I have a customer with a bit of a problem - his modem seems to be locked
to supanet, when we go through hyperterminal dialing any number just
gets the message "RESTRICTED" - I can't believe (actually I can) that
tiny are selling computers that will only dial supanet????

does anyone know anything about this issue or is there anyway I can
unrestrict phone numbers.

the modem is a conexant soft k56 (V_2.1_V6.02.05) if that's any help.

any help would be very much appreciated.

cheers,

mark.

"Mark" <mrj@virgin.net> wrote in message
news:3FA121D4.65F5008C@virgin.net...

Was modem provided by Supanet? If so, that's why it is limited to that ISP.


--

Hooda Gest
"The only thing I do immediately is procrastinate."

On Thu, 30 Oct 2003 14:36:04 +0000, Mark <mrj@virgin.net> put finger
to keyboard and composed:

Try uninstalling and reinstalling the modem with generic Conexant HSF
drivers:
http://www.conexant.com/support/md_d...ssistance.html


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

===============
Many moons ago I loaded Supanet software for a while to find out more about
them.
Since I didn't like it ,I tried to remove their software which was a heck of
a job.

It is well possible that Tiny (not the most reputable PC components
integrator in the UK) has a deal with Supanet ,putting a modem in their kit
enabling access to Supanet only.
It shows that you have to be on your guard when buying a PC from a
(perceived) low cost High Street shop.

Frank GM0CSZ / KN6WH

Mark <mrj@virgin.net> wrote in message news:<3FA121D4.65F5008C@virgin.net>...
Phew.. I am glad that someone else has the same problem as me.. My
wifes Grandad has just been given the 'Tiny' treatment.. He went in
(on his own) to buy a PC and came out £1000 worse off.. They charged
him for EVERYTHING, (Even a desk and chair) and even had the cheek to
charge £5 for the "Supanet" internet setup CD (which is actally alread
installed ont he PC)! It was even missing a USB cable to go between
the PC and Printer, but when he discovered it was missing the charged
him for one, even though he WHOLE thing as "a package".

Anyway.. Last night, I went over to get him on the Internet.. The
first thing I did was remove Supanet. After this, I tried to connect
to my ISP and was told "Error 775: The call was blocked by the remote
computer"..

Fortuantly, being a Datacoms engineer of 15 years, I dug back into my
ancient knowledge of Hayes AT commands and started to look at the
modem.

I found that any ATDT command would result in "RESTRICTED".. But when
I looked at Supanet, I found that it was trying to call "0845
1227700", but what a co-incidence that this is the ONLY number that
the Modem will call!

I know that there is a way to fix this, as the modem simply has been
configured with a 'BLACKLIST' of numbers OTHER than 'SupaNet'. Saying
that, if its password protected, then there is no chance to fix this,
unless Tiny/Supanet are willing to help!

I am going to dig through my old Modem notes and see if I can remember
how to do this, but I am also going down to Tiny today to give them a
whooping!

Unfortunatly, this isn't a case of installing "generic drivers".. The
restriction isn't with Windows, but in the modem itself and is
something programmed directly into its memory. Even AT&F (restore
factory defaults) won't work, as the 'BLACKLIST' isn't part of the
normal config.

If I work out how to do this, I will report back.. Otherwise I fear
that a new modem may be the only option!

Like you, I can't believe that Tiny have the cheek to do this.. Even
if they wan't you to use 'Supanet', I can't believe that they do this
by restricting the numbers that the modem can call. They are many
people out there who use their modems for things OTHER than ISPs.. For
me, I use mine to dial into work and customer networks for instance as
well as other 'non-internet' related activities! Is it really 'legal'
that Tiny can restrict this.

What about in the future if BT do another number re-org and 'Supanet'
are forced to change their telephone number. What then? Will
Tiny/Supanet customers be forced to buy a new modem, just so that its
able to ring the new number?

This practice seems very irrisponsibe and highly unethical, and I am
looking forwards to making my views known to Tiny!

Bad news.. I rang the shop and the 'manager' told me to contact
'customer services' and then put the phone down.. She didn't seem very
happy with my line of questioning and didn't act like the 'manager'
that she claimed she was.

I spoke to customer services and they were much better, but
unfortunatly, even though at initally implied that they knew of this
problem and had a solution, in the end they found that they couldn't
help.

Their only suggestion was that I contact the "14 day refund
departement" and get my money back. I must admit that I expected them
to be unhelpful, but to my surprise they were very VERY good.. They
listened to my concerns and even thanked me for my feedback. However,
they did explain that the "Modem tied to Supanet" issue was
intentional and was based on a 'new concept' that they are trialing.

Apparantly, in the USA, its common for ISPs (i.e AOL) to provide
suppliers with modems.. It cuts costs and means that customer are
'forced' to use the ISP who is in bed with the company who sold the
PC.

Tiny claim that they are the first people in the UK to be trying this
approach.. They believe that its good for everyone.. Tiny don't have
to pay for modems.. Their customers get a (slight) reduction in cost,
because the modems are subsidised, and most customer don't care as
they are happy just to be on the Internet.

I told them that I was one of the people who wasn't happy and
expressed my view that type of action sets a dangerous president for
the future of computer sales in the UK. Suprising, the guy I spoke to
actually agreed, but obviously expressed the 'company line'.

In the end, they agreed to send me a new modem. Unfortunatly, all of
their internal ones are tied to 'Supanet', but they had some External
ones which wern't. So, if he is true to his word, he is going to send
me out a new modem today and I should get it by the end of the week.

I am 99% sure that the Tiny/Supanet modem can be unlocked, but
considering the price of modems, I can't be bothered to spend too much
time looking. I will have another play, but if the new modem turns up
as promised, I will use that instead.

I wonder how long it will be before Tiny customers start to realise
whats going on, when they try to use their modems for something else
other than 'SupaNet'?

Jon

The best way to expose this sham is to report it to 'Which ?' the consumers
protection magazine and perhaps also to the BBC's 'Watchdog' programme.

Beware of Tiny, they are one of the most unsavoury unscrupulous PC
suppliers in the UK.

Frank ,GM0CSZ

On 4 Nov 2003 06:24:17 -0800, jon.p.weaver@alcatel.co.uk (Jon Weaver)
put finger to keyboard and composed:


I wonder just how much a Conexant HSF softmodem really costs? Is the
modem on a card, or is it built into the motherboard (except for the
DAA perhaps)?


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

On 4 Nov 2003 02:16:36 -0800, jon.p.weaver@alcatel.co.uk (Jon Weaver)
put finger to keyboard and composed:

Try this:

Send ATDT; to the modem
Dial your alternative ISP with a parallel handset and then hangup
Send ATDT to the modem

Does the modem connect?

Try the AT%TCB (Taking Care of Blacklisting?) command.

Can you post the part numbers of the various modem chips? Is there a
serial EEPROM, eg 24C02, 9346, etc?

About a year ago (?) there was a post from someone in South Africa who
was experiencing the same thing with an Askey hardware modem, also
Rockwell/Conexant based. IIRC, he did not manage to resolve his
problem.

Do Tiny advertise their modem as a fax/modem? If so, then that would
be false advertising, unless the modem is permitted to dial other
numbers in fax mode. If falsely advertised, I would think that all
customers, past and present, would be entitled to a genuine
replacement fax/modem FOC.

I don't like this practice, but no doubt it's perfectly legal provided
that customers are made aware of it prior to purchase. Otherwise the
whole telecoms industry could be deemed unethical for providing
telco-subsidised, network locked, prepaid mobile phones. Less ethical
are companies like Dell and Compaq who fiddle(d) with otherwise
generic parts (eg SIMMs, PSUs) in such a way as to make generic
replacements incompatible.


- Franc Zabkar
--
Please remove one 's' from my address when replying by email.

"Frank Dinger" <gm0csz.kn6wh@ntlworld.com> wrote in message news:<G38qb.8175$3j6.2693852@newsfep2-win.server.ntli.net>...
Hi Frank my usb modem turned yesterday but I still could not connect
to my server another 2 calls today and they got a tec to ring me who
told me to remove the supernet modem from my pc i have but cannot
still connect as I am getting error message 775 i will ring customer
service tomorrow as i refuse to ring their help line at £1min and then
i am reporting them to watchdao the more that do it the more bad
publicity they get

10 days ago I bought a brand new pc from tiny, when it arrived i was
disgusted to find out after 9 telephone calls that i couldnt use my
own internet provider.

As a way of giving into me or to shut me up they sent me free of
charge a usb modem, which arrived yesterday, I was told to install it
and it would work after this didnt work I phoned them today and
refused to pay a £1 a min to ring their help line they agreeded to get
a tec to ring me, he told me to take my modem from the machine and it
would work, I did that when i got home and now are recieving error
775.

I just feel compleatly ripped off but looks like I'm back on the phone
tomorrow.

I am certainly going to report them to everybody I can think off
trading standards watchdog which !!!!!!!

wendykestin@hotmail.com (bantambelle) wrote in message news:<55fdc02c.0311061632.72e23c78@posting.google. com>...
Friday 7th November 9.40am

Just spent 40 minutes on the phone to customer services who have
refused to let me speak to a manager and only advise she kept
repeating was ring premiun line, she wouldn't let me return the pc so
my next course of action is to contact trading standards, but I'm at a
loss at what to do I am totally fed up.

wendykestin@hotmail.com (bantambelle) wrote in message news:<55fdc02c.0311070145.1d39f224@posting.google. com>...

I too have just recieved the USB modem, and like you I still get the
same error message.

Using Hyperterminal, I connected to COM4 and did 'adtd 1' and am STILL
told 'RESTRICTED'

This means that either this modem has the same restriction, OR its a
software thing after all!

I have bought the Modem home and installed it on MY PC and to my
surprise, I can connect to any number.. So this clearly is something
that Tiny/Supernet install on their PCs!

I will now remove every trace of Supernet from the Registry and if
that fails, will have to do a new OS install!

jon.p.weaver@alcatel.co.uk (Jon Weaver) wrote in message news:<573665cf.0311170537.148e00f1@posting.google. com>...
I have a theory about this.. If the modem would call ANY number using
ATDT, but a 'Dial Up Connection' wouldn't, then we could blame the OS.

However, in this case, the modem is to blame, but ONLY on this PC (As
proved by putting the modem on another PC).. I can't see how Windows
can stop a modem from dialing using ATDT directly using a comms
package.

BUT.. I wonder if the modem init string that gets set every time the
PC boots, puts the modem in this state? But then again, AT&F should
fix it.

I am going to take a serial modem and communicate to it using
Hyperterm, just to be sure I can dial any number.

I am then going to install it as a modem (i.e let the PC recognise
that its a modem) and try again. If my theory is right, after this is
done, the modem will report "restricted" when dialing numbers.

jon.p.weaver@alcatel.co.uk (Jon Weaver) wrote in message news:<573665cf.0311171533.18f37a83@posting.google. com>...

Hi I have just taken delivery of Time pc unawre of supanet
designaated modem. Can anyone let me know if they resolved their
problem and how!
Thanks Sue

jon.p.weaver@alcatel.co.uk (Jon Weaver) wrote in message news:<573665cf.0311171533.18f37a83@posting.google. com>...

Hi I have just taken delivery of Time pc unawre of supanet
designaated modem. Can anyone let me know if they resolved their
problem and how!
Thanks Sue

Mark

Mark Wrote:
Today Sunday November 21st - I set up a friends new tiny computer and
was very anoyed that I was forced to use SuperNet as an ISP instead of
Wanadoo.

Wanadoo said there was nothing they could do about the problem because
SuperNet was un-deletable.

However, I would like to add - Wanadoo my Broadband ISP prevents me
using Outlook express, if I try to use it, my computer freezes up and
have to reboot.

When I complained to Wanadoo they said they could not understand why I
could not use Outlook Express but did not provide me with a solution.


--
jrnjames


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