DSL Line Testing

Selkies

I can't get NTL because they haven't upgraded the cable in my area.

I can't get digiweb metro because the only place they can get wireless signal on the building is too dangerous to affix it.

So I decided to get myself an eircom line. I had it installed last tuesday. I haven't got a phone but according to the engineer it worked. He rang my phone on it and all. So then I try to get broadband through magnet. I get a call back the next day saying eircom has refused it sayign that the line doesn't work with broadband. I call up eircom and a guy tells me that my line hasn't been tested since it has been activated. So he says that he will schedual it to be done over the weekend and it should be done by tuesday (today). I call up today and am told its not suitable for broadband, so I ask is that test result from the test before the broadband was activated or after. The eircom person tells me that they have just tested it now and it doesn't work. I call back again but this time go through their technical support line and I'm told that they can't get a result because the line hasn't been tested yet.

I'm utterly confused I have no idea what is going on again, I suppose I should just keep calling until I get tired of it or they say yes you can have some broadband. Does anyone know how the eircom testing works?

Just to clarify there is two different ideas I got from the eircom crowd.

1. A test is run and the result of the test is stored in a database, the telephone sales guys check the result stored in the database and act based on that.

2. A test is run by the telephone sales guys which checks the line, they respond based on the result of that.

I need decent quality broadband for work, I would really appreciate if someone can explain to me what is going on

Hagar

Scenario 1.

Tell Eircom you want to take up their broadband service, get them to test the line. It will probably pass.
Result = Broadband


Scenario 2.

Tell Eircom you want to take up Magnet's broadband service, get them to test the line. It will probably fail.
Result = No Broadband



How badly do you need broadband?

Selkies

Hagar wrote: »

Scenario 1.

Tell Eircom you want to take up their broadband service, get them to test the line. It will probably pass.

Scenario 2.

Tell Eircom you want to take up Magnet's broadband service, get them to test the line. It will probably fail.

See now that is what I was thinking but I never even mentioned magnet.

Hagar wrote: »

How badly do you need broadband?

1st and last line of support for a website that loses money when it goes down, need it lots.

dub45

The general consensus on here is that it takes up to a month for the line test to appear. Apparently Eircom test their lines once a month and its the result of that test that you need. So depending on when you get your line installed in the month your waiting time could be a lot shorter.

As Eircom would still get the bb rental on any contract with another isp I cannot understand the contention here that Eircom will not pass a line unless you sign up with them.

Selkies

dub45 wrote: »

The general consensus on here is that it takes up to a month for the line test to appear. Apparently Eircom test their lines once a month and its the result of that test that you need. So depending on when you get your line installed in the month your waiting time could be a lot shorter.

As Eircom would still get the bb rental on any contract with another isp I cannot understand the contention here that Eircom will not pass a line unless you sign up with them.

Eircom get more money if they get the business themselves.

dub45

Selkies wrote: »

Eircom get more money if they get the business themselves.

Of course but only passing a line if they get it would deprive them of the wholesale bb rental from any other isp which given their dire financial straits would be ludicrous.

And as you point out yourself in this case you had not mentioned to them that you were interested in using another provider.

There is an inexcusable lack of understanding amongst the Eircom support staff about the testing procedure with the result that threads such as yours appear with monotonous regularity on here. There is panic - the usual parania is trotted out and then the thread peters out when the test is passed and the op lives happily ever after with whatever bb they choose:)

Selkies

dub45 wrote: »

Of course but only passing a line if they get it would deprive them of the wholesale bb rental from any other isp which given their dire financial straits would be ludicrous.

And as you point out yourself in this case you had not mentioned to them that you were interested in using another provider.

Supposing someone other than me were to come across this problem. They decide they want broadband and they aren't too picky about who they get it from. They install the eircom line, and order broadband from a company other than eircom, they get refused and next month they get a sales call from eircom telling them they can in fact get broadband, would they like to be signed up.

But then never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

dub45 wrote: »

There is an inexcusable lack of understanding amongst the Eircom support staff about the testing procedure with the result that threads such as yours appear with monotonous regularity on here. There is panic - the usual parania is trotted out and then the thread peters out when the test is passed and the op lives happily ever after with whatever bb they choose:)

I hope that is the case, I have my doubts though, my luck with broadband hasn't been all that good thus far. I wouldn't be surprised if even after the proper test is done I don't get broadband.

dub45

Selkies wrote: »

Supposing someone other than me were to come across this problem. They decide they want broadband and they aren't too picky about who they get it from. They install the eircom line, and order broadband from a company other than eircom, they get refused and next month they get a sales call from eircom telling them they can in fact get broadband, would they like to be signed up.

But then never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

Well you would hope that the staff in the non picky isp would be familiar with how long it takes for the test results to become available and make sure that they informed their would be customer accordingly.

Selkies

So I rang them up again and find out that there has been a test run on thursday (after activation) and it still doesn't work. They ran a fault test on the line and its fine, they ran a broadband test on people in the same appartment block and its fine. Everyone in eircom I talk to has no idea why my line isn't working and have no way of finding out.

I have to buy a phone now and check to see if the line is actually working.

The guy I talked to last seemed to think that there was some sort of wiring problem on my side.

Selkies

incidentally, how does one figure out if your phone wiring is ****ed up?

I know nothing about that kinda stuff

Hagar

Selkies wrote: »

I have to buy a phone now and check to see if the line is actually working.

Buy one in Argos, don't tear the packaging, bring it back undamaged within 14 days for refund.

Selkies

So 3 weeks went by and I called eircom again and now I can get broadband.

WTF?

Hagar

Just be thankful. Congrats.

dub45

Selkies wrote: »

So 3 weeks went by and I called eircom again and now I can get broadband.

WTF?

And weren't you told that this would happen?:)

Originally Posted by dub45
There is an inexcusable lack of understanding amongst the Eircom support staff about the testing procedure with the result that threads such as yours appear with monotonous regularity on here. There is panic - the usual parania is trotted out and then the thread peters out when the test is passed and the op lives happily ever after with whatever bb they choose

jleavy

Hi Guys,
You know the online DSL line checking thingy that you are talking about here.

Well, my new line status is:

Unable to determine if line is suitable

Now, I understand line checks are only carried out once in a blue moon unless you talk to the guys in the local exchange.

Here's my question:
You know when you ring 1901 and the automatic voice for faults does a line test

- is this the same thing? And would the results of this line test be logged on the dsl database?

The voice would log the fault i guess but you can alway cancel that by saying 'agent' and telling them you made a mistake talking to the voice.

Just wondering..

Joe

dub45

Now, I understand line checks are only carried out once in a blue moon unless you talk to the guys in the local exchange.

As far as we know line tests are carried out once per moon - they dont wait for blue ones. And you dont have to talk to guys in the local exchange to get it done.

Here's my question:
You know when you ring 1901 and the automatic voice for faults does a line test

- is this the same thing?

No

jleavy

lol - thanks dub45 :-)

My line now shows as:

Line not suitable for broadband

I'd say the test has not yet been done, but only the new phone number has been added to the database with the default result of FAIL.

Unfortunately the order is very urgent so I have been given the phone number for the local exchange to call on Monday for a manual test - looks like I'll have to use it.

Joe