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Lixxus - continual, if not continuous, problems

After a compete outage on 10th June with website down and phone lines not working, Lixxus seems to have similar problems yet again: DNS connection fails, their website is unavailable and unpingable yet again, nobody answers the helpline (or indeed any other) phone line.

Am I the only unlucky one as far as Lixxus is concerned? What puzzles me is that for several years I've been their client, I've never ever had any major problems/issues with them, nor any outages.

Is the current development a sign of what is coming? :confused:
 
They aren't a hugely well known ISP, their broadband packages are mostly business focused and also somewhat out of date so I doubt you will find too many people that have experiences to share.

One thing you could try, at least in regards to the DNS errors, is to switch from using Lixx's DNS servers to the OpenDNS alternative. Most people find OpenDNS to be faster as well. It's very easy to do and the official website gives you several well described methods for implementing it.

http://www.opendns.com/

Let us know if the problems continue and I will investigate further since it sounds like they might be in trouble.
 
I have also been having the same problems. DNS issues on the 10th and similer problems a few days ago.

I have been trying for a week to contact them via email or phone. Email gets a "failer to deliver" message and their help line keep hanging up on me after a minute of waiting in the que.

They seem to be having very seriouse problems and I want to leave, but I cant if i'm unable to get hold of them.

I'm actually in London on friday, and their offices are close to where I will be. If I cant contact them before then, I'll walk into their offices and try and get some information (and perhaps vent some anger to a real person) :mad:

I'll give you an update when I get back. :laugh:

Rich
 
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Many sincere thanks for the advice on the openDNS. It did solve the tonight's problem. Nevertheless, I am getting increasingly worried with Lixxus: the DNS failure happened tonight yet again as well as last week and a month earlier. As far as I can see, it is a sign of them going downhill quite rapidly and I wish I could leave them as soon as I could but as poogg said, it wouldn't be possible if they keep incommunicado.

Incidentaly, poogg, what are the results of your quest for their offices? Any joy in talking to a human there? Keep us posted...
 
They have been useless since they were taken over a month ago. Since then, when I have been able to connect, it's been more like a poor dial-up service. I too haven't been able to connect since yesterday, and the phone number is unmanned. Their website being down is very worrying. I'm thinking of heading down to where they're based and kicking off, to be honest.

Are there any similar ISPs with unlimited downloads/uploads that aren't too pricey? In my line of work as a musician/producer/remixer, it's a necessity to be able to send and receive large sound files.
 
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Any idea where that leaves the MAC code situation?

As they would of been a reseller of some one you are able to get the MAC codes from their supplier.
 
You can do a whois on your IP and it should be the wholeseller who they was using
 
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Can I echo the question on what of the ISPs offer unlimited downloads/uploads? Good thing about Lixxus was that they did. I'd highly appreciate any advice on that.

Another practical question. As they gone into liquidation, I am very dubious I could get MAC quickly enough. Any way round it? My question is naive (I know that) but could I go to another provider without the MAC?

Thanks in advance for your patience in answering these!
 
The hard thing is without a MAC you cannot change, on a better note if you contact OFCOM did help others left in similar positions.
 
We've had plenty of calls on this too. Some advice we have given.

Check if your line was on their LLU or BT product. You can do this here and if LLU it will report that, however, if it says: "ADSL already active on line, MAC required" it is BT Wholesale based.

For LLU, it appears they used Tiscali Wholesale. Their provider and partner queries line appears to be 0808 118 4848. Companies that offer services also using Tiscali equipment should be able to get service running the same day as Tiscali lines don't appear to be realm locked as they are with BT Wholesale.

For BT-based, we're just trying to find out more information. If anyone has a CLI on which they had a Lixxus service - please can you PM me!

WHOIS'ing their IPs as LeeH has suggested might not work as they appear to have their own allocation on AS34313 which is for LIXXUS-AS.

The last step would be Ofcom. Situations like this have happened before and although Ofcom do get involved, sometimes they are just not quick enough to protect the consumer.

Matt
 
Some further update since last night...

My line is BT Wholesale based (I knew it anyway but checked yesterday yet again). I surfed through several forums and help-pages and the advice that is prevalent is:
a) try to contact BT Wholesale to either get the MAC from them or to get them to remove the tag from the line;
b) try to talk to a new ISP to make them do this work for you as, some people claim, according to new rules, the new ISP who takes over is now somehow legally obliged to sort it all out for the customer.

The reality of the situation is as follows.
a) It is not possible to contact BT Wholesale. They don't talk to individual customers, only to the re-sellers. Besides, they don't have a helpline anymore, hence one has to resort to writing to them a formal letter and hope for an answer. People claim that after having done that, they have never heard back from BT Wholesale at all.
b) The new ISP - i.e. the one who you choose instead of Lixxus - is not willing to do the job for you. I tried Xylo last night (I based my choice on their rating on this site and some other reviews). They claim they cannot do anything at all as BT Wholesale won't talk to them either and they are NOT legally obliged to sort it out for the customer. I was advised by them to try writing to BT Wholesale and contacting Ofcom. In their opinion, I should insist on removing the tag from the line rather than getting the MAC as the former option is easier.

Basically, options are rather limited. In other words, they are non-existent.
 
Further to my last message. Here is something I found on another forum. I intend to try it straightaway and report you the results:

The only way to get action is to contact OFCOM and get the regulator to force them to adress the problem. The OFCOM number for this type of complaint is 0207-981-3040 They are very helpful and it is quite quick. They will issue you with a complaint reference number. The provider HAS to follow up the complaint

At least, someone knows the Ofcom number to call...
 
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Most interesting - results of a conversation with OFCOM

I called the number above and talked to them about the situation. It is most interesting.

1. They are aware of problems with Lixxus and are investigating now. At the moment, they don't have any information on what is going on there as, as the lady have said, they still couldn't get in touch with anyone at Lixxus or the bodies that are liquidating/taking over Lixxus. Because of that, one cannot yet lodge a formal complaint against Lixxus. Nevertheless, Ofcom is optimistic and says that it most certainly will be possible to register a complaint against them in the near future.

2. MAC code cannot be issued. As far as Ofcom knows (establishes during their investigatino), Lixxus "is not online anymore" and "as you are not connected to them anymore, Sir, no-one can issue a MAC code: there is simply nothing there to generate it".

3. The only option is to remove the tag from the line. Ofcom CONFIRMS that it is useless to try to contact BT Wholesale: they are not obliged to look into individual customers' matters. Ofcom CONFIRMS that it is the incoming ISP's business to remove the tag and the new ISP CAN DO THAT. Nevertheless, there is bad news too. Ofcom says that the new ISP is NOT OBLIGED to do that. In other words, it is a matter of their commercial choice if they want to help you out or don't. It cannot be influenced and Ofcom cannot force them to do anything for you.

4. The practical solution that Ofcom has suggested to me is as follows. I quote it almost verbatum. Shop around, make a selection of 5-10 potential ISPs, contact them one by one and identify the one who is generous enough to remove the tag from the line. Even if you don't like this ISP particularly, go with it but take a minimum term contract with them (say, 12 months). As soon as this contract expires, move the ISP you really want to use. But think about that, Sir: if the ISP of your preferred choice treat you as a potential customer like that, do you really still want to become their customer? If I were you Sir, I won't.

5. When I made a point to the lady that the suggested route effectively limits my choice and may be argued as a case of market restriction (I am FORCED to choose a new ISP that is kind enough to do me a favour), she disagreed. She claims "the choice of potential ISPs is abundant, one cannot even imagine how vast it is" and a refusal of 5-6 companies to be kind to a particular customer cannot and will not be regarded as a market distortion as it is too small on a global scale of a rapidly developing and vast market.
 
We've had plenty of calls on this too. Some advice we have given.

(...) Matt

Matt, I have a strong suspicion I was in correspondence with you last night. (My name is Dmitry.) :) :smilet:

I'd be most interested to see your comment to the Ofcom statements above. Especially, to the one where they claim it is a matter of choice for you to remove the tag or not.
 
As far as I know and unless it has changed, that is not correct.

We can request a tag to be removed in the instance you have moved house and the old owners tag is still on the line and you want ADSL and are being prevented from ordering broadband because of it.

However, this does not apply when the same person as currently having ADSL is then trying to get it with a new provider. This would completely make the MAC system redundant and will go back to the days of mass slamming by certain ISPs.

BT Wholesale WILL get involved when they need to. I can't recall the ISP name but one went bust a few years ago and BT put a holding page on each of the suspended connections and gave the user the choice of receiving a MAC. If nothing was done, the connection would be ceased a few days later.

Sorry, but at this stage, either BT need to step in for the non-LLU lines or Ofcom need to stop trying to re-write the rules regarding migration.

Matt
 
I'll try to contact BT Wholesale now. The problem is, I don't know how: there is nothing on their web-page that gives contact details. Besides, judging by the experience widely reported by customers, it is all but useless.

If one can get something in writing from Ofcom, will it be of any practical help, I wonder? The advice given by them is, as you can see, reasonably detailed and frankly, I don't believe it is incorrect. It is obvious there is some kind of miscommunication there.
 
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