Terrible Talk Talk

creg1888

Hi guys

My two elderly grand parents have their phone and internet with talk talk. For the past 3 weeks they have had a browser issue/internet issue where internet comes through but does not get to the browser. This happens on any device you use with this internet connection so it is not the computer. They have sent two line repair guys out and a techy and still haven't been able to fix the problem. When I called them up again last night to ask where we go from here they told me it was my problem specifically and they cant do anything else. This would say to me that they are breaching their contract with my grandparents by not providing a service they are paying for.

My grandparents are not very mobile and rely on the net for internet banking and emails from family and they have been let down massively. I now have no choice but to cancel the package. But I know when I try to they will try and add on fees. Is there any tips you can give me to stop them trying to make us pay to cancel for a service they cannot provide?

Also I am looking to move them over to BT broadband. How easy is it to keep their home phone number and how do i go about it so that they can keep it?

Any advice would be appreciated.

macman

If it's a line issue, then switching to BT (or any other ISP) will make no difference-it's the same local loop.
Have you tested (or anyone else) from the BT test socket behind the master socket faceplate using ethernet? This is the first thing to check.
How do you know the internet 'comes through'? What error message on the browser? Known working microfilters fitted on all active extensions? Noise/crackling on the line?

creg1888

Line has been checked and working fine by talk talk engineer AND openreach engineer who both have said the line is completely fine. I know they are getting the internet because you can sign into such things a sskype, msn messenger or emails with an email client. The connection is not translating to the browser, which I thought made it the computers problem BUT every device connected to this router gets the exact same problem and the talk talk techy couldn't get the browser to work on his equipment either. It's a strange one but it is definitely not a computer issue with my grandparents.

onzey

Is everything connecting wirelessly?

What router do you have?

creg1888

Unsure of the router as I'm not there right now but the connection is wired to the main PC. It also throws up the same problem in a wireless situation.

onzey

Might be good to know, as macman asked, what error message browsers give.

Possibly the router has been hacked.

If the username and password have never been changed from defaults someone might have easily gained access to the router if they managed to hack the wifi password (I assume it has one).

Is your grandparents location such that somebody could park nearby and get up to mischief like this perhaps

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/block-browsers-router-level-50407.html

Probably worth resetting the router to see if the problem goes away (and change routers password and wifi password )

macman

creg1888 wrote: »

Line has been checked and working fine by talk talk engineer AND openreach engineer who both have said the line is completely fine. I know they are getting the internet because you can sign into such things a sskype, msn messenger or emails with an email client. The connection is not translating to the browser, which I thought made it the computers problem BUT every device connected to this router gets the exact same problem and the talk talk techy couldn't get the browser to work on his equipment either. It's a strange one but it is definitely not a computer issue with my grandparents.

TT don't have any 'engineers'. What he will have been is a Qube rep, who can do no external line checks whatsoever, as they can't touch the BT side of the connection.
So what you are saying is that there is a broadband connection (as evidenced by other programs working such as your email client, and Skype), but the browser won't connect?
Have you tried installing another browser (download on another link, copy to a flash drive and install from that)?
To get any meaningful advice, you need to say what browser you are using and exactly what the error message is (and what OS the PC is running).
Can you ping the router?

creg1888

I have used every single broswer witn no joy. It just says page cannot be displayed. It can't be a specififc browser issue as I have used many devices with different browsers with this connection and it just gives the same end result "page cannot be displayed" This is a brand new router, we got a new one because we thought that's what the problem was. The common denominator is the talk talk router. Whether it be a setting or DNS problem. Their techy couldn't connect with his equipment either and couldn't identify the problem.

macman

So you have tried with 2 TT-supplied routers? I'd swap it out for a known working one not supplied by TT. Have you changed the filters?
I repeat-what OS are you running on the PC?
But if 'the tecchy' (which one?) tried his own router and couldn't connect then it's not a router issue. BT OR line engineers know little or nothing about broadband and their job will be simply limited to testing the external line and NTE5 for issues.

Jemma-T

Sounds like something wrong with the equipment. Very odd.

Does P2P work?

I'd try another TT router from an address where it works or take your TT router to another TT address (customer).

This makes no sense really. We're missing information as I can't imagine TT or the BT engineer just giving up if the problem is localised (it MUST be).

garynuman

creg1888 wrote: »

Line has been checked and working fine by talk talk engineer AND openreach engineer who both have said the line is completely fine. I know they are getting the internet because you can sign into such things a sskype, msn messenger or emails with an email client. The connection is not translating to the browser, which I thought made it the computers problem BUT every device connected to this router gets the exact same problem and the talk talk techy couldn't get the browser to work on his equipment either. It's a strange one but it is definitely not a computer issue with my grandparents.

You can check for problems with DNS by going to a command prompt and entering:
nslookup bbc.co.uk

This BBC domain urrently resolves to 212.58.253.67 or 212.158.251.195 (but may change). If it doesn't resolve, there are either:

Issues with DNS
So you may want to try pointing the router at an alternative DNS service (Google) to test. These are:
Primary: 8.8.8.8 / Secondary 8.8.4.4

OR

you have an internal connectivity problem.
Do as MacMan suggests.

One thing to bear in mind, Skype and Messenger are standalone apps that probably work outside of your browser and may give the impression of them 'working'. I suggest you double-check that the proxy setting is disabled in Internet Explorer and any other browsers you use.

Gaz