Onetel (UK) down?

[BOAC]

Cannot access Onetel site or email. Anyone else with the same problem?

[RFCC]

No problems getting onto the secure site and the e-mail.

[BOAC]

Thanks RFCC - it is ok now but I could not access most of the afternoon. Nothing showing on 'Service status' though???

[Capt Marble]

Just out of interest, and something which has always been a mystery to me: why does anyone continue to use OneTel?

After trying it when it first came out, couldn't see the point.

1) Unreliable and painfully slow access. Look at the downtimes in any Internet mag - it hovers around the bottom of 200 providers.

2) Your email address gets distorted when sent to many other destinations.

3) Try sending an e-mail to any OneTel address - takes about 45 secs for their site (PoPMail) to accept it.

4) Looks cheap, but when time on-line is double it works out more expensive.

5) Tech Help needs hours of patience and not exactly clued up.

Put me out of my misery - why do you use it?

Marble

[BOAC]

Capt Marble - I agree - I use them for email only. A lot of people, however, use them for land-line and mobile telephone calls, although the company I deal with is cheaper still. Some use them for 'casual' Internet access.

I cannot therefore comment on their actual performance apart from not getting ANY email traffic and not being able to access their portal to check service status yesterday for several hours.

I was really trying to ascertain whether I had a 'Bill Gates' afternoon or the network had a problem!

[Capt Marble]

Thanks, BOAC.
Who do you use for cheap telephony etc?

I seem to be a bit stuck on Orange for mobile calls, only because (and I am sure this is out of date) it is one of the few (only?) UK companies that allows your mobile to dial 0800 toll-free numbers without charge, and you can then use your favourite cheap supplier for all calls, whether to UK or overseas. So UK mobile calls at 1p/min etc., States at 3p (or whatever).......They occasionally block access, but then you just use another access number.

Any OneTel supporters out there?

Marble

[newswatcher]

Capt Marble,

I use Onetel frequently. They ARE currently acknowledging several problems on their service, but I got my overnight Emails with no problem at all.

Never had any major problem with access, internet response, or email. If occasionally get engaged, I just switch to alternate access number, and get through first time. Make sure that you have identified your "best" access number.

Also use them for domestic phone, and make full use of their "free calls" option. Am thinking of switching to their mobile phone offer at £4.99/month.

[spekesoftly]

I'm pleased to see that Onetel have updated their 'Network Status' page, to reflect current problems - I was unable to access most websites for part of yesterday when Onetel were still displaying 'All Serviceable'. It would also help if Onetel put a date/time to the status information. This morning I had to try an alternative access number before connecting, which supports the previous comment by 'newswatcher'.

However, generally speaking I have been satisfied with Onetel. I've used their 'Unlimited' service for nearly two years, with only occassional problems, and at £12.99/month I consider it good value. Connect speeds are not the fastest, but usually adequate for my needs. The e-mail 'address distortion', whilst annoying at the time, was quickly and easily fixed, after contacting 'Tech Help'.

Many ISPs, especially some of the bigger names, get a lot of criticism from customers. IMHO, Onetel gets less than most, and at least (for the time being!!) it is still around - unlike many of the spectacular failures we have seen in the past.

[spekesoftly]

As of about 15:00 today (22/01/03), Onetel is showing 'no known errors' on its status page, which seems to be correct.

[BOAC]

Cpt M - see P. message