Multiple ISP downtime - what's going on?

patwa_2

Hi.

Well yesterday, at around 23:00 I suddenly lost internet access with TalkTalk. First time this has happened, so was not too worried. Logged onto the wireless network in my house so that I could use the other line's Tiscali broadband. No go. Checkec and double checked my settings, even tried a hard wired computer, that one was down too.

I was stil unable to connect to either ISP two hours later so just went to bed. Come morning, my mum tried her computer on the Tiscali line, no go.

I continued to try TalkTalk throughout the day, and only just found that I was able to connect again about an hour ago (incidentally making me late for a coursework submission in the process). On checking the modem for the Tiscali line, it's showing ADSL connected, but PPP Login 'Not Connected'.

Anyone know what's going on? What it just co-incidental that both ISP's failed at the same time? Was it an exchange fault? There was no problem with the telephone service throughout the time the internet was down.

Anyone else on Tiscali having this problem?

Thanks.

Hussein.

tawnyowls

There seemed to be a general Internet slowdown yesterday - you're far from the only person having it. It's a bit odd it carried on today, though. I've been connected to TT all day, so that does sound as if it was a problem with your line rather than the ISPs. Have you changed anything in your setup recently? Moved phones, unplugged modems?

DrBenway

It maybe that TT use tiscali for the backbone to the network.

tiscali are one of the firms that got stuck in when local loop unbundling started so you maybe running over tiscali network connections.

Do the service status pages at TT/Tiscali show any problems.

patwa_2

Hi all and thanks for the replies. TT came back abou 14:30 today. Tiscali was still down by 18:00. Phoned up the helpdesk and a very annoying and generally unhelpful woman tried to give me the whole 'maybe it's your setup' routine, never mind that I had already checked it, twice, and that I think I might have at least a passing knowledge of network infrastructure, having set up 3 of them myself. Anyway, in a fit of what was probably insanity, I asked when the cancellation department closed. She asked if it was her that made me ant to cancel, to which I replied that no, but the technical support I received from Tiscali was "deplorable".

She then tried to go through the whole "what version is your computer" at which point I hung up.

I thought I might as well try the original Tiscali modem with my laptop, just to make sure the Linksys one hadn't gone belly up, and it worked. Tried the desktop with the Linksys again and it worked.

So all's well now. Cynicism makes me think Tiscali had something to do with it, that they quickly fixed the problem as soon as I mentioned the word 'cancellation', but I'll probably never know.

Oh well, thanks again for the tips - I'd be surprised if TalkTalk used a Tiscali backbone, I'd have thought it would be BT?

Hussein.

thefirs

Discovered a useful exchange status checker today - the reduced capacity and outage history may give you some clue to any local difficulties?

patwa_2

Thanks for the link. Even though it didn't show any faults on my exchange, apart from one that apparently affected my area coda on Tuesday but which I didn't even notice, there was nothing Thursday/Friday.

But the info on the different exchanges is still really interesting.

Hussein.