Test Router

[Steve]

Unfortunately BT are judge and jury, they have no obligation to provide a broadband service and in some cases they can just deem the line suitable for voice calls only.

[Rik]

Last year I totally lost all internet connection (no synch at all) for over 2 weeks because there was a fault in the card at the exchange. For 10 days BT claimed there was a synch and that their remote diagnostics showed no fault at the exchange. I had to buy and test another router before they would believe there was no problem at my end. Only then did they agree to send an engineer to the exchange. It took a couple of days for them to do that, then another few days to get a new card and fit it.

Same thing happened to me, Sean. For 10 days BT swore all was well and I was in sync - there wasn't even a router connected to the line! Eventually, they sent an engineer to the exchange and found a faulty line card. As Steve says, judge, jury and executioner. 

[annc]

Well IDNet are saying that the line hasn't dropped in the past couple of days and that the speed should pick up in a few days time.  We will wait and see.  They have asked BT to do a manual reset (whatever that is)  She is still only getting 500kbs download speed however.

When I phoned BT they said that the line was configured to 7Mbs so if her speed doesn't pick up by Monday has anyone any ideas where to go from there?

[Steve]

The line speed is also controlled by BT line management i.e IP profile which sets a maximum download speed. I suspect that in this instance the IP profile is low due to previous instability and it will rise automatically if the connection remains stable. Details of the current IP profile can be found by performing a BT speedtest.

Unfortunatley the way BT's line management works the IP profile can drop in minutes but takes days if not upto a couple of weeks to fully recover.

[Simon]

Did they give a reason for the new stability, Ann?

[gyruss]

Unfortunatley the way BT's line management works the IP profile can drop in minutes but takes days if not upto a couple of weeks to fully recover.

as i found out myself.   i was on 1.2 to 1.4 connection for nearly a month due to the constant re-sync events which were caused by 'problems on BT's side of the NTE5 box in my hall.  I'm still not wholly convinced the fault i've experienced has gone away totally as i do hear noise on my line sometimes during phone calls and on quiet line test, but with my router permanently now connected on a 1m cable to the master socket, I still see 'zero db noise margin' events on router stats periodically.  My noise margin however has stabilised around the 8.5 db mark now which is far different to the 14.5-15db that it had been in the lead up.   BT had to snip the wires in my junction box as they found a seriously bent (and quite possibly fractured) wire there.  Currently sync'd at 7300 and profile is over 6000 now which is all i've wanted since joining idnet.

So yeah, i'd recommend checking for noise on the line mostly as this potentially can be causing resync events even with the router connected directly.  The 17070 test or lift the receiver and press 1 (and then listen).   I feel your frustration though, its no fun.

As for reporting the problem next, well, you could tell IDNET to get BT out for an S.F.I. visit which will be my next cause of action if my issues resurface over the coming days/weeks.

[annc]

Hi Simon, No they didn't give a reason for the constant drops.  Thanks gyruss, if her speeds haven't improved by Monday, I will insist that they get BT out for a visit.  I think that should be long enough for the speed to adjust upward to some degree.  500kbs is just not acceptable on a line that should deliver 7 Mbs.  Fingers crossed for now 

Thanks to everyone on here.  It's great to be able to let off steam and get some support

[gyruss]

I found this document a worthwhile read : http://www.thinkbroadband.com/files/broadband-max-myths-and-legends.pdf

[.Griff.]

When I phoned BT they said that the line was configured to 7Mbs so if her speed doesn't pick up by Monday has anyone any ideas where to go from there?

Something doesn't add up with that statement.

Your internet service is provided by BT Wholesale, via IDNet.

BT Wholesale do not speak to the general public period and as you're not a BT Retail customer they'd bounce you back to IDNet.

Did someone from BT really tell you what the line was "configured" for or did they simply take your details and tell you an estimated speed the line should support?

[annc]

Hm - well - posing as a new customer I asked them to check what speed the line for the telephone number would support - they said that particular line would support 7Mbs.  I said that at the moment it would only support 500Kps and was told that there must be something wrong because that particular telephone number is down as supporting 7Mbs.  I again said - is that up to 7Mbs and was told no that is what the line to that building will provide. 

Certainly, when broadband was first set up on the line, the speed was fine.  Over the past 2 months however, there have been frequent disconnects (like one every half hour or so) and the speed has dropped to what it is now.  The router has been ruled out as being the problem.  This is why I believe what I was told by BT that the line to the building is down as supporting 7Mbs.

[.Griff.]

See that is different to what you implied before and makes much more sense.

If you give BT a telephone number they will give you an estimate of the speed the line will support. Sometimes these estimates are accurate and sometimes they are completely incorrect as I know from personal experience.

Personally I stopped trusting their "estimates" years ago and I advise you not to pay any attention to it or failing that atleast don't assume it's 100% accurate.

[Steve]

As I mentioned earlier I would be interested to see the IP profile for that line.

[Rik]

if her speeds haven't improved by Monday, I will insist that they get BT out for a visit.

Bear in mind, Ann, that any reluctance they show to getting an engineer out is simply to avoid you getting a hefty bill from BT.

[Lance]

I never trust the BT estimates as they've been wldly inaccurate in the past. Plus just because a line may once have supported a certain speed, there is nothing to say its going to support that speed in the future.

[annc]

Well all I know is that if the speeds don't improve it will be back to the Orange dongle - cheaper and at least she got 1Mbps with that.

[annc]

Hi Steve - this is what BT wholesale comes up with when I put her telephone number in :

Your exchange is ADSL enabled, and our initial test on your line indicates that your line should be able to have an ADSL broadband service that provides a fixed line speed up to 512Kbps. However, due to the length of your line, an engineer visit may be required, who will, where possible, supply the broadband service.

Our test also indicates that your line currently supports an estimated ADSL Max broadband line speed of 500Kbps.

Our test also indicates that your line currently supports an estimated ADSL2+ broadband line speed of 1Mbps.

Your cabinet is planned to have WBC FTTC by 31st December 2011. Our test also indicates that your line currently supports a fibre technology with an estimated WBC FTTC Broadband where consumers have received downstream line speed of 21.9Mbps and upstream line speed of 9.9Mbps.

The actual stable line speed supportable will be determined during the first 10 days of use. This speed may change over time, to ensure line stability is maintained.

If you decide to place an order, a further test will be performed to confirm if your line is suitable for the service you wish to purchase.

Thank you for your interest.

Please note that dates and exchanges are indicative and subject to change.
Please note that postcode and address check results are indicative only. Most accurate results can be obtained from a telephone number check.

Note: If you already have a Broadband service enabled on this line and you want to switch service providers, you will need to contact both your current provider and your new provider to get your service changed over new and existing service provider to have this service transferred.

[Rik]

That's not the profile, though, Ann. For that she needs to run a BT speedtest:

http://test.speedtester.bt.com:50301/

That said, the estimator is showing a markedly different result from that quoted to you by BT Retail, and it's the database which they should have checked.

[Steve]

So the BT data has now been updated so to speak to reflect what I suspect is the current or recent IP profile i.e around 500kps. She may be syncing a lot higher now and the profile should move towards the sync if the connection remains stable over the next few days.

[.Griff.]

Hi Steve - this is what BT wholesale comes up with when I put her telephone number in :

Your exchange is ADSL enabled, and our initial test on your line indicates that your line should be able to have an ADSL broadband service that provides a fixed line speed up to 512Kbps. However, due to the length of your line, an engineer visit may be required, who will, where possible, supply the broadband service.

Our test also indicates that your line currently supports an estimated ADSL Max broadband line speed of 500Kbps.

Our test also indicates that your line currently supports an estimated ADSL2+ broadband line speed of 1Mbps.

Your cabinet is planned to have WBC FTTC by 31st December 2011. Our test also indicates that your line currently supports a fibre technology with an estimated WBC FTTC Broadband where consumers have received downstream line speed of 21.9Mbps and upstream line speed of 9.9Mbps.

The actual stable line speed supportable will be determined during the first 10 days of use. This speed may change over time, to ensure line stability is maintained.

If you decide to place an order, a further test will be performed to confirm if your line is suitable for the service you wish to purchase.

Thank you for your interest.

Please note that dates and exchanges are indicative and subject to change.
Please note that postcode and address check results are indicative only. Most accurate results can be obtained from a telephone number check.

Note: If you already have a Broadband service enabled on this line and you want to switch service providers, you will need to contact both your current provider and your new provider to get your service changed over new and existing service provider to have this service transferred.

That completely contradicts what you posted earlier about BT quoting speeds of 7Mbps over the phone.

"If" that latest "guesstimate" is anywhere near correct then your daughter must have a very long line and low speeds are to be expected as a result.

[annc]

Griff - not sure what you mean by a very long line.  She is 0.8 kilometres from the exchange - router plugged directly into the main socket with faceplate removed. 

My line is well over a mile from my exchange - I have a long extension cable and 5 phones plugged in and still manage to get well over 6Mbs.

It may contradict BT but if you read my post I queried the 7Mbs they quoted me several times - they insisted they were correct.  However, when her broadband was first installed in April she was getting closer the 7Mbs figure.  Everything went pear shaped a few months ago.  If you are suggesting that I am not being truthful regarding my call to BT then I am really amazed    I was told one thing by BT and have found different information on the BT wholesale phone checker site.  What exactly I am to make of this.

Must be nice to be sitting on a download speed of 37Mbs

[Rik]

What you should make of it, Ann, is that a BT rep wanted to sell you broadband and didn't do a thorough job of looking at the checker. However, your daughter is currently in sync at ~7M, so we know the line can do it, the question now is why it can't do it consistently.

[.Griff.]

If you are suggesting that I am not being truthful regarding my call to BT then I am really amazed    I was told one thing by BT and have found different information on the BT wholesale phone checker site.)

I'm not questioning your honesty I am however questioning the accuracy of the information BT are passing onto you.

Like I said earlier I don't trust these estimates and advised you not to do so either which seems wise now you've been told one thing verbally and another thing via the BTW checker.

Must be nice to be sitting on a download speed of 37Mbs

It would be if it worked that way but that's a story for another day..

[annc]

Things have gone from bad to worse.  Constant drop outs and speed down to dial up.  It seems that BT have to come out to check the wiring.  My daughter can't take time off work and BT want either a whole morning or whole afternoon slot, they won't phone to say they are on their way so she could get back and only have to take an hour off.  Looks like I have a 180 mile round trip to sit and wait for BT so I really really hope this gets fixed 

Ann

[DorsetBoy]

A shame the numpties in their offices can't be more helpful, it has to be said the engineers will often phone ahead to check you are home or ask if they can come earlier than planned.

Which part of the country are we talking about?

[Simon]

Kent / Sussex, Dorset.  That's two counties, not three.