'cannot find server' ISP woes

[johnelliott]

Most every early evening now, I am able to connect to my broadband service, but nothing comes through. It definitely conects, sometimes I get litle bit of my home page (Google) but by the time it's halfway throughdownloading the logo that's it, nothing more.
Eventually it comes up at the bottom of the screen "cant find server". This can go on for hours sometimes,this evening I tried to get on and got nothing unitl about 10pm. I rang the helpline and eventually got a chap in I presume India who was looking at the problem from the perspective that there is something wrong with the way my computer is set up, but the computer is fine, I'm on now with no poblems whatsoever.
I'm quite sure that it's an ISP problem and unless they can fix it, which I assume means increase their capaccity, it looks like a need a new ISP. Any recommendations?
Funy thing, while I'm sat here this evening fuming, I get a call from my ISP asking if I wowuld like to have broadband free, all I need to do is to sign up for their mobile phone contract in excess of £30 a month. I wouldn't have their mobile phone service if it was free either, because around here Vodafone is the only one that works everywhere
TIA

 

[devonwoody]

I had this problem with tesco.net last week, around 7 hours of getting that message. I have put it down to middle east troubles, or the kids breaking up for the summer holidays and practising their IT skills.

 

[RogerS]

John

I'd say that it was almost certainly down to contention at your local end/box/exchange as DW suggested and too many users trying to use the same 'thin' pipe.

Moving to a different ISP probably won't achieve much, I suspect. And trying to resolve it is going to be difficult as you are stuck between a rock and a hard place. With the move towards local unbundling at the local exchanges there is all sort of scope now for finger pointing and you are the piggy in the middle. Sorry not to be more positive.

You could try posting on this forum

EDIT: Bet you're with BTOpenworld John?

EDIT TWO: Try this both when you can connect OK and when you can't..

taken from adslguide.org.uk

As well as testing your connection on the ADSLGuide speedtest and the various other speedtesters that exist, there is one run by BT Wholesale. The BT speedtester actually will bypass your ISPs own network, and therefore is a good test of your PC/Modem/Line/Exchange.

To use the speedtester you need to change the login you are using, the username to use is speedtest@speedtest_domain, the password can be anything (see here for an example). Then visit the webpage http://speedtester.bt.com/cgi-bin/home.page.pl and enter your telephone number and run the test, an example of the results from a 1Mbps line are shown here.

Due to the way the networks are setup, people with a LLU or Datastream based line will not be able to access the BT speedtest.

 

[johnelliott]

John

I'd say that it was almost certainly down to contention at your local end/box/exchange as DW suggested and too many users trying to use the same 'thin' pipe.

Moving to a different ISP probably won't achieve much, I suspect. And trying to resolve it is going to be difficult as you are stuck between a rock and a hard place. With the move towards local unbundling at the local exchanges there is all sort of scope now for finger pointing and you are the piggy in the middle. Sorry not to be more positive.

You could try posting on this forum

EDIT: Bet you're with BTOpenworld John?

EDIT TWO: Try this both when you can connect OK and when you can't..

taken from adslguide.org.uk

As well as testing your connection on the ADSLGuide speedtest and the various other speedtesters that exist, there is one run by BT Wholesale. The BT speedtester actually will bypass your ISPs own network, and therefore is a good test of your PC/Modem/Line/Exchange.

To use the speedtester you need to change the login you are using, the username to use is speedtest@speedtest_domain, the password can be anything (see here for an example). Then visit the webpage http://www.speedtester.bt.com, and enter your telephone number and run the test, an example of the results from a 1Mbps line are shown here.

Due to the way the networks are setup, people with a LLU or Datastream based line will not be able to access the BT speedtest.

Thanks for the info, chaps, if I could just get that speedtester link to work....

 

[RogerS]

Sorry John..should have tested the link first before posting.

Have updated it...should now work.

You didn't answer the first question :wink: Are you on BT Openworld?

 

[mailee]

I often get this sort of thing too with NTL here. i noticed on their service site they are working on the servers at this time so it must be down to this. It is very hit and miss and at this moment is working fine. I have the 3MB connection but sometimes it seems like it is just a 28K!!

 

[johnelliott]

Had several goes on the speed test site, enter my number, screen goes blank, says 'done' at the bottom nothing happens no matter how long I wait, check connection panel, no incoming bytes, not having much luck at the moment, presumably will have to wait til after midnight again
John

 

[RogerS]

John

Do you know how to run tracert? Go to Run > Cmd then type tracert www.bbc.co.uk

That site is a good yardstick...you should see a list of IP addresses and the time taken. If you never get to the beeb then yes you do have problems.

 

[matt]

I often get this sort of thing too with NTL here. i noticed on their service site they are working on the servers at this time so it must be down to this. It is very hit and miss and at this moment is working fine. I have the 3MB connection but sometimes it seems like it is just a 28K!!

Give them a call, they may direct your connection via a proxy server that carries less traffic.