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Wednesday 8th October
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Nick,
We have been registered with you for a few months now and really appreciate
your efforts. Thanks to your updates, we have managed to get ADSL
installed after trying off and on for a year or so.
The really good news is that we live in Redding Grove, Crownhill - an area
usually bereft of ADSL, courtesy of BT supporting us from the Stony
Stratford exchange. The BT availability website still tells me we are too
far from the exchange and it is shown as unavailable on your
availability map.
Anyway, following your advice mid August that Zen Internet were still
accepting requests for the extended reach trial, we contacted them
immediately and by 1st September we had ADSL installed! Probably took around
12 days in total. During that time, Zen kept me up to date and I found their
customer service very helpful. As an example, any request for ADSL that was
rejected by BT's automated order interface was automatically put forward for
the extended reach trial. Nice touch. They even sent through all the
connection and configuration details a few days before installation so I
could start using it straight away.
Given BT's track record, I didn't believe that the ADSL would be installed
so held off purchasing the modem until I received the positive confirmation.
Seemed to take a long time for the kit to arrive :-) Sure enough though,
after plugging in the modem and configuring the router, up flashed the
lights and we were on-line!
We have been on-line for a month now and so far we have had absolutely no
problems and access speeds are good. Running the
ADSLguide speed test at 9pm
tonight reported 453kbps downstream throughput - very respectable.
As a slight aside, we are using a NetGear DG824M wireless ADSL modem gateway
and that too has worked very well. The report on the ADSLguide and various
forum reports of hardware problems with the equivalent D-Link router made me
go for the NetGear. Out of the box it worked but it came with old firmware
that really needed upgrading. The device can be challenging to upgrade if
you start with an old version but there is plenty of advice on the web about
how to do it (you cannot always go straight to the latest firmware, for some
reason it only seems to work if you load one or more intermediate versions).
Still, the default configuration is good (e.g. firewall configured to block
all incoming connections) and we leave the device on all of the time.
Apologies for the ramble but we thought you would like to know of this
success.
Seems a pity that we won't be taking up MK Council's offer of the wireless
broadband pilot.
Regards,
Alan and Alison, Crownhill |
I'm very interested in Broadband. In fact I have a modem already, remaining from
an attempt to get broadband through my existing ISP about 11 months ago.
When I applied for the service all indications were that it would be
available, BT database said yes, line test (if carried out) confirmed that
the connection was suitable and all the filters etc arrived. When I tried to
install however the modem kept reporting "no signal". Onetel support were
initially unable to explain the fault then I was informed that BT had
cancelled the order.
When I tried to get an explanation from BT they were
unwilling to talk to me because I was not their customer. From the time the
order was cancelled the BT database reported that the broadband service was
not available at my address as the distance was too great. The road distance
from my house to the BT exchange serving it is 2.7km, do you think BT might
wind their cables around things to increase the distance to beyond the
limit?
Like you I feel that Milton Keynes, "the fastest growing community in the
country" should have Broadband services to all properties and BT should be
investing as necessary to provide that service so I would be more than happy
to look at the alternatives which could be made available an lend my support
to your campaign.
Regards
Mick,
Bradwell |
I am now surfing at what seems like the speed of light.
Please therefore remove me from the group.
I will be in the Swan to buy you a pint either this or next Thursday to say
a proper thanks.
Regards
Dean, Monkston |
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Finally after 2 years and some 20 odd attempts I am finally surfing the
Net at blistering speed.
Come on guys get out there and get it.
Gavin, Middleton |
I received my letter through from the Council today
regarding the Wireless pilot. After going through the details with a fine
toothcomb if have just one question -
What happens to those that live more than 5km away from the mast in Linford
Wood?
I actually think this includes myself and other residents in Kents Hill. If
I'm more than 6KM from the BT exchange in Fishermead, then what chance have
I got with a wireless mast that appears to be situated further than 6KM?
Looking at a basic map seems to show Linford Wood is further from Kents Hill
than Fishermead, or have I read the map incorrectly?
Oh well, I shall complete the forms anyway and see where it leads. It can't
get any worse can it?
Gareth |
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