ANYONE that went from BT ISDN > BT Broadband?

[DigestiveBiscui]

I read on their website that when u place your broadband order your ISDN line will be ceased from there on in. I take it this means that they will nuke it

Question is, do they turn it off straight away??? and how long does it take for BB to arrive?

[5150]

I've done this for a few clients and heres how it pans out

1st - BT remove ISDN and replace with analogue line
2nd - BT test analogue line is suitable for ADSL (I'll come back to this in a sec)
3rd - BT install ADSL

Now if you were paying attention you will have noticed that you can get screwed at the 2nd part. If your analogue line is either too far from the exchange or not good enough quality you wont get ADSL but you'll already have lost your ISDN line.

The reason for this is that ISDN and ADSL are 2 different parts of BT (and they dont communicate very well) but you have to have an analogue line before you can actually order ADSL (the BT package just means they do all this middle bit for you)

Personally I'd suggest having a new phone line installed, then get ADSL on it and when your happy its all good ditch your ISDN.

[jernau]

BT claim ISDN is incompatible with ADSL - this is total and utter bullcrap.

None the less they won't do it because they are lazy, imcompetant, crooked, lying arse-jockeys.

They will effectively cancel your ISDN then put a PSTN line (normal analogue phone) in it's place. Then they will put ADSL over the new line. The reason for the cease is so they can transfer your numbers and billing information more easily (again - they are too lazy to do it in a non-cnutish manner).

In theory it should take no time to cease the ISDN and 3-5 days to activate the PSTN. Depending on luck and ISP you may be able to start the DSL process before the 3-5 days is up. Best case you MIGHT get swapped over inside a week but I doubt it unless you want to hassle them 24/7 to to get off their arses and do their damned jobs.

My guess would be 2 weeks - one to change the carrier-line and one for the ISP.

I would strongly recommend kicking them repeatedly throughout the process though as I've seen them take 2 months to cease an ISDN before now. FYI - it technically takes about 1 minute to cease a line, they are just that shit.



edit - as 5150 says, getting the PSTN/ADSL in seperately then dumping ISDN is your best bet.

[DigestiveBiscui]

Originally posted by 5150


Now if you were paying attention you will have noticed that you can get screwed at the 2nd part. If your analogue line is either too far from the exchange or not good enough quality you wont get ADSL but you'll already have lost your ISDN line.


im nearly 100% certain i can so it doesnt bother me. My nextdoor neighbour has BB so why not :)

the only problem i have is that i dont have a 56k modem in my comp atm, it went bang :p All i have is ISDN

[jernau]

Originally posted by DigestiveBiscui
My nextdoor neighbour has BB so why not :)

Because BT are too busy eating man-meat and going bankrupt to do anything right?

[DigestiveBiscui]

meh my ada owns a business of his own

if they fuck him over ill have double my BB in a week :p

[jernau]

Originally posted by DigestiveBiscui
meh my ada owns a business of his own

if they fuck him over ill have double my BB in a week :p

Not sure what you mean here but trust me, BT don't give a rats ass about anyone. You could be Microsoft and they'd still crap in your coffee rather than answer the phone to you.

[Archeus]

Friend of mine went from Eircom ISDN to ESAT BT broadband.

Didn't work. Rings up ESAT.. it's Eircoms problem. Rings up Eircom, it is no longer our problem.

He ended up going with a third company as both of them refused to fix it and they were both expecting to be paid for not doing anything.

[DigestiveBiscui]

thats from 2 comlpetley different companies

this is BT to BT

i know 1 person who has done it before me just up my road, didnt seem to have any probs - and ISDN was still active until he got his BB stuff

[jernau]

BT Broadband <> BT accounts <> BT installations <> BT call centres.

[Xian]

I know someone who did it and got buggered because their line was too far away. Obviously if you next door neighbour has ADSL that shouldn't be a problem.

However, Jernau is right. BT couldn't give two craps and they do go through the whole process of canceling ISDN before checking then moving to ADSL. You'll be waiting 2-3 weeks if you're lucky for all of that to happen.. my friend waited 6.

[5150]

Originally posted by DigestiveBiscui
thats from 2 comlpetley different companies

this is BT to BT

i know 1 person who has done it before me just up my road, didnt seem to have any probs - and ISDN was still active until he got his BB stuff

Trust me on this, 2 different departments within BT might as well be 2 different companies (as an aside I think Openworld actually _is_ a separate company anyway)

Christ BT have different departments for inside and outside your building (and yes they will send 2 Engineers who wont necessarily turn up at the same time or even know the other one is coming)

[DigestiveBiscui]

sounds like every phone company :D

[Xian]

Well then just do it with BT you silly girl. :p

[DigestiveBiscui]

im in the convice my dad part atm

he is sensible, so he will ask BT how long it will take and why and if it takes longer he WILL blow up and he will do what jernau says and ring them every day asking and asknig (every hour possibly) until they come round

[Xian]

Originally posted by DigestiveBiscui
im in the convice my dad part atm

he is sensible, so he will ask BT how long it will take and why and if it takes longer he WILL blow up and he will do what jernau says and ring them every day asking and asknig (every hour possibly) until they come round

I actually got pretty good service from BT when I switched from 56k to ADSL. However I live 100 meters from my exchange, so I was able to physically pester them. :D

Convincing isn't so bad, it's not that expensive when you compare it to what you get with ISDN.

[DigestiveBiscui]

its cheaper m8, thats why im doing it possibly LOL

and my exchange is only half a mile, or about a 5mins walk...not very far tbh

[Penzius]

Isn't BT IDSN actually more expensive than BT broadband?

[DigestiveBiscui]

im faster than you :D read above :) lol

[jernau]

Originally posted by Penzius
Isn't BT IDSN actually more expensive than BT broadband?

A lot more. Unless you only use it for about 5 minutes a month.

[DigestiveBiscui]

well the reason we are still ISDN is because we get free calls after 6pm and at weekends

dont get that with BB, and the phone i used a lot

[-[dw]-Nightwing]

Originally posted by jernau
BT claim ISDN is incompatible with ADSL - this is total and utter bullcrap.



Jep you're right, German Telekom and Vodafone Arcor offer special packets with ISDN and DSL alltogether in one Pack. Perhaps u should tell this to BT.

Other thing depending on DSL u must have copper-cable for your fon and it mustn't be more than 4.5 km to the next dial in point. With glasfiber it really doesn't work

[jernau]

Originally posted by -[dw]-Nightwing
Jep you're right, German Telekom and Vodafone Arcor offer special packets with ISDN and DSL alltogether in one Pack. Perhaps u should tell this to BT.

Germany is often quoted at BT as proof of their idiocy in this regard but as I say, they don't care. They have a monopoly so they can be as crap as they like and they like to be really really crap.


Originally posted by -[dw]-Nightwing
Other thing depending on DSL u must have copper-cable for your fon and it mustn't be more than 4.5 km to the next dial in point. With glasfiber it really doesn't work

All xDSL services require copper. Distance from exchange varies depending on the exact flavour. ADSL is ~4-5km as you say but some providers offer higher speed links on shorter wires (SDSL usually) and there are a number of techs offering service to more remote areas in the near future.

[DigestiveBiscui]

tis all a bugger

at the end of the day im going for BT broadband - not BT yahoo BB