Invalid MAC code HELP PLEASE

Fred_Bear_2

HELP PLEASE!
I am trying to change my broadband from Sky (previously o2) to BT.
Sky have given me a MAC but BT say it is invalid. The problem seems to be the number of digits. Sky say there are 7 numerical digits as in LNAB1234567/AB4A. BT say there must be 8 digits as in LNAB12345678/AB4A. Sky have double checked this and say BT are wrong. BT also checked and say Sky are wrong. I asked BT to sort it out directly with Sky but they say Sky would refuse to deal with them directly. Each company sends me back to the other.
What can I do?

Fred_Bear_2

RESOLVED sanity restored!

BT asked me to ask Sky to generate another MAC. Sky refused. Back to BT who suggested I report Sky to OFCOM. I told them this could take months. Eventually the last person I spoke to had an idea. He fired up an old system (called Oneview) and this accepted the MAC. Apparently there is a problem with BT's computer system which was rejecting my valid MAC.
I'm looking forward to my new fibre BB on 21st May. I am sure nothing else will go wrong.

penrhyn

Well done although Sky Fibre broadband is only £7.50/ month for 6 months , if BT cheaper?

Fred_Bear_2

BT's 40GB is £8.00 for 6 months with a £100 Sainsbury's voucher. I realise Sky is unlimited. Another issue is the router. With o2 I got about 6Mb/s but when Sky took over it dropped to 2.7Mb/s. The Sky SR102 router's wifi doesn't reach all over the house. I have heard that BT's Home Hub 5 is very good. Anyway I am committed now and will review it at the end of the contract.

penrhyn

Indeed, I got a wireless booster for free of Sky to improve the wifi coverage, I have a SR101 router, whether their SR102 VDSL router is any better I don't know, SIL has one but its a small property.

macman

Since Sky's FTTC is simply a resold BT Wholesale product, your line speed would have been identical on Sky fibre.

MataNui

Dont believe the BT hype about the router. they had an advert pulled for misleading statements about the wifi on the homehub.

Since the router is a replaceable (or expandable for wifi) item anyway i wouldnt be basing any contract decision on a cheaply manufactured piece of freely provided electronics.

Fred_Bear_2

MataNui wrote: »

Dont believe the BT hype about the router.

I wasn't believing 'BT hype'. For example this from 'Trusted Reviews'

http://www.trustedreviews.com/

SKY Home Hub 2 (SR102): Verdict
Everyone makes a bad product now and again, but to repeat nearly all the same flaws in a second generation device is very poor. The integration of a VDSL2 modem in the Hub 2 is welcome, but in virtually every other respect it is now further away from its major rivals in 2014 than the original Hub was to its rivals in 2012/2013. While bundling a wireless booster helps, in reality it is simply a sticking plaster that draws attention to the wound beneath. In a word: Avoid.

and
For a major ISP to be shipping customers a single band router lacking Gigabit Ethernet, USB and IPv6 support in 2014 is simply unacceptable and we dearly hope Sky will eventually up its game.

BT Home Hub 5: Verdict
The Home Hub 5 is fifth time lucky for BT. It delivers superb performance in an attractive package, has a simple setup and a bargain price tag. It can’t outpace the fastest 802.11ac routers but it stands toe-to-toe with many while costing far less, especially considering there’s a VDSL modem inside. The BT Home Hub 5 redefines what we should expect from an ISP supplied router. Until rivals respond, it leaves them all eating dust.

and
...for the mainstream user BT just took ISP routers to a whole new level.

Rostbif

Thank you Fred for getting me out of a hole.
Sky gave me a mac code that BT kept rejecting until I suggested they put it through the 'Oneview' CMP (customer management platform), then it was accepted. This was after 2 days of hair-tearing and shouting at Sky (i feel quite guilty about that now).

One more suggestion is to give the BT broadband freephone number a miss, its always busy, call 01325 561334 instead.

This is not a good start for BT, having given me the run-around even before the service starts, will keep fingers tightly crossed.