Hi, I have used Orange for many years since they took over Freeserve,wanadoo etc.
We had major problems with them a few years ago where we had to keep ringing them and eventually I got the Orange Executive email address and got in touch with someone in the UK who helped us a great deal.
Now our connection keeps dropping as I feel they have turned it up too fast and it can't take it. We are fed up of ringing and asked to do all the tests over and over again which don't help. They tend to think it's our router somedays and then eventually admit it's their problem.
My husband has rung again and asked to speak to a supervisor who wanted to do all the tests again and he has run out of patience. All we want is for them to lower the speed slightly so it keeps stable.
Does anybody know how we can get in touch with someone who will listen and help please?
_________________ "So this is my pledge to the British people:
I will not let you down."
Gordon Brown - 24/09/2007 (Labour Party Conference)
Gordon's favourite phrase, "We will do whatever it takes"....but he didn't even get that right on 6 May 2010
Does anybody from Orange actually READ these posts? Somebody who can be bothered to answer my original question, namely is the problem caused by my computer's settings (in which case, what should I change) or has Orange changed its set-up (in other words, everybody suffers the same thing and puts up with it)?
_________________ "So this is my pledge to the British people:
I will not let you down."
Gordon Brown - 24/09/2007 (Labour Party Conference)
Gordon's favourite phrase, "We will do whatever it takes"....but he didn't even get that right on 6 May 2010
I'm having problems getting the new Yahoo on Sky getting my emails automatically from the orange server, is there any way I can get the orange server to forward all my emails to my sky email address automatically?
I've recently received a new Brightbox as part of the package change due to the deactivation of Second Line. However, I was told that not only my package will change from 8mbps to 20mbps but the new Brightbox will somehow help improve the speed also (??) I'm not a very technical person but can only take their words for granted.
In reality, Brightbox gives me roughly 2mbps slower than what I could get with Livebox. I first questioned the Call Centre about the package but got a few predictable confusing answers, such as my line only supports upto 3mbps. Their quoted speed is apparently on ADSL1, and they don't seem to have info or understand about ADSL2+
Anyway, forget about the package change I'm just wondering why the speed on Brightbox seems to be inferior to Livebox. Maybe I'm just better off continuing with Livebox.
We have made the decision to sell our O2 consumer Home Broadband and Home Phone business to Sky.
This arrangement with Sky lets us focus on giving our customers the best mobile experience, including next generation (4G) services. And helps you get high-quality home broadband from one of the leading companies in the market.
Demand for high quality internet access is increasing all the time. Sky focuses on offering, totally unlimited broadband, including unlimited fibre services. All of which are available with or without Sky TV. They also share our commitment to you, recently being recognised by Ofcom and uSwitch for their excellent broadband customer service.
While nothing will change for you straight away, you may well have some questions. All the latest information can be found on this page and we'll update it whenever there's more news.
thanks, I think that points to the problem being Outlook Express, as I can't always persuade that to send emails either, depending which wireless access point I'm using. Looks like I need to spend more effort logging OE into the outgoing email server. ISTR an app for that.
When I have sent an email in webmail, there was always a copy that arrived in OE and also now in Windows Live Mail now that I've changed.
I've just successfully tested this in webmail so I know it still works
I know I've not set up anything special in webmail as I have primarily used an email client rather than webmail.
What you could try is to send yourself a copy by using the Bcc field.
_________________ "So this is my pledge to the British people:
I will not let you down."
Gordon Brown - 24/09/2007 (Labour Party Conference)
Gordon's favourite phrase, "We will do whatever it takes"....but he didn't even get that right on 6 May 2010
I generally use MS Outlook Express for Orange but also use their web site for emails on the move and now have >1,000 sent emails up there which I would like to archive locally. How do I do this ? I can download inbox emails in O.E. fine as they are duplicated everywhere, but O.E. won't download sent emails. I tried moving them to the inbox on the web site, but it still ignores them in O.E.!
to add insult to injury, have just rec'd phone bill (BT) for line upon which I was calling Orange to resolve the above.
It has actually cost me £7 plus VAT (BT itemised the calls) for the above sorry saga, to say nothing of my time. Can I actually get Orange to pay for this, as this was all their problem, not mine.
Docjohn, Hi, I am having the same problem as you, when I want to send a message the message box doesn't expand for at least a minute, the same as yourself, also when I try to reply the reply box doesn't come up for a while, I am now losing my log in details and have to go through it all again, seems to me that it is impossible to get to some one who is able to solve our problems, I am thinking of closing my account and going to another supplier
on Wednesday, mid-afternoon, suddenly no apparent connection via iPad. Booted desktop - similar result - 'IE cannot display the webpage - connectivity issues'. Switched off everything including router, re-booted everything. Intermittent connection/freezing/hanging/no webpage etc etc. No time to mess about further at that point - switched everything off including router and left overnight.
Yesterday morning bright and early, battle commenced. Rang Orange/EE or whatever they are currently calling themselves at 8.45 am. Spoke to them for 1 1/2 hours approx, finishing at 10 am. You can all imagine, everything was booted, de-booted, set, re-set - all the usuall kerfuffle. Eventually was told that I would be called back in 4 hours. Cue hollow laughter.
Summoned friend 'who knows about these things!', whom I trust as he builds and programs in spare time. He came bringing spare laptop running both Windows and Linux. Same result - intermittent connection and so forth. So we now have 3 nos appliances, running different systems, all with same problem - so not my computer, then?
Ring Orange back and let him speak to them - the exact same runaround for another hour or so. We cleared all caches and DNS cache, booted/re-booted/set/re-set ad nauseum. Finally, Orange admitted they had a problem (Houston!) and were just about to give us a 'reference' number when my landline handset battery gave up the ghost due to several hours continuous usage.
So we had to get another handset and ring back - AGAIN!!! This meant going through exactly the same saga for another hour, because no-one will believe what we say and they cannot contact the person to whom we spoke previously, so we are forced to do the entire nonsense again. FINALLY, they admit also that they have a problem - will I ring back in two hours.
So I do, and this time refuse to go through the procedure again, stating that this has been done so many times it's useless. Finally I am asked if I am in the Guildford area - I'm about 10 miles south in Farnham - as apparently they have many customers with problems in this area and engineers say it is an 'outtage' - don't you love catch-all phrases - which may be fixed by today.
I know that the call centre people were perhaps only trying to be helpful, but I am not a complete idiot and it seems to me that to have to spend virtually all day before they will admit to a problem at their end is somehwat excessive. Why is it not possible for them to check systems in 'my' area to ascertain immediately whether they have a system failure - they have my postcode and phone number for heaven's sake - instead of wasting an entire day and reducing me to a state of complete exhaustion.
I also resent strongly the implicit intimation that I have no idea what I am doing and that it's all my fault when patently, after running the first checks on system, there is a fault of some kind - especially as at least two differing operating systems - Windows and Apple - are experiencing the same issues.
The system has now been fixed - thank you Orange - as I couldn't face another day of this.
Are people with email addresses ending in freeserve.co.uk able to use webmail via http://www.orange.co.uk? Whenever I try to logon, I just get "We're currently working on improving the site, so you might not be able to access all our services at the moment."
When I get messages I want to mark as spam, I click on them as such. Up to about a year ago, I'd then get a response, "do you want to add these addresses to the blocked list?" I'd click yes, a few seconds later I'd get a response that this had been done. Now, however, it takes about two minutes before I get asked about the adding to the blocked list; I just get the spinning circular icon while Orange thinks about the marking of the messages to be blocked. I have to wait these two minutes because if I leave the site to do other things, nothing gets added to the blocked list--there's no default setting for that.
My question is, what's changed? Has Orange done something different (and everybody else now has the same problem) or is there a setting on my computer (running Vista Home Basic) that's changed?
I don't know if it's relevant, but when I decide to write an email in Orange, it now takes ages for the "write box" (where I can type the message) to appear after the headings (ie, "to" and "subject") have appeared. But this I can live with, it's the waiting mentioned above that drives me nuts!
The most complex and challenging broadband installation project in the UK has been announced.
It will include around 800km of high-speed fibre broadband cables underground and 400km of sub-sea cables, with 19 crossings to remote areas of the Highlands and Islands.
When complete, it is said 84% of the region will be connected to the network by 2016.
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is leading the £146 million publicly funded project with BT.
HIE chief executive Alex Paterson said the ambitious works will bring numerous benefits to the north of Scotland.
"Digital connectivity is essential to today's social and business activity. High-speed fibre broadband in the Highlands and Islands will make a real contribution to our communities' prosperity, particularly for people in remote and rural areas," he said.
"It offers opportunities for new ways of working, innovation, enhanced public services, access to international markets and provides the infrastructure needed by business sectors like energy, life sciences, tourism and business services."
BT said the project is the most challenging it has ever undertaken in the UK.
Bill Murphy, BT Group managing director of next-generation broadband, said: "There are incredible obstacles to overcome, not least building a fibre network across some of the most rugged terrain in the UK. And we have huge distances to cover as we lay our cables over the hills and glens and under the sea.
"The unprecedented scale of this project is such that it can only be done in partnership and all of us in BT are looking forward to continuing the great working relationship that we've built up over many years with Highlands and Islands Enterprise."
Why we are still with them is only fear of waiting for a new supplier!! Over the years it has cost money,work and time. The new EE is still no better - constant slow speed - dropouts and after 2 weekends of no broadband and mindless indian call centre restarting the box wrote an official complaint/long letter. Of course - to date - weeks later still no reply. We shall change but will not honour any payment to contract but will keep letting people know just how bad the service is. It is a difficult area but they just dont seem to care!! Anyone else feel like this? gulli
In an effort to prove that fast broadband is not just for the cities, mobile firm EE is bringing 4G to rural Cumbria.
The service will be limited to the Northern Fells' 2,000 residents, who will be able to get speeds of between 8Mbps and 12Mbps.
Cumbria is one of the most isolated areas of the UK when it comes to fast broadband.
EE promised to use the launch to develop more rural coverage.
Government cash
The service will be rolled out to 84% of the Northern Fells over the next few months.
As well as providing 4G on mobiles, the network will also offer fast mobile-broadband for homes and offices. This service will require some homes to have a special antennae to be fitted and is available on request. According to EE it will offer speeds of up to 20Mbps.
EE has been running a 4G mobile broadband trial in a small part of the Northern Fells since May 2012.
"We are overcoming the challenges of delivering rural connectivity," said chief executive Olaf Swantee.
However the new rollout will make only a small dent in Cumbria's ongoing connectivity problems.
There are some half a million households in the county, and the council has received one of the largest handouts from government to improve broadband services.
Cumbria initially rejected a bid from BT to provide fast fixed-line broadband, but it has since signed an agreement with the firm.
There are also several community-based projects in the county, offering superfast-fibre broadband to villages.
Positive step
The 4G service from EE will be available from £15.99 a month. EE has set up a website for anyone wishing to register.
Seb Lahtinen, co-founder of broadband news website ThinkBroadband, said: "Delivering decent broadband service to such a sparsely populated area is a challenge that 4G LTE [long-term evolution] technology can tackle more quickly than most alternatives."
Local MP Rory Stewart said: "The 4G trial that started last year has already made a substantial difference to people in the Northern Fells community, and it is a hugely positive step to see this being moved to a full launch."
As part of its 4G licence agreement, rival O2 has committed to providing indoor coverage to 98% of the UK population by 2017.
After Orange/EE pulled the plug on the deal I had with them for several years, stuck with them despite problems, I have gone to BT. Might not be perfect, but no where near the problems I had with Orange in the first two months.
The organisation set up to help households experiencing interference from 4G signals has launched.
Called at800, it has been given £180m by the UK's mobile operators to ensure that next-generation services do not cause interference with TV services.
Ofcom has estimated that up to 900,000 homes could experience interference with their TV signal.
The problem affects only Freeview users, which operates close to the 800MHz frequency 4G services will use.
Live trial
According to Freeview, 24 million households watch TV via its platform. Of these about half have it as their sole TV service.
On Monday at800 will begin live trials in the West Midland, temporarily activating 4G masts in Cradley Heath and Rowley Regis, to gauge exactly how many households are affected and how.
A website and contact centre will also go live - the number is 0333 31 31 800.
Residents and business are being asked to report the extent to which Freeview services are disrupted.
Different platform
Full commercial 4G launches are expected in the summer.
The organisation plans to produce maps of households most likely to be affected and inform them via post of the things they can do to mitigate the problem.
It estimates that the majority of homes will be able to solve any interference issues by fitting a filter, which it will supply free of charge.
For vulnerable people, an engineer will visit the home to fit it.
The filter will normally plug into the aerial lead between the TV and the antenna, blocking the 4G frequencies.
For those for whom that solution does not work, an engineer will be sent out to see if they need to change their cabling or aerial.
For a few, it may be necessary to move onto a different platform, such as satellite or cable.
Simon Beresford-Wylie, at800 chief executive, said of the process: "We are hoping for the best and planning for the worst."
Other countries, where 4G services have already gone live, have had few issues.
In Germany where 10% of the population watches digital terrestrial TV, less than 10 cases of interference have been reported.
Residents and visitors to a Kent village are racking up extra charges when their mobile phones connect to French networks.
When at St Margaret's at Cliffe and St Margaret's Bay near Dover users of mobile devices regularly get "Welcome to France" messages.
Users have been incurring extra costs including data roaming from companies such as Orange F and SFR.
A spokesman from phone company EE said customers should switch off roaming.
'Little enclave'
The bay is blocked by the white cliffs from receiving UK signals and people in the village sometimes get connected to the French network depending on atmospheric conditions and the weather.
Nigel Wydymus, landlord of the Coastguard pub and restaurant next to the beach, said: "We are a little telecommunications enclave of France here.
"It did not cause a huge amount of trouble for a few years with mobile phones because you got a message saying welcome to France, but since smartphones have come in it's more of a problem.
"Obviously people strolling along the beach in England do not expect to be on a French network and so, unlike when they get off the plane in Spain or elsewhere, they haven't switched off their data roaming and it causes some extra bills."
Costs for making a call on the French network can be up to four times the cost of using a UK network.
The spokesman from EE, which covers the T-Mobile and Orange networks, said: "We always recommend our customers switch off roaming while they are in this little pocket of an area to ensure that they are connecting to the correct network, because we cannot control the networks from the other side of the water."
Big despair with Orange !! (I'm sure I'm not the only one)
Have 8+ email addresses set on my outlook/thunderbird.
Each time go out of home with my laptop have to be reconfiguring all the smpt settings between the different email providers and Orange settings.
This is absolutely STUPIDITY ! (= poor ability to understand or to profit from experience - source:wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn)
If I want to spam the world, I would do it from free Wi-fi places, not from my home address !
If I get an email account hijacked, then friends or/and an orange email notice about it, is enough to deal with the problem.
All those if favour with this topic, please just reply 'agree' and share this topic with all your friends to make Orange unlock their port 25 so everybody can use their smtp settings freely.
Thank you
I've just sent several test emails using all the 0range email addresses that I have to all the Gmail addresses that I have and none failed.
Hi Borednow
Yes it is working today , (8th) but for the last week its been a total nightmare.
Keep checking the next few days and see how it goes !!
Sometimes they get there and sometimes they get sent back minutes or hours later !
I've just sent several test emails using all the 0range email addresses that I have to all the Gmail addresses that I have and none failed.
_________________ "So this is my pledge to the British people:
I will not let you down."
Gordon Brown - 24/09/2007 (Labour Party Conference)
Gordon's favourite phrase, "We will do whatever it takes"....but he didn't even get that right on 6 May 2010
