Safe Speed Forums

Talk about a faff! Nothing is ever simple or reliable these days. I haven’t been able to get online at home.

Ever since I dumped TalkTalk ages ago, cuz they were quite expensive, I have recently found, via a price comparison site, a cheap provider called Primus. After one confirmation email and three weeks of silence I got a parcel through my door. The modem should have just been plug and go as described on the simple one-sided sheet of A4. (Yeah right).

It’s made by Thomson, (I think they all are), but has ‘Technicolour' written on it, which didn’t exactly inspire confidence from the start TBH. (Wasn’t that from some dream-coat play or something?).

Long story short, after several phone calls it still aint working a month later. Under instruction, I tried the reset button which doesn’t reset and then tried standing naked on one foot, all to no avail. If I knew what I was doing and was my own IT person I could, so I was told, use the gateway number printed on the credit card style details in some fashion.

So now I’ve got to go on a mission to call Thomson, go through some things with them on my PAYG mob so I can be near the PC and if they can’t fix it I then get a number from them which I quote to Primus so they can doubtless send me another duff modem or give me a further run around.

I see they sell modems/routers in Staples at silly money but what's the difference in buying one of them and how would you set them up? Speaking to others at work, it's not uncommon to have setup problems

It’s like pulling teeth!

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

1) - had similar problems with Virgin -only i could talk to then ,problem was I needed a bloke from work to translate( but all you've got to do is nip down the kebab shop) - so bye bye Virgin .
2) I've now got a T mobile dongle - but I can't top up on line ,because the system don't want to recognise my number . Shop can't help .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

How is it not working Tone?
Does the pc see it when plugged in ?
If so then typing into the address bar on the browser 192.168.1.1 ought to access the modem
Try it ?

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

Thanks Jom

The broadband shows connected but not the Net bit because... I think it was error code 805. (I wrote it down at home). I'm online but not netted, the second half of being connected, because when I reset it doesn't actually reset or show anything at 'their end' like it should. A handshake of sorts?

Without the Net showing red, (active), which it never has I can't press and hold the WiFi auto find button for my Netgear dongle upstairs. She said if I've put the software on for my Netgear dongle, (which I did), it could be scuppering the process, so I uninstalled and rebotted but was no different.

She did tell me to enter the gateway number on my card into the titlebar but it didn't do anything. Is the number you mention here specific to mine or a generic 'find my modem' thing? It looks different to mine, which figures since they are all unique I think.

I'm terribly ignorant on these things. (Like I needed to say that ). If you're near Brum pop over and I'll get the kettle on and cross your palm with silver

Seems to me there's a whole industry surrounding these things just to deliberatley bug people like me whom, if took the interest in IT stuff, I'm sure would get the hang of it all but I don't want to and shouldn't have to. Like most people I just want to use it!

Back tomorrow unless I can get the home one sorted. (Fat chance).

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

192.168.1.1 is the ip address for the modem....most use that. If accepted it accesses the modem and you can then pick set-up and wander through the settings..
Is it even on I wonder....oh well...what happens when you right click on the wireless icon on the taskbar ?
Is it connected ?
Can you then right click and "view available wireless networks" ?
If so you ought to be able to "see" the wireless router you are using....

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

I've had a few installed Virgin one's and the last one sounded a bit like that, which was a duff modem / router.
So I called them - did some checks and to be sure they sent another which worked perfectly. All happened in about 3wks total. I like Virgin - but they have messed up, badly too, but they have done all they could to put it right. That to me was fair enough.

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Safe Speed for Intelligent Road Safety through proper research, experience & guidance.

Tried everything you mention Jom, sounds like everything the helpline lady took me through. Although she couldn’t be 100% certain she came to the conclusion that it’s the modem Claire. So maybe these mass-produced ‘buggy’ firmware Thomson things haven’t been thoroughly beta tested. That’s certainly the case with all the junk I have to use and program at work.

When the man from a company which supplies the equipment we use came up last time he said the Environment Control device I am using is 19 firmware updates behind; some critical!

IMO there is always a profit imperative to just ‘get these things out’ in order to cover the costs of manufacture and R&D - and to hell with it isn’t quite right! I can just imagine some manager pressuring a software engineer with “why isn’t it done yet? You’ve got three days OK!” As though it's like baking loaves of bread

At least that’s my experience. I always remember telling the manager over me years ago “do you want it quick or do you want it right?” or as the old saying goes: "Fast, cheap and good -- pick any two."

Ohhh, I need a holiday...

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

I always I was the only one thinking that after working for a firm some years ago .This was about the time that home PC started taking off and we got the maintenance contract .After a few browny points sorting out the teething problems ,we got offered the maintenance contract for their latest -a cheapo home fax MC .Problem was that it was a case of "Fast, cheap and good -- pick any two."
Believe it or not first fault was software lockup caused by static generated by the paper moving .
Problems i had with Virgin BB was wrong levels - something agent india don't seem to check for .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

Well my first doubts with this modem thing came up when I switched it on and nothing happened.

I double checked the mains power was on and all power switches but after waiting for an age it was still completely dead-looking. So I switched it off and back on again and this time, after a few seconds, the green power light decides to come on, shortly followed by two green LEDs which looked like they were talking to each other.

What's that about and why doesn't a switch do exactly what a traditional switch always has, instead of playing a stupid game? (I know really, I just don't like it).

As you know Botach, this is what our generation didn't have to deal with. When we were lads things may not have done as much but what it did do - it did well. A switch used to do what it suggested; two states, either on or off! None of this fuzzy logic malarkey or 50 input nand gate so if I’ve left the garage door unlocked my fridge light won’t work.

I’ll see how things go but because I’m over two weeks since I ordered it I’m probably committed for however long or have to pay a year’s worth to opt out.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

We did have some funny ideas forty years ago. Do you know, my first boss wouldn't let us send kit to the customer until the design was finished, working and tested. Unbelievable

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When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race. H.G. Wells
When I see a youth in a motor car I do d.c.brown

It's the difference between hardware design and software design. With hardware, if you screw up, then it costs a fortune in recalls to put right but with software you just send a few files. This encourages the release of half developed systems to be tested by the users. It does allow upgrades though.

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Malcolm W.
The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not represent the views of Safespeed.

Now - strange , that's OLDE FASHIONED LOGIC .Some of us OLDE FASHONED Engineers SEEM to have some OLDE Fashioned Ideas imprinted on MEMORY .Now seems to have been forgotten on the dash for cash . Welcome to the old fashioned value club dcb( or is it DCB)

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

When I worked for Eddystone Radio Ltd a million years ago we had a Q.A. guy called Wilf, (Wilfred). The only man I ever came across who could, (and on one occasion did), stop production on a matter of poor quality. I raised a complaint to my elderly manager who told me, (ordered me in fact), to just get on with what I am told to do. I saw Wilf and explained the situation - who backed me up!

In brief, the knobs for panel-mounted potentiometers we had always fitted to accommodate a quarter inch shaft were fine, until the chief buyer started to source a metric type which didn’t fit without a major ‘bodge’ and could damage the pots we fitted to Military spec receivers. These new knobs were expected to be knocked-on with a large screwdriver and once on they were almost impossible to get back off! They should just slide on and then tighten with a 10mm box spanner from the top once you positioned the cursor in the right direction. Not anymore!

I knew I was right and explained to my manager they don't fit because one is metric and the other imperial, but he was having non of it. , I never expected to be backed up and it meant I would effectively be going over my manager's head, but on a matter of principle I was prepared to die on my own sword over this. (Still haven’t changed after all these years).

Needless to say that caused a rift between me and my manager ever after who saw it as impudence on my part and gave me a hard time thereafter until I moved on in my apprenticeship, which took me through every department. Wilf retired in ~1978, the only man I ever met who also retired with a golden handshake after 50 years service. (In tears). I haven’t met another person like him ever since and sometimes wonder if men of such integrity still exist today...

To you Wilf

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Well I admit I’m confused because DCB are his initials and therefore should be capitals in the Queen’s Engrish AFAIK?

AJM or Anthony John Mingeworth

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

That's the best reason I've heard Malcolm. In fact, that's exactly what happens to the stuff I use at work all the time but they, the company, don't keep me/us in the loop.

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

Tone - you Always get streate to the NITTY GRITTY . That's why you & me see so much eye to eye , I suppose .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

I thought it was because we both have a glass eye

A user name can be anything so I shouldn’t be pedantic. I wish I’d called myself ‘Mr handsome great in bed hung like a donkey’ but I’d be kidding myself...

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The views expressed in this post are personal opinions and do not necessarily represent the views of Safe Speed.
You will be branded a threat to society by going over a speed limit where it is safe to do so, and suffer the consequences of your actions in a way criminals do not, more so than someone who is a real threat to our society.

One explanation is that talktalk have been muppets and not released the phone line to allow the other broadband provider's equipment to work. If they haven't sorted it out by a month in then the new ones are incompetent too. I'd tell them you want to cancel for not providing the service you're paying for.

There is a BT test login that you can use to see whether it is an ISP problem or a line problem.

The site thinkbroadband is worth checking out as they have loads of information on broadband providers and likely issues.

If you have another adsl modem lying around I'd try the same login details on that. I'd also try plugging it into the master phone socket after unplugging all phones and adsl filters to rule out one of those being on the wonk.

As an old (very olde) transmission engineer , perhaps it might be a suggestion to either take the PC to the master socket and plug the filters into the master socket ,or run a bit of high grade cable from pins 2 & 5 of the BT Master socket to a socket close by the PC .This stops the BB provider from suggesting that your house wiring is the source of problems ( something the'll like to suggest ) ..
And then ,if they want to send BT out to check - tell them that BT come out at your cost .

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lets bring sanity back to speed limits.
Drivers are like donkeys -they respond best to a carrot, not a stick .Road safety experts are like Asses - best kept covered up ,or sat on

And so it should. If not then Primus (never heard of them by the way) should sort it out, not have you calling Thomson to do their work for them. Surely the first and cheapest thing they could do is try another modem/router.

Unfortunately "cheap" and "good customer service" rarely go together.

Looks like you are locked into an 18 month contract with them.

As for buying your own router, you would have to set it up yourself, which means using that cryptic number to access it, and finding your login details and probably some more cryptic numbers from Primus to get you connected.

Well I did a bit more digging, found some glowing reviews, and found they are owned by New Call Telecom who I have also never heard of.