optusnet broadband tech support problems

[sucker4richond]

i recently had a drama with my modem and after ringing their tech support i was told they couldn't help because i was using a router and was accused of running a network from their modem. took me an hour of convincing the guy i wasn't and i was only using the router for my xbox live connection he finally helped but told me they were instructed not to give tech support.
the situation is totally outrageous. dont they have a duty of care to their clients.
has anyone else experienced difficulties with a router and an isp?

 

[tiga]

Lebo, with most ISP accounts they will only support a single user and not networks. Sounds to me that you modem may be running in "NAT" mode which means you can run multiple PC's behind it through one connection. The 1st level drongo you spoke to obviously has no idea and they are obliged to support one PC whether your modem is in NAT mode or not so if you only have one PC then this guy is a cretin and was probably looking for an early night..

Always come to Uncle tiga for support first before you speak to those Bozo's. I'd be happy to help in any way I can. I deal with ISP's every day and monitor all their links for our clients. Let's just say I keep them honest and they don't like me very much. But do I care? Muhahaha ;D

As far as a duty of care goes, there is no such thing. For business accounts some ISP's have what is called an SLA or a "Service Level Agreement" that they must abide by but generally even those agreements have more holes than a piece of swiss Cheese.

 

[sucker4richond]

thanks tiga

so what do you suggest i do when i have a problem with my broadband but you or them cant help me. can i disconnect my router before calling them or can they see that i have had one connected ?

 

[tiga]

Lebo, what exactly was the problem you were having with your modem/router and what brand/model router do you have?

 

[sucker4richond]

its a netgear router. the problem i am ahving is that it just wont connect. both to the xbox and pc.then i have to resst my modem and reboot both of them. it usually only happens after both have been turned on a while.

 

[tiga]

its a netgear router. the problem i am ahving is that it just wont connect. both to the xbox and pc.then i have to resst my modem and reboot both of them. it usually only happens after both have been turned on a while.

Lebo, does your ISP have a disconnect time limit? I know some ISP's will not allow a link to remain open constantly and they disconnect you after a set time. Generally if your modem connects once, it should connect all the time as the config never changes, However, there are two other possibilities. 1 your modem may have a hardware fault on its components that only occurs once it reaches a certain temperature (after prolonged use). 2 check to see how far you are from your ADSL exchange as distance limitations with ADSL can cause random disconnections for people near the 4.5km limit. Optus should be able to provide you with this information.

A really great website for anyone that is having problems with their ADSL or are looking to change ISP's is www.whirlpool.net.au they have user forums from most ISP's and you might read about other people having the same problem as you.

Let me know how you go.

 

[sucker4richond]

i will
thanks for your help tiga

 

[nwonash]

I have found most internet providers customer service to be hopeless.

A few went from Optus to AAPT and they wouldnt get a connect. Stupid customer service had no idea's. After 3 minutes I was able to fix the problem.

 

[Tigerclan]

We had the same problem with Optus, they said they didn't care if we ran more than 1 computer, but could not look past the router if there was a problem. I just unplugged it and rang them back and problem was fixed. I will disconnect it every time in the future though.

I have however had a message via Optus from another software company to stop sharing files olice: that they owned, so I wouldn't trust them either.