Help with the basics - thicko alert!

MsUnimpressed

OK, before I start, yes I know I sound completely thick!

I am having to move out of my home temporarily for 6 months whilst work is being carried out on the house.

I am not transferring broadband to the new address as Pipex are charging a ridiculous amount to do this. I have enquired if it would be possible to take a 6 month payment holiday as I don't want to pay for a service I'm not using, the answer is no despite me having been a customer of theirs for the past 7 years.

I'm thinking the time may have come to part company and start again when I move back in later in the year but as I've not done this before, is it a lot of hassle to change suppliers? Stupid things keep coming into my head, like 'what happens to my facebook account?'!!!! Obviously everything is registered to my current email.

See, I told you I sounded thick - any help with the basics is very much appreciated!

macman

It's very easy to change ISP's, just ask for your MAC and you then have 30 days to use it, and to give 30 days notice. The switch should result in a couple of hours downtime at most if you use a MAC.
However if you are moving out soon you may just prefer to cancel the existing service.
Get yourself a GMail account and switch your registrations over to that, your email address is then ISP independent.

MsUnimpressed

Thank you for that, I've tried the gmail thing but it has failed to be able to import any contacts or mail from my existing account. Grr! Why can't techie things just be easy?!!! Or more to the point, why don't I know how to do techie things?!!!

MsUnimpressed

If my email is ISP independant does that mean I can access my emails just by logging onto Google from any computer (work, friends houses etc?) Blimey, I'm not sounding any better here am I?!!!

macman

Gmail is a webmail service, (so you can log in from any PC, anywhere), but you can also set it up to download into your existing desktop email program (Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Apple Mail etc) on your home PC.
The Gmail help pages are very comprehensive and should tell you all you need to know.
But essentially, you have to enable IMAP or POP3 email in your GMail account, then just add GMail as another email account in your email program.
If you are already using a desktop email program then you don't need to import emails or contacts, as they are already there.

joolsybools

Yes I would cancel and then get a new provider. Beware though that you might have to pay another BT line connection (£120ish) or are you keeping the landline running?

If you set up a googlemail account you can send an email to all your current contacts from pipex and also send the email to your gmail address then I think you will be able to save all those contacts into gmail from there. Its worth a try anyway!

You might want to get a mobile broadband dongle for 6 months whilst you are at the other place.

MsUnimpressed

Thank you both, its really helpful. We're hoping to keep the landline open....dongles? Oh no, something else for me to have to get my head round!!! lol!!!!!

macman

It's a USB device that allows you to connect to the internet via the mobile phone network.

MsUnimpressed

Thanks Macman, I promise not to ask anymore daft questions now!