Problems with dial-up internet - help please!

YorkshireTraveller

I seek the help of the Forum members!

We have Sky TV, Sky Broadband and Sky Talk though our line rental remains with BT.

We are very happy with all our services . . . however I’ve started to experience small and annoying telephony problem!

As Sky don’t provide any web space I have a couple of web sites hosted for free as part of dial-up PAYG packages one by Virgin the other by Tesco (whose backbone was provided by ntl now Virgin).

I have been able to dial up and upload to these sites for many years without problem. However, for the past couple of months when trying to connect to either the Tesco or Virgin servers I can hear my modem trying to negotiate with the Tesco and Virgin computers then I get either: 619, 678, 718 errors (can’t get a connection with the remote computer, or remote computer fails to respond).

I get the same problem from both my laptop and PC so it’s not an equipment issue. I have signed up for an alternative straightforward PAYG service (which doesn’t require number authentication) as a test – this works fine.

Tesco give you the option to dial-in from an alternative number – I registered a friend’s phone number at a completely different exchange and this dialled up, authenticated, registered and let me upload changes to my website without problem.

This would (I think – I’m not very technical) imply that the Tesco and Virgin computers are somehow not recognising my home phone number thus will not authenticate. I do not have caller withheld on my home line – if I call a mobile or another land line from home my number always shows.

I have contacted Tesco and Virgin – they say that all is OK at their end.

I have contacted BT who say that there are no faults on my line.

I have contacted Sky who say that they have not done anything to my telephony service that would cause this to happen.

I’m going around in circles! Any help and advice will be greatly appreciated.

paddyrg

I would step out of the mess of having to use a dial-up provider at all! There are many excellent free and cheap webspace providers completely unrelated to dial-up providers or ISP's, try brinkster.com, webs.com, biz.nf, google spaces, drupalgardens.com, oh goodness so so many to try depending on what you want to achieve!

That way you keep your website well away from a dial-up provider (a dying breed!) And just use your sky broadband to update your site. And if you dump sky for another broadband provider, you don't lose your webspace either!

YorkshireTraveller

Hi paddyrg:

Thanks for your advice. The advantage of using the PAYG providers that I have currently is that they are independent of my Sky broadband and also are free without any imposed advertising. I did look at some of the web hosting providers you mentioned, but they either charge a monthly fee or put advertising on your website.

If I can't solve the problem, then I'll probably go with a UK based hosting service and pay an annual/monthly fee.

Pete2_2

As you say PAYG shouldn't require authentication, but no harm in adding the prefix 1470 (without spaces) to the dialup number, see if any different.

On Tesco, where you registered your friend's number, see if it will allow you to put in your own number,

or you could try setting up another dialup connection alongside the current ones.

YorkshireTraveller

Hi Pete2:

Both Tesco and Virgin PAYG do need authentication of the number. I've tried adding 1470 prefix before both dial-up numbers and this doesn't help. My home number is already registered with the Tesco ISP and shows as being correct.

I have signed up with another PAYG provider that doesn't need authentication as a 'control' and this works fine.

I'm stumped!

paddyrg

Some services will add ads, other charge a small fee, others you may get free hosting if you buy a domain from them, but this is how they stay in business. How about drupalgardens if you want to get a bit fancier, or there are dozens of other free or cheap hosts, just search for free/cheap web hosting. How about eUKHost? I've been happy with them for a commercial site.

What I'm saying is that they are also independent of sky broadband - you can update them via dial-up, broadband, 3G, whatever you please. Change from Sky to TalkTalk to Plusnet to PostOffice to BT and back in one year if you like, the site does not move. And dial-up providers are dying off, so for instance if you had been with beeb.net you'd have been booted when the service was killed by now. Why insist on hosting with a slow, archaic and doomed bit of a company when you could be independent of not just sky, but also the dial-up company.

YorkshireTraveller

Hi paddyrg:

I understand what you are saying, though at present I see no indication that Tesco or Virgin are going to cancel their PAYG and free hosting services. I've been happy with what I've been using for many years and see no (immediate) reason to change - I just want to get to the bottom of what is causing the failure to authenticate from my home number!

paddyrg

No worries, I leave it in your hands :-) I just wanted you to be aware that btclick dialup and beeb.net dialup are no longer features on the internet landscape, and Tesco are fully capable of killing off an undersubscribed internet service as they did with their VOIP! Hope you resolve your problems :-)

YorkshireTraveller

Thanks paddyrg - I think I'll need to start formulating a plan B per your suggestions as I'm no nearer solving my dial-up problems!

YorkshireTraveller

An update: escalated the problem through BT and agreed a call out by an engineer. Spoke to the engineer by phone who understood my problem - he had come across this before! He checked the exchange and advised that some equipment at the exchange would need to be replaced - may take up to 48hrs. 24hrs later received a text to say that the problem was fixed and hey presto - I now have my dial-up working and authenticating with both Tesco and Virgin.

Hope that this may help others that experience similar problems.