VOIP problems on Teleconnect

[cartref]

I wonder if other Teleconnect customers are having problems with VOIP dropping at a regular rate, not just weekly but daily. After contacting TC they did admit to problems their end but mine keeps on dropping. As all my phone calls go through the modem it means I am "phoneless" for a while. Can still use FT line but expensive if I want to call UK.

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[memb]

Snap Cartref - we are having dire problems with it, its gone from bad to worse over this last month or so, during the week we had nothing for almost 2 days.    We previously had Teleconnect for our telephone calls only, then when they introduced this package we signed up for it,  but its not the service we had received during our telephone only days.    We wrote to the Director we had such a headache with it at installation stage, the worst thing being that we booked a slot for a technician to ring us to sort the problem and no-one ever rang.  After the letter we seemed to receive better service.      It was decided our best way forward was to switch the modem off and on over a 10 second period when we had no VOiP light illuminated.....we've done that sometimes up to 5 times per day, but this last month its got worse and worse culminating into no lights for 2 days.    We spoke to a technician (via our mobile) on Thursday, he said FT were to check the line and it would take 2 - 5 days for this to be done, meantime I was to try the off/on 10 second period reboot the following morning and it came back on!  Its been off 4 times again since then....absolute disgrace.     It seems Teleconnect blame FT and FT blame Teleconnect....and us, well, we're in the middle!      We also told them if they did not return the promised callback we would again write to Jacques the director, we were told he was no longer there.    Hmmm, a little worrying.

[AnOther]

For what it's worth I'm with TC and can't say I'm having any problems.

Offshore on my oil rig at the moment so speak to 'er indoors usually 2 or 3 times a day plus emails.

She has not mentioned any problems with the phone or internet.

I hope i don't come to regret saying that [:-))]

EDIT: Not clear from your messsage 47AJM whether you are full degroupee or not. I'm not.

[cartref]

Glad I am not the only one having problems (sorry there are others). I also have to do the 10 second re-boot. It becomes a pain when I am in the middle of sending an e-mail, although I do get a sort of warning before it drops altogether. I do consider it bad customer services though if you have already sent letters/e-mails to the bossman and still have problems. I only went with these people because they came highly recommended and for the fact that calls to the UK only cost me 5€ a month. May decide to change if things do  ot get better although it does seem that their charges are quite high for cancelling. Hope things improve for both of us soon.[:)]

cartref 

[memb]

[quote user="ErnieY"]

EDIT: Not clear from your messsage 47AJM whether you are full degroupee or not. I'm not.

[/quote]

 

Sorry to ask but what does the above mean?

[AnOther]

It's the equivalent to local loop unbundling in UK where the ISP takes over the actual so called "last mile" to your house.

"the separation (partial or total) of the Internet line from the fixed line telephone supply. It means that a household may have Internet access independently from France Telecom. It is generally only available in high-occupancy areas and each independent supplier will have a package it offers"

If you still pay line rental to FT then you are not full degroupee.

[Mayennaise]

We had similar problems last year. Teleconnect blamed FT and vice versa. In the end Teleconnect sent us a new modem and all has been ok since. I suspect there was a problem with the FT line that they wouldn't admit to but have fixed on the quiet!! 

[memb]

[quote user="ErnieY"]

If you still pay line rental to FT then you are not full degroupee.

[/quote]

Thanks for that info ErnieY, we do pay line rental to FT (I did'nt think there was any other way).   Mayennaise how did you get the new modem set up.    Did you follow the instructions step for step as if it was the first one received, or did you just take the connections out of the old modem and plug them into the new one?    Thanks in advance for any info.

[AnOther]

There may not be an option. It all depends on your area and where the ISP's have moved in.

In broad terms if you are any distance from the major towns and cities the chances are it won't be available.

There is a site HERE where you can check your area.

A word of caution though. If you ware able to and did go full degroupee and you subsequently had problems with your ISP or your equipment you would likely have no telephone at all until it was sorted. Many, myself included even though full degroupee is not available to me, prefer to keep the FT line as a backup. Especially important if one's mobile coverage is patchy.

[Mayennaise]

47AJM - we followed the instructions provided - mind you we also set up a wifi thingy at the same time but is was fairly simple. 

[memb]

Thanks again ErnieY.   I've just checked out our telephone number on the site you recommended and it states :

Vous bénéficiez d'une des offres proposées ci dessous Freebox (adsl non dégroupé) 608 kbps  

That bit of info has gone whooshing over the top of my head at the speed of Concorde, but having read what you have said about the possibility of having no telephone line, dare not take that risk.     With a new modem is it just a question of unplugging all  the leads currently into it and replugging them into the new box or will we have to do something else?

[memb]

Thanks Mayennaise, seems we may have to go along the route of a new modem (it must be my birthday today because its only been off once so far.....touch wood)!

[AnOther]

608kbps is, to put it bluntly, pathetic, you must be some way away from your exchange [:(]

You won't be doing any video streaming that's for sure, still, anything is better than dialup [+o(]

[memb]

Teleconnect did say we are a long way from the FT exchange.   Just checked that site with our friends telephone number (who rave about Teleconnect) and their number stated 2432 kbps... a tad difference to our's!     I would have thought there was a "lower limit" they stoodby before agreeing to supply their package because surely they know they will have grief from the customers in due course.  Cartref have you checked your telephone number?  It will be interesting to find out if yours is low like our's.  Thanks for your help.

[tracteurtom]

[quote user="ErnieY"]

608kbps is, to put it bluntly, pathetic, you must be some way away from your exchange [:(]

You won't be doing any video streaming that's for sure, still, anything is better than dialup [+o(]

[/quote]

608 kbps wow thats a luxury, were I am I cant get anything other than dial-up and thats intermitant and I have to pay broad band rates for the service !  OK I'm jealous.

Yes I'd jump at broadband tomorrow if it was available but I seriously question why people buy into VOIP and all its hassles.  Your standard telephone (POTS - plain old telephone system - as we used to call them) could be a life saver one day and if your relying on a ISP and mains power, well, you can guarantee it'll be off just when you need it.  So if you have VOIP, think about it, and make sure your mobile is good !

[AnOther]

No ISP will ever really guarantee you anything and whatever you're offered will usually say "up to" as a get out. Of course if what you do get is stikingly at odds with what you were expecting from somewhere like Degrouptest or what the ISP offererd you should of course query it.

There is a plan for those in the extreme outer reaches although I'm not sure it's available everywhere or from anybody other then FT.

Its called READSL and is specially tweaked for distance rather than speed and can, allegedly, extend up to about 8km. From memory it's a 512kbps connection with a "guaranteed" minimum speed of 400kbps and I would guess that if tests on a line proved it inadequate to support that minimum then they would decline to provide it at all.

[tracteurtom]

Ernie, your right with the 8km figure, because we are just over 8ks from our local exchange - bummer! 

I had a problem with the line a few months ago; when it rained the dialtone would disappear for an hour or so.  FT fixed it by swopping the pairs, but I have my doubts  - I think the whole multicore needs renewing, then I might get a half decent service.  But try telling FT that - I was told I shouldn't live in the countryside  hahahaha.

[AnOther]

[quote user="pcwhizz"]I seriously question why people buy into VOIP and all its hassles.[/quote]@ €5 per month for unlimited calls to UK and other destinations why WOULDN'T you. Plus with Teleconnect you get a special 0844 number to give to friends and family in UK which then costs then a mere 3p per min to call you.

With a decent speed there is no real "hassle" either. Sure sometimes it can take a few moments to connect and maybe once in a while it simply doesn't and you have to redial but for 95% of the time there is little or no perceivable difference between it and the POTS.

With a name of pcwhizz I'm sure you must know that VOIP is just an add on to a broadband service and having it does not mean you have to abandon the FT line, you can have it both ways, so if something goes wrong POTS is still there.

As I said previously, it's only if you go full degroupee that you lose your POTS and from my personal perspective I'm not willing to risk that for the sake of some €15 per month saving.

Just out of curiosity and passing interest, I wonder it you knew what your connection speed would likely be before you bought your house ?

EDIT: Crossed posting !

[AnOther]

[quote user="pcwhizz"]I was told I shouldn't live in the countryside  hahahaha.[/quote]Cruel but unfortunately true and is no different to what BT would tell you in UK. BT's one and only obligation is to provide you with a line suitable for POTS and I would imagine that FT's brief is similar.

FT are a business who's aim is to make money therefore they would have to look at the not insignificant cost of upgrading your line in terms of both payback and future profit. If you then factor in the chance that you would abandon them at any time in favour of an alternative supplier it's not hard to see why you get the response you do. 

[BJSLIV]

With a name of pcwhizz I'm sure you must know that VOIP is just an add on to a broadband service and having it does not mean you have to abandon the FT line, you can have it both ways, so if something goes wrong POTS is still there.

I assumed that PCWHIZZ was referring to the widespread habit of ditching the FT service and relying 100% on VOIP eg the 100% Neuf and the similar Free package.

I still think that its worth having the steam powered phone line, it comes in handy for complaining  when the ADSL goes down.[:D]

[AnOther]

Yes, I'm sure you are right, it was just that, to those less informed, I thought it gave the impression that to use VOIP it was neccessary to ditch FT which is obviously not the case.

[tracteurtom]

[quote user="BJSLIV"]

I assumed that PCWHIZZ was referring to the widespread habit of ditching the FT service and relying 100% on VOIP eg the 100% Neuf and the similar Free package.

I still think that its worth having the steam powered phone line, it comes in handy for complaining  when the ADSL goes down.[:D]

[/quote]

Exactly BJ.  I get the impression that there is a lot of miss selling with VOIP, its a high tech service that many, I think, dont really understand the full implications of what they are buying into and of course what they are giving up.  Keep your POTS !

[cartref]

With a decent speed there is no real "hassle" either. Sure sometimes it can take a few moments to connect and maybe once in a while it simply doesn't and you have to redial but for 95% of the time there is little or no perceivable difference between it and the POTS.

I quite agree with you Ernie on this one. My VOIP is erratic but I am never without internet access for longer than, say, an hour at most. Its just so damn frustrating. But the speed I get, 1261kbps on my PC, is OK for what I want to do. ( I am also in a rather large village and only 2 miles from an even bigger town, so no country lane issues here). And if I have to do the 10 second reboot (which doesn't always work quickly), so be it. The options are to quit TC and go with someone else and who knows what that will lead to.

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[AnOther]

I think in the time I've been with TC, which is perhaps 9 months, I've had to reboot my router maybe 8 or 10 times and some of those might have been unneccessary as there could have been an interruption in the exchange or something else causing the problem. I certainly can't recall ever losing the service for more than a few minutes, 30 at the most.

Incidentally it's probably better to actually power down and back up again after a few seconds then just restart the software through the interface as sometimes that might not fully reset it.

For anyone having ongoing problems it would be wise to establish 100% that they are down to TC before switching otherwise you could be jumping from the frying pan into the fire.

[Panda]

A general observation on VoIP, does anyone else have a problem keying numbers on the VoIP phone when connected also via a PC to broadband.  I invariably have to drop my PC connection in order to key numbers (say for access to a protected telephone call) otherwise the service sees my keyed numbers incorrectly.  I work via a VPN, perhaps that scrambles the keyed numbers???