Packet Loss/Low Throughput

zappaDPJ · Jan 07, 2016, 20:41:24

Quote from: jane on Jan 07, 2016, 20:16:32
Sounds like a cop out. They must have had access to the pole at some time surely.

It does seem odd. It's fenced off in the corner of a garden. The only direct access would be through the owner's house. The engineer said it could be reached from a cherry picker but they only have access to three and there's a long waiting list.

jane · Jan 07, 2016, 20:52:23

Of course, I forgot, it's the height of the cherry picking season isn't it?

Like I said -cop out.

Simon · Jan 07, 2016, 21:46:26

Adrian · Jan 07, 2016, 21:46:40

I am sure BTO would have a way leave for the pole. They pay a notional rent to the land owner and have right of access when required.

zappaDPJ · Jan 07, 2016, 23:34:16

I think the problem might be the only access is though the house. I'll have a word with the owner over the weekend if he's at home.

zappaDPJ · Jan 11, 2016, 13:39:10

I've just found out via IDNet that the OpenReach engineer was unable to gain access to do the job so he buggered off without even knocking on my door. I have a meeting with my Member of Parliament on Thursday night, I intend to make full use of it

mervl · Jan 11, 2016, 14:03:10

Quote from: zappaDPJ on Jan 11, 2016, 13:39:10
I've just found out via IDNet that the OpenReach engineer was unable to gain access to do the job so he buggered off without even knocking on my door. I have a meeting with my Member of Parliament on Thursday night, I intend to make full use of it

It's a sad reflection, but although I've so far resisted the temptation, I think increasingly the MP route is the only way to get things done. (I have a different case, not involving telecoms but a licensing authority, where I'm told after an 8 week wait, they can't even read a letter for at least another 9 weeks because they're "busy"). I can understand too, where MPs get their prejudiced view of the world from. They must have endless complaints. But they do make it difficult for us, for ever passing laws that conflict with each other, and never for one moment thinking of the practicalities. Human Rights was a bright idea, supported by academics since time immemorial, but it means no-one can "just get on with it", without forever protecting their back. The management will insist on it, even if no-one else does. Who, really, can blame them? Even if they got rid of it, they'd have to replace it with something else (and worse?). The judges would make sure of it. As ever, we always want these things when they suit us, and not when they don't.

Gary · Jan 13, 2016, 09:47:23

Anyone having issues this morning, my speeds are awful

Download should be about 63Mbps

Terryphi · Jan 13, 2016, 10:30:22

Yes. Terrible speed reduction here too. I hope it is temporary congestion from Windows Updates. However speed has been worryingly erratic for last few days.

Gary · Jan 13, 2016, 10:39:25

Quote from: Terryphi on Jan 13, 2016, 10:30:22
Yes. Terrible speed reduction here too. I hope it is temporary congestion from Windows Updates. However speed has been worryingly erratic for last few days.

Windows updates should not bring a network to its knees in any way whatsoever as I see it. Also it always seems to be fibre that suffers

Ray · Jan 13, 2016, 10:59:07

Yes, my download speed is down from 49Mbps to 33Mbps at the moment, also seems to be a lot of packet loss starting just after 9:00am.

Adrian · Jan 13, 2016, 13:54:13

Mine is much the same. Speeds are reasonably good but erratic on TBB Speed Test. Browsing is a bit slow.

Adrian · Jan 13, 2016, 14:05:47

Oh dear, 80% packet loss at

ae-2-6.ear1.Amsterdam1.Level3.net

Also, to Idnet
Host Loss% Snt Last Avg Best Wrst StDev
1. 0.0% 34 0.5 1.2 0.5 21.3 3.5
2. 0.0% 34 7.7 7.7 7.3 8.7 0.3
3. 0.0% 33 7.3 9.7 7.0 47.4 8.4
4. 0.0% 33 7.3 7.6 7.1 17.9 1.8
5. bruce.idnet.net 6.2% 33 7.1 7.3 7.1 7.7 0.2

colirv · Jan 13, 2016, 15:32:29

I've been getting 2Mbs instead of my normal 38Mbs for several days, and a couple of drop-outs,but haven't had a chance yet to do the BT speed tests IDNet ask for.

zappaDPJ · Jan 13, 2016, 16:49:54

As previously mentioned, neither myself or my wife can get to work because the railway line here has collapsed into the sea. Today we've both had our first day from hell trying to work via the Internet from home. It seems the problems I already have are being compounded by the problems everyone else seems to being having. OpenReach have just rang to make another appointment for tomorrow. I also have a meeting with the local Member of Parliament

zappaDPJ · Jan 14, 2016, 13:56:37

The engineer called spent around 15 minutes explaining why my line isn't 'fit for purpose' and why there's nothing much OpenReach can do about it.

The line between the telegraph pole and my master socket is between 40 and 60 years old. The outer sheathing has gone brittle and disintegrated. The telegraph pole is in a neighbour's garden to which OpenReach have no access. They won't climb the pole without testing it at ground level first. They have two hoists/cherry pickers of which one is out of service and the other is booked out indefinitely. According to the engineer the only way forward is for me to get a key to the neighbour's property which is not going to happen.

Simon · Jan 14, 2016, 14:42:51

That's a bugger.

zappaDPJ · Jan 14, 2016, 15:20:35

It's ridiculous. I don't like being lied to and it's now clear that the original diagnosis of 'it's faulty but not faulty enough to warrant a repair' was a lie to cover for the fact that the engineers can't get access to the poll. I asked the engineer today why the cable was so thin compared to all the others. I'm trying to get a second line put in and I obviously don't want to use another pair on the same cable. I was hoping it's thin because there's only one pair but in fact it's because it has no sheathing which is why it barely works. And now I have no dial tone on the phone

mervl · Jan 14, 2016, 17:10:10

Any fixed wireless in your area zappa? The best list I know is on ISPReview, though are you in the area of the Welsh government? Or there's satellite I suppose. Now you can report a voice fault, does that help? Maybe not if BT deem it beyond economic repair, which is a risk with all the utilities. None of them have an absolute obligation, but the voice fault obligation is much stronger than that for broadband only, which is still stuck at dial up speeds. Voice too is a different division within OR, even if the same engineers actually on the ground.

Lots of phone infrastructure is old or was shoddy work done from the 50s to the 70s, often done by developers (in my area they just threw the cables in the ground, no ducting, nor access and when they had too much - it was cheap then - just looped it around making it impossible to locate a fault, which relies on measurements). The best thing that happened here in the east was the 1987? hurricane, which blew over so many poles that BT had to replace nearly all of them in the countryside. The coverage stats ignore the state of the infrastructure, as usual lies, damned lies and statistics. No consolation but what utility does renew their local network - only gas where it's a safety requirement imposed by the regulator (and that's taking 34 years or something so a lot of mains could rupture in that time) or where new tech is rolled out as with FTTC, and that's where it's commercially viable since they can charge more for it, or there's a subsidy to be had? Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. OR engineers are as furious as you, I expect, but as always in this country the accountants rule the roost, and they see the customers merely as money-making machines.

zappaDPJ · Jan 14, 2016, 18:06:28

I'm a long way from anywhere I'm afraid, including Wales, there's a hint of a WiFi signal from a distant neighbour and that's about it. I rarely use the phone for voice communication but there's a fault. We get intermittent, deafening static on the line.

Talking of infrastructure, there's been problems here with the drainage and gas pipes in an adjacent road which are currently being replaced. The work started on the 16th November and is due to finish 13th May. Five months for approximately 150 yards of pipework?

Simon · Jan 14, 2016, 22:53:42

Are you starting to wonder why you moved there, Zap?

zappaDPJ · Jan 15, 2016, 01:40:46

The train track collapse has certainly made life difficult. Four days a week the other half has to leave home at 5.15am and doesn't get back until 8.15pm. If we can get a reliable Internet connection she can work from home. I'm currently working (and living) at a recording studio about 80 miles from home. My only real problem is having to take days off to wait in for OpenReach engineers who either don't turn up or turn up without the necessary equipment. I've passed the whole sorry story of to my MP tonight. Maybe he can get something done.

nowster · Jan 15, 2016, 08:14:13

Crackling on the line will have frequencies that extend well into those that DSL uses. Definitely report a voice fault. BT have an obligation to provide a working voice service.

syserr0r · Jan 15, 2016, 16:38:22

Back to the original issue, I'm seeing the same packet loss at the same time across all (5) of our FTTC lines on both IPv4 and IPv6.

It seems mostly to be business hours.

Gary · Jan 16, 2016, 10:23:02

Quote from: syserr0r on Jan 15, 2016, 16:38:22
Back to the original issue, I'm seeing the same packet loss at the same time across all (5) of our FTTC lines on both IPv4 and IPv6.

It seems mostly to be business hours.

I was gaming yesterday and noticed no problems my end, but it does keep causing issues, I had a PS4 download of 250MB and it took 3 hours the other day when the packetloss seemed to go on all day. Tbh my useage right now is not huge but when Apple wanted to do a screen share, because my iMac has issues we could not even get that going, that's pretty Cr*p tbh.