're sending out their packs after 7 days of confirmation, I'm also
> asuming that it means they definately expect the lines to be live by then
> in order to stop lots of calls from people claiming they've received the
> pack and the connection won't work, though maybe I asume too much :)
Most of the customers for whom I order broadband have received their modem
or router before the line is activated, so I warn them "don't phone me to
get me to set things up for you when the pckage arrives; wait till you get
the email or letter saying that the line is activated".
ZipZap
"Andy Burns" <usenet....@adslpipe.co.uk> wrote in message
news:13hagge...@corp.supernews.com...
Well she said individual ISPs have different policies, but so far I've not
been able to find another one who doesn't first require the line activation.
Owain
> If the above is not possible (and this is a little OT), does anyone know of
> any dial up service that offers 24/7 access on a freephone number (I expect
> a subscription fee obviously) where I can sign up without a contract in
> order to just use it for a couple of weeks until the broadband goes live?
Claranet do dial-up at £14.99 a month.
Might be worth seeing if the flat is within range of a wifi hotspot.
Owain
Andy Burns
Thinking about it, ISTR that aa.nu can do a combined pstn + adsl
provision, but I think the line is outgoing calls barred, due to them
not wanting to do call billing.
Bob Eager
Look at this:
http://aaisp.net.uk/aa/aaisp/pstn.html
and particularly the bit where the heading starts "Can we still
order..." and you'll see the problem, and a suggested solution.
--
[ 7'ism - a condition by which the sufferer experiences an inability
to give concise answers, express reasoned argument or opinion.
Usually accompanied by silly noises and gestures - incurable, early
euthanasia recommended. ]
Eeyore
ZipZap wrote:
> I'm due to move into a new flat on 2 November, no one has lived there
> previously, so I need to get the line connected by BT. I'm wondering if
> there's any way I can have my broadband up and running as soon as the line
> is working. I spoke to BT today and was told if I use BT Broadband they
> would activate my ADSL in advance, but they seem a bit expensive compared
> with other options out there and the reviews are hardly outstanding. I've
> called a couple of other ISPs and who have said I have to wait until my BT
> line is activated on the day I move in, then it will be a further 7-10 days
> before my broadband is activated. Does this apply to all other ISPs?
I honestly don't know but BT Broadband isb't *supposed* to have any advantage
over the others in the way that they suggested to you.
I would strongly recommend you call Idnet, who are a very competent smaller ISP
where you'll be able to talk to someone technically competent and ask their
advice. I wouldn't trust the advice of any of the large consumer ISPs like
Tiscali where you're just talking to some sales droid.
Graham
Eeyore
Andy Burns wrote:
Quite !
Graham
hoochxy
OneTel have freephone numbers both for their unlimited monthly service
and their PAYG service.
Abo
> "ZipZap" <ha...@hahah.com> wrote in message
> news:6cGdnZO99aMOqoja...@giganews.com...
>> I've called a couple of other ISPs and who have said I have to wait until
>> my
>> BT line is activated on the day I move in, then it will be a further 7-10
>> days
>> before my broadband is activated.
>
> Only 7-10 days? I've just been chatting on MSN to a friend who is about to
> move into a house which already has a BT line and broadband activated on the
> line, and she's been quoted 21 days by Tiscali to move her account from her
> old line to the new one.
If you're out of contract on the old one, just give notice to cancel and
start a new subscription (with someone other than Tiscali...) in the new
place. You take a hit in paying overlapped subscription fees but the new
BB will be up and running quicker then if you so a swap, by the sounds
of it. If you're a home worker etc. for whom the connection is
invaluable then I think it's worth it.
--
Abo
alexd
> I've just been chatting on MSN to a friend who is about to
> move into a house which already has a BT line and broadband activated on
> the line, and she's been quoted 21 days by Tiscali to move her account
> from her old line to the new one. She's also getting the number changed to
> a new one, but apparently that doesn't make any difference - it would be
> the same time even if the new house was keeping the original phone number.
Tiscali do LLU, which could explain the long lead time [although moving this
line to LLU from a BT reseller only took five working days, which is the
same as BT resellers take].
> If a line exists and has broadband activated on it, what work do BT
> actually have to do? The line is already physically connected to the DSLAM
> to provide the old service, so surely it's a software problem which could
> be completed in a few minutes. Is it that BT and ISPs routinely run with a
> long backlog, instead of having a concerted effort to clear the backlog
> and then not let it build up again?
How do you know it's a backlog? I reckon it's just a lead time that's
presumably that long because they want a small margin in which to resolve
any issues that may crop up.
> What's Oftel's view on the time it takes to provide/move broadband? Have
> they put any pressure on BT to reduce the lead time?
Five working days is hardly excessive.
--
<http://ale.cx/> (AIM:troffasky) (UnSoEs...@ale.cx)
09:03:54 up 16 days, 10:52, 2 users, load average: 0.00, 0.13, 0.17
09 f9 11 02 9d 74 e3 5b d8 41 56 c5 63 56 88 c0
Graham
I think Zen offer a special connection service where for a premium you could
pay for same day connection. Can't find a link to it at present, but it
would be worth ringing them.
I think the potential problems you might have with BT would mitigate against
them. I've found that new activations from Zen are often live within 3
working days ...
--
Graham J
Theo Markettos
> If the above is not possible (and this is a little OT), does anyone know of
> any dial up service that offers 24/7 access on a freephone number (I expect
> a subscription fee obviously) where I can sign up without a contract in
> order to just use it for a couple of weeks until the broadband goes live? I
> presume with dial up I could get online immediately? (I have an old PCI
> modem somewhere!)
I'd get a mobile phone that does GPRS and an Orange PAYG SIM, and then every
day you need it pay a pound for their unlimited GPRS bundle:
http://www1.orange.co.uk/service_plans/payasyougo/extra_other.html
It's not quick (modem speeds, but latency worse) but it does at least take
the pressure off having to have your phone set up immediately.
It's always been full internet when I've used it (make sure you say you want
adult content, otherwise they block blogs/forums/etc), but the wording is
now 'Orange World' - if you want to use it I'd check it's still full
internet.
As far as flat-rate dialup goes, I've used these people successfully:
http://www.mipcards.com/
They're cheaper than the usual 0845 providers if you use it for any length
of time.
Theo
R. Mark Clayton
If continuity is essential, then either get a gsm connection (e.g. via
T-mobile) or canvass the neighbours (possibly with the offer of financial
compensation) to be allowed to use their wi-fi until you are online.
dave @ stejonda
<ha...@hahah.com> writes
>I'm due to move into a new flat on 2 November, no one has lived there
>previously, so I need to get the line connected by BT. I'm wondering
>if there's any way I can have my broadband up and running as soon as
>the line is working. I spoke to BT today and was told if I use BT
>Broadband they would activate my ADSL in advance, but they seem a bit
>expensive compared with other options out there and the reviews are
>hardly outstanding. I've called a couple of other ISPs and who have
>said I have to wait until my BT line is activated on the day I move in,
>then it will be a further 7-10 days before my broadband is activated.
>Does this apply to all other ISPs? People will still be living at my
>current address, so I won't be transferring the number or broadband
>over, it'll be an entirely new account.
If the people there now have BB, the quickest way would be to arrange to
take over their BB service.
--
dave @ stejonda
Abo
> I'd get a mobile phone that does GPRS and an Orange PAYG SIM, and then every
> day you need it pay a pound for their unlimited GPRS bundle:
> http://www1.orange.co.uk/service_plans/payasyougo/extra_other.html
Are the SIM cards that they send out on PAYG 3G, just out of interest?
--
Abo
dave @ stejonda
writes
>Mortimer wrote:
>
>> I've just been chatting on MSN to a friend who is about to
>> move into a house which already has a BT line and broadband activated on
>> the line, and she's been quoted 21 days by Tiscali to move her account
>> from her old line to the new one. She's also getting the number changed to
>> a new one, but apparently that doesn't make any difference - it would be
>> the same time even if the new house was keeping the original phone number.
>
>Tiscali do LLU, which could explain the long lead time [although moving
>this line to LLU from a BT reseller only took five working days, which
>is the same as BT resellers take].
Be quoted 10-15 working days IIRC for their LLU service to be working
once a new BT line had been activated at my son's flat in East London
recently. In fact the line was working after 5 days but a delay with
delivery of their BeBox caused a further few days delay. Except that I
had a spare ADSL2 modem/router which worked just fine.
I'm impressed by Be: their support number is 0808nnnnnn and the people
who answer the phones in Bulgaria speak good English and, more
importantly, understand what is said to them. They don't seem to work
from a script either. There is also a web-based ticketing system which
the phone staff use in tandem with the phone to, for instance, give you
a written copy of something they've just talked you through.
--
dave @ stejonda
(please, nobody mention Sky BB)
Theo Markettos
I think the SIM cards might be, but this deal doesn't allow you 3G (it might
allow EDGE, but I don't think Orange has much of that). Data otherwise is
gbp4/MB, so I wouldn't feel the need to test 3G even if I had a compatible
phone :(
uk.telecom.mobile will probably have a more comprehensive answer if you
wanted to ask there.
Theo