Help a complete computer ignoramus please!

[Guest]

I have just bought a new laptop with Vista Home Premium installed in it. I
cannot connect it to the internet. I have VirginMedia (formally NTL)
broadband with a cable modem. When I connect the Eathernet lead to the new
computer and try and connect I keep getting Error Merssage 815, which tells
me to contact my ISP. I have tried this but I have been told they are not
trained on Vista and cannot help me. Can anyone explain in very easy to
understand words of one syllyble what I have to do. I don't even know whether
I have posted this on the correct discussion group, apologies if I haven't.
Thank you in anticipation of your help.

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

Are you connecting the broadband modem directly to the ethernet port on your
computer? It may be that they are not compatible, and this is something that
needs to be fixed by the ISP. I've seen some mention that you can work
around it by using a router, which will in turn handle the signals from each
device.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Guest]

Rick Yes I am just doing what I did with my old computer running Windows XP,
that is just plugging the Eathnet connection straight in to the computer. I
suspect Virgin know that there is a problem, but as I said the 'help line'
just say they are not trained on Vista. I have E Mailed them and received a
standard reply that it will take up to 5 days to answer me, and I am still
waiting. It's impossible to get an answer from their website it just sends
you round in circles and you end up where you started. As I said I am a
complete ignoramus but I am most disatisfied with the way my ISP are treating
this ( or not)

 

[Adam Albright]

I have just bought a new laptop with Vista Home Premium installed in it. I
cannot connect it to the internet. I have VirginMedia (formally NTL)
broadband with a cable modem. When I connect the Eathernet lead to the new
computer and try and connect I keep getting Error Merssage 815, which tells
me to contact my ISP. I have tried this but I have been told they are not
trained on Vista and cannot help me. Can anyone explain in very easy to
understand words of one syllyble what I have to do. I don't even know whether
I have posted this on the correct discussion group, apologies if I haven't.
Thank you in anticipation of your help.

Small words AND pictures:

http://www.zolved.com/synapse/view_content/26202/How_to_Setup_Broadband_Connection_on_Vista

 

[mikeyhsd]

when you call for service help, and get the usual helpless answer, request to be escalated and persist.
be sure you write the name down of the person telling you they are not vista trained and pass it along.

I had a few problems with change over from time warner to comcast, you would be surprised what requesting escalation will accomplish,.



(e-mail address removed)



Rick Yes I am just doing what I did with my old computer running Windows XP,
that is just plugging the Eathnet connection straight in to the computer. I
suspect Virgin know that there is a problem, but as I said the 'help line'
just say they are not trained on Vista. I have E Mailed them and received a
standard reply that it will take up to 5 days to answer me, and I am still
waiting. It's impossible to get an answer from their website it just sends
you round in circles and you end up where you started. As I said I am a
complete ignoramus but I am most disatisfied with the way my ISP are treating
this ( or not)

 

[Guest]

Adam Thanks, but I have seen that and tried it more times than I can remember
over the past 7 days, but it never connects. Mikey, if only you had to deal
with Virginmedia. The call centre you are put through to is in India, and I
suspect it is only a sub contractor to Virgin, so they are honestly not
bothered whether they can answer your query or not. It's impossible to speak
to anyone in the UK your calls are always routed to the call centre. My ISP
was only taken over by Virgin recently and I find them the most difficult
company to deal with. They are great at self publicity but looking after
their customers they do not appear to be interested at all. Their help page
on their website sends you round in circles and never gets you anywhere I am
so frustrated, surely someone somewhere has managed to connect to Vista from
Virgin? If only some one could tell me how they did it.

 

[Stuart Forshaw]

You shouldn't be experiencing any problems with your virgin media
connection.

I am also an ex telewest now virginmedia customer, had no problems setting
up customer computers around our area with either XP or Vista, you are
correct the ethernet connection from your cable modem connects directly to
your computer and if a new computer is connected the virgin media modem will
detect a different MAC address and reboot the modem automatically. I would
willingly give you my number but obviously not a good idea. Try virgin media
support again, be polite and I ma sure that they will assist.

Regards
Stuart

 

[Doris Day]

I have just bought a new laptop with Vista Home Premium installed in it. I
cannot connect it to the internet. I have VirginMedia (formally NTL)
broadband with a cable modem. When I connect the Eathernet lead to the new
computer and try and connect I keep getting Error Merssage 815, which
tells me to contact my ISP. I have tried this but I have been told they
are not trained on Vista and cannot help me. Can anyone explain in very
easy to understand words of one syllyble what I have to do. I don't even
know whether I have posted this on the correct discussion group, apologies
if I haven't. Thank you in anticipation of your help.

Words of one syllyble??? OK .. ah, ga, yeh, gawd, shit this Vist suks.

Love and Kisses,
Doris

 

[Adam Albright]

Adam Thanks, but I have seen that and tried it more times than I can remember
over the past 7 days, but it never connects.

Its a shame you get the round around from your ISP. I have no idea
what that particualr error code means, can you at least ping?

Check this out:

http://www.mediacollege.com/internet/troubleshooter/ping.html

The above will bypass all the fancy Vista stuff and attempt to contact
your ISP directly. If you already know the IP address use that. If
not, just to see if your computer is making any connection with your
ISP at all or any computer try this from the command prompt:

ping virginmedia.com

then try pinging some site you know should always be up like Google

ping google.com

In a few seconds time you should get a detailed message of what
happened. You computer should send packets to whoever you "pinged"
then you'll get a report back if the computer you pinged responded and
if or not any packets were lost, how long it took to make the trip,
etc.. Give this information to your ISP.

If you get zero packets sent or received or a high failure percentage
either something wrong with your modem, the address you're using to
connect to, some problem in the path between you and the computer
you're trying to reach, something wrong at your ISP's end, or some
firewall or intenal setting or some damaged or missing file.

At least pinging should get you off of square one.

 

[cvp]

I suspect that the equipment in your home and the network has not changed
from when it was NTL. Now, SOME parts of the NTL network, with SOME home
boxes required the MAC address re-registration (with account name and
password - hope you still have them!).
I would suggest that you call again and NOT tell them that you have vista
(just say XP) and as long as you can start a command prompt, or bring up a
"RUN" command and you can get to the advanced properties of your connection
(Network and sharing center -> Manage network connections) they will never
know.
It's a similar problem with routers on their network.
Also when they tell you to reboot, just say "OK" and leave them in silence
for 2 minutes while you disable and then enable the connection.

 

[mikeyhsd]

I have even gone so far as to request to speak to an english speaking person in the US.
YEP they do not ;like it, but customer is right.

also I have found it makes a difference on time of day and day of week on whether you get to india or africa or somewhere else.




(e-mail address removed)



Adam Thanks, but I have seen that and tried it more times than I can remember
over the past 7 days, but it never connects. Mikey, if only you had to deal
with Virginmedia. The call centre you are put through to is in India, and I
suspect it is only a sub contractor to Virgin, so they are honestly not
bothered whether they can answer your query or not. It's impossible to speak
to anyone in the UK your calls are always routed to the call centre. My ISP
was only taken over by Virgin recently and I find them the most difficult
company to deal with. They are great at self publicity but looking after
their customers they do not appear to be interested at all. Their help page
on their website sends you round in circles and never gets you anywhere I am
so frustrated, surely someone somewhere has managed to connect to Vista from
Virgin? If only some one could tell me how they did it.