[AusNOG] Internet Installation Fun

[Parth Shukla]

Hi All,

Curious on your thought on what I should in the following scenario.

I am moving into an apartment next week (it is currently empty - previous
tenants broke lease to go overseas). I tried to get TPG to get me a
connection at the address. After a few days I got an email, "Unfortunately
we have been advised by Telstra that there is currently no cabling
infrastructure at the address". Not good.

So I make a visit to the apartment, plug in a home phone, dial "1800 801
920" from the phone line and I was told "The number cannot be announced
because it is private". Then after a bit of searching, dial "1832 1800 801
920". This told me the number. Jot it down.

Pick up my mobile, dial the number. The home phone rings, I talk to myself.
Hurray.

I tell the phone number to TPG. There is definitely cabling! Since, the
number obviously belongs to the previous owner, I tell them, I don't want
it. TPG says if previous number is deactivated while they are doing setup,
the application will be rejected and I will have to start all over again. I
was told that I should apply for "New Service Connection at locations with
inactive phone line instead of Convert an active phone service at your
current location to TPG Home Phone line".

So I do that by sending an email. Next I'm told that the phone number I
have given them is listed as belong to a different address ("wrong street")
in the same suburb and not the address I am moving into ("sample street").

Made no sense, a bit of google maps revealed that "wrong street" is
adjacent to "sample street". And the address recorded as having the phone
line is a neighbouring apartment complex of the actual address where I did
the test.

Since I have done the test of actually calling the number, it seems there
is some kind of mix up with labelling or recording the info...

However, TPG calls me and tells me two things:
1) "The phone number you gave us, doesn't belong to you," so you will have
to contact the current phone provider to cancel the line first before TPG
will start the application. Current provider is assumed to be Telstra - no
way to find out as previous tenants overseas.
2) Even after I cancel the line, TPG cannot guarantee they can get me
service because there might not be any cabling infrastructure, the phone
line in my apartment in "sample street" might be an extension of the real
phone line in the apartment in "wrong street". I was told that if I went
with option 1) and cancelled the line then it might cancel the "real" line
in the other apartment and might disrupt my neighbour's service.

So can anyone tell me what my best option is from here? Option 2) above
sounds BS to me. A phone line "extension" from one apartment block to
another!? Does that make sense? Is it more likely some techy has
"mislabelled"?

Can anyone recommend any provider that I can switch to easily without
ending up having to pay through the nose and/or wait forever to get this
issue resolved? I am happy to pay a bit more. Only reason I was going with
TPG is because of unlimited quota but I'm wiling to sacrifice it if it
means I actually get Internet in the next week or so and not in the next
year or two =(

Regards,
Parth
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