I have been having the dreaded PPP Server down since I moved house to Helston, Cornwall just over 5 weeks ago. I'm on Orange Home Broadband Max, as I have an Orange Mobile, and have their landline service as well. The landline works fine, but i have not managed to connect to the internet once. The @ light flashes about once a second, and I can get the box to 'Synchronise', but will not validate or connect to the internet to get an IP address, it just goes in loops with the PPP server down fault.
I have been on the phone to the broadband 'technical support' (or script readers) dozens of times and have had at least 4 line tests (with various results, but they now say the line is fine), engineers working on the line (or so they keep saying - I dont think anyone is doing anything!), and have factory reset my livebox about 100 times.
I finally got to the escalations team about a week and a half ago, and they told me that they were going to do some more work on the line and it should be fine in a couple of days, and they would ring back to confirm.
They didn't ring back, and when i rang them, they told me the fault had been closed as the engineer reported it was all working OK. Funny -I didn't speak to anyone, and no one came to the house to check, so he must be telepathic and wrong.
After a number of calls to the escalations team, they decided to send me a new livebox, with exactly the same fault - no surprise there, as the fault is at their end, as far as I can tell.
I finally got through to a 'floor manager' Michael Simpson on the Fault Management Team. After explaining that they had better sort it out quick or I was leaving, he said he would arrange for an engineer to call me yesterday afternoon. Of course, no-one rang, and when i tried to get through to him this morning, he is not in work until later today. how convenient for them. A message was left for him to call me as soon as he gets to work, so we will see if he does - I'm not holding my breath.
I had some new neighbours move in over the weekend, and speaking to them today, I found out he also has Orange 8Mbit Broadband, and his works just fine. His house is less than 10m from mine, and he is getting upwards of 6Mbit speeds.
Before I moved, I lived in Portsmouth and had a great service from Orange. The 2nd line was fantastic and the broadband was quick and reliable. So ideally I dont want to leave Orange, I just want to get it going.
So can anyone help me out with what to do next? I'm getting fed up and want them to fix the fault, not to just cut me off with no landline and no internet.
Also, does anyone have a direct number to get through to the UK escalations team, or the fault management team? I am fed up with having to talk to someone in India for 20 minutes before they say they can't transfer me to the escalations team. I have had to force them to transfer me 4 times, which is just terrible customer support.
I'm at my wits end - I'm very lucky that my other neighbour has Sky wireless broadband that he is very kindly letting me borrow till mine is sorted!
If you can get hold of a speedtouch 330 usb modem, that has been shown to clear the PPP server down issue, and then the livebox will connect. Do a search on here to find out more. Good luck!
If you can get hold of a speedtouch 330 usb modem, that has been shown to clear the PPP server down issue, and then the livebox will connect. Do a search on here to find out more. Good luck!
Unfurtunately I dont have access to any other modem, so I'm out of luck there.
Borednow wrote:
If you can't get hold of a modem, try using PPPoE instead of PPPoA in the router config.
I did try that when I first had the fault, but I haven't tried for ages. can you run through exactly what the 'correct' method of doing this is.
As far as i can remember i go to the adsl.html page, and then select the PPPoE option and try to validate it again - is that right, or do i need to do anything else?
Thanks for the ideas - feel free to keep them coming!!!
Just tried changing the setting to PPPoE and still the same - absolutely nothing.
Also spoke to Michael Simpson again - he said that they have booked a call with BT and they (BT) are going to ring me within 5 days to arrange for an engineer to come out.
So what are the chances that they will call me back then?!!!
In the mean while - anyone got anything else they can suggest? I even thought about going to PC World and buyng a cheap modem to see if I can get anything out of it, but seeing as I've tried 2 Liveboxes with the same result, I didn't think it was worth it.
Just tried changing the setting to PPPoE and still the same - absolutely nothing.
Unfortunately, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
cocksy_boy wrote:
In the mean while - anyone got anything else they can suggest? I even thought about going to PC World and buyng a cheap modem to see if I can get anything out of it, but seeing as I've tried 2 Liveboxes with the same result, I didn't think it was worth it.
Any other ideas?!
Problem of PPP server down is that the livebox is actually connecting with the local exchange gear but that is failing to connect to Orange servers, the reason could be several items (line, routers, server etc).
I think this is why sometimes a modem works and sometimes PPPoE works....depends on what the cause is
Joined: 12 Jun 2006Posts: 907Location: Weston-super-Mare, UK
PPP SERVER DOWN
This is is generally a network/exchange fault.
First re-enter your username and password.
Others have solved this by installing another router or their Speedtouch 330 modem instead of Livebox - getting a connection - disconnecting - then going back to Livebox. There are several reports of this working. It appears that the network and Livebox jam up.
Others have also solved the problem by changing the normal settings:
If that does not work suggest that you ask for MAC and tell them why - this quite often has the effect that the connection suddenly works.
Another view says that it is Orange switching you off ( dropping your connection) as they are over subscribed.
If I was you I would stick with Michael Simpson who should be able to sort it out. Normally they do it in house - looks as though they need a BT engineer this time. He will come and try and connect his laptop with his own modem but before he comes he will make sure the connection is ok at the exchange.
I have tried all the thing you have listed, except for a different modem - I have tried a different livebox that Orange sent me.
AsI can't get hold of a speedtouch 330 will any other modem do?
I think those settings listed are the ones on my livebox - I've tried both pppoe an dpppoa - same result: ppp server down. You mention a USB modem - anything in particular - I may be heading to PC World tomorrow just to get something to try!
I am contemplating asking for a MAC code, but the problem is I think I am tied in with my landline, broadband and mobile contracts - I'm not sure what the outcome will be if I try to get a MAC code!!! Will i have to sign a new contract with BT for £12 pm for a landline, and then get a different ISP on top of that; will i keep the same lanline number, will Orange still supply my landline?!!! I Didn't consider these things when I signed up!!!
Hopefully I willl get a call and an Engineer will come and visit ASAP. I'm contemplating ringing Michael every day till i/he/we get through to the engineer - I dont fancy my chances if I just sit back and wait for them to call within 5 days - I've heard that one before.
Thanks for the advice so far - keeping my fingers crossed.
Joined: 12 Jun 2006Posts: 907Location: Weston-super-Mare, UK
I see your problem - I think that you have covered all the bases. If I was you I would wait for BT engineer.
Orange can normally solve the problem their end and only as a last resort do they call a BT engineer. So I do not think that in this case a USB modem will help.
When you get to where you are within Orange they are usually good at getting things sorted.
Hi keith - thanks for the reply - I'll just hope that the engineer is able to do some when (/if) he comes!!
I wont bothedr trying another modem then, unless you feel its worth it?
Joined: 12 Jun 2006Posts: 907Location: Weston-super-Mare, UK
The only other thing I can think of is making sure your internal telephone wires are ok and the filters.
I would pull everthing out of all the sockets (including Sky) and connect the Livebox to mastersocket. I have come across unable to connect - problem was un-filtered phone.
I only have the livebox and a phone plugged into the system - and both on the main master socket. I'll try without the phone to see if that does anything.
The other thing is that a BT engineer had to replace some of the line when we first moved in - I wounder if he did a crap job and that might be causing the problems? The thing that makes me think that the line is OK is that the phone works just fine, and the livebox can synchronise with the exchange. Any thoughts?!
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