AOL driving me insane!

Kantankrus_Mare

Having been with AOL for 6 years with no problems, we are now coming up against a brick wall. :eek: Last week our internet connection just stopped. Zilch. Nothing.

Rang them and they they went through a lot of stuff on computer and finally got me to remove AOL and then reinstall it. Tried that and keep getting to a certain stage where it freezes.

Several phone calls later, which are no doubt costing us the earth, and going over and over the same information we are still not connected and have now even lost our media player.

We were consistently told that the modem was working fine as they have tested it from their end.

Husband got an independant engineer out to have a look and he said our modem wasn't working. (£20!!) Rang back AOL with this information and they are supposedly sending a new modem out but I aren't holding my breath.

It seems we are unusual being with virgin phone line but using AOL as our ISP. I remember when we first went to broadband we had a problem being connected as they sent us a BT modem.

Id rather not change as I have got used to AOL and have numerous favourites and of course my email contacts.

Im sat in local library writing this so if I get any advise, forgive me if I dont respond straight away.

Thinking of going with virgin for broadband but not sure if I would be better going with yahoo or hotmail for email in case we ever have a similar problem again?

goonieman

If you have to phone them again use the freephone number 0800 2796771
(taken from here http://www.saynoto0870.com/companysearch.php)

wolvesinwales

I have been with AOL for years and have had trouble lately like yourselves, it is so frustrating going through the same install / uninstall steps on the phone knowing they have already been tried and not worked.
I lost my temper in the end after being told to restart the computer for the 4th time and then like in all the previous restarts being asked after 10 seconds ... 'whats happening now ?' ....... ' The ******* thing is restarting what do you think is happening ???? you work in IT ??? you know a computer that resarts in 10 seconds ????? !!

felixdahousecat_2

The only advice I can give is to ditch their software. I had loads of trouble with it (couldn't connect to work)until I uninstalled it and started using windows instead.

Now use a wireless router, so no modem, connected directly to the phone line, and it as been running trouble-free for two years.


Paul

Asus_Mobo

Setting up a connection with AOL so you can remove their software:

1. Make sure you are disconnected from AOL via their software.

2. Start -> Connect To -> Show All Connections.

3. Double-Click "New Connection Wizard".

4. Hit "Next".

5. Make sure "Connect to the internet is selected" and hit "Next" again.

6. Select "Set up my connection manually" and hit "Next".

7. Select "Connect using a broadband connection that requires a user name and password" and hit "Next".

8. In the "ISP Name" box enter something to describe it to you. SOmething like "AOL Broadband" will do you.

9. Enter your User Name in the box - Something like "KeSmi747@aol.com" then enter the password you use to connect to AOL in each of the boxes below. Hit "Next".

*** IMPORTANT - you must get your username right and the standard format is the first two letters of your first name, the first three letters of your last name, then three random numbers, not forgetting that you also need to include "@aol.com". The example above is what Kevin Smith's AOL username might be. ***

10. Hit "Finish".

At this point you can stop and simply connect to AOL by going Start -> Connect To -> AOL Broadband, but I recommend taking the next few steps and having your connection always on.

11. In the box that comes up hit "Properties". (This box can also be brought up by going Start -> Connect To -> AOL Broadband)

12. Goto the "Options" tab and increase the "Redial attempts" to 100, then change the "Time between redial attempts" to 1 second.

13. On this same screen uncheck the box labelled "Promt for name and password, certificate, etc." Hit "OK".

14. Open Start -> Connect To -> then left-click and drag "AOL Broadband" to your desktop to create a shortcut.

15. Right-Click the new shortcut and select "Cut".

16. Right-Click the Start button and select "Open".

17. Open "Programs" then "Start Up".

18. Right-Click in the blank space and select "Paste".

That's it - now when you log into windows your AOL connection will automatically connect itself and stay conencted.

dangeroussports

AOL is useless.

America On Line -not! RUBBISH

dangeroussports

aol = poo poo

changkra

ts_aly2000 wrote: »

What I find amazing is when you are telnetting into the router and they ask you to reboot your computer. "Hey, you wot!!, then I'll kill my session, do you actually know what you're doing?"

Never ever EVER, plug a router in via USB or use any driver disks whatsoever!! Just log into the router via an ethernet/RJ45 cable to something like 192.168.1.1 and go from there.

We're also running Linux here too, which unsurprisingly won't let their dirty bloatware applications do what they want......

This is exactly how my son sets it all up, way above my head these days I use AOL but not AOL broadband, i dont pay for AOL now at all and i have never had a problem but i do know quite a few have but its always the AOL broadband which is the problem. If you change servers you can run AOL for free and you more than likely wont hve a problem with it.