h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Is anyone who reads this Journal an Orange Broadband subscriber? If so, are you too having major problems with them at present?

My difficulties started 18 days ago, when my home phone line broke down. Naturally, this also knocked out my Internet connection. Three days later, the phone line was restored. However, I found that my Internet connection still didn't work. Whenever I tried to connect, I got Error 0721 - failure to establish a connection with the remote computer. So of course I phoned Orange's Helpdesk... and I've been doing that at regular intervals ever since.

To cut a long and weary story short, I've been told that they've been upgrading their system and that it was just an unfortunate coincidence that they tried to upgrade mine while the line was out of order. But on some of the occasions when I've called, I've got a recorded message saying that Orange know that a lot of their Broadband customers are having problems with their connections, and that their engineers are working 'very hard, right now' to fix it. Sometimes I've actually got through to the Orange call centre (which is in India - one operator mentioned that) and have been told either that the problem will be fixed in the next few days, or that they're waiting for the results of a line test. The latest call today resulted in the promise that they'd have the line test results in the next 48 hours. As I told the operator, I really hope that's true.

I am far too much of a good liberal to start raging and swearing at some poor underpaid soul doing a job I'd hate to do, but frankly that was what I felt like doing today. Instead I simply said, with icy politeness, that I'd had enough of paying for a service I wasn't getting and would be looking for another ISP if I wasn't back online this week.

So here I am in the University computer room again, and what I'd like to know is: is anyone else in hootoo-land currently getting similar disservice from Orange? And, since I was serious about my polite threat - can anyone recommend a good ISP?

I'm an Orange user by default. I started off with Freeserve, who were great. Who then got taken over by Wanadoo, who were terrible with their threats of download limits. They in turn got taken over by Orange, who've dropped the Wanadoo threats, so on that score I'm happy.

However when I tried setting up an internet connection with my very old freeserve disk on my laptop I had real troubles getting it to start. I phoned Orange and they said that they'd send a brand new disk for me to use - 2 months later and I'm still waiting. I did in the meantime hack the freeserve CDR and got it to work and so could get on line.

My overall assessment is that they are generally good, but have the capability to go tits up spectacularly when something goes wrong

I've always had an Orange mobile, and when I moved into this flat and needed broadband they were doing an offer that if you sign up for a mobile tariff for £30 a month or more (and my bill was always more than that) then they'd give you free broadband.

So I did, and so far it's worked OK.

Sorry to hear you're having problems...

Poor you Ormy

I've only ever been with ntl (which was Diamond Cable when I signed up), I switched to ntl broadband last year - I pay £17.99 for it which includes my landline rental. I also get my TV package from them and am very happy with it.

Well, credit where it's due: Orange have finally come through and fixed my connection, so I'm back in business after three weeks of no home 'Net access. I wonder if it's entirely coincidental that they got around to it shortly after I told 'em that I'd take my business elsewhere if they didn't? Does being nice and patient pay, or is a bit of constructive threatening sometimes necessary?

As far as businesses are concerned Ormy, if you threaten them with losing income by taking your custom elsewhere they'll be all over you like a cheap suit. Being nice just doesn't do the trick.

Welcome back Ormy