I've been with Orange (Wanadoo/Freeserve) for years and am currently on the up to 8mg service.
Since Thursday, I've had a connection speed of around 3.5mps as usual, but can only access certain sites:- Google works, but Microsoft websites don't. The sites which don't work just time out. I also can't ping them. It seems as though only sites which are easy to resolve work. Email is fine.
I'm using a Pentium 4 desktop running Windows XP and I.E.6, and a client laptop which runs VPN on a home network. The client laptop has no problem on the internet (or I wouldn't be posting!), but of course this is tunnelling through to my employers server for its access.
The home network uses a Linksys wireless gateway (router).
I've run all the windows updates up until Thursday and Norton Security updates (can still connect to Norton) and I've tried switching Norton off to see if that is blocking the website replies (but it isn't).
So is this an Orange problem and does anyone else have a similar situation?
Sounds like a DNS problem, although there were other posts on here mentioning MTU but that was with a speedtouch modem, not sure if you can change that on your router.
Could always try manually entering the DNS server addresses or trying the OpenDNS server addresses to see if they help.
The same thing happened to me on Thursday. We have 2 PCs and an Apple iMac on a wired network and it was the same on all 3 machines. At first I could get to the Orange home page, but eventually couldn't even do that. I could get to Google and John Lewis. E-mail was fine.
I phoned tech support a couple of times and they insisted I went through the usual hoops of deleting cookies etc even though I kept insisting it wasn't a machine or software problem as it happened on 3 computers. One of them even asked me to do a speed test, and asked me to go to the ADSL site. I had to stop myself screaming that I couldn't get to that site (it was one of the first ones I tried). Eventually he agreed to ask for a line check, and told me to phone back in 2 hours. I wasn't surprised to find that 2 hours later the line check was unresolved and he originally told me to phone back today, but then said I could phone yesterday.
Yesterday, during the day, everything was OK again, so didn't bother to phone back, but by the evening we had the same problem.
Today, so far, everything OK again.
It is some consolation to know that other people have the same problem as I was beginning to think it could be a problem with our Netgear router.
We have had problems with low speed and disconnections ever since we were put on the Orange LLU in May.
As soon as we are back off holiday we are going to ask for the MAC code. I am prepared to be told that we can't have an LLU MAC code, but will persevere.
Last edited by Blossom on Sat Sep 02, 2006 5:34 pm; edited 1 time in total
Joined: 13 Aug 2006Posts: 1689Location: Marylebone Central London
Hi Blossom
I was upgraded too LLU 8meg last december in central London without any choice whatsoever when it was Wanadoo (although Orange is just a name change to bundle with Orange mobile same company) then my problems started like thousands of others i perservered endlessly until i asked for a LLU MAC then got my price reduced and free months what for? ( my speeds never got past 2.5 megs ) nothing the same service except ten quid cheaper lol a few weeks later still no service so i ring and asked for another LLU MAC was told it wud be emailed within 48 hours guess what it never came so i phoned and was told 10 days and there was nuffin they cud do about it and they hung up not once but twice so i wrote a complaint on the ISPA site my LLU MAC was in my inbox within 2 hours if you get told they dont give out LLU MACs either from CS or on this forum it isnt true persist and you will get one if its a dud one report them to offcom its a disgrace that they are treating customers like this as my brother is now going thru the same crap , if you eventually change providers do some research choose one that offers a 1 month contract they are usually the best if they dont deliver you can change simple as that.
Btw dont waste more of your money on TS or CS a total waste of time and effort unless you want to reinstall uninstall delete cookies temp files and make more tea . As soon as i migrated no more problems no more delete this delete that no more uninstall this reinstall that no more line checks just plain broadband connection and fast speeds.
Good Luck
Steve
_________________ ex Freeserve/Wanadoo/Orange Blog
I have seen your posts about getting a LLU MAC, which is why I know I have to be persistent. I also know that the ISP I am thinking of moving to does accept LLU MACs so they can't fob me off with that.
I powered off the PC and the Linksys wireless router and left it all overnight. On Sunday morning, it was all working fine!
I don't know if powering it off helped - I had already done that around midday on Saturday, as I moved my PC equipment onto a new desk.
I'm going to conclude that it must've been a dns problem or similar back at Orange. Both desktop PCs on my network were affected, so it wasn't the settings on either of them. The router was working fine to allow me to connect a laptop using VPN.
I suppose I should count myself luckier than some - we have sometimes obtained connection speeds of around 5mg, which still remains only a dream according to other posts on this forum!!
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