ADSL - Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Set Up My Clara Max Connection?
My download speed is slower than the speed I expect?
I have forgotten my password, how can I retrieve it?
Do you support remote access?
Can I run a mail server/website server from my internet connection?
I am having problems connecting, and staying
connected to the internet, can you help?
What is interleaving?
I am connected to the internet, but why can I not view web pages?
I plan to move to a new house/office. Can I move my broadband?
How do I cancel my account?
How can I move my broadband to another supplier?
Can I pay for my account by invoice?
How Do I Set Up My Clara Max Connection?
We have made guides that give you step-by-step instructions to set up your broadband connection on the most popular operating systems and routers. If you do not see your operating system listed, or if you would like further advice, please do not hesitate to call us on 0845 117 0555, or e-mail us at support@clara.net.
My download speed is slower than the speed I expect?
Clara Max works using what is called a "rate-adaptive" technology. In the first ten days of your service, BT closely monitor the performance of your line, to guarantee that you are getting the best service that your line is capable of providing. From the speeds you received during these ten days, BT make a note of the highest speed you can expect to get (known as the Maximum Stable Rate), and the minimum speed you can reasonably expect to receive (known as the Fault Threshold Rate). It is important to understand that these maximum and minimum speeds that BT record are not physical limits on the speeds that you can receive; they are merely a guide to make sure that your line is performing at its highest capacity.
It is also important to know that, although your line has the potential to reach speeds of up to 8Mbps, in reality only a few users will be able to reach this speed. The speed of your line is affected by numerous factors, such as the distance between you and your exchange, the amount of traffic at your exchange, the physical line, the number of other electrical devices in your house that might generate noise on the line, whether you are using an extention cable, and so on. If your line consistently drops below this Fault Threshold Rate that BT think you should reasonably receive, then there are a number of things we may be able to do to help. These involve running some troubleshooting with your connection, and running some tests on your line to diagnose what is causing this problem. Please call us on 0845 117 0555 for more information.
I have forgotten my password, how can I retrieve it?
Following a simple security check, we can reset your password. This information can change from account to account, so we recommend you call us on 0845 117 0555 for assistance.
We do not offer technical support for remote access applications, suchas VNC, but you can certainly use such an application on your Claranet broadband line, as there are no restrictions on your service. If you require something more secure, such as VPN access, please call our sales teamon 0845 355 2000.
Can I run a mail server/website server from my internet connection?
Yes, though if you do plan to do this, we recommend you contact our sales team on 0845 355 2000, so that you can purchase one of our accounts that provides you with a range of IP addresses that you can dedicate to your servers.
I am having problems connecting, and staying
connected to the internet, can you help?
Yes. We have compiled a list here of the most common broadband problems. If you have performed all the troubleshooting on this list, and you are still having difficulty, please phone us for further assistance. In some instances, we may be able to escalate the issue to BT as a line fault.
Interleaving is a different way of sending information between computers, that allows to help resolve errors in sending information. However, it can also have a significant impact on the time it takes to send and receive information, so using an application that requires constant data, such as gaming or streaming media, will noticably suffer. Interleaving is used automatically on your line, if and when it is needed. It is not possible to manually turn this on or off by request, but it is something that we can temporarily do if we have to troubleshoot your line for poor performance.
I am connected to the internet, but why can I not view web pages?
There are a few troubleshooting tips that you can use when you appear to be connected, but cannot view web pages. If you are unsure how to perform any of the following steps, please call us on 0845 117 0555 and we will be happy to talk you through the process.
Open a command prompt (In Windows XP, click on "Start", then "run" and type cmd. In Mac OS X, do a Spotlight search for "Terminal", or alternatively, navigate to it in your Applications > Utilities folder) and type "ping www.clara.net" without the quotes. Do you see a new line appear every second that says something along the lines of:
64 bytes from 80.168.69.13: icmp_seq=0 ttl=53 time=23.832 ms
If you do, then it would seem the problem lies with your web browser. Try totally clearing out your cache, your browser history, and your cookies folder. Reset your machine, and see if you can now view pages.
Open a command prompt, and type "ping 80.168.69.13". If you found that the above stage did not work, but this does, then it appears that your computer is having difficulty resolving domain names. Please make sure that your name servers are set up in your dial up connection as 195.8.69.7 and 195.8.69.12 respectively.
If you find that neither of the above steps worked, and you are not using Windows XP, please skip this step. If you are using Windows XP, you may find that resetting your TCP/IP stack resolves the issue. The TCP/IP stack is the set of information that your computer uses to make internet connections, and it can become corrupt. Please click on Start, then Run, and type into the run box "netsh int ip reset c:\resetlog.txt" without the quote marks. When you click "ok", you will see a black box appear, and then disappear. Please restart your machine, and now try to access a web page.
If you are connecting with an ADSL modem, it is possible that your dial-up connection may have become corrupt. Please delete your current dial-up profile, and set it up again (be sure to make a note of any settings you may need to remember, such as username, password, phone number, and name server settings).
If, after setting up your connection again, you find that you still cannot connect, then it is possible that there may be a more fundamental problem with your computer. However, although we cannot generally help with hardware problems, there may be another issue that we can help with. Please call us on 0845 117 0555 for further advice.
I plan to move to a new house/office. Can I move my broadband?
Yes you can, but the broadband signal on your phone line is something that BT physically install on your line, which is why there is often a charge associated with signing up for broadband. If you are moving house, the broadband signal will need to be closed on your existing line, and installed on your new line.
How do I cancel my account?
How can I move my broadband to another supplier?
If you would like to cancel your account, or move your broadband service to another provider, we will require certain security information from you. We generally require 30 days notice for a cancellation, though certain services carry a longer notice period. Please e-mail us at cancellations@uk.clara.net for more information.
Can I pay for my account by invoice?
We can offer cheque and direct debit payments only for certain account types. Please contact our sales team on 0845 355 2000 for more information.