Broadband re-activation delay - why?

Stuart* · Sun 14 Jan, 2007 14.00

BT disabled by broadband on Friday morning (even though it's provided by AOL). My fault as I forgot to pay the phone bill (very kindly run up by my housemate before I evicted her). I don't use the landline for calls, so hadn't even noticed they had disabled out-going calls about 6 weeks ago, but then to remove a service provided by someone else is alittle inconsiderate methinks.

Anyway, I duly paid the extortionate bill and reconnection fee requested by BT (£200) and the phone came on within an hour.

I then had to spend 4 hours on the phone being passed around BT and AOL to find that even though the service was only disabled for 4 hours, I have to wait 5 - 10 days to get the broadband back. I'm now reduced to "snail-up", something I haven't had for years, and it's frustratingly slow - albeit provided free by AOL, along with next month's broadband subscription free of charge.

Does anyone know why these communications companies take such a long time to get things re-activated, or even know why they have no idea what they are talking about when you ring them up?

Lorns · Sun 14 Jan, 2007 14.48

This happened to me. I'm with AOL and BT and heres why it took so long. It's because AOL will be sending you a brand new modem package, which will take about 10 days to send to you. Try reinstalling broadband onto your pootah again if you still have the software cd. It should work ok. It did for me and i kept the new modem they sent as spares as it was sent free.

marksi · Sun 14 Jan, 2007 16.42

I wouldn't install ANYTHING supplied on CD by AOL or BT. It's bloated unnecessary crap.

[ ] Slow down my PC by 25% (recommended)

Neil Jones · Sun 14 Jan, 2007 21.18

StuartPlymouth wrote:BT disabled by broadband on Friday morning (even though it's provided by AOL). My fault as I forgot to pay the phone bill (very kindly run up by my housemate before I evicted her). I don't use the landline for calls, so hadn't even noticed they had disabled out-going calls about 6 weeks ago, but then to remove a service provided by someone else is alittle inconsiderate methinks.

Anyway, I duly paid the extortionate bill and reconnection fee requested by BT (£200) and the phone came on within an hour.

I then had to spend 4 hours on the phone being passed around BT and AOL to find that even though the service was only disabled for 4 hours, I have to wait 5 - 10 days to get the broadband back.

Unfortunately this is standard practice. The broadband is provided down the phone line, therefore when BT cut your phone line off, it also cuts the broadband off as well. But it apparently takes up to ten days to remove the marker on the line and replace it with a new marker. The fact the phone's only been off for an hour is, as far as BT and in your case AOL is concerned, completely irrelevant.

The same thing apparently happens when you change the registered owner of the phone line, though in theory you can circumvent this in this situation.
(http://groups.google.co.uk/group/uk.tel ... 7388eac1df for that)

Stuart* · Sun 14 Jan, 2007 22.15

OK thanks for your advice peeps. I certainly wasn't expecting a new modem from AOL, I already have a few spares and was intending to just use all the same settings and equipment (Netgear) as before....it's all been configured correctly for wireless, and I wouldn't want to go through the performance of that again.

I'll let you know when they've reconnected it - AOL said they will Email when it's done, hopefully it's soon (and not the full 10 days)!

Neil Jones · Mon 15 Jan, 2007 00.09

StuartPlymouth wrote:I'll let you know when they've reconnected it - AOL said they will Email when it's done, hopefully it's soon (and not the full 10 days)!

Spot the irony in this comment and the original point of the post

This is like the story of the person who phoned up technical support after a thunderstorm, afraid his modem was going to be blown by a surge. They advised him to unplug all his phones and they'd phone him back when the storm was over

Nick Harvey · Mon 15 Jan, 2007 00.14

Neil Jones wrote:Spot the irony in this comment and the original point of the post

Errrrrrrrrrrr, yes, but he DID say he's connected by free snail-speed dial-up while they sort out his broadband.

Stuart* · Mon 15 Jan, 2007 18.28

Nick Harvey wrote:
Neil Jones wrote:Spot the irony in this comment and the original point of the post
Errrrrrrrrrrr, yes, but he DID say he's connected by free snail-speed dial-up while they sort out his broadband.

Thanks for your support in that reply Mr Harvey. I am becoming somewhat used to "snail-up" for the time being, I just have to be careful what I try to do, and in what order.

Obviously music, video and program update downloads are a "no-no", as is web-camming on MSN, but some functions are OK as long as not much else is running on the net at the time.

Stuart* · Fri 19 Jan, 2007 19.24

BROADBAND BACK ON!!!!! - yeyyyy

Well the broadband is now working again - I hadn't actually checked for a couple of days (owing to having started a new job this week and being knackered when I got home every night).

That was alot quicker than the potential 10 days originally stated. It probably would have been longer if I'd done my usual "pestering calls" every day, but I was busy!.

I tried the AOL software reload (as suggesed by Miss Hellfire) but the disk wouldn't let me reinstall the old modem details - grrrrrrrrrr!

Anyway all done now. I am free to debate and annoy at broadband speeds once again!

Stu