Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > uk.telecom.broadband > #57757 > unrolled thread

BT merry-go-round

Back to article view | Back to uk.telecom.broadband

Contents

  BT merry-go-round Clive Page <clive.g.page@gmail.com> - 2026-09-19 11:05 +0100
    Re: BT merry-go-round "Jeff Gaines" <jgnewsid@outlook.com> - 2026-09-19 10:15 +0000
      Re: BT merry-go-round Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> - 2026-09-19 11:57 +0100
        Re: BT merry-go-round Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> - 2026-09-19 13:53 +0100
      Re: BT merry-go-round Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2026-09-19 13:00 +0100
    Re: BT merry-go-round Woody <harrogate3@ntlworld.com> - 2026-09-19 15:06 +0100
    Re: BT merry-go-round "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2026-09-19 22:17 +0100
      Re: BT merry-go-round Clive Page <clive.g.page@gmail.com> - 2026-09-19 23:02 +0100
        Re: BT merry-go-round "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2026-09-20 11:35 +0100
          Re: BT merry-go-round Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2026-09-20 12:25 +0100
            Re: BT merry-go-round "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2026-09-20 20:59 +0100
              Re: BT merry-go-round David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> - 2026-09-20 22:45 +0100
                Re: BT merry-go-round "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2026-09-21 00:34 +0100
                  Re: BT merry-go-round Theo <theom+news@chiark.greenend.org.uk> - 2026-09-21 10:33 +0100
                    Re: BT merry-go-round "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2026-09-21 23:18 +0100
                  Re: BT merry-go-round David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid> - 2026-09-21 11:37 +0100
                    Re: BT merry-go-round "J. P. Gilliver" <G6JPG@255soft.uk> - 2026-09-21 23:34 +0100
                    Re: BT merry-go-round Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> - 2026-09-26 17:01 +0100
                      Re: BT merry-go-round Tweed <usenet.tweed@gmail.com> - 2026-09-26 16:24 +0000

#57757 — BT merry-go-round

We've had part-fibre broadband from Plusnet for several years, but back 
in June, several  months before the contract was ending, they told us we 
had to make a choice: either to take out a new 24 month contract with 
Plusnet but without a phone or continue at the same price until October 
by transferring to EE with a landline (via VOIP) included.  We decided 
to make the switch to EE.  Not everything went smoothly and EE support 
were pretty clueless so I really didn't want to continue with them after 
the end of contract in October.  But October is near so we had to make a 
choice.

CityFibre installed fibre in our area with a pavement hatch in the next 
road but as we are at number 1 it's only about 10 m from our house.  The 
CityFibre postcode checker said we could get full fibre to the premises. 
  So I signed up with Zen Internet a couple of weeks ago.  Yesterday I 
got a message from Zen saying that CityFibre now say that they cannot 
connect us (no reason given).

I've retried their postcode checker and our address still shows full 
fibre "already available" but other addresses in our small road show 
full fibre not available, including one neighbour who is even nearer to 
their own duct then we are.  This is bizarre.  I can't sign up for being 
notified when CityFibre becomes available to our address because they 
still falsely claim that we can already get connected.  Catch 22.

I now find that the cheapest part-fibre connection with a reputable firm 
is to go back to Plusnet (we no longer care about having a landline). 
Since we are no longer a customer of them we qualify for a reasonable 
deal, better then if we'd simply stayed with them back in June!

My payment to them has gone through, according to my credit card 
provider, but I got no confirmation of payment and it doesn't show up on 
the Plusnet site and it won't let me log in with my new username and 
password.  So I'm currently on the phone to them to find out what's 
going on.  A mere 30 minutes wait to speak to an advisor.

I'm amazed how many hoops one has to jump through to, basically, stay in 
the same place.  And of course EE and Plusnet are just branches of BT. 
I wonder how those who are older or less technically competent cope with 
all this.

-- 
Clive Page

[toc] | [next] | [standalone]

#57758

On 19/09/2026 in message <118lmp4$21sa8$1@dont-email.me> Clive Page wrote:

>CityFibre installed fibre in our area with a pavement hatch in the next 
>road but as we are at number 1 it's only about 10 m from our house.  The 
>CityFibre postcode checker said we could get full fibre to the premises.   
>So I signed up with Zen Internet a couple of weeks ago.  Yesterday I got a 
>message from Zen saying that CityFibre now say that they cannot connect us 
>(no reason given).

I have Giganet (now Cuckoo I think) and BT manholes adjacent to my house, 
one 12" away the other adjoins my property. Neither can provide fibre and 
neither will send an engineer out to look at it. I am one of four 
properties served by a private driveway and I think from their point of 
view that makes it a nuisance job.

-- 
Jeff Gaines Dorset UK
Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it whether it exists 
or not, diagnosing it incorrectly, and applying the wrong remedies.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57759

"Jeff Gaines" <jgnewsid@outlook.com> writes:

> On 19/09/2026 in message <118lmp4$21sa8$1@dont-email.me> Clive Page wrote:
>
>> CityFibre installed fibre in our area with a pavement hatch in the
>> next road but as we are at number 1 it's only about 10 m from our
>> house.  The CityFibre postcode checker said we could get full fibre
>> to the premises.   So I signed up with Zen Internet a couple of
>> weeks ago.  Yesterday I got a message from Zen saying that CityFibre
>> now say that they cannot connect us (no reason given).
>
> I have Giganet (now Cuckoo I think) and BT manholes adjacent to my
> house, one 12" away the other adjoins my property. Neither can provide
> fibre and neither will send an engineer out to look at it. I am one of
> four properties served by a private driveway and I think from their
> point of view that makes it a nuisance job.

Is Giganet providing fibre? I am on the end of a private driveway, and
Openreach put the fibre through the same duct that the copper telephone
wire went through.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57761

On Sat, 19 Sep 2026 11:57:09 +0100, Richmond <dnomhcir@gmx.com> wrote:


>Is Giganet providing fibre? I am on the end of a private driveway, and
>Openreach put the fibre through the same duct that the copper telephone
>wire went through.

That only works for those who have an existing BT (OR) ducted feed.
(Also on a private drive, I have a CityFibre connection delivered via
a BT duct.)

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57760

Jeff Gaines <jgnewsid@outlook.com> wrote:
> On 19/09/2026 in message <118lmp4$21sa8$1@dont-email.me> Clive Page wrote:
> 
> >CityFibre installed fibre in our area with a pavement hatch in the next 
> >road but as we are at number 1 it's only about 10 m from our house.  The 
> >CityFibre postcode checker said we could get full fibre to the premises.   
> >So I signed up with Zen Internet a couple of weeks ago.  Yesterday I got a 
> >message from Zen saying that CityFibre now say that they cannot connect us 
> >(no reason given).
> 
> I have Giganet (now Cuckoo I think) and BT manholes adjacent to my house, 
> one 12" away the other adjoins my property. Neither can provide fibre and 
> neither will send an engineer out to look at it. I am one of four 
> properties served by a private driveway and I think from their point of 
> view that makes it a nuisance job.

Fern Trading's fibre deployment has been a complete mess.  Various brands
like Jurassic Fibre, Swish Fibre and Giganet installed fibre. They then
merged them to be All Points Fibre Networks (APFN), now AllPoints Fibre. 
Meanwhile Cuckoo is now the retail arm. But, even if there is fibre to your
house (eg the previous resident had Jurassic or Swish) it wasn't possible to
order the service - they just had a hard stop on orders.

I've just searched Cuckoo for an address I know is passed by APFN (formerly
Swish Fibre) and it's still impossible to order it.

I don't understand how you can run a business that doesn't take new
customers.

Theo

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57762

On Sat 19/09/2026 11:05, Clive Page wrote:
> We've had part-fibre broadband from Plusnet for several years, but back 
> in June, several  months before the contract was ending, they told us we 
> had to make a choice: either to take out a new 24 month contract with 
> Plusnet but without a phone or continue at the same price until October 
> by transferring to EE with a landline (via VOIP) included.  We decided 
> to make the switch to EE.  Not everything went smoothly and EE support 
> were pretty clueless so I really didn't want to continue with them after 
> the end of contract in October.  But October is near so we had to make a 
> choice.
> 
> CityFibre installed fibre in our area with a pavement hatch in the next 
> road but as we are at number 1 it's only about 10 m from our house.  The 
> CityFibre postcode checker said we could get full fibre to the premises. 
>   So I signed up with Zen Internet a couple of weeks ago.  Yesterday I 
> got a message from Zen saying that CityFibre now say that they cannot 
> connect us (no reason given).
> 
> I've retried their postcode checker and our address still shows full 
> fibre "already available" but other addresses in our small road show 
> full fibre not available, including one neighbour who is even nearer to 
> their own duct then we are.  This is bizarre.  I can't sign up for being 
> notified when CityFibre becomes available to our address because they 
> still falsely claim that we can already get connected.  Catch 22.
> 
> I now find that the cheapest part-fibre connection with a reputable firm 
> is to go back to Plusnet (we no longer care about having a landline). 
> Since we are no longer a customer of them we qualify for a reasonable 
> deal, better then if we'd simply stayed with them back in June!
> 
> My payment to them has gone through, according to my credit card 
> provider, but I got no confirmation of payment and it doesn't show up on 
> the Plusnet site and it won't let me log in with my new username and 
> password.  So I'm currently on the phone to them to find out what's 
> going on.  A mere 30 minutes wait to speak to an advisor.
> 
> I'm amazed how many hoops one has to jump through to, basically, stay in 
> the same place.  And of course EE and Plusnet are just branches of BT. I 
> wonder how those who are older or less technically competent cope with 
> all this.
> 

CityFibre go right past my house - in fact through MY grass 
verge!However if I want full fibre from any CityFibre resourced supplier 
they will install it overhead from a telegraph pole across the road.
I get B/B from VM (I was even a beta tester on NTL in 2001!) but still 
have and use a standard BT landline. Not that I would want to use BT 
fibre, I cannot have fibre for my phone (at least yet) from BT as there 
is already a B/B feed into my premises.
I have since heard that we are on the back burner for updating. The VoIP 
ATA is effectively in the local exchange so that they will have time 
after all BT fed customers have be 'fibred' and met the HMG timescales. 
I noticed it when we had to start use the full dialling code even for 
local numbers! If I ring a number on any of the other exchanges with the 
same dialling code they ring almost instantly, but if I ring a number 
served by the same exchange as me it can take 8-10 seconds to connect.
And they call this progress??

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57764

On 2026/9/19 11:5:17, Clive Page wrote:
> We've had part-fibre broadband from Plusnet for several years, but back 
> in June, several  months before the contract was ending, they told us we 
> had to make a choice: either to take out a new 24 month contract with 
> Plusnet but without a phone or continue at the same price until October 
> by transferring to EE with a landline (via VOIP) included.  We decided 
> to make the switch to EE.  Not everything went smoothly and EE support 

That's probably what I'll do, mainly for lethargy reasons, at least
until the end of my PlusNet contract. (I've had my letter - dated 2
Sept., received 8, says I have 30 days if I want to do anything but go
EE - presumably from the 2nd rather than the 8th.)

> were pretty clueless so I really didn't want to continue with them after 

What problems have you had with them? Forewarned is forearmed.

> the end of contract in October.  But October is near so we had to make a 
> choice.
[]
> I'm amazed how many hoops one has to jump through to, basically, stay in 
> the same place.  And of course EE and Plusnet are just branches of BT. 
> I wonder how those who are older or less technically competent cope with 
> all this.
> 
Couldn't agree more. I still think the big POTS closure has had far too
little coverage; to be fair I'm not sure what more they could do, but I
expect much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

I've seen mention of January 2027 as the Big Date, but not sure if
that's the beginning (i. e. end of 2026), end (of January 2027), or
whether some drift will occur. (I'd be most surprised if the last isn't
the case.)
-- 
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57765

On 19/09/2026 22:17, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> On 2026/9/19 11:5:17, Clive Page wrote:
> 
> What problems have you had with them? Forewarned is forearmed.

1. Watch for the billing - both Plusnet and EE tried to bill me for a 
day or two, though the handover was supposed to be seamless and instant. 
  And the email supposed to tell me that the new service was live didn't 
appear for hours after it should have done.

2. The EE router (or hub or whatever they called it) only works with 
devices that supported Wifi6.  One of our old laptops didn't, it turned 
out. The hub had a "compatibility mode" supposed to take care of older 
devices, but it didn't.  It was easy to find quite a number of postings 
on the Plusnet and EE forums from people with exactly the same problem, 
but EE support people didn't seem to realise it was a fairly common 
problem and certainly had no idea how to fix it.   I had eventually to 
buy a USB wifi dongle which solved the problem.

3. If you want to keep your phone number and have more than one 
extension on your landline, they will send you one or two adaptors which 
plug into any nearby mains socket.  But only if you ask.

> Couldn't agree more. I still think the big POTS closure has had far too
> little coverage; to be fair I'm not sure what more they could do, but I
> expect much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

I am also very surprised how little reaction there has been.  I guess 
young people gave up using landlines some years ago, but for people in 
the older age group, it's by no means easy to find out what all the 
options are and their pros and cons.


-- 
Clive Page

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57766

On 2026/9/19 23:2:3, Clive Page wrote:
> On 19/09/2026 22:17, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>> On 2026/9/19 11:5:17, Clive Page wrote:
>>
>> What problems have you had with them? Forewarned is forearmed.

(Switching from PlusNet to EE.)>
> 1. Watch for the billing - both Plusnet and EE tried to bill me for a 
> day or two, though the handover was supposed to be seamless and instant. 

To be honest I suspect I wouldn't be that bothered about that if it
really was only for a couple of day's worth.

>   And the email supposed to tell me that the new service was live didn't 
> appear for hours after it should have done.

I see you're using gmail, so wouldn't have known if there were problems
with PlusNet/Greenby/EE.

> 
> 2. The EE router (or hub or whatever they called it) only works with 
> devices that supported Wifi6.  One of our old laptops didn't, it turned 
> out. The hub had a "compatibility mode" supposed to take care of older 
> devices, but it didn't.  It was easy to find quite a number of postings 
> on the Plusnet and EE forums from people with exactly the same problem, 
> but EE support people didn't seem to realise it was a fairly common 
> problem and certainly had no idea how to fix it.   I had eventually to 
> buy a USB wifi dongle which solved the problem.

Oh. That will be a pain! This laptop has both 2.4 and 5 GHz, but I've no
idea whether it has Wifi6; it has 802.11, and is currently connected by
802.11ac, but that's presumably the PN router. I can see mention of
"AES-CCMP algorithm" and "802.11i RSNA algorithm that uses PSK" if those
mean anything to anyone.>
> 3. If you want to keep your phone number and have more than one 
> extension on your landline, they will send you one or two adaptors which 
> plug into any nearby mains socket.  But only if you ask.

Yes, I noticed that in the green leaflet. Though it says "We'll be in
touch by email with information on how to order a free adapter." I
suppose even if that email arrives, you have to instigate the order.

I also notice under "In case of a power cut" the following: "If you
don't have a mobile or live in an area with oiie signal, please contact
us on the number below so we can talk through..." - anyone have any
experience of pursuing that?

> 
>> Couldn't agree more. I still think the big POTS closure has had far too
>> little coverage; to be fair I'm not sure what more they could do, but I
>> expect much wailing and gnashing of teeth.
> 
> I am also very surprised how little reaction there has been.  I guess 
> young people gave up using landlines some years ago, but for people in 
> the older age group, it's by no means easy to find out what all the 
> options are and their pros and cons.
> 
> 
Yes, I don't actually know anyone with only a landline, at least not
that I know of.
-- 
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Being punctual makes people think you have nothing to do.

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57767

J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
> On 2026/9/19 23:2:3, Clive Page wrote:
> > 2. The EE router (or hub or whatever they called it) only works with 
> > devices that supported Wifi6.  One of our old laptops didn't, it turned 
> > out. The hub had a "compatibility mode" supposed to take care of older 
> > devices, but it didn't.  It was easy to find quite a number of postings 
> > on the Plusnet and EE forums from people with exactly the same problem, 
> > but EE support people didn't seem to realise it was a fairly common 
> > problem and certainly had no idea how to fix it.   I had eventually to 
> > buy a USB wifi dongle which solved the problem.
> 
> Oh. That will be a pain! This laptop has both 2.4 and 5 GHz, but I've no
> idea whether it has Wifi6; it has 802.11, and is currently connected by
> 802.11ac, but that's presumably the PN router. I can see mention of
> "AES-CCMP algorithm" and "802.11i RSNA algorithm that uses PSK" if those
> mean anything to anyone.>

Clive's problem was to do with a bug in an old Intel wifi card, which is no
longer supported by Intel.  It is not accurate to say their router doesn't
work with pre-wifi 6 devices - it's only those with buggy Intel wifi cards
which are affected.  Most older devices are fine.

https://support.edge-core.com/hc/en-us/articles/15560626262937-Systems-Using-Intel-Wireless-Adapters-Supporting-802-11ac-Not-Displaying-Wi-Fi-6-802-11ax-Networks-in-Scan-List-of-Available-Networks
and
https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/articles/000054799/wireless.html

has a list of affected Intel wireless cards. You should be able to check in
Device Manager what you have.  Notably Intel above say:

"Support options for the Intel Wireless 7265(Rev C), 7260 and AC-3160 can
be found here.  Please note these products are EOL (End-of-Life) and driver
is no longer be available for download."

ie you may not be able to get a driver update for those.

It is possible to swap the internal wifi card for a newer one, or use a £5
USB dongle.

Theo

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57768

On 2026/9/20 12:25:11, Theo wrote:
> J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
[]
>> Oh. That will be a pain! This laptop has both 2.4 and 5 GHz, but I've no
>> idea whether it has Wifi6; it has 802.11, and is currently connected by
>> 802.11ac, but that's presumably the PN router. I can see mention of
>> "AES-CCMP algorithm" and "802.11i RSNA algorithm that uses PSK" if those
>> mean anything to anyone.>
> 
> Clive's problem was to do with a bug in an old Intel wifi card, which is no

Ah yes, I remember now.

> longer supported by Intel.  It is not accurate to say their router doesn't
> work with pre-wifi 6 devices - it's only those with buggy Intel wifi cards
> which are affected.  Most older devices are fine.
[]
> has a list of affected Intel wireless cards. You should be able to check in
> Device Manager what you have.  Notably Intel above say:

Device manager shows "Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC".

So I presume it isn't Intel.

> It is possible to swap the internal wifi card for a newer one, or use a £5
> USB dongle.

I guess that's 5 pounds from ebay, or 25 to 50 from PC World, assuming
they even have them. Touch wood I won't need.

> 
> Theo
-- 
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

"You _are_ Zaphod Beeblebrox? _The_ Zaphod Beeblebrox?"
"No, just _a_ Zaphod Beeblebrox. I come in six-packs."
(from the link episode)

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57769

On 20/09/2026 20:59, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> On 2026/9/20 12:25:11, Theo wrote:
>> J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
> []
>>> Oh. That will be a pain! This laptop has both 2.4 and 5 GHz, but I've no
>>> idea whether it has Wifi6; it has 802.11, and is currently connected by
>>> 802.11ac, but that's presumably the PN router. I can see mention of
>>> "AES-CCMP algorithm" and "802.11i RSNA algorithm that uses PSK" if those
>>> mean anything to anyone.>
>>
>> Clive's problem was to do with a bug in an old Intel wifi card, which is no
> 
> Ah yes, I remember now.
> 
>> longer supported by Intel.  It is not accurate to say their router doesn't
>> work with pre-wifi 6 devices - it's only those with buggy Intel wifi cards
>> which are affected.  Most older devices are fine.
> []
>> has a list of affected Intel wireless cards. You should be able to check in
>> Device Manager what you have.  Notably Intel above say:
> 
> Device manager shows "Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC".
> 
> So I presume it isn't Intel.
> 
>> It is possible to swap the internal wifi card for a newer one, or use a £5
>> USB dongle.
> 
> I guess that's 5 pounds from ebay, or 25 to 50 from PC World, assuming
> they even have them. Touch wood I won't need.

PC World no longer exists. They are now branded Curry's who has them for 
around £10, Argos £13.00, Scan Computers for under £5.00.

> 
>>
>> Theo

Dave

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57770

On 2026/9/20 22:45:6, David Wade wrote:
> On 20/09/2026 20:59, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>> On 2026/9/20 12:25:11, Theo wrote:
>>> J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
>> []
>>>> Oh. That will be a pain! This laptop has both 2.4 and 5 GHz, but I've no
>>>> idea whether it has Wifi6; it has 802.11, and is currently connected by
>>>> 802.11ac, but that's presumably the PN router. I can see mention of
>>>> "AES-CCMP algorithm" and "802.11i RSNA algorithm that uses PSK" if those
>>>> mean anything to anyone.>
>>>
>>> Clive's problem was to do with a bug in an old Intel wifi card, which is no
>>
>> Ah yes, I remember now.
>>
>>> longer supported by Intel.  It is not accurate to say their router doesn't
>>> work with pre-wifi 6 devices - it's only those with buggy Intel wifi cards
>>> which are affected.  Most older devices are fine.
>> []
>>> has a list of affected Intel wireless cards. You should be able to check in
>>> Device Manager what you have.  Notably Intel above say:
>>
>> Device manager shows "Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC".
>>
>> So I presume it isn't Intel.
>>
>>> It is possible to swap the internal wifi card for a newer one, or use a £5
>>> USB dongle.
>>
>> I guess that's 5 pounds from ebay, or 25 to 50 from PC World, assuming
>> they even have them. Touch wood I won't need.
> 
> PC World no longer exists. They are now branded Curry's who has them for 
> around £10, Argos £13.00, Scan Computers for under £5.00.
> 
I thought they branded themselves as "Currys/PC World". but those prices
sound reassuring, thanks - assuming I end up having to get one. Which I
hope I don't - not for the money, but it will use up a USB port.
[]
(Can anyone say if my "Realtek" "card" above will be OK?)
-- 
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

I can be smart when it's important. But most men don't like it
- Marilyn Monroe in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953)

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57771

J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
> I thought they branded themselves as "Currys/PC World". but those prices
> sound reassuring, thanks - assuming I end up having to get one. Which I
> hope I don't - not for the money, but it will use up a USB port.
> []
> (Can anyone say if my "Realtek" "card" above will be OK?)

Realtek is not Intel, so is not affected by the specific problem. I think
chances are you'll be ok.

Theo

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57774

On 2026/9/21 10:33:44, Theo wrote:
> J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
>> I thought they branded themselves as "Currys/PC World". but those prices
>> sound reassuring, thanks - assuming I end up having to get one. Which I
>> hope I don't - not for the money, but it will use up a USB port.
>> []
>> (Can anyone say if my "Realtek" "card" above will be OK?)
> 
> Realtek is not Intel, so is not affected by the specific problem. I think
> chances are you'll be ok.
> 
> Theo

I asked PlusNet (by raising a ticket), saying I was considering the EE
transfer:
1. Will email continue, what with PlusNet/Greenby/EE?
2. the problem we've been discussing.

They said yes to 1, and "ask EE" to 2. So I've asked them how I raise a
ticket on EE, especially before I'm a customer. (I suppose I could poke
around and find out, but why should I? It's they who are inflicting the
change on me. And if it's anything like PN, the instructions on how to
raise a ticket will be in a locked filing cabinet in a disused toilet
with a sign on the door saying "beware of the leopard"; on PN the only
way to raise a ticket is to go the complaint route, though I see they've
now added a button to say "I don't want to complain, just give feedback
or ask something", or something like that. But you still have to click
"submit complaint" or similar when you've typed it. [Having to raise a
complaint just to ask a question isn't unique to PN: lots of companies
do it these days.]) I'll tell you what they reply.
-- 
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

In the words of my grandpa, a woman is as old as she looks. A man is
never old until he stops looking.
- Alice Apfel, designer, 1921-2024 (102)

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57772

On 21/09/2026 00:34, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
> On 2026/9/20 22:45:6, David Wade wrote:
>> On 20/09/2026 20:59, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>>> On 2026/9/20 12:25:11, Theo wrote:
>>>> J. P. Gilliver <G6JPG@255soft.uk> wrote:
>>> []
>>>>> Oh. That will be a pain! This laptop has both 2.4 and 5 GHz, but I've no
>>>>> idea whether it has Wifi6; it has 802.11, and is currently connected by
>>>>> 802.11ac, but that's presumably the PN router. I can see mention of
>>>>> "AES-CCMP algorithm" and "802.11i RSNA algorithm that uses PSK" if those
>>>>> mean anything to anyone.>
>>>>
>>>> Clive's problem was to do with a bug in an old Intel wifi card, which is no
>>>
>>> Ah yes, I remember now.
>>>
>>>> longer supported by Intel.  It is not accurate to say their router doesn't
>>>> work with pre-wifi 6 devices - it's only those with buggy Intel wifi cards
>>>> which are affected.  Most older devices are fine.
>>> []
>>>> has a list of affected Intel wireless cards. You should be able to check in
>>>> Device Manager what you have.  Notably Intel above say:
>>>
>>> Device manager shows "Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC".
>>>
>>> So I presume it isn't Intel.
>>>
>>>> It is possible to swap the internal wifi card for a newer one, or use a £5
>>>> USB dongle.
>>>
>>> I guess that's 5 pounds from ebay, or 25 to 50 from PC World, assuming
>>> they even have them. Touch wood I won't need.
>>
>> PC World no longer exists. They are now branded Curry's who has them for
>> around £10, Argos £13.00, Scan Computers for under £5.00.
>>
> I thought they branded themselves as "Currys/PC World". 

According to Wikipedia that went in 2021 so about 5 years ago. Looking 
on Google street view I can see that my local still carried that 
branding, along with a Carphone Warehouse logo in December 2020 but it 
had gone in 2024.

Personally, I find their business practices as odious as Amazon. As 
Dixons their staff knowledge was appalling, and of course after buying 
Currys they quickly ditched that brand except at airports and one token 
store.  They then proudly boasted that everything at the airport was 
cheaper than their high street stores, which of course if you only have 
one, that doesn't mean much.


For a long while they relied heavily on selling product insurance to 
make a profit, when for many items, under the sale of goods act these 
offered little extra support.

The still try and sell premium anti-virus solutions, which for most 
users add little extra protection.

So basically I will go anywhere except Currys that was PCWorld and Dixons.


but those prices
> sound reassuring, thanks - assuming I end up having to get one. Which I
> hope I don't - not for the money, but it will use up a USB port.

If you do have issues it may be possible to swap the internal card.

> []
> (Can anyone say if my "Realtek" "card" above will be OK?)

The only issues I can find relate to bad drivers..

Dave

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57775

On 2026/9/21 11:37:46, David Wade wrote:
> On 21/09/2026 00:34, J. P. Gilliver wrote:
>> On 2026/9/20 22:45:6, David Wade wrote:
[]
>>> PC World no longer exists. They are now branded Curry's who has them for
>>> around £10, Argos £13.00, Scan Computers for under £5.00.
>>>
>> I thought they branded themselves as "Currys/PC World". 
> 
> According to Wikipedia that went in 2021 so about 5 years ago. Looking 

Shows how often I visit. (Well, more often than that, but I didn't
notice the change of name - the layout etc. didn't change.)
[]
> Personally, I find their business practices as odious as Amazon. As 

Well, I get the impression that Amazon have become like ebay, in that
they just provide a marketplace; at least with Currys you're still
buying from them. (Not that, AFAICR, I've actually _bought_ anything
there for years; I generally drop in when I've got some time to kill, to
see (a) what sort of computing the general public are being offered, (b)
to see what's happening in the world of TVs, and (c) to see if there
_is_ anything new[ish] in technology.)

> Dixons their staff knowledge was appalling, and of course after buying 
> Currys they quickly ditched that brand except at airports and one token 
> store.  They then proudly boasted that everything at the airport was 
> cheaper than their high street stores, which of course if you only have 
> one, that doesn't mean much.
> 
And of course is the other side of the duty-free barrier?

> 
> For a long while they relied heavily on selling product insurance to 
> make a profit, when for many items, under the sale of goods act these 
> offered little extra support.

I don't _think_ I've _ever_ bought one of those - as you say, the sale
of goods act gives you almost as good a protection, and I have a printed
copy of that which I take with me if I ever make a claim.

I think if you actually invoke one of those "guarantees", you may even
be /giving up/ some of your rights.

> 
> The still try and sell premium anti-virus solutions, which for most 
> users add little extra protection.

I've certainly never bought one of those. I think the last time I _used_
one was the one that came free with the last computer I bought new (XP
era) - McAfee I think it was - and I ditched that when the free period
ran out (can't remember what I switched to - might have been Avira. I
use AVG now.)

> 
> So basically I will go anywhere except Currys that was PCWorld and Dixons.
> 
Most people have little alternative, I fear; some big department stores
have a moderate electronics section, but most towns don't have such. OK,
little computer stores - some _can_ be good, some ripoff - but joe
public doesn't know how to find them, or to know whether they're good or
rubbish.

> 
> but those prices
>> sound reassuring, thanks - assuming I end up having to get one. Which I
>> hope I don't - not for the money, but it will use up a USB port.
> 
> If you do have issues it may be possible to swap the internal card.
> 
>> []
>> (Can anyone say if my "Realtek" "card" above will be OK?)

As another has said, it isn't Intel, so shouldn't experience the
_particular_ problems discussed here.

> 
> The only issues I can find relate to bad drivers..
> 
> Dave

Touch wood, it's working OK now.

Oh, one final question: does the EE router have a web interface? I like
to change the SSID, though won't be that bothered if I can't.
-- 
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/<1985 MB++G()ALIS-Ch++(p)Ar++T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

In the words of my grandpa, a woman is as old as she looks. A man is
never old until he stops looking.
- Alice Apfel, designer, 1921-2024 (102)

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57791

On Mon, 21 Sep 2026 11:37:46 +0100, David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>
wrote:


>So basically I will go anywhere except Currys that was PCWorld and Dixons.

A couple of years ago I wanted an iron so rather than go online I
decided to go and look in Currys, where they had about 30 on show but
only ten in stock. Investigating when I got home, they didn't have any
in the warehouse either.
So I went to Amazon. 

[toc] | [prev] | [next] | [standalone]

#57794

Peter Johnson <peter@parksidewood.nospam> wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Sep 2026 11:37:46 +0100, David Wade <g4ugm@dave.invalid>
> wrote:
> 
> 
>> So basically I will go anywhere except Currys that was PCWorld and Dixons.
> 
> A couple of years ago I wanted an iron so rather than go online I
> decided to go and look in Currys, where they had about 30 on show but
> only ten in stock. Investigating when I got home, they didn't have any
> in the warehouse either.
> So I went to Amazon. 
> 

I went to Currys in Glasgow in search of a high quality fridge freezer.
They had a huge number on display, ranging from the cheap and nasty to a
rather nice one that we ended up buying. It was very useful to be able to
properly examine the interiors, which you can’t so easily do online. They
delivered next day, and took the old one away. Much better range than John
Lewis, and JL were quoting longer delivery times. 

[toc] | [prev] | [standalone]

Back to top | Article view | uk.telecom.broadband

csiph-web