NTL Big mistake (Need advice)

[asbad]

After reading over the forums I realise that my story is like almost everyone who is a customer of NTL.

I was with eircom 1mb but decided to switch to NTL 3mb last saturday. I did the speed test and I was getting 1.6mb Max, This speed was acceptable as I mainly use the internet for online games. But then last Monday evening the connection went Very Slow, like 200kb and has been like that since. Basically making my internet useless.

I rang up their support and got through after being on hold for 30mins (Btw That feckin classical music has become depressing since every support center uses it for calls on hold). I told them about the speed and they asked "Did you use www.Irishiptest.com?", "Yes...", "O well Thats very unreliable". (In an earlier thread NTL said to a customer that it was unreliable to check his 6mb as irishiptest.com only works for >4mb).

Then they tell me that I only have 2MB! despite the engineer telling during the installation that it was 3mb he put in. THEN, they tell me they wont upgrade my service to 3mb because im on a 3 month trial and "It will mess up their system".

So now, im thinking of changing ISP again, Less then a week after getting NTL. Is there anything I can do to improve speed? (Bar- the obvious ones).
Or should I just switch ISP? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

One last thing-
http://img414.imageshack.us/img414/9802/nonameao5.png
Shouldn't there be "sent packages there?"

Great site Btw

[Lofty2007]

At the bottom of the taskbar there should be two "monitor like" screens where you clicked.....Yes the "Send Packets" and "Received Packets" should be going up together......Try to repair the connection....Are you using a router...?????....(maybe it's not configured right)

I know NTL have either an USB connection or an RJ45 Cat 5 connection.....

A bit thicker than a phone line......

Regarding speed....

NTL have contention of 17:1....Therefore there is 17 users using a 6MB line.....Some friends of mine said that the speed is slower at the weekend and faster during the day and throughout the night....

Most people don't leave their computers running 24/7 if they are downloading...They might go over their 1GB daily limit......So I would say between the hours of say 12midnight to 6am every day...The speed should be very fast....(Everyone is asleep - well any normal person)....If all else failes......Try Irish Broadband, or Magnet......

best of luck,

Lofty

[austin]

I lived in Walkinstown and had NTL for nearly 5 years. It started at 512K but went up to 3MB and I never had even a small issue with them.

Irishisttest returns speeds of about 2.9 mb with upload up at 300k.

I am so suppriesed that people have issues with NTL.

I live in an appartment now and have BT 1MB and it gives speeds of 800k and costs only slightly less than what I paid for NTL, I'm very dissapointed.

[ergot]

i have a good connection, between 3.9 and 5.3 i subscribe to a 6mb dl . when i lost it was i told it would take a month before anyone would come to look at it, told them to shove it were the sun dont shine 2 days later was fixed, ntl are great if u dont have a problem that is,just be prepared to cancel it if u have problems but

[murfcom]

Hi,

I have a 3mb line with NTL and find it brilliant, times i'm checking speed and record above the 3mb limit, speeds never go low, are you sure theres contention.

[murfcom]

Hi,

I have a 3mb line with NTL and find it brilliant, times i'm checking speed and record above the 3mb limit, speeds never go low, are you sure theres contention.

I've used Irish Broadband and its the dish on the roof or nothing (pricier too)

[asbad]

Thanks to people offering advice.
At this stage things have settled and the only problem i have with Ntl is the way their servcie seems to go down for a couple of hours every month or so

But for others looking for info on NTL, heres my experience -
-Asked for 3mb (installer asured me it was 3mb), they installed 2mb...
-Wouldnt upgrade 2-3mb for at least 3months (as it "would upset their system")
-Slow Connection that went up and down throughout the day averaging at about 1.2mb, For the first 3 months after installation.
-Lost count of the number of times I had rang them (maybe 20 calls), each call lasting on average 30mins.
-Lost my patience with one of the tech support people over the phone as she said "There's nothing we can do" in a rude manner.Told her to F*** off". (Which I must say is generally out of character for me)
-3 occasions they said they would ring me back, they didnt.
-When I finally got an engineer out, He basically improved nothing.
-After 3months I asked for the upgrade, My max connection increased from 1.7mb to 1.8mb, It wasnt until 2 months after the upgrade that i got decent speed
-I was supposed to get 1st 3months free, yet the bill recieved said they are charging 50euro for the 1st 3months (we had already paid the installation fee).
- Service goes down for a couple of hours every month or so (Most galway ntl customers get this too)

[brian buckley]

I find them very good, i've got 3Mb download with around 300Kb upload.
There upgrading there line's.
So by june of 2008 i'll have 6Mb for the same price.
No other company has offered that as far as i am aware of anyway.