No service

[pctech]

"Err, we're still working out how to trace a fibre break"

[psp83]

"google not working so can't find out how to fix a fibre break" 

[pctech]

"Engineer has gone for his dinner break and is looking for the nearest kebab shop"

[Steve]

Perhaps as mentioned elsewhere http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-wiltshire-12860235  it  was the large stolen block of kebab meat that fell on the fibre and broke it. The status report should read - several BT engineers are currently looking for some hot chilli sauce before they can eat their way through to the damaged fibre.

[silverblade]

So... I had a little look around at various other ISP status pages - mainly because it tends to feel like the small ISPs get the short end of the stick with these matters.

I notice Plusnet are also experiencing this problem, their status updates seem fairly verbose.

Perhaps somewhat amusingly, it also appears BT broadband is affected, and they are providing the most insightful update of all:

"Estimated time to resolve: 2hrs
We know that some of our customers in the Slough area are having trouble getting online at the moment. Sorry about this. We're working to fix the problem as quickly as we can"


Oh also, AAISP's site mentions:
"The outage has been identifed by BT as an issue with a 21CN core router in Slough. Engineers are trying to restore connections. Earlier information appears to be incorrect - it is not a cable failure."

[dunkers]

Dunkers, from Entanets pages, it looks like they use their own version of a 21CN http://www.enta.net/About-Entanet/Entanet-Network/

Ah! I knew they were involved at an early stage with 21CN, but didn't realise it was a kind of parallel thing.

[Bill]

@ Silverblade: Zen too:

http://forums.thinkbroadband.com/zen/t/3987358-bt-outage-slough-node-21cn-connections.html

[Steve]

There are reports that the fault has now been resolved,

[Athena]

Only just got back on the grid myself. LCP is looking very iffy (got a drop right after CHAP success last go), so I'm not sure I'm out of the woods yet.

[Glenn]

Athena, 

[Steve]

  Athena and 

[Ray]

  Athena.

[Athena]

Looking good for now. It does however make me wonder what they hire at BT. Monkeys?

Thanks for the welcome folks

[Technical Ben]

Wokingham down
Glad I pad all that cash for fibre....cheers BT
guy

I hope BT Guy is not as crazy as "Cable Guy". 

[Rik]

Worse, far worse.

[pctech]

As usual, BT giving different answers to different companies and left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing.

[Rik]

Interesting article on ThinkBroadband, which explains why smaller ISPs are more affected by network failures than large ones.

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/4629-bt-equipment-problem-takes-9000-broadband-users-offline.html

Reports suggest the issue seemed to be mostly restricted to smaller broadband providers using Wholesale Managed Broadband Connect (WMBC) and not those on the Wholesale Broadband Connect (WBC) service which is more prevalent across larger networks

[Gary]

Interesting article on ThinkBroadband, which explains why smaller ISPs are more affected by network failures than large ones.

http://www.thinkbroadband.com/news/4629-bt-equipment-problem-takes-9000-broadband-users-offline.html

Not what small broadband providers are needing in tough times like these 

[Rik]

Indeed. It does though, answer the question we often hear, "Why is IDNet affected when <insert big ISP name> isn't".

[Tacitus]

What is the difference between "Wholesale Managed Broadband Connect" (WMBC) and  "Wholesale Broadband Connect" (WBC)?  Is it that BT have a greater involvement in the former compared to the latter, or is the former cheaper and therefore more used by smaller ISPs?

[Rik]

My best guess would be that WMBC is managed by BTw, Tac, and more suited to smaller networks. If anything, I'd expect it to be more expensive.

[Gary]

My best guess would be that WMBC is managed by BTw, Tac, and more suited to smaller networks. If anything, I'd expect it to be more expensive.

The bigger ISP's can afford that which does start to make you wonder, even though Idnets service is great you pay a premium for a less resilient service which seems  back to front, but you also have the added benefits of the smaller ISP services with CS and no throttling etc, but how long before one out weighs the other I wonder?

[Rik]

A question that customers and ISPs are juggling with, Gary.

[Gary]

A question that customers and ISPs are juggling with, Gary.

This is the first year where I really am weighing up that equation with more factors than speed etc. If Xilo did a telephone plan, I would get a more resilient service in theory as they resell CPW LLU, It's cheaper than IDNets service now for adsl max which is all I can get, and lastly doubling my speeds almost is tempting for the same monthly outlay.

  I just feel happy with IDNet but finance and other factors are pushing more and more, at some point the value I get will no longer be worth the outlay I fear, simply because we have no WBC or FTTC insight and if the smaller ISP's are going to keep getting hit by outages beyond their control then other packages look to be a better option. I dread the idea of moving, I like IDNet but the great CS is getting to be less of a reason to stay as time marches on, as my service along with many others in rural areas with low numbers of customers to attract upgrades are finding out. My service is slipping into the stone age of BB and in the end my hand will be forced. 

[Steve]

As far as I understand it WBC is equivalent to the old BT datastream and WBMC the old IPstream, although both products can be run by the same ISP however in order to run WBC they must have presence at the WBC aggregation points. There are twenty of these and there is a considerable initial outlay and running costs to be covered.