Windows 7: Today

Today i worked out at my local ***nasium and later i made a new Sig for myself :)... what did you do today, please share ?

Edit - Why is G Y M stared out ?

Yesterday and today been fighting with an ISP, I believe I've been on phone at least 5 or 6 hours of the last 24.

My email simply don't work, Outlook rejects my username and password. Tried the web interface, got "This is not a valid email address". Other email addresses on the same ISP and same account are working.

Almost 24 hours mow and nothing is happening. Today almost impossible to come through to the help desk, last person I spoke with said "Please do not call anymore, we will contact you as soon as we have found what's going on".

Frustrating.

Kari

Kari... Based on that last response, I would change ISP's as soon as possible. I would then email the ISP and tell them that you are switching your Service Provider and why, and would you please remove your equiptment ASAP!!

This type of "service" is unacceptable and should not be tolerated..


PS... I would hire Antmans' CockBots for a search and destroy mission...

The issues with ISP's are unfortunately not easy to solve, I'm not sure what the contractual situation is in other markets, but in the UK. in order to obtain the best price with an ISP you normally have to contract for a minimum term.

This of course severely limits your available options when it comes to applying pressure in the event of lack of service. If you have 9 months of contract that you have a legal obligation to fulfil the change ISP option is not an attractive proposition.

I personally never use an ISP provided email or web/Storage space as these may not always be available to me, through past experience I use free webmail services as these are available whatever ISP I choose to use in future.

I may have the free web mail poll the ISP address in case anything important is sent to me from the ISP, but that is the limit of my involvement with the ISP's additional services.

I also have the one webmail monitor the other in case there is a problem accessing my email when on site

My ISP does not require a contract/lease for services and I have few, very few, problems. On those occasions when I need to call for support and or service for my account, I am treated with respect and promptness. They realize that service is the only thing that seperates them from the big boys, and it is second to none. It is that level of service that keeps me as one of their customers ... and they know it...

Oh I almost forgot

Congratulations Dave

To add to Nigel's always wise words, here in the US a lot of us are tied to an ISP with little or no choice - cable provider with no DSL access option, part of a package deal with phone service, etc.

I have to use ATT as my ISP because I have DSL and no cable service (TV via dish), but I do not use anything they offer with the connection. I check their included mail account but don't go to their site's home page for anything. I use another company to host my domains and "real" mail accounts.

For my money, using another service to host mail and domains makes much more sense.

Oh s***, this is more serious I even thought. My personal website and blog are also down. Giving the addresses on the browser only gives a 404, trying to log in to UCP says "This user don't exist in our system".

Last word from Help Desk 10 minutes ago was "This normally occurs if you have not paid your bill two months a row. Please contact the billing department on Monday".

Checking the bank account over Internet shows they got my monthly payment automatically two days ago, 1st of the month as always. About 24 hours before the problem started.

Come Monday I have a new service provider!

Kari

Hi Tom,

am glad to hear this

The UK is a special case in many ways due to recent (political) history. For a long time only one government sanctioned corporation had control of the infrastructure. This has now changed but is still a work in progress so that the vast majority of ISP are merely sub-letting space on the backbone

When we moved here I decided on the ISP I wanted and attempted to arrange a phone line to provide this - to be told that they would be visiting to check the suitability in about a month with the actual install anything up to another month after this.

Luckily I did have the option of a cable supplier who stated they would be here in two days to install the hardware, which they did . It actually turned out to be the best decision I've made in a long time as the service they provide is more than acceptable

unfortunately this option is not available to everyone.