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Friday 17th October 

NTL... The first trialists go live

One of the Council's Wireless Pilot "trailists" emails me a report. The email SMTP header discloses his IP and a reverse DNS lookup is revealing...

It looks like NTL have room for 253 customers for the Council's pilot...

cur1-milt1-3-0-cust1.lutn.cable.ntl.com 213.105.210.1
cur1-milt1-3-0-cust253.lutn.cable.ntl.com 213.105.210.253

The gateway sits at  213.105.210.254

Here's tracert:

Tracing route to cpc1-milt1-3-0-gw.lutn.cable.ntl.com [213.105.210.254]
over a maximum of 30 hops:

  1    <1 ms    <1 ms    <1 ms  192.168.255.2
  2    14 ms    15 ms    15 ms  gauss-dsl1.wh.zen.net.uk [62.3.82.18]
  3    16 ms    16 ms    16 ms  deleuze-ve-128.hq.zen.net.uk [62.3.80.129]
  4    22 ms    22 ms    22 ms  suarez-so-0-0-0.te.zen.net.uk [62.3.80.62]
  5    22 ms    26 ms    22 ms  195.66.226.23
  6    22 ms    24 ms    22 ms  gfd-bb-b-so-320-0.inet.ntl.com [62.253.185.73]
  7    26 ms    27 ms    26 ms  nth-bb-a-so-000-0.inet.ntl.com [62.253.185.97]
  8    26 ms    26 ms    27 ms  nth-bb-b-ae0-0.inet.ntl.com [62.253.185.118]
  9    27 ms    27 ms    28 ms  lutn-t2core-b-pos31.inet.ntl.com [62.253.188.190]
 10    27 ms    28 ms    27 ms  lutn-t2cam1-b-ge-wan54.inet.ntl.com [213.107.47.206]
 11    30 ms    30 ms    28 ms  cpc1-milt1-3-0-gw.lutn.cable.ntl.com [213.105.210.254]

 

My Inbox

Just a line to say I am now connected to BT broadband. Thanks for your tireless work to get this done.

Dave, Kilwinning Drive, Monkston

 
I have just come across the BB4monkston web site and registered.

I have been trying to get broadband at home for the last year with no luck. I understand that the extended length trial has been completed in Monkston and was a success.

Every time I call BT I get the same old response:

  • has it ?
  • what's that ?
  • not that we know of ? 

 Only once have I got hold of an operative who knew about it but said I still can't have it, I'm not sure if he knew about the Fibre optics etc...

Is there anyone you can suggest I hassle ?  can they convert me to copper ?

I'm getting desperate! 

Regards

Jon, Brinkburn Chase, Monkston

[Get in touch with Serena, or her manager Tina.
They will know about the Monkston TPON conversion, and should be able to help.]

 
Guess what, I've got broadband as of 08:45 this morning. 

I'm just opposite Chicksands Avenue, on the inner side of Blanchland Circle in Monkston.

Another notch in the BB post :-)

Richard E. Evans
MK Broadband Secretary
 

I have been in contact with BT's Chief Executive today and they are going to supply me with a detailed response,  I'll let you know the outcome.

Regards

Jon

 
At last someone appears to be doing something about this!

I moved to the South West corner of Crownhill a year ago, and had a four-month (ahem) dialogue with BT about getting ADSL, which I had previously in Great Holm (RADSL). They eventually got round to telling me the line length was too great.

Then I learnt that my neighbour has ADSL and it works perfectly. He is the opposite side of the road to me, and probably 20 yards away direct - even by the most circuitous route it could only be a maximum of 50 yards cable. Cue another round of 'discussions' with BT. No joy at all.

BT did tell me that an extended-reach trial was happening in Sept 2003 which would extend the reach of ADSL to approx 6km from the current 5.5km for RADSL, but, as usual with BT, no-one ever agrees with the last person you spoke to and some call centre staff know about it, some don't, some seem to be able to swear black is white and that no such thing exists. This could be a viable answer for those non-optic fibre areas (poor old Monkston!)

Is there any chance of NTL fulfilling their promise to provide broadband over the MK Cable? I know it has parallels with the UK railways (one of the first, therefore one of the oldest, therefore unable to deal with new technology), but it does grate when my sister in Harlington and a cousin in Shefford are cable-broadband enabled, yet in the wilds of west-central Milton Keynes I need a dish!

Fortunately, I'm an IT Contractor, so I've been able to put up a huge grey wok on the side of the house and I'm now Satellite-broadbanded through my company, but as you say it is expensive, and ping is more like 750ms compared with the 60ms I was getting on ADSL. The download speeds are phenomenal, though (15Mb XP upgrade in about 3 mins yesterday!), even if they vary at different times (there's only one satellite up there). I am concerned about the local birdlife in Shenley Wood and the large number of planes flying out of Cranfield overhead, though - fresh microwaved pigeon, anyone?

I have seen the MK Council website, and their proposal on wireless broadband using the Linford Wood transmitter and various relay stations. The document on this is hidden away on the following page: http://www.mkweb.co.uk/e-champion/ on the right-hand side about half way down. I wrote to our "e-champion" about this recently for an update on progress, but I've had no response (perhaps our 'e-champion' doesn't read his e-mails!).

Please keep me up to speed on your progress, and I'll do all I can to help, but my major problem is having the time to do all that needs doing!

Simon, Crownhill

 

The two NTL installers turned up at 9.15 this morning. They climbed a ladder and waved an antenna around. They got a signal. Great. They drilled holes in my front wall and mounted the antenna on a pole. No signal. They called for help. Eventually a total of five guys in four vans (including the survey van) arrived, waved things around, scratched their heads, and shrugged. All I have to show for it all now is four holes full of sealant in my front wall.

The installers say that today (Friday) is their second day of installations. Yesterday they attempted 5 installations, of which 3 were
successful.

I'm in Verdon drive, in the northern corner of Willen Park. From the nearest bus stop (on the H4) I can see the Linford Wood tower from ground level. BT's broadband checker is still giving me RREZ. Gloom.

This year's college work will be over by next Thursday, so I will be there for the pub night. Perhaps you could let me have one of those pints people are buying you :-)

Cheers
Phil, Willen Park

 
I guess I was one of the lucky three that got it working.

They have not got their mail servers running yet - hence I am using a "open relay" to send out.
The download speed is excellent - 78k bytes/s.

David

 
Thanks Nick, Richard, 200 Johns, a very nice bar lady on her last night and anyone else I forgot for last night - good to meet you all and I'm very jealous of those who have Broadband.

Patric
 
I'm new to the mailing list.

From what I have read so far it sounds like BT have told some of you, like they have told me, that you can't get ADSL. You seemed to of insisted on having a BT engineer come out and test from your home and then get told you can have ADSL and are given it.

Is this the correct interpretation of what I have read?

If so, how do I go about getting BT to send out an engineer?

I myself have a 56k modem at the moment and am finding that updating my lanparty website is painfully slow and would give almost anything to get ADSL.

[Getting an engineer out certainly doesn't guarantee success! I'd talk to Serena.]

 
I live in Loughton and have been trying in vain to get Broadband from BT since 1999 and would like to add my name to your list.

Regards,

Geoff
 
I have to commend you on taking this initiative to lobby BT.

I have attempted to obtain Broadband on several occasions to be told that my house is just outside the perimeter served by the telephone exchange at Stony Stratford.

I have not made any further enquiries to pursue that course of action as I would be incurring additional connection/disconnection costs.

Keep up the good work.

Ken, Crownhill

 
Got BT Broadband, working well.
Regards
Gary, Monkston
 
However every cloud has a silver lining.  Up to two days ago the BT broadband checker said I was too far (RREA), today it gives me good news (the first piece of good news I've had for a long time), I may be able to get 512K broadband (RGEA).

So I'm hoping the checker stays as it is - I just have to work out how to clear down the A flag (BT thinks I already have ADSL), and then possibly, maybe, you never know, I might be able to get broadband.

Gary, Loughton
 
I would like to get broadband and live in Crownhill where unfortunately it is not available.

As I work from home this is annoying to say the least. I understand that Broadband is available if I was connected to anywhere other than the Stony Stratford exchange. I understand that there is another exchange and that some telephone numbers on Crownhill are connected to this exchange, and have broadband access. BT informed me that I could not be changed to this other exchange.

I have registered with BT that I want broadband but am informed that unless the "trigger levels" are reached then this will not happen.

I wish you luck with your campaign.

Lee, Crownhill
 

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