Back with a vengeance

After having my account removed (presumably because I should’ve theoretically graduated by now), making the move up to Cardiff, having my account reinstated and finally finding out that the web hosting had changed servers, with the mysql databases remaining on the same server (meaning that I had to change the “99% of the time you won’t need to change this” value) I am now able to have b2 back up and running smoothly.

I guess now might be a good time to let you know whats been going on the past month or so.

Have spent most of my time in Cardiff trying to get various bits and bobs with our network funtional.

First of all there was a bit of a snag getting our ISP sorted. In a bid to fire a big “up yours” across NTL’s bow and their 1Gb cap, and to make a point to the rest of the student population of Cardiff realise that there isn’t just a single ISP in Cardiff – we decided to get ADSL.

This in turn meant getting a phone line with BT, as the original one had been disconnected as the residents before had been with NTL. We had to sign up for a 3 month minimum contract to get connected again. Sorted. Now for ADSL…..

We’d already figured that Pipex were the ones to go with, weighing in all costs for disconnection when we leave and all. Onto their website to sign up, bung in new BT phone no….boom “You have got ADSL enabled on your exchange, but you are too far to receive it”, uh-oh – and the realisation starts hitting that if we can’t get ADSL, we’re stuffed for at least 3 months, as we need to get the phone line with NTL too….(I spose we could of had two phone lines, but thats a bit much)…

So, what to do……

hang on what this ?? – “Pipex Extended Reach Trial” – Apparently BT have been conducting extended reach trials for ADSL since about June ’03 for those out of reach from their exchange’s. What the hell, give it a go, got no better options….after moping around worrying loads with all 3 of my housemates packing it at the prospect of no broadband for 3 months, finally get conformation from Pipex to say ADSL will be enabled – the very next day! Wohoo!

So we’ve (or I, as we don’t have a router/server for a bit) have happily been using Pipex for the past week, lovely…got it in time to say a Happy 21st Birthday to my sis in Mississippi! and safe in the knowledge that she had received my pukker “Save Ferris” T Shirt I lovingly picked out for her.

So now we await on ebuyer….once again. So that I can build my pc into a new beast (new case, dvd, graphics card and floppy) and sell Sparksy my old one. Then we can use his old 166 as a router over at the girls, and get back Daves old 266 to be the router here (we need USB ports on ours for the modem). On a side note, smoothwall looks to be well easy to set up, except for its compatibility probs with old ISA type network cards as Dave found out last weekend.

It also looks like I’m travelling to Bristol next week to set up another mates network. I will be knackered by the weekend – Adam Freeland, Unkle, Mr Scruff and DJ Format are all playing in Cardiff next week……killer…