I had cause to call NTL support over Christmas when my broadband connection disappeared on Boxing Day.

I put off calling for a day after previous experiences of holding on the end of a line for ages before giving up, but this time it didn't want to fix itself.

Amazingly the phone was answered fairly quickly. Not by someone particularly helpful, but it was answered. I know a thing or two about networks and computers, but of course I had to go through hoops to 'prove' that it wasn't wither a) my fault or b) my imagination. The guy on the end of the phone insisted I either had "a virus" or it would be the "Windows XP firewall" and that I reboot a windows machine in safe mode which he assured me would fix the problem!!!!!! I explained that I had a Linux box acting as a firewall and that could not get to the internet either, but that argument was not accepted - "we do not support Linux".

I had to go away and follow their tedious instructions and, surprise surpirse it still didn't work!

Having dismantled my home network - ending up with a single Windows XP machine booted in safe mode connected directly to the cable modem I duly phoned back.

This time I got through to someone completely different. He asked my IP address - tried 'pinging' my computer and found he couldn't get to me, quickly run some diagnostics via my cable modem and quickly realised the signal on the line was too low and that this would cause Internet access problems to about 100 people. He promised someone would fix it in 3 days (which I thought a little excessive, but at least he admitted it was their problem).

The line was fixed within 24 hours and no problems since. In my mind - despite the initial unhelpful the customer is an idiot call, NTL redeemed themselves admirably. I didn't get the second guys name - but he did a great job!