New ISP and MAC key

Hi,

Not sure if this is the best forum to post in, but it's probably the most suitable.

Bear with me on this one... we have two phonelines at our house, one for home use, and the other for business provided by my work. Years ago, probably around 2004ish, we had broadband on our home line. When the business line was installed, we were also provided with broadband - great, we cancelled the broadband on the home line.

Thing is, now we require broadband back on the home line, and after registering for o2 they're requesting our MAC key - but I have absolutely no idea which ISP it was that we were registered with back then. It might have been BT, Eclipse, or maybe F2S, oh maybe freeserve... or none of them.

Short of calling round every ISP (which will be difficult for some ISPs, and impossible for some eg: freeserve!) is there anything that we can do in this situation? I guess it's similar to having moved into a new house, trying to sign up for broadband and not knowing who the previous occupants used as ISP.

Thanks for any help you could give me,

Ben

Is it the automated systems or a human requesting the MAC?

If it's an automated system just ring and explain there is no broadband on the line so you can't give a MAC.

If it's a human you are probably better off asking in the dedicated O2 forum at http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/o2.html

Hi slugman,

If you want to PM the telephone number I can check to see if the Tag remaining on the line belongs to us.

David
BT Support

Trouble with ringing is he won't be able to get cashback.

The OP mentioned registration so I assumed he had signed up but the sign-up was on hold pending a MAC.

If this voids cash back it would seem very unfair.

Yup good idea, I'll give them a call and check. Don't know why I didn't think to ring them in the first place!

Thanks david, PM sent...

John yes that's exactly it - I've signed up, but it's on hold pending a mac... don't think it will void cashback.

Partly what to do depends on whether there is a dead tag on the line anyway. It could just be the O2 ordering system doesn't cater for new connections - though I don't really think that is likely.

If there is a tag on the line then there is a dedicated phone line for ISPs to get it removed. It takes about 5 days after they ring.

I doubt if first-line support will have heard of this so you will need to get higher up the chain.

As others have said, ISPs have access to a Tags Resolution service with Openreach. Its all done online and there is usually a response within 24 hours. It can be busier though if Openreach are swamped.

The response will usually say the tag is gone, it will be removed on a specific date or that it's an active service requiring a MAC.