aol!

betterlatethannever

Yes, CPW took over AOL..see HERE

Its been diabolical since. Lets hope it picks up soon.
If i'm not constantly disconnected, or waiting 2 mins plus for a page to load then i'm waiting 2 + days for a reply from aol support:mad:

As much as i hate the hassle of leaving its looking like i'll have to.

glitterygert

Thanks betterlatethannever, sorry you're having so much trouble, touch wood that has been my only blip since going wireless, when I was on broadband it was a nightmare, I even had to unplug the phone line to sky to get connected, I am now getting wireless a lot cheaper than I was paying for broadband. Was it this year CPW took over or last?

IWasWondering...

I'm with AOL and thinking of leaving but had been putting it off because I thought I would have to change my email address.
:j Just found out tonight I don't have to and can keep my email address so I am going to ring up for my MAC code v/soon.
I have been having problems with speed (just waiting for pages to load) it's been driving me mad for a couple of weeks. Didn't realise until this thread that CPW had bought AOL and I'm not the only one with problems.
Was thinking of Sky as I can get that for free.

Bunford

For 2 years I had a Tiscali 1mb package and the broadband speed never fluctuated and was always a stable 1mb with no disconnections.

On 2 November 2007 I signed up to AOL (foolishly) to get the 8mb free laptop offer. The CPW agent promised me I'd get minimum speeds of 2.5mbps on my line and I'd probably get faster than that. She also told me I'd be fully setup, online with AOL and my laptop within 3 weeks.

It took over 4 weeks just for my router to arrive. Another 3 weeks for my laptop to arrive. This was not a good sign of things to come!

Anyway, luckily I had a dialup modem from my Tiscali days. I tried to use it on the number the AOL customer servce told me to dial. It worked but regularly disconnected and I was lucky if I got faster than 0.5mbps.

Anyway, early December came, I had my router and I was still experienceing slow speeds and disconnections, even with an apparent brand new router. I telephoned AOL custoemr service and explained the problems. To my utter and complete shock and bemusement, I was told by the agent:

"AOL will not help you to resolve your problem because AOL cannot be bothered with the process"

When I asked to clarify, she repeated again which left no question what she meant. Since then, my problems seems to have worsened. My router seems to wind down until it gets to 120kbps (0.1mbps) or thereabouts and then begins to disconnect and reconnect at 0.1mbps. According to my AOL Online bill, I have so far spent a total of 25 or so hours on the telephone with AOL, plus another 20 or so hours with Live Help agents. The problem is still there and it took until about 2 weeks ago for them to send me a new router to try (which didn't fix the problem).

I'm getting 0.1mb approximately 85% of the time. About 10% of the time I get 0.1-0.5mb. about 4% of the time I get 0.5-1.7mb and about 1% of the time I have had above 1.7mb. I have in the past hit a speed of 3.2mb so the line is obviously capable of this, but this was only for a 2 minute spell and only happened the once.

I seem to be getting conflicting information from agents at every call. It's got to the point where I get through to 2nd Level who tell me there's a fault and they'll escalate it. 48 hours later I get told by a different agent there is no fault escalated.

I've had 2 BT Openreach engineers come to the property and a third is due tomorrow. The master socket has been replaced with the new type socket with built-in filter and the engineers swear blind that the line is faultless and they get approx 7mb at the exchange (Bargoed exchange).

I am now at a point where I am going around in circles. I ring AOL to say it's not fixed, they go through a scripted routine for 20 minutes, say they'll pass to BT and ask me to ring back for an update in 48 hours. 48 hours passes and I ring back to be told there is no fault on the line and it'll be passed to BT. And round and round I go.

I seeked legal guidance and been advised that as AOL have had over 4 months to resolve the problem and still haven't fixed it, and as a contract works both ways, I would be within my rights to cancel the contract on the basis of their breach through not providing me with the service I have paid for without fail each month.

I've just written a letter of complaint and requested a non-generic, personalised response within 10 working days which is up on Friday (14th March). I have also, since December 10th, and as I'd advise all other AOL customer to do so they have evidence, opened up a free profile account on thinkbroadband.com. In this profile I have regular and random speed test results carried out on thinkbroadband.com to document my issues in case AOL try and rubbish my claims. It'll be interesting to see where this goes......

Hollieangel

espresso:

The website that you provide for people to "check", Im sorry to say isnt very reliable.

According to that website, I can neither get Wireless OR AOL. Granted, I dont actually have wireless (yet), but I do have AOL and have been with it since the latter half of the 90s (first when at home with Mum and now on my own).

My Mum has since switched to BT (at home, still have AOL at work) and her BT is Wireless and works perfectly well. A local Pub also has Wireless facilities.

How does that work?! vbmenu_register("postmenu_9199993", true);

superscaper

Hollieangel wrote: »

espresso:

The website that you provide for people to "check", Im sorry to say isnt very reliable.

According to that website, I can neither get Wireless OR AOL. Granted, I dont actually have wireless (yet), but I do have AOL and have been with it since the latter half of the 90s (first when at home with Mum and now on my own).

My Mum has since switched to BT (at home, still have AOL at work) and her BT is Wireless and works perfectly well. A local Pub also has Wireless facilities.

How does that work?! vbmenu_register("postmenu_9199993", true);

Can't comment on the AOL but I think you've completely misunderstood the "wireless". The "wireless" it refers to on that site is the actual connection method to the internet, i.e. local wireless hotspots. Not the same as the "wireless" connection you have in your home between the wireless components of your own equipment. If you buy a wireless router it won't suddenly stop sending wireless signals obviously because you're in a non-wireless area. It just means that you can't connect to a public wireless hotspot in that area. None of what you mentioned is a wireless service, i.e. NOT using your phone line.

superscaper

Hollieangel wrote: »

but I do have AOL and have been with it since the latter half of the 90s (first when at home with Mum and now on my own).

You most definitely haven't been with AOL broadband since the 90s so I have to ask the obvious question as to whether you're connecting to AOL broadband or AOL dialup at the moment?

Hollieangel

Erm, I KNOW Ive been with AOL since the 90s thanks! I did not say AOL Broadband, did I?!

My Mums partner owns a company and they got AOL in the late 90s at work. Because he pays for it, we also had it at home. I know this because I was still in "middle school" when we had it and we were one of the few to have it at home.

Even if I had moved onto "upper school" that was still the end of the 90s. Unless you can tell me something about my own home that I dont already know, then I am certain. Thanks.

Currently, AOL Broadband. That website said AOL wasnt available to me, so unless Ive "misunderstood" it, it isnt true. I know quite a few people with different packages and what not from AOL, but obviously cant comment on what exactly they have, other than it being different to the package I have

As for the wireless, I do know several people who use wireless and I trust them to be telling the truth. Obviously, Im not sat in their home/business so cant comment on whether they do use phone/cables etc, but surely at least one of them knows what they're talking about?
*shrug* To be honest, I dont care, was just a helpful warning for those who may have also seen the site and thought, "Oh no! I cant have my *insert company name* wireless internet here! ! How do I get a better package without it?"

espresso

Hollieangel wrote: »

espresso:

The website that you provide for people to "check", Im sorry to say isnt very reliable.

:rotfl:

I think that you will find that it is! It is you who does not understand the information provided by that website about the various broadband options that are available to you in your location.

According to that website, I can neither get Wireless OR AOL.

It does not say that at all. Anyone can get AOL if they have a BT landline but some exchanges also have AOL's own equipment in the exchange. This, if present will be listed under LLU xDSL presence at your exchange. Certain areas do have local wireless networks that provide broadband but this is nothing to do with having your own wireless network in your own property!

Granted, I dont actually have wireless (yet), but I do have AOL and have been with it since the latter half of the 90s (first when at home with Mum and now on my own).

My Mum has since switched to BT (at home, still have AOL at work) and her BT is Wireless and works perfectly well.

Anyone with a BT line can choose from over one hundred different ISP's even though the majority of people have only heard of the ones heavily advertised - the ones to avoid. You mum probably has a BT Home Hub, better known as a wireless router giving local WiFi in the home.

A local Pub also has Wireless facilities.

What's that go to do with the price of fish?

How does that work?! vbmenu_register("postmenu_9199993", true);

What's that all about then?

Hollieangel

Right, so if the average Jow wanders onto that website, inputs the things requested and then sees that they can have only certain things on the first page it brings up and then clicks down the list to the left and sees "AOL NO", "WRIELESS NO", "WHATEVER ELSE NO", it is obviously going to make them think.

Crikey, sorry, sue me for trying to point out what I noticed to others!