Changing ADSL ISP's

[shack]

If one changes ISP's on ADSL is it just a case of cancelling the current ISP and signing up with a new one or does something have to be done in the exchange.

[BOAC]

No - you just need a 'transfer' authorisation - a 'migration code'. Check out http://www.uswitch.com/Broadband/Switching-Broadband-Providers.html

[shack]

Thanks BOAC----I just hope a similar system applies here in France. I'd hate to cause France Telecom to go on strike!!

[BOAC]

OOH! Didn't think you MEANT France! Je ne sais pas.:)

[shack]

My fault, I should have made it clear.:(

[BOAC]

Might be worth moving this to the French Forum? Let us know.

[Keef]

When I was setting up the laptop to work in the Norfolk hideyhole, which is with a different ISP, I forgot that it was still plugged into the BT line here.

When I'd finished entering the settings, it set off and connected quite happily to PlusNet. The "contract" here is with Pipex.

I was a little surprised - I'd assumed that only a Pipex connect would work on the "home" line. But then I found that there's also a BT "ADSL test" that can be used if your ISP seems to be "off the air" and you want to know if it's you or them.

So maybe you can connect to a different ISP, and all this migration stuff is bureaucracy - or "billing".

[IO540]

There is a complex system of multiple authentication steps in the ADSL connection. The first login (configured in your router) is just the first step. There are several more along the line, all within the BT ATM network, on the way to the ISP's premises.

You can get funny things happening if you have a dispute with your ISP (say, he cuts off your account for alleged P2P abuse). Under the BT wholesale terms, BT will prevent you signing up with a different ISP until your dispute with the previous one is resolved. Crooked ISPs (I know a few) will use this to bully customers into paying for a service which was not provided, etc. And BT won't help.

Unless you ask BT to change the phone number of the phone line! That kicks off the previous ISP and they can't prevent it. But there is still a delay of a few days while BT sort out their stuff; the old ISP still "owns" a part of the connection within BT.

Really weird.

Any business that relies on an internet connection would be well advised to have two analog lines, so if there is a problem with the ISP they can get another ISP started on the 2nd line concurrently. Otherwise, the old ISP has got you over a barrel. Nowadays many businesses are on ISDN which is no good...

[shack]

Thanks chaps, I'll give it a go and see what happens.