Blatman Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 Lets see... With just about every support call of this nature, the first thing the tech guys want to do is put on the latest firmware to see if that solves the problem. It's what they do if/when it doesn't that counts. Good luck ETA, just reminding myself of my warblings on this thread. They're 3 years old so Sale of Goods act applies in lieu of a guarantee. If they turn out to be faulty, given that there is not much one could do to break them in normal use, invoke Sale of Goods act conditions and see if that gets you anywhere, on the assumption they start to resist if the fault persists after the firmware upgrade. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark (smokey mow) Posted March 10, 2023 Author Share Posted March 10, 2023 14 minutes ago, Blatman said: They're 3 years old so Sale of Goods act applies in lieu of a guarantee I think you probably mean the Consumer Rights Act as this replaced the Sale of Goods Act in 2015. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted March 10, 2023 Share Posted March 10, 2023 Potato potatoe 😄 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted March 14, 2023 Share Posted March 14, 2023 @Blatman Update: I updated the firmware as they requested, and that did the trick. That trick being that it bricked one of the extenders. Will contact them and let you know what they say, but I'm reaching the end of my tether. I wonder how far I can throw it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted March 14, 2023 Share Posted March 14, 2023 34 minutes ago, Scott Young (Captain Colonial) - Club Secretary said: That trick being that it bricked one of the extenders. Oh goodness me... Well I hope they are more inclined to help given this situation but jeez you're having no luck with these at all and I do sympathise 'cos I know exactly how I'd feel in the same situation. I wouldn't throw it though, I'd launch it with something... Do please keep me informed. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 @Blatman I ended up resetting both the extenders to factory settings. This is a bit of a pain as the recessed button that requires using a paper clip or similar is located on the underneath side of the extender, a daft location because it’s unable to be seen when plugged into sockets near the floor. 🤬 I then had to re-pair them with the control module. Happily, they are both working again - for now. I’m just making a note here to see how long they last before winking out again. I wrote to them (yet again) expressing my dissatisfaction, Consumer Rights Act, influential people in the industry who specify and install equipment in large quantities (that would be you, Blatters) waiting to see how their company responds, etc. Their response was that if it doesn’t work, I should revert back to the previous firmware - which wouldn’t have been the cause of the problem if I needed to do that and would only take me back to Square One. If it winks out again, I’ll be looking for extenders from a different manufacturer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted March 15, 2023 Share Posted March 15, 2023 9 minutes ago, Scott Young (Captain Colonial) - Club Secretary said: Their response was that if it doesn’t work, I should revert back to the previous firmware - which wouldn’t have been the cause of the problem if I needed to do that and would only take me back to Square One. That is disappointing. I can certainly understand your desire not to buy from the same vendor again and I will definitely be bearing this episode in mind when I am next asked about them and their suitability vis-a-vis reliability and support. Appreciate the continued updates Cap'n. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 @Blatman Big surprise - the extender failed again after less than 24 hours. I've written one last time, saying I had done everything requested but wasn't prepared to waste any more time on a clearly faulty product, and that as the product is still being manufactured that I expect a replacement kit with two extenders to be sent to me. I'm not holding my breath. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted March 16, 2023 Share Posted March 16, 2023 Well $*!t... I'm not holding my breath either but you never know, they may surprise us! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted March 17, 2023 Share Posted March 17, 2023 @Blatman I’ve had an answer. On the positive side, I can’t fault them for the speed in which they reply to my emails. However… ”Truly regret to learn that the previous suggestions failed to solve your concern. I understand your frustration completely. We wish that we could accommodate your request for a replacement. Unfortunately, subject to our RMA policy, we won't be able to do so since it's 6 months past the 3-year warranty period. If you had contacted us when the issue first occurred while it was still within warranty, we would be more than happy to help you replace them.” Actually, it’s 4 months past the warranty period - I’ve been communicating this fault to them for the last two months. “Your understanding and cooperation will much appreciated.” Or “Tough luck, and thanks for going away.” “Have a nice day!” That’s right - rub it in while you’re at it. “We look forward to hearing back from you. If you have additional information or feedback to provide, please feel free to let us know.” I’d love to, but I’ll let my wallet do the talking and my friend Blatters do the same to his customer base, thanks. Now looking for recommendations for alternatives brands please. Actually, it’s a bit of a relief to draw this nonsense to a close. I will recycle these extenders responsibly. Thanks to all in here for putting up with this, especially Blatters for his support and advice. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted March 17, 2023 Share Posted March 17, 2023 Wow, 6 months after a 3 year warranty that I think we thought was two? And that doesn't let them do something out of "good will". Fine, they (TPLink) move down my list. Next up is offerings from BT https://www.amazon.co.uk/BT-Hotspot-Powerline-pass-through-socket/dp/B01HWWG390/ref=sr_1_16?crid=OZRKP1QLCCL7&keywords=wifi+homeplug&qid=1679059444&s=computers&sprefix=wifi+homeplug%2Ccomputers%2C61&sr=1-16 or Netgear https://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-PL1000-100UKS-Powerline-Ethernet-Homeplug/dp/B01BD9TFI4/ref=sr_1_20?crid=OZRKP1QLCCL7&keywords=wifi+homeplug&qid=1679059529&s=computers&sprefix=wifi+homeplug%2Ccomputers%2C61&sr=1-20 or Devolo https://www.amazon.co.uk/Powerline-Starter-Homeplug-Internet-Ethernet/dp/B00N8W34SC/ref=sr_1_22?crid=OZRKP1QLCCL7&keywords=wifi+homeplug&qid=1679059584&s=computers&sprefix=wifi+homeplug%2Ccomputers%2C61&sr=1-22 No experience with any of these so I am afraid decision making would need to be based on internet research and price point. That said, I'm the guy who liked the TPLink stuff, so what do I know? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman Posted March 18, 2023 Share Posted March 18, 2023 I daren’t comment on my own TP Link stuff, in case it’s the curse of death. I’ve worked with the BT stuff at several clients (supplied by them, installed/configured by me), though and it’s been fine while I was there, doing just what it was intended to. I’ve never had a call back or received any comments down the line on them, either, so assume they’ve been fine in use ever since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted March 20, 2023 Share Posted March 20, 2023 On 18/03/2023 at 11:52, Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman said: I daren’t comment on my own TP Link stuff, in case it’s the curse of death. I’ve worked with the BT stuff at several clients (supplied by them, installed/configured by me), though and it’s been fine while I was there, doing just what it was intended to. I’ve never had a call back or received any comments down the line on them, either, so assume they’ve been fine in use ever since. Thanks for that Dave, good to know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Colonial Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 So a quick update - TP-Link contacted me again and asked if my case was still open or closed. Unbelievable. My reply was rather short - “You closed it through your poor decision not to give me a replacement.” 🤬🤬🤬 On a better news front, I did a bit of research and found that as I’m with Virgin Media for broadband and TV, they offer WiFi Pods. These aren’t extenders like TP-Link that uses the house’s electric mains wiring, but signal boosters (or repeaters). They just plug in to the mains (socket or power strip) up to one floor or two rooms away from the hub or router. Brain-dead setup - no buttons, no settings, just plug it in and wait 10 minutes. Best news is they’re free - up to 3 pods, although they wisely only send you one at a time until you’ve got sufficient coverage. I contacted Virgin Media on Tuesday lunchtime and ordered one, which they said would take 3 working days. It showed up the next day at 11 AM! So I went upstairs and plugged it in somewhere fairly central within the prescribed limits and waited. 10 minutes later, voila! All the upstairs dead spots eliminated. Same network, no setup hassles, no firmware updates - simple. Well chuffed. I’ll get one more for the basement office just to boost that a bit and connect a cable from it to the desktop. So if you’re on Virgin Media and need to boost your WiFi, you really can’t go wrong for free. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blatman Posted March 23, 2023 Share Posted March 23, 2023 That sounds like a terific result as well as an excellent opportunity to tell a poor service provider to do one! And thanks for sharing. I know at least one person who can immediately benefit from this 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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