Arrrgh, cant reinstall Tesco Dial up

mxxx

Hi,
I hope someone can help me because im likely to go mad if I waste any more time on this stupid problem. My Grandparents very rarely use the internet so are using Tesco dial up but their computer went wrong recently and I had to run a system restore for them. All was going brilliantly until it came to reinstalling the tesco dial up software. They have the CD from Tesco which runs fine, it brings up a menu asking what you want to do and I click 'Re-Install' to indicate that I want to use an existing account. It installs the dialler fine and then runs a dialler/install app with several steps and an 'Install' button at the top. When you hit install it Dials a number (presumably the Tesco registration number) and loads a registration page, this bit works fine but no where on this page is there an option to re-install or use existing login details. The only thing I can see to do is go through the registration again but this fails as it says they are already registered (and you have to provide payment card details as part of the registration anyway).
According to tesco help pages everything looks right except that the 're-install' option is missing from the registration page. The instructions can be found here: http://www.tesco.net/help_section/reinstl.htm#dusreinstall
and the page that comes up when you run the 'installer' is just like this:
https://register.tesco.net/online#
As you can see, no 'Re-install' option like they suggest in their instructions

I am a skilled and qualified IT engineer so I know what I am doing with a computer but I cant fathom it out, it appears as though Tesco have modified their registration page and not realised that it will prevent people from reinstalling dial up (I cant imaging there are many people still using tesco dial up). There is no way I can see of manually putting in their existing account details in the dialler as the options are all greyed out and I cant find what number it dials to setup the connection manually as the numbers are hidden with asterisks.

Someone must have come across this before so any help would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise I will have to ring their tech support and I object to paying 50p minute for tech support on dial up internet!!

Thanks
Matt

CrabPaste

Thought about manually creating a DUN connection?

http://www.tesco.net/help_pages/PC/connection/dialup%20network/content.html

macman

Time to move them onto broadband? First year can cost as little as £2.41 a month on the right exchange.

MoneySavingUser

agree with both posts - macman's more though!

Jemma-T

ADSL -tell them there's no other option. Set everything up for them so it's painless.

Explain the benefits (no line tied up).

That's the only option.

If they can't get ADSL then do a full reinstall and don't use Tesco's software. Just get the login details and manually add the login via Windows.

If you are indeed skilled you should know to avoid anything that adds a layer of annoyance like Tesco's crap, out of date and aged dialup software.

mxxx

Thanks all for your help, I did look to try and setup the connection manually in the first place but the number it dials is masked (I assumed to stop this being done) and I couldnt see anywhere on their site that listed it so thanks for the link CrabPaste!
I have been trying to shift them onto ADSL for as long as I can remember but they keep insisting they dont use the internet enough to do anything different (stubborn old people). I will go ahead and set the connection manually and keep on badgering them to go to ADSL

mxxx

Finally got them working, thanks again for the help. I tried to set the connection up manually using the details from their site, it dialled ok but wouldnt accept their username and password (or any derivatives), so I had to bite the bullet and ring their tech support. Fortunately they have cancelled their premium rate service so its now local rate but this did mean I had to wait in a queue for 15 minutes! Once the guy finally answered the problem was solved in 5 minutes. Firstly, he said 'don't use the CD it wont work', well why the heck do they give you a re-install option on the CD if it wont work?! then he checked their username and password, confirmed they were ok and then told me the number I was using was wrong. Thats right, the phone number listed on their own website for their own dial up internet service is wrong!? He gave me the right number and I ended the call, put the number in, hit dial and it connected fine first time. Looks like the poor dial up users are being neglected in the broadband age

oldwally

mxxx wrote: »

Finally got them working, thanks again for the help. Looks like the poor dial up users are being neglected in the broadband age

I recall reading this thread a few days back and wondered how you got on. I'd say Dialup is just about a dead duck nowadays alot of companys don't now accept new A/cs for dialup and I half thought that was what happened to you,being as you had to re-enter all the details etc,Tesco might have taken it as a new A/c.INfact from what Ive read,some BBand A/cs are now cheaper than dialup.Guess though,things can get real compicated,if the pC is REALLY old,then guess its easier to stay with dialup.Anyway glad you won through.

aurion22

I am fed up with Tesco Broadband. I've just bought a brand new computer which has Windows 7 installed and it can't read the installation disc for the Speedtouch 330 modem. Tesco won't send me a new modem .. they would if I were to cancel my account and set up a new one! That is not what I call "customer service". I've been with them for years but this has overcome my inertia. I've asked for a MAC code and am now looking into other ISPs.

mrJ_5

aurion22 wrote: »

I am fed up with Tesco Broadband. I've just bought a brand new computer which has Windows 7 installed and it can't read the installation disc for the Speedtouch 330 modem. Tesco won't send me a new modem .. they would if I were to cancel my account and set up a new one! That is not what I call "customer service". I've been with them for years but this has overcome my inertia. I've asked for a MAC code and am now looking into other ISPs.

Just find the driver for Windows 7 online for your SpeedTouch 330 modem, then set it up in Windows from the Netwrok and Connections centre.... you may not even really need the driver at all....

aurion22

"Just find the driver for Windows 7 online for your SpeedTouch 330 modem, then set it up in Windows from the Netwrok and Connections centre.... you may not even really need the driver at all.... "

Thanks .. but, apparently, the Speedtouch 330 modem isn't compatible with Windows 7.
I'm thinking of joining PlusNet.
:-)