BT BROADBAND AARG!!!!

[andy007]

BT BROADBAND NIGHTMARE

Please can someone help!!!!

I have been with BT for over 12 years and thought it a good idea to keep phone and BB with them.
Every year or so we have issue with a crackly line and intermettent BB. Over 3 weeks ago did a speedtest on the line and it started getting slower and slower, from just over 2Mbdown to about 1.4Mb. I'm pretty switched on as to the BB issues you can get over the years and understand peak times etc. I was up early, about 2am did a speed test and it had dropped to about 243Kb but my Upload was still around 373Kb. Fouund this very odd so started investigating.
Around that time(3 weeks ago) over 500 properties had a major electric power failure due to a line fault at a sub-station. Several people I have spoken to have had issues with there BB starting around that time and still are. I've had ALL my equipment tested just incase of a spike, even tho none of it was on or connected at the time and the Laptop is wireless.
We live just a 2.48km from the local exchange and I used various Bt call centre options (india!!!) and they sent out an engineer.
They found a minor problem with the line, swapped some cables but the BB was still slow then NON existant for a while. They have been in my property, tested everything my end for over 5 hrs in total !
Another engineer visit found the BT Router to be faulty, despite my standby Netgear still showing slow BB,  so they sent a new one, which STILL only gives me 244 ish Kb.

The next engineer came (Openreach) and did a test via BT Wholesale in Leeds who tested the line and said we should be getting 2.4Mb. The engineer's laptop was connected via on old Voyager unit but for some odd reason he said our laptops are not configered to the internet only our test software.

As this situation was getting stranger by the minute he said he would have a word with a colleague as he was confused by this also, and get back to me. Has he.. what do you think.

At present I am awaiting an engineer, again, this friday.

One of the test I did was from BT's own BB Exchange Availability sites where you enter a telephone number and it tests, then gives you the info. Heres the odd bit. If I enter my postcode, the results say I can get 2-3Mb. If I enter my first line phone number it tells me I may only get 500Kb but enter my second line number and it too says everything is equiped at the exchange for me to get 3Mb. What's going on?? It's the same telephone exchange, same route, same poles, same cable!!!

Home hub details :


ADSL line status
Connection information
Line state
Connected
Connection time
0 days, 1:51:19
Downstream
2,528 Kbps
Upstream
448 Kbps
ADSL settings
VPI/VCI
0/38
Type
PPPoA
Modulation
ITU-T G.992.1
Latency type
Interleaved
Noise margin (Down/Up)
15.1 dB / 18.0 dB
Line attenuation (Down/Up)
56.0 dB / 30.5 dB
Output power (Down/Up)
18.1 dBm / 12.1 dBm
Loss of Framing (Local)
0
Loss of Signal (Local)
0
Loss of Power (Local)
0
FEC Errors (Down/Up)
130 / 30
CRC Errors (Down/Up)
0 / 2147480000
HEC Errors (Down/Up)
nil / 18
Error Seconds (Local)
0

[MisterW]

If I enter my postcode, the results say I can get 2-3Mb. If I enter my first line phone number it tells me I may only get 500Kb but enter my second line number and it too says everything is equiped at the exchange for me to get 3Mb. What's going on?? It's the same telephone exchange, same route, same poles, same cable!!!

That's easy to explain. The BT checker works in 2 ways: - If there is no Broadband currently active on the line it estimates the speed according to the attenuation based on line length, if there is Broadband on it , it uses the currently achieved speed. Hence on your currently problematical line it will report the current speed being achieved.

From those router stats you are synching at 2528kbps which is about right, the problem would appear to possibly be a 'stuck' IP profile. Can you do a test with the BT speedtester ( http://www.speedtester.bt.com/ ) and post the results, that may confirm it.

[Rik]

Hi Andy and welcome to the forum. MisterW has summed it up perfectly, which saves me some typing (thanks  ). All I would add is that you have a noise margin of 15db downstream, so it looks like your line has been unstable (losing connection frequently) and DLM has kicked in to try and stabilise things. How is the router connected to the line, ie master socket or extension? What other devices are connected to the line.

[Ray]

 

[andy007]

Hi  to you and thanks for the welcome.

I've posted the info you requested below and from the info I've passed on so far would you say I was able to get at least 1.5 to 2Mb then? Reason I'm asking is this was what I have been getting pretty much for the past couple of years until recent events. The last engineer in conversation with Bt Wholesale on his phone said that the line was showing capability of 2.4mb.
I dont want to upset the engineer when he comes Friday by trying to tell him his job, of which I know little but what pointers can you give me for him to verify. Also, is there a website or program I can download that would give a better insite as to the problem that both myself and the engineer can do?  Plus why would two different phone numbers, both from the same exchange and down the same line to the same entry to the house, give two very different results?

Thanks so much for your help  and it's great to know there are generous people like yourselfs willing to give their time to help mere mortals like myself over a very frustrating issue.

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test:  -provides background information.
Download speedachieved during the test was - 222 Kbps
 For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 50-250 Kbps.
 Additional Information:
 Your DSL Connection Rate :2528 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
 IP Profile for your line is - 250 Kbps

[andy007]

ps forgot this bit..

Master socket to -(  ADSL Filter - grey BB cable - BT Hub - Ethernet Cable - All brand new) to - computer. Tried with and without master socket (NTE5) cover plate and BT filter. Did a 17070 quiet line test also, but nothing obvious like click and crackle, just a very faint 'nothing-ness' kinda sound if that makes sence.

[esh]

BT consider 50kbps an acceptable speed? For a digital broadband technology?

[MisterW]

Your DSL Connection Rate :2528 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 250 Kbps

The IP Profile at 250 is the reason why download is so slow. Your current synch is 2528k which should give a profile of 2000. Either your IP profile is stuck at 250 that or your connection has resynched at a MUCH lower speed recently. The profile can take upto 3 days to return but normally returns more quickly for a large change in synch speed. Does your router have any logs that show resynch events ?

[andy007]

Hi

Not too sure how to get the info 'Does your router have any logs that show resynch events ?' I have a Home Hub 2.0 (new yesturday) I can get into the hub advanced setting but you'll have to hold my hand for the 'events' please.

I've just looked over some screen dumps I do every now and then for BB speed test and found from 8th Sept 2010 to the 10th I was getting 1776kbps 1982kbps, then from the 11th it started dropping to 1166 and up to today Im at around 250kbps. Funny but my upload speed hasnt changed much for any of this time around 360 to 370kbps. Why would that be?

[Rik]

Upload isn't profiled on Max and is less susceptible to noise anyway. I'm reasonably convinced your router has been dropping the line due either to a fault, or to noise on the line (which may not be audible, but in the MW radio spectrum). That's given you the low profile and thus the low throughput. BT need to test the line thoroughly and possibly replace your hub for you.

[MisterW]

I've not got a HH but I believe you get to the event logs as follows:-
If you login to the Hub then goto the 'Advanced' tab , here you should find 'Configuration','System' and 'Status' sections. From the 'Status' section you should find access to a number of event logs. I can't find any info on which is which but one of them should show any resynch events similar to below:-

xDSL linestate up (ITU-T G.992.5; downstream: 7127 kbit/s, upstream: 954 kbit/s; output Power Down: 20.8 dBm, Up: 12.4 dBm; line Attenuation Down: 42.5 dB, Up: 23.7 dB; snr Margin Down: 5.0 dB, Up: 9.9 dB)
PPP link down (Internet) [86.162.43.217]
xDSL linestate down

[andy007]

Hi All

UPDATE..

Friday (today) 0845 Bt engineer phones me from the local exchange. He's told me he's going to take the phone/BB out of service while he does some thorough tests and when done will phone me before he arrives at my home.
Hour or so later phones to say there was a fault at the exchange on the card for my BB and he has replaced it with an updated version (didn't say which one) but he confirmed that BT Wholesale had also found a bad 'port' on their end and had also rectified it.
0930 engineer arrives at my home and replaces the master socket with a split phone/bb socket. Runs more tests with different equipment than I had seen of other engineers and shows me the results. Until this latest 'repair' I was max download of about 1.8Mb.. fine for my needs. After his tests he could get me 3.5Mb!! He ran the test (on his equipment) 4 times all with the same result. I must point out that 2 day's previously everything in my home was ok.. but for good measures he replaced the master with the above.

Now this is the bit that REALLY 'P@*&%' me off. He tried for nearly 2 hours in total to get through to BT Wholesale (not his fault) to get them.. wait for it.. to 'RESET MY BRAS PROFILE' !!! This is something you guy's have said from the start. Even he had no luck in getting through to them. This is insane!!! For a company whose sole purpose is communication.. why is it they can't???
The brilliant BT engineer, and I mean that genuinely, said that because of the fault on the line, my modem was not in sync and over a period of time would tell the exchange/ISP there was a fault and try to find a value that was stable.. hence the 250MB. Apparently his engineering figures, the 3.5Mb, would get back to the ISP within a couple of hours and things should improve. The best part is ... If it hasn't been reset I would need to contact Bt again which I did by about 4pm. Yet another (oversea's) muppet, sorry but this makes me MAD, started the whole 'have you done' cr*p. . and said I would get a call before 5pm today. I think we all know if I got that call?

Does anyone know how to get BT Wholesale or if there is a way of getting hold of someone who can. If it means me protesting outside the BT MD's home then I WILL !! I'm sure I am not alone with this frustration and after being a loyal customer to BT for over 20 years, I like many millions, feel I deserve better than this runaround.

Sorry to rant

Andy

[Rik]

Hi Andy

We know your pain - BT are totally useless at communication, though it sounds like you got a good engineer. Some good news for you, a 'cleared fault' engineer's report ought to trigger a profile reset quite quickly as should the significant speed increase, so at worst, you should nly have a few days to wait.

[MisterW]

Once the engineer report gets back to BT they SHOULD reset your profile if the automated system hasn't already increased it.
Apparently they are introducing an automated system to do just this very soon. If your profile doesn't increase then I'm afraid the only option is to badger BT Retail since that's your only point of contact, and they should get BT Wholesale to reset your profile. You just need to hope to get someone sensible ( if that's possible with BT ? ) and explain that a fault has been fixed and your profile needs resetting.
 

[andy007]

Morning All

Saturday 18th Sept 2010 UPDATE...

Just done a speed test again and nearly fell off the chair!

Download speedachieved during the test was - 2732 Kbps
For your connection, the acceptable range of speeds is 600-7150 Kbps.
Additional Information:
Your DSL Connection Rate :4032 Kbps(DOWN-STREAM), 448 Kbps(UP-STREAM)
IP Profile for your line is - 3000 Kbps


Last time I saw such a dramatic set of numbers increase was when my blood pressure went up over this whole situation !!!

It's going to be like travelling on a motor bike instead of a push bike.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you ALL for your help, understanding and guidance throughout this and if my case serves to help others then I can rest a bit easier. I'm a firm believer of checking and testing things every so often and do regular screen dumps of results and hard copies just in case. I can now add the past few months print offs to the folder, which I had used to show the visiting engineers which I hoped prove my case.

One last thing which the last engineer told me.

Don't turn your modem/router off. Most people, I suspect, turn theirs off when they do the computer. I always did for the past few years with no ill effects, but BT have apparently introduced to their equipment, new software in the past 4 months. It checks your service and if your modem goes on and off regularly, it thinks there is a fault and will try to find a stable value to stay connected, usually the lowest one it can to keep connected, hence the low 200kbps. I've no reason to doubt his explanation as he offered this before I told him my on/off habits, and he had also had this type of issue with other customers after he went to a conference with BT in Cardiff earlier this year.

I'll keep checking in on this site from time to time but if anyone wants to PM me please, feel free, and THANK YOU ALL AGAIN.

Best wishes
Andy

[Rik]

Hi Andy

Thanks for your kind words. We have always recommended people leave their routers on 24/7 with two exceptions:

1) If they are going to be away for a while
2) If there's a thunderstorm in the area, in which case unplug the router from the mains, then from the phone line

[MisterW]

Hi Andy,

Looks like the BT system DID sort out your profile after all
As Rik says, its probably best to leave the router on 24/7.
Turning it on in the morning and off at night when you've finished for the day shouldn't be a problem ( but who knows with the 21CN DLM! ) but any more frequent than that has the potential to cause issues.