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[Floydoid]

ISP = Tiscali

Today I've been having severe connection problems, taking about 6 attempts before getting online withe error 721 on each failed attempt... I have left an error report at the tiscali website and am waiting for them to get back to me.  But I was wondering if there is anything else I can tweak in the meantime.

I've not fiddled with anything, and this has been happening since first thing this morning.

[Pwiggler]

hi floydoid

whether its just relating to browsing or whether its newgroups/email as well, it can depend on what the error says after 721.

ms has several solutions:  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/318009

first off, try a system restore back a day or 2 then wait for a response from tiscalli.

what machine is it?

[Floydoid]

Well, the machine is unspecified brand, basically one of my cobble together jobs.  Also I have system restore turned off.

[kitz]

error 721 usually means that you cant attain a PPP session with your ISP.
Does this problem mostly occur in the evenings - yet is ok during quieter times of the day?
The fact that you can eventually connect after several failed attempts leads me to believe that its probably not anything local to you.

Ive seen these types of errors before -  when the ISPs centrals are full... ie theres too many users trying to connect at the same time if the ISP doesnt have enough capacity (sessions) for the amount of users that they have.

[Pwiggler]

have u got another machine u can stick on the line 2 c if its ya pc?

wot the adsl status light doin when u cant connect?

[kitz]

I'm pretty sure that this is going to be ISP related.

PPP sessions are acheived at the ISP level.  With (IPstream adsl) login is a 2 part process.  First of all you sync, then authenticate at the ATM level on the BTw part of the hardware.  The PPP session is all about connectivity at the next stage to your ISP.

It could be down to incorrect settings in your router
or if you use USB modem the software has got borked
or invalid logon info.

But I discounted all of the above due to the fact that you can normally log in eventually.
Other possibilites that I can think of are

_ Loss of link between the backhaul and the ISP (ISP is having problems or part of the BTw network is down)
- Dropped packets occuring during the log in process (MTU problems)
_ ISP having problems with their RADIUS servers
_ Insufficient available sessions (theres a maximum number of users that can connect at once and the ISP is over-subscribed).

[Pwiggler]

trouble is .... isps first line of defence is to blame their customers' equipment/software/user error before admitting anything.  if a customer can proove its not their equipment its just 1 less hoop to jump thru 

[Floydoid]

Well I'm finally back on line... the problem was at the local BT exchange - some hardware had to be replaced.

I knew it wasn't a local problem when my secondary comp also threw up the same error when trying to connect... the nice man at Tiscali kind of broke wind when I told him (and hence eliminated the problem at this end).

[roseway]

I trust you haven't got a smellyphone?

Pleased you're back online.

[Accordion]

Well I'm finally back on line... the problem was at the local BT exchange - some hardware had to be replaced.

I knew it wasn't a local problem when my secondary comp also threw up the same error when trying to connect... the nice man at Tiscali kind of broke wind when I told him (and hence eliminated the problem at this end).

Hooray!

[kitz]

glad you got it sorted

[Floydoid]

Yeah me too Kitz, I was going nuts with no internet access for a whole week.

[kitz]

I bet - I certainly would be 

Wonder what the problem was?   If they say exchange related and judging from the error you received then somewhere between the exchange and the BT backhaul.   That is assuming you are on tiscali IPStream and not tiscali datastream or LLU in which case its their equipment at the exchange.

hmmmm..  just wondering ... tiscali have recently been moving a lot of their IPStream accounts over to datastream and LLU - I wonder if your exchange is one of those recently converted?  Although I still cant understand why it would be intermittant.

[Floydoid]

All I know is they replaced a chipset at the exchange, and then did a whole load more diagnostics.

[Floydoid]

Oh, and as luck (or fate) would have it, I am currently battling with giving up smoking.

I now know which is the worse addiction.