> Does anyone in NTL's UK-coverage area have any experience of switching
from
> BT or whatever to NTL's cable-service?
Yes. If you are in an NTL area, do it. Do it now. BT is evil. NTL can
just be naughty.
> For everyone's information, I believe that NTL offers a service
comprising:
> 1. cable-TV
Have this.
> 2. Cable-telecoms
Friends have this.
> 3. 56k modem-compliant internet connection
Have this.
> 1) the cable-TV service includes several free channels
> and an option to subscribe to many more, but with
> no obligation to take any of the subscription channels.
True. You have to subscribe for channel packages, though, so expect to
subscribe for the "Sponge" package (for example) to get the VH-1 channel,
and paying to get its 'package' (with 4/5 other channels you may or may not
want).
Apparently the Cable-Digital boxes come with a rather convenient RJ45 port
(as it is intended as a set-top box), which can be used to connect directly
to the NTL cable-modem network (due to some security flaws). This, however,
is purely speculation.
Cable-modems can be purchased from NTL (roughly �120, AFAIK), with a monthly
charge of �40. These are setup with a direct ethernet connection in mind.
(I think they have a rough maximum of 2Mbps transfer, but don't quote me).
All this stuff depends on your location - check the NTL site.
> 2) the cable-telecoms service is a telephone service
> to replace BT (or whomever), with call charges
> working out significantly less than BT's charges.
> 3) although NTL uses OPTICAL FIBRE cables, not
> telephone wires, the sonic signals generated by
> a modem and emitted as an analogue stream of
> electrical impulses for feeding directly into the
> telephone socket are converted by an NTL
> box into an optical signal stream
> (�20 or �40 instalation charge for the converter).
Line charges: �9.50 p/m for 1 line and cable. �5 p/m for each extra line.
We have 4 lines in the house, and we pay a total of roughly �26 - �30 per
month, because most of our calls are too the NTLworld 0800 ISP (though we
haven't selected many TV channels).
There is an installation charge, but I think it's roughly �12 - �20 to get a
new line installed. The conversion is done at the NTL cable routers (the
green boxes you usually see at the end of streets). We got free
installation because they had to upgrade the router to add our 4 lines to
the existing street, plus there was a few weeks waiting time (July in
Northern Ireland ;).
Note that these are new *separate* lines - a number of my friends got extra
BT lines for their kid's PCs, which were simply one line split at a
multiswitch to form two lines (complete with separate numbers), effectively
killing their bandwidth and line quality.
> 4) Internet access is 24-hour free and unmetered.
Mmmm.. pity there's a 2-hour limit on your on-line sessions (but I have an
auto-dial setup :)
The two hour limit does not exist for Cable modem users (your paying
significantly more).
> AFAIK also, the only snag is that one has to switch from BT to NTL as the
> telephone service straight away (which is not a snag because NTL is
cheaper
> than BT) and there is a waiting list of several weeks before NTL's ISP
> connection becomes available to new subscribers.
The waiting list is abominable (depending on your location) - I had to wait
three months (in which time I tried BTInternet - <shudder> - I could write
an essay on that experience).
> ARE THERE ANY MAJOR PROBLEMS FOR AMIGA USERS?
>
> Has anyone out there connected to NTL's toll-free ISP connection using a
> decent computer of the Amiga variety?
A4000 / 030 / 16Mb / Picasso IV / Hypercom Z4 / Ariadne 2 / 56k modem
> One minor problem I do envisage is having to use a pee cee to complete
NTL's
> initial ISP setup. What I am assuming is that, once it IS all set up, it
You will have to install the CD on a PC, as the Serial number of the CD
needs to be registered to your phone number (this is why the CDs are so hard
to get, plus there's the general avoidance of the "Aaaagh we have 4 times
the number of subscribers expected" problem that many ISPs face.
Once it's installed and signed up, note down the password, username, and
phone number (plus appropriate mail servers, if necessary) - there are
spaces on the CD cover for this - then remove that particular software (by
uninstalling and ritually killing the custom NTL dialer ;). Now simply
sign-up your PC/Amiga using the aforementioned particulars.
Easy (sorta, as long as nothing goes belly-up).
You may have problems with Genesis, I did - some people did not - as logging
in would cause a guru (!? yes, a guru!). Switched to Miami, and it logs in
and runs fine.
Had a few probs, but I personally think, "BT bad. NTL not bad."
All the best,
Glenn "MacGyver" Davidson
[EMAIL PROTECTED]\
/www.panloaf.force9.co.uk\
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