UK South-East "Mainly Under 5'11" Gossip Thread (5)

And we have a friend who just went out last week. Doing logistics for HQ, so he should be safe, thankfully.

Dan is Royal Marines I think, so been doing mental missions and lost 3 friends while out there.

Thankfully he is coming back all in one piece!

Ouch.. That's bad. Glad he's home ok though.

And the Americans have asked for more troops and all we hear is they are going to cut spending on the armed forces...I am sure they will sell it under an efficency drive but how much more efficient can they become, just have the TA!!??

Matt Photog Peters wrote in post #8745970
=Matt 'Photog' Peters;8745970]Dan is Royal Marines I think, so been doing mental missions and lost 3 friends while out there.

Thankfully he is coming back all in one piece!

I bet that is a big relief

It is a massive relief, especially when you see someone has been killed out there and they are unnamed for a few hours!

Matt Photog Peters wrote in post #8745963
=Matt 'Photog' Peters;8745963]My cousins husband comes back from there today after 6months .. Gets home to his little boy who was just under 6months when he left!

Glad he is coming home safe & sound with the added hope that the trauma of seeing & what he has had to cope with is not too great.

SWMBO & I were discussing the apparent lack of duty of care we as a nation give those wounded and "damaged" in our military service.

A recent TV program highlighted the courage & fortitude shown by those recovering and should put those of similar age who have nothing to show for their years (apart from ASBOs et al) & the detractors to shame.

But I must not get OT this afterall a photography forum!

Has anyone had experience of either Sky or Virgin broadband wireless. I am looking to go for an all in one package as my current ones are all coming to an end. I am currently with BT and while the broadband service when the computer is plugged into the hub is okay the wireless is crap and I have spent many a happy hour on the phone to them and tried all sorts of jiggery pokey to sort it out.

adrian5127 wrote in post #8746166
Has anyone had experience of either Sky or Virgin broadband wireless. I am looking to go for an all in one package as my current ones are all coming to an end. I am currently with BT and while the broadband service when the computer is plugged into the hub is okay the wireless is crap and I have spent many a happy hour on the phone to them and tried all sorts of jiggery pokey to sort it out.

Yeah, I'm on Sky wireless. It works well enough for me when I'm downstairs, but both my Macbook and iPod get low signal when I'm upstairs. I'm thinking about getting a booster for it.

The problem with Sky wireless is that they want you to use their modem (when I asked if I could use my own I got told "No, it has to be ours").

Although, saying that, when I came to install it, it all worked perfectly and I didn't have to mess with any settings.

Virgin has had bad press on Watchdog, so I'm not sure what they're like in reality.

adrian5127 wrote in post #8746166
Has anyone had experience of either Sky or Virgin broadband wireless. I am looking to go for an all in one package as my current ones are all coming to an end. I am currently with BT and while the broadband service when the computer is plugged into the hub is okay the wireless is crap and I have spent many a happy hour on the phone to them and tried all sorts of jiggery pokey to sort it out.

No idea about Sky or Virgin but to clarify?

Are you saying that your laptop when linked by wireless to the BT hub has a poor connection??? If that is the case what is happening, is it just (?) poor wireless speed or dropping connection all the time even when the signal strength is high.

The reason I ask and whether you have tried what I found worked fo my SWMBO laptop. Oh this is not a BT hub but my Netgear router - her laptop though reported strong signal just would not hold the link for more than a minute if she was lucky. Well I tried everything then inspired updated the drivers for the wireless adaptor in the lappy and voila good connection and solid even when the signal reports as 'low'.

In respect of the suggestion above surely if needed you can use another wireless router instead of the BT Hub ~ should not need to change ISP "simply" because the hardware has an issue???

HTH possibly

Box Brownie wrote in post #8746187
In respect of the suggestion above surely if needed you can use another wireless router instead of the BT Hub ~ should not need to change ISP "simply" because the hardware has an issue???

HTH possibly

Very true, but if Adrian is coming to the end of his contract and is unhappy with the support he's had from his current provider then swapping would be a good idea, especially if you can get a decent package for TV/Telephone in there as well.

Pete wrote in post #8746192
Very true, but if Adrian is coming to the end of his contract and is unhappy with the support he's had from his current provider then swapping would be a good idea, especially if you can get a decent package for TV/Telephone in there as well.

Ah! I missed the point about end of contract and lack of support, so true if you can get the "right" package. I suppose in some ways I am a bit of a stick in the mud afterall I have barked @ Bankleys for something like 40plus years

The one thing about changing ISP is losing the email addy ~ a little like moving house in that you have to catch up with everyone and let them know!

I have tried most things, changing the channels, encryption and updating the drivers. The problem is signal strength. Downstairs it is normally okay but the study is the third bedroom where my wife does most her work ( medical student ) and is very reliant on the internet.

Bt's support has not been good. I even paid for a general support package for three months. They were more helpful and knowledgiblve but still not able to sort the problem out.

With my limited knowledge I think the hub is the problem. I already have sky tv so I could give them a try and if necessary could go down the booster route. I have got to the stage of being fed up of BT and don't want to give them any more money than I have to.

Pete have you looked into boosters and if so what will you recommend?

I am glad I have a laptop, bloody connection kept dropping out so I have had to move downstairs grrh. Do you know what the problems with Virgin were?

Tokina 11-16 arrived this morning, had a play just now during lunch break.

It feels good, well built, and wow this thing is wiiiiide