IOL Gold not too reliable

LegacyUser · 08-07-2001 5:45pm #1

I am finding that I lose my connection to IOL Gold frequently, and so have to redial and, of course, pay for another connection.

LegacyUser · 08-07-2001 6:04pm

To be fair, that's probably your Eircom line, and has nothing to do with Esat. You might want to change your modem script to force your modem to connect at v34 instead of v90. My phone line is so bad, I can't keep a connection for more than a few minutes unless I do this.

LegacyUser · 10-07-2001 8:28pm

I don't know how to get into the modem script file in Windows 98. I used to fiddle with the file when I had Windows 3.11.

LegacyUser · 10-07-2001 9:48pm

Try going into C:/Control Panel/Modems

then go into Properties/Connection/Advanced

you should be able to change your scripting there or add extra settings, it works for me anyways!

Farls

The right way, the wrong way and MY way!

phaxx · 10-07-2001 11:08pm

Ah-ha!

A while ago when I was using esat I was always being kicked off. I kept a log one evening, and it happened ten/fifteen times in a 2.5 hour period, lowest connected time being about 30 seconds!

So, um, any idea what you do to get your modem to use v34 when the machine is linux?

Slackware 7 (probably changing to freebsd shortly, so any suggestions that apply to both would be great.)

It's just a matter of adding something to the modem init string isn't it?

Wish my modem had a better manual, it really sucks. Doesn't even explain what all the lights on the front of it are

(Diamond Supraexpres 56e external, btw)

LegacyUser · 10-07-2001 11:13pm

As a general possible problem maybe its your physical line

Try getting eircom to come out and check your line. I got a service rep out at the start of the year and he checked the line and detected a fault but couldn't pinpoint it. So he climbed up to have a look at the box or whatever, just as it comes into my house. Sure enough there was a frayed conection (no BS- he should me the wire after replacing it!) He then fired up the net on a laptop and it was like a bullet and has been since ( in so far as 56k can!). Your paying the £12 line rental a month so your well within your rights.

80p.

Bard · 10-07-2001 11:28pm

putting in "s11=50" (no quotes) in your modem init. string makes the modem dial faster, which can fool the modem on the other end into (apparently!) trusting that you're connecting via a much faster line and opening up more bandwidth to you...

never made a difference for me - I do it by default, because I'm impatient and I want the damn thing to dial and connect a.s.a.p.

this won't necessarily help with your disconnection issues... as suggested, best thing to do is shout at eircom...

you don't have Call Waiting on the line... do you???

Bard

"I have a plan... and it's as hot... AS MY PANTS!!!" - Lord Flashheart.

LegacyUser · 11-07-2001 9:13am

Originally posted by 80project.com:
As a general possible problem maybe its your physical line

Try getting eircom to come out and check your line. I got a service rep out at the start of the year and he checked the line and detected a fault but couldn't pinpoint it. So he climbed up to have a look at the box or whatever, just as it comes into my house. Sure enough there was a frayed conection (no BS- he should me the wire after replacing it!) He then fired up the net on a laptop and it was like a bullet and has been since ( in so far as 56k can!). Your paying the £12 line rental a month so your well within your rights.

80p.

Unfortunately you are not within your rights.

About a year ago, I had a problem with the line. I was getting connection speeds of about .5K or less. Eircom checked out the line remotely and
found some sort of problem. "Grounding" I think it was.

Anyway they sent a rep out who tested the line from the house and declared it fine. I explained my problem with the computer and he claimed it was probably the modem or the computer. No way could it possibly be the line.

I wasn't convinced so I persuaded him to check it out with his own laptop (he was very reluctant to do this). He dialled in to his work connection but lost patience because the home page was taking so long to download (about 10 minutes).

He switched off the machine and then explained very carefully to me that Eircom were under no obligation to fix problems connected with modem communication.

"If you had hi-speed we might take it more seriously," he said. His tone suggested that he felt I was wasting his time. I certainly felt I was wasting my time!

As he was leaving, I asked him to at least report that the line had problems with data communication. He said he would do this.

Later, I phoned and found out that he had reported that the line checked out fine.

Please note that when I ordered the line, I stated that it was specifically for Internet calls. After about three weeks trying to get something done about the line, I had it disconnected.

If you had rights in this matter, people would not have the problems with common carrier systems around the country.

I find Eircoms approach strange. They make a fortune out of Internet calls. You would think they would be interested maximising the amount of lines capable of this.

LegacyUser · 11-07-2001 9:47am

Originally posted by Skeptic1:

I find Eircoms approach strange. They make a fortune out of Internet calls. You would think they would be interested maximising the amount of lines capable of this.

Bah natatall Eircon is here to serve the interests of their employees, jobs for life and all that. The employees don't care whether Eircon make money or not as long as their gravy train keeps rolling. Customers are a an irritating nuisance in the fine old 'public service' tradition.

LegacyUser · 11-07-2001 11:52am

i have never found the IOL/ESAT service very reliable either way. Having updated modem drivers, new settings, checked with eircom, new extension lead..etc..etc...constant disconnections were a nightmare and still are, not to mention the hell it generally is in getting a decent connection to the service in the first place. yet i still maintain Indigo gofree which i have used during the day to check email etc.. this always connects first time with a better connection and throughput first time. when approaching esat/iol about this. they swiftly insulted me down the line and hung up on me ...twice!!! The sooner we have a newer no limits service in this country the better. !!

bkehoe · 11-07-2001 2:39pm

IOL Gold is terrible for me. I got it for a month for the onpeak call charges, and ended up not using it at all. Sure I got good connection speeds, 50.6k, but it was amazingly slow, and at times would sit there and send or receive nothing.

With NoLimits, I get connected at 49.2k and it works fairly good. The best ISP I have used is ELive, connecting at 50.6k, and can download at 5kb/sec through it, and get best ping times to the US. Pity other ISPs don't work as good.

Brendan

LegacyUser · 11-07-2001 7:48pm

I went to Start>Settings>Control panel>Modems>Properties>Connections>Advanced>View log (phew) and found what looks like the initialization string for my modem. I copied the commands and they are these:

AT
AT&FE0V1S0=0&C1&D2+MR=2;+DR=1;+ER=1;W0
ATS7=60M1+ES=3,0,2;+DS=3;+IFC=2,2;X4
ATS38=0

The last command (ATS38=0) is the one that the IOL Gold technical help phone rep recommended I add on the Advanced page. He said it might help with the frequent disconnects (it hasn't). The log of the connects shows that the remote modem hangs up on me, and the IOL Gold man said from the log he was able to view that it appeared the modem on their end lost the signal from me.

We don't have Call Waiting on our line. We had a bad line at a house we rented in west Cork, and Eircom came out and checked it and ran a new line for us at no charge. Maybe I'll give Eircom a call here and see what they say.

LegacyUser · 11-07-2001 9:01pm

putting in "s11=50" (no quotes) in your modem init. string makes the modem dial faster

You take the time to set the time between yer puter button pushing the digits(this sets the interval between yer pc dialling the next digit in a number), wow Bard you must count the milliseconds to getting online

. You have too much time on you're hands

LegacyUser · 11-07-2001 9:57pm

I'll probably get hounded for saying this, but I must say I'm using IOL No Limits for a while now and find NO problems with them. I initially started off with Eircom then onto Indigo and found it Very slow indeed max capable connection speeds of 31,000bps with IOL 49,333 bps and very reliable. I have also noticed at some stages that after aprox 2.5hrs on line I get cut off so I don't believe its Eircom doing this. Just one finally note again for connection speeds etc it depends on your geographical nature. The nearer you are to the telephone exchange the quicker your connection will be and the less likely chance of losing a connection. Also I don't blame Esat for the recent probs. its more down to Eircom's monopoly.

phaxx · 11-07-2001 10:16pm

Originally posted by Bard:
...
you don't have Call Waiting on the line... do you???

You're not trying to suggest that we might actually use the line for VOICE... are you??

LegacyUser · 11-07-2001 11:34pm

Originally posted by Skeptic1:

Unfortunately you are not within your rights.

If you pay for the service then you are well within your rights to demand it- No question about that. Whether you actually receive the service is different matter as in your case.

To Tom: If I was you I'd give them hell until they sorted it out.

80p.

LegacyUser · 12-07-2001 4:52pm

TomF,

As 80project stated, you may be within your rights, but as Skeptic1 said you'd be lucky to get the service you deserve without tricking Eircom into providing what you are actually entitled to...

Here's my story:
I had extreme problems with even getting a connection at all. - My older external 33.6 k modem refused it's service completely and if I got 14.4k out of my 'new' 56k modem I was doing extremely well.
I complained about the bad connection several times (via phone and personally at one of Eircom's outlets) without any results.
I even showed them a printout of how bad the line quality was. Of course to no avail. (Note: When tossing around a few AT commands you can actually get an Apple Macintosh to give you a number which represents your line-quality that can be compared to a value that you should achieve for good 56k modem performance.)
At some stage one of the representatives told me snobbishly that they do not give a toss as long as the quality of the line is good enough for voice-calls.
That's how I got them.... I left the case settling for a short while and then I got back onto them that I would hear a lot of background noise as well as experiencing calls being disconnected for no reason. All for a sudden somebody was available to check out the line.
That's now over a year ago and although my line is still not perfect I manage to break the 45k limit at times, which is definitely not bad. At present I am even able to use the V90 modem script!
Hope this helps to get your line-quality improved....

disConnected

LegacyUser · 12-07-2001 6:50pm

I telephoned Eircom today and got a girl who said she'd check the quality of my line and ring back. She did and said the quality was what it should be for a voice line. She said my line was not meant for data. I get a queasy feeling that this is going to be Eircom's way of saying they provided a voice quality line, but if we insist on using it for data, then the only way they will guarantee data quality is to run a new line at our expense.

Bard · 12-07-2001 7:25pm

Originally posted by Longfield:
You take the time to set the time between yer puter button pushing the digits(this sets the interval between yer pc dialling the next digit in a number), wow Bard you must count the milliseconds to getting online . You have too much time on you're hands

Um... no, I don't have "too much time on my hands"... that's why I make it dial faster and connect sooner. I'm impatient.

Bard

I've got a plan... and it's as HOT... AS MY PANTS!!!" - Lord Flashheart.

LegacyUser · 12-07-2001 8:06pm

TomF I think if i had that problem i'd take the approach (though it shouldn't be necessary) that disConnected took

That's how I got them.... I left the case settling for a short while and then I got back onto them that I would hear a lot of background noise as well as experiencing calls being disconnected for no reason. All for a sudden somebody was available to check out the line

. I think that its ridiculous that they can get away with offering a phone line today thats not internet capable, which in you're case i would not consider it to be. You pay the same line rental as i do, i'm lucky to live in Dublin city centre in a newish apartment block and 99.9% percent of the time i connect at 53.2Kbps, i pay for this service and get this ,why can't you? If you have to tell a white lie so be it, as i said before, this is not the dark ages, modem dialup is commonplace, they shouldnt be able to say that a phone line is exclusivly suited to voice only and that new fangled internet is just not relevant to their service. To be honest, having worked in a call centre i often wished someone just told me a white lie when calling me...eg..."my modem doesnt work"...was there any thunderstorms in your area recently?.."emm yes there was a couple of weeks ago"....now i'm not allowed to replace the damn modem..act of God and all that(inside its just b/s i know),why didn't they just say ,"no the weathers been lovely, it just stopped working"..everyones happy, no screaming and shouting...get the picture..disConnected took the smart approach and reaped the reward.

IOL Gold not too reliable

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