FOAK: talktalk

Off to the UK later this week to fit new mobo in my (ageing) Mum's
(ageing) computer.

ATM she's on a 12-month contract with some local spiv company who cold-
called her (I know) which expires at the year-end. She doesn't have
broadband at the moment is never going to be a power user so what says
the FOAK about the talktalk 'free' broadband packages? They are now
including a wireless router (good idea) but say that 'you need a wireless
computer' to connect. Can this possibly be true? Are there really routers
without 10/100 ethernet connection? I'd /much/ sooner use a cable
connection and turn the wireless off altogether (security) and don't want
to faff about getting a wireless card running under linux if I can avoid
it. Does anyone know what make and model they're offering so I can look
it up? Their web-site is silent on the subject.

tia.

 

"Linux mint!"

 

Yep, that's what it's going to get. Your point being?

 

Eh? A 63 byte WPA key and MAC address whitelist is too insecure?

I'm guessing that you have a Broadcom chipset for your wlan card? It
*is* easy to sort out in native mode once you ignore all the advice from
clueless half-wits.

Have you considered using Windows or OS X?

Well batted, ginge

 

You didn't look very hard. I found it using a Microsoft browser

"Designed for home use, the EchoLife HG20b lets you use your broadband in
any room in the house, even when you are on the phone. Getting technical,
it provides high-speed ADSL2 and ADSL2+ interfaces for external broadband
WAN access. *******There's also an Ethernet port and WLAN port so you can
connect different items like your PC or games console in wired mode*****
Supports Windows 2000/XP/Vista
Mac Os 8-10.4.4 Tiger "

http://www.talktalk.co.uk/broadband/modem

 

Well, reading your posts I'd come to the conclusion that linux mint
must be the answer to everything. So, I plead Linux Mint, and I'd
like linux mint to be taken into consideration, your mintyness.

 

Thank you. My fault, I was looking for the router information and ignored
the 'modem' reference probably because a router neither modulates nor
demodulates. They used to provide a USB 'modem' AIUI but now offer the
router as standard (that used to be an extra).

 

No. The machine doesn't have a wireless card and I'm not minded to fit
one if I can use a wired connection.

No.

 

The words, 'barge' and 'long pole' come to mind with TalkTalk.

I have been helping an old lady in my sister's church with her computer,
after she went for one of those 'free' packages - got a HP laptop,
phone, broadband and a mobile phone.

She's now stuffed into a 2 year contract at £37/month, and she got
billed for quite a lot of the set up and hardware costs (over £200).
Trouble is, the invoices came *after* the 28 day cooling off period. She
had been mislead by the scrote in the store - who was no longer working
there when she went back to complain. She did go to the CAB, but it's
all water tight.

Looking at what it's costing her, I could have found a laptop and all
other stuff much cheaper.

Personally, I'd use two cups and a bit of string before using TalkTalk.

 

Thank you. That's exactly the sort of feedback I wanted! The £16.49/month
including line-rental seemed to be just what she needed: weekend and
evening and 40Gb/month seemed to be fair, even with a £30 set-up. But
they're cunts then I'll look elsewhere.

 

*Ding*. And most of her family are on Skype, too. Seemed ideal on paper.
However I see plusnet are doing a very similar deal for £16.99 and her
dial-up is with them. I'll give them a ring.

 

They are. My folks are with them and they've had several long outages
(like a week or more). Customer services were absolutely no help on
either occasion "yes there's a problem" was as much as they got - not
even a free dial-up number to use until service was restored. I liked
the call where they were referred to the website best. I had to set
them up with a PAYG account over the phone.

Don't. Just don't.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Snowleopard

Is this, by any chance, going to involve a tropical paradise, a
waterfall, and teeth breaking into chocolate, revealing the virginal
white, creamy interior at all?

Just curious, like.

 

She honestly doesn't know the difference. If she can e-mail, do a bit of
surfing and write a letter she's happy. Three big icons on her desktop
for those and she can cope. Guess I'll have to add a fourth for Skype if
she goes broadband. On the ageing second-hand hardware she has she can do
all that a /lot/ quicker with linux

My experiences of plusnet have all been positive. I was with them for
about ten years (from force9 days) with no complaints at all. However I
understand that they've been bought out by BT so that could all change
quite quickly

 

Of course, the usual YMMV always applies. However, it's the percentage,
and severity of ****-ups that matters.

I am with Virgin ADSL myself, but would like to go to Sky for their
all-in-one package. I'm stuck though, as NO provider has unbundled our
exchange here, so I'm always going to be stuck with BT line rental, and
left with whatever ADSL deals I can find [1][2].

Having a crap service is one thing, but screwing people for immoral
contracts is another, I don't care if they offered the best broadband in
the world.

[1] There are also no expected dates either.
[2] No cable here either.

 

PlusNet were really shite a couple of years ago, but recently I think
they have their act together again. I've put my mum, and someone else
here, with them for broadband, and it's been fine.

 

On Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:38:00 +0100, Wicked Uncle Nigel

I'd certainly *like* it too, and in lieu of any current reality,
please feel free to add the strength of your imaginings to mine. You
never know what the power of positive thought can do!

 

On the other hand, I've had no problems with them at all. The
broadband "arrived" early, when I did have a problem with connection a
dial-up number was supplied... I used to use them moons ago in the
dark days of the unmetered dial-up wars and they were a bit gitty
then, but fine so far.

 

Using the patented Mavis Beacon "Hunt&Peck" Technique, Snowleopard

<fx: Concentrates really hard>

Bugger. Sorry, I keep getting Lion Bars, and I happen to know they're
BCB's favourite.

Sorry, luv. This doesn't normally happen...

 

Eh? You make your old dear use Mint? What kind of sadistic **** are you?