BT speedtester, Can we do anything?

[quandam]

All and sundry in this environment need and use the BT speedtester for various reasons. Some are extremely important, others not so.

Recently (and in the past) I have tried in vain to gain access to this particular site to obtain statistics that may or may not effect the future of my internet connection.

This service is woefully below standard and to put it mildly, is total rubbish.

Can we as IDNetters do anything about it? Maybe not. Would it be possible for us as a group to put a little pressure on BT to up their game?

Your thoughts on the subject would be useful.

[Rik]

We can't, Q, BT would argue it's a free service, not part of any contractual agreement.

[quandam]

We can't, Q, BT would argue it's a free service, not part of any contractual agreement.

I understand Rik. But do we just have to put up with this sub standard service that places so much on our everyday useage of the system? Surely, we, as a group can make our feelings felt to the BT powers that be?

If we, as group, sit back and accept it then the 'problem' will remain. Do we do nothing? If we do, nothing will change and we carry on being messed about by this infuriating facility.

[Rik]

We can complain to BT, Q, but they can ignore us. In this respect, we are not their customers, nor their shareholders, so they have no duty towards us.

[talos]

To ask a (possibly) daft question, WHY must we use it?
                                      If IDnet can only work with the figures it produces and no other, then surely BT owes its customer, IDnet, a duty of care


I personally have not been able to get it to complete a test in the last six months

[Baz]

I personally have not been able to get it to complete a test in the last six months

that sounds very strange Talos although im not doubting it. do you try it in IE. I have only ever got it to work in FF a few times even though the site says it works in various browsers

[David]

It failed me last week and in the box marked report this (something like this) I did and within about an hour had an Email from some guy who said it was an application fault and that he had fixed it and could I try again any further problem etc

And it did work for me and has done ever since

Here it is

Hi David,



There was some problem with the application and it has got resolved. Could you please try conducting test again and let us know in case of any issue.



Kind Regards,

Anubhaw

[Baz]

Anubhaw???


english call centre then 

[David]

I think he is Welsh  

But he did fix it and did respond very quickly and as you can see it was not an automated reply..... to him


Shame he works for BT isnt it  

Perhaps he is an anagram 

[talos]

I use Explorer, it gets to the point where it says testing, and that is it, I've left it for hours and that is as far as it gets.

[David]

I have only just realised I use FF and it works 

I use Explorer, it gets to the point where it says testing, and that is it, I've left it for hours and that is as far as it gets.

It could be worth just reporting it though its only an EMail and might just sort it for you

[pup]

I could never get the bt tester to work with ff, only ie untill i installed latest version of java and a clean install. now ff works

[talos]

Just tried with IE8, same result sticks at "testing",  but strangely it works fine if I use Firefox . At one time it would'nt even load with FF

[David]

Thats good isnt it Talos ?

[Tacitus]

FWIW I've just run it 09.06am straight off the bat using a WebKit based browser.  No problems at all.

The results are the usual load of rubbish, my profile having struggled to the dizzy heights of 1750, but throughput is 1608 kbps, which I suppose is not too bad.

Actually given the number of resyncs I've been getting it surprises me the profile is that high.

[David]

I did one too..must be the power of suggestion and it worked no problem.

I seem to recall Noreen advocates this time of day for using the tester or around 08.30...but its fine ATM 

[Rik]

I generally can get a result at any time. My theory is that BT have a number of test sites, possibly based at nodes, and as we have a node here I get better access than some. That's probably totally wrong, of course.

[David]

Same here really it seems to work I would guess 80% of the time for me thats anytime of the day or night.I dont know where node is but dont think I live near there 

Must be near the M1

[Noreen]

I very rarely have a problem with the BT test site. I've found that the best time to use it is in the morning.

Wouldn't it be more to the point to find out what those that always have problems with it have in common and the same with those who, like me, seldom do. 

[Rik]

Yup.

[David]

Good point Noreen,what Rik says makes sense I wondered ,if they could fix mine then there must be an individual element either nodes as said or exchanges I dont know but I think you are on the right track,but it would need the reports to be sent rather than to just accept it I would have thought  

[talos]

Thats good isnt it Talos ?

Yes thats fine, except I normally use IE, I downloaded FF just to see if it would work,  suppose I could keep FF just to use the BT tester but it seems a bit convoluted.

[zappaDPJ]

I've no idea if this applies to anyone else but I've found it works almost everytime when my connection is at its best. When it's not and I actually need the results it rarely works.

One of two things will happen. It will either simply never complete the initial speed test or it will attempt to undertake further tests which requires a change to the router. If I make those changes and continue my browser closes down. I suspect this second problem is browser related coupled with inadequate web coding and/or the browser not adhering to web coding standards.

[David]

there must be an individual element

Yes thats what I was thinking too......it is possible but Im not that in the know about how many points or nodes etc but it must be a factor I would have thought