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View Full Version : BT Broadband speed drop adn numpty support... please help


Jules
02-01-2007, 7:31 PM
We're on BT Total broadband, and although we have an 'upto' 8mb connection, I was happy with the 2.5mb speed we've had for ages.

Then, just before Xmas, the speed dropped to 126Mb... yep, just twice the speed of dial up, and it has been driving me mad!

I didn't bother doing anything about over Xmas, but a couple of days ago I changed all cables, microfilters, and moved the Hub to the BT test socket. With no speed improvements after 2 days I moved everything back and sent an email to BT asking for help.

- All I got was a standard response asking me to do all the things I'd told them I'd already done, and asking me to clear my internet cache and cookies.
- I replied asking them to read my first mail properly, and contact me when they had a more useful response.
- They then contacted me this evening saying there was an external fault and it would be resolved in 3-4 working days.
- Then, 20 mins later, someone else rang to say that there was no external fault, and that he couldn't understand why I was told that earlier. He then rudely demanded I connected the Hub directly to the BT test socket and leave it there for 3 days.

I refused on the basis that:

- I had already done this
- it is massively inconvenient to move the Hub from where it normally lives.
- There is no power supply anywhere near the test socket (it comes in at the top of the 1st floor stairs), I don't have a wireless network adapter, and I don't want to run temporary cables around the house with elderly relatives likely to trip over them.
- Nothing has been changed or moved just before it went slow and both PC's in the house are affected.

and, I've heard that this is common problem and that BT support staff repeat nonsense routines to you in a vein attempt to dismiss it.

They guy I spoke to had a really strong Indian accent and I was finding it hard to tell what he was saying.

Do I really need to move the modem to a very inconvenient position for 3 days? I mean, if I do... it can't stay there anyway!
And why should it happen now, when its been fine for ages.


Am I being too akward and unreasonable, or has anyone else experienced this and got a better result.
I'm actually quite annoyed by the way I was spoken to...and need a sense check before I take any further action.


Please help.... thanks.
Thanks

Singh400
02-01-2007, 8:42 PM
I think you mean 126k instead of 126mb ;)

As for the test socket situation, the Home Hub needs to be connected for atleast 3 days for any noticable difference.

Another thing you can do is to ring 151 and auto test your line, and if need be register a fault.

How long have you been with BT?

Also go here (http://speedtester.bt.com/) and do a speedtest.

Check the IP Profile of your line, it should be set reasonably close to you down stream sync rate. For example, this is what I sync at:
448 kbps - up stream
8096 kbps - down stream

My IP Profile is 7000 kbps - which is what it should be.

midgetboy1972
20-10-2007, 8:42 PM
:( I'm having problems with bt total broadband myself!
signed up for 8meg broadband option 3 so get cheap calls etc plus up to 8 meg speeds did somehomework before signing up and was told i would get a max speed of 7meg.. how wrong was i... heres what bt tells me i can get. the test was run on www.speedtester.bt.com.

Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
IP profile for your line is - 2000 kbps
DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM) 6464 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 1879 kbps

bt says myline will accept 2meg only and thats it but my next door neighbour who lives 2 steps away in a mid terrace house can receive 8meg no probs whats goin on?????

to top it off i cant cancel as theyve clawed me tp a 12 month contract, wont give me a mac code till i pay 299.88p to plus 45.oo pounds cancellation fee on top.. anypne had this trouble and is there anyway to sort it out.

beerhunter
21-10-2007, 9:51 AM
Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
IP profile for your line is - 2000 kbps
DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM) 6464 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 1879 kbps

bt says myline will accept 2meg only and thats it but my next door neighbour who lives 2 steps away in a mid terrace house can receive 8meg no probs whats goin on?????


BT are wrong. Your IP Profile is 'stuck'. You need to call BT get them to unstick it. Last I heard it was not in the Indians' script and so you will have to be persistent. NOTHING they tell YOU to do will fix the problem. It HAS to be done by BTW. Your problem will be persuading the Indians to pass the fault on to BTW.

beerhunter
21-10-2007, 10:06 AM
Please help.... thanks.
Thanks

First of all you don't say where you are getting these numbers and all the on-line testers are different, often giving widely varying results. So you need for a start to do some benchmark based tests.

The reason that they asked you to plug in to the Master socket for three days was to give your IP Profile time to rise in line with any Line Speed Increase caused by eliminating your internal wiring as a cause of the fault. As usual from BT support it is rubbish. If there is a fault your Line Speed will rise very quickly when you use the master socket. You won't experience any speed increase however until your IP Profile rises in line with it.

However you need to measure two things. Your Line Speed and your IP Profile. I suggest that you do a test on www.speedtester.bt.com and post back.

Next unplug your Home Hub and power it off. Wait about twenty minutes and plug it into the master socket. Run speedtester again and post back. If your Line Speed has risen then you have a fault with your internal wiring - which is your responsibility not BT's. If the speed does not rise then the fault is with BT. If it appears to be a wiring fault I suggest your search the forums on how to fix it.

If the fault appears to be with BT then when you call them ask the to check your current speed against your MSR. If it has dropped by more than 20% that triggers the fault threshold and they should fix it.

Based on previous experience there is a good chance that the Indians won't understand about MSRs because they appear to be almost completely without any networking skills. Good Luck.

midgetboy1972
21-10-2007, 2:30 PM
Test1 comprises of Best Effort Test: -provides background information.
IP profile for your line is - 2000 kbps
DSL connection rate: 448 kbps(UP-STREAM) 7360 kbps(DOWN-STREAM)
Actual IP throughput achieved during the test was - 1861 kbps

If you wish to discuss these results please contact your ISP.

If you are experiencing problems with specific applications, servers or websites please contact your ISP for assistance.

Your test has completed please close this window to exit the performance tester.


heres the results after doing what youtold me to do.gonna try something else now....

beerhunter
21-10-2007, 7:48 PM
It looks like you have what is know colloquially as a 'Stuck Profile'. Oddly enough they seem to like getting stuck at exactly 2000 kb/s. There is nothing that you can do to fix it. It has to be fixed by BT. Unfortunately a stuck IP Profile does not seem to be in the Indians' script. You have to call BT and INSIST that they escalate your problem to BT Wholesale to get your IP Profile unstuck. Good Luck!