Orange broadband line dropping - any thoughts

[TonyW]

Having suffered for quite some time now with my broadband connection dropping line - usually in the middle of something important I thought that I would seek opinions here. This is after several unsatisfactory calls to Orange customer service.

Brief description
Can be using the system for any period of time then the line drops with Error message
Opening Port
Error 680 No Dial tone

Followed by
Verifying User Password........
Error 734 PPP link control terminated
Accompanied by flashing error light on modem. After a minute or so modem lights on and away I go again!


I am aware of other Orange users complaining of similar line drop problems there are a few web sites dedicated to this. The stories seem to be along similar lines - originally with Freeserve change to Wanadoo no problems, Orange take over lots of problems

Last call to customer service 1 hour ago. Reply - We have checked your line and will get an engineer to deal with it, it will be ok on 24th - if not phone us again!!

Any thoughts

Cheers

Tony

 

[Cabaxi]

Hi Tony
I have the same problem its always about 7 till 11 in the evening or when an auction is about near finished on e-bay! that you have waited a week for. I was thinking of changing to Pipex but I was told the change over could take about six weeks.
I was going to wait till the summer hols and tell Orange where to go.

 

[andycktm]

I changed from plusnet to aol last year .Gave aol the mac code then one day i couldn't connect to plusnet,so tried aol and bingo i was on.They said i maybe without a connection for about 4 hours but i didn't even notice! I havn't used the aol help line but the connection is spot on.Don't know if you've any other reason's (contract etc) but if not swapping should be painless.

 

[Noel]

Tony, I've something similar happening. I'm with Virgin (and very happy with them) and the same intermittent fault happens. Line could drop for 30 secs or for a couple of hours. When it started last year I used to think the drops only occurred when it was raining but that seems to have been purely coincidential. Get the same error message "no dial tone". I generally start unplugging things and maybe leaving the telephone (on the same line) on speaker with the dial tone and this seems to cure it (or again it's just luck that the line pops back again).
Although I haven't had the line checked I'm sure it's an internal fault. Something in the telephone house wiring has degraded. Plus the fact that I'm currently plugged into an extension socket.
I'll be moving office shortly so I'll get a chance to check everything as well as connecting straight into the master socket.

 

[Russell]

I have the same problem at work and its defo an orange compatibility problem. I have some code to enter on the run command that cleans things up then delete connection in network settings and then add new connection. we are on a speedtouch connection with orange. We are changing to a wireless router this week if that does not work I am binning orange

 

[Noel]

I've Speedtouch as well. I did kick one time after the line dropped and I got a connection again straight away.

 

[RogerS]

Tony

A quick Google does indeed reveal the extent of their problem and I ah similarly bad problems with their customer service but this time on the mobile side. This was eventually resolved but only after I wrote a personal letter to one of the directors at their home address!

Dump them. I've said it before and will continue to say it. Zen. Zen. Zen. Just won the Sunday Times broadband supplier of the year. They have a load of other awards.

Cabaxi...if you use AuctionSniper then you don't have to worry about your line dropping.

 

[CraftNav]

Tony I have been with freeserve, wanado and now Orange, I also used to have this problem until I decided to network my two computers and a friend gave me his 'surplus' AOL Netgear DG834G router/modem - Since this time (about six months) never had a problem.
You can pick up brand new Netgear DG834G on Ebay for about £20-£30 or see if you can borrow a mates to see if this cures your prob.

john

 

[TonyW]

Thanks to all for the feedback. My intentions for now are:

1. Today is the day I was told by customer services that my line would be "sorted" by Orange engineers! I was told if any further problems to contact them again!
If I do get any further problem I think it is a waste of time contacting CS, they will just tell me to do the same routine unplug modem turn computer off etc etc. In the event of further occurrences I shall be phoning their sales line and asking for a replacement wireless modem as I suspect these problems to be caused by an intermittent hardware/software/firmware failure. :evil:

2. If all of the above fails will try to convince the company IT team to loan me a wireless modem/router - I really do think this will resolve the issues

3. In the event of further problems I will dump Orange and look elsewhere. Certainly will look at Zen. Just did not fancy the perceived hassle of changes mail services and having to notify customers and friends.

:idea: Perhaps I've been "Tangoed" :lol: :lol:

Anyway thanks again guys for help

Cheers
Tony :lol: :lol:

 

[Russell]

I spoke to a British technical guy from Orange today he said the problem is due to a speed upgrade they did in January the speedtouch modems cant handle more than 4megs reliably and so they are sending me a live box I have told them if that does not work I want a MAC code and will switch providers

 

[andycktm]

Can any lucky devil on here get 4mb,off the top of my head i don't know anybody with any more than 2 mb.You've got to be within a 1/2 mile or so of your local exchange to get 4mb+.

 

[TonyW]

Russell Thanks for that - confirms my suspicions. Interesting the 4meg limit - my exchange does not support that therefore have been running at 2Meg. Just had another failure when logging on tonight when I was promised all would be ok. I will be looking for the hardware upgrade.

Last chance Orange - although I know that you do not really care ](*,)

As a matter of interest which contact line did you use Cust. Supp. Sales?

Cheers
Tony

 

[Drew]

I'm glad someone posted this fault I thought it was just me. You go along quite happily then bang it cannot connect with such and such address. The icon is still up saying it is live but nothing connects. I tried to complain but I got an eastern gent who I couldn't understand and vice versa. He ended up telling me the computers had crashed there and call back in about three or four hours (probably when his shift had ended).

Drew

 

[Russell]

I have a metered 15.8 meg off sky and a 7.4 meg at work on Orange when it works

Used customer service number ask for a mac code and got referred to a UK based tech guy

 

[paulm]

Not an Orange user but had similar problems with line drop and lost connections using a Speedtouch modem.

Switched to a Netgear wireless router/modem as someone recommended to me and pretty much perfect since (tempting fate !).

They are apparently much more tolerant of changes in signal strength, noise on the line etc than modems generally and the Speedtouch in particular.

Cheers, Paul.

 

[jaymar]

I had trouble with dropped connection when i first joined Bulldog. I tried everything their engineers suggested but nothing helped. By chance I removed a graphics card and lo and behold, I stayed connected. I still do occasionally get dropped but it is not often.