ihug network cuts out

Internet users signed up with ihug were left without access for nearly three hours yesterday.

The outage began at 5.30am after a configuration error by an overseas supplier which made a change during maintenance.

The change affected the ihug network's access to overseas sites.

All of ihug's services - email, broadband and dial-up internet connections - were affected. Between 40,000 and 60,000 customers could have been without services.

Spokeswoman Cherie Lacey said: "We are working with this supplier to minimise the likelihood of this happening again."