Tech support from the supplier were initially helpful but after a few days kept insisting it was fixed and they could see the live connection (only one one admitted to seeing it drop out). At no point during this period did we get a connection for more than a few seconds.
Eventually, after a few hard words from my OH they sent a second (or third or fourth, depending who you spoke to)engineer to look at the problem again and come round to check it wasn't at our side. He admitted that someone had made a complete hash of things at the exchange in the village, resulting in several others having problems, although not the same loss of broadband.
We're now back online - it's been a long, lonely week! And OH is currently researching new ISPs (they may not be much better but they'll certainly be cheaper!).
I was beginning to think I'd never see you all again. And I was stunned at the reliance we've quickly developed - the number of times I was just about to check something - oh wait, no internet. Bit scary really.
