This topic

Can anyone translate BT speak?

Lila — Sun, 28 Sep 2025 20:22:34 GMT

We have had another week of the internet dropping out. As instructed, we text the bot who tells us there's a network fault in our area and it will take up to 4 hours to fix. We then click to track the fault and it says there are no known faults in the area. We then go on to the BT site to see problems in our area and it tells us this:

which seems about right for BT - about 9 months to fix a fault...

My neighbour sent a text to say her BT wifi had gone down too and sent a text to say when it had come back on again. Unsurprisingly, it matched our times.

I called BT when it was up again and they told me there were absolutely no network problems in my area and had been no outages. I told her my neighbour's down times matched ours but she repeated it was an issue in my home (yawn).

I am with Halo so tried to get the mini hub working but no go as the mobile signal is too weak. I asked why I had been paying for unbreakable wifi and when I couldn't receive the service and was told, 'I don't know.' That makes 2 of us.

Instead an expert was dispatched who changed the hub and changed the plug. He told me there had been an outage earlier.

Fast forward 12 hours and the wifi went down again, and every day since.

Can anyone translate please? Why are we being told we have an issue when clearly the area does? Why can't we trace a fault once reported? Why has there been a fault for 9 months?! Why have we paid top whack for Halo when they should have told us we could not get a mobile signal for the hub?

Thank you for any answers and any pointers who we can escalate this to.

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

Crimliar — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 06:31:02 GMT

There comes a point when you might need to use a site such as CEO Email, and contact someone who will get things done.

In the mean time, if you do have to contact someone, it's better to say your "broadband" or "internet" is down/playing-up, because techs, being pedantic will try to fix your Wi-Fi (which is probably fine) rather than the underlying problem (broadband/internet).

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

Lila — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 07:09:20 GMT

Yes - I think you are right.

I am in the process of switching so much at the moment - BB, energy, mobile - I keep forgetting what I am posting where, but you are right of course - the BB is down so we have no wifi connection at home. Except we do this morning but I suspect it won't last long!

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

iniltous — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 07:28:03 GMT

If you are switching provider , aren’t your posts here somewhat redundant…what’s the point in giving you advice, or chasing problems if you are soon to be a customer of a different company.

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

Lila — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 07:38:49 GMT

No, I am looking at it. Providers ultimately usew the same Openreach cabling so trying to actually understand who is right and wrong in the network outage and how I can see thes mystery outages, if they exist or not.

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

WSH — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 08:28:52 GMT

“Providers ultimately use the same Openreach cabling …”

Not necessarily so today. For example, Sky now has a marked preference for using CityFibre where available.

Anyway, this site here might provide a bit more information as to the nature of the fault, if it is down to Openreach:

https://status.zen.co.uk/broadband/

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

Lila — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 09:58:31 GMT

Thank you. That comes up as no recent faults so is the bot and BT website wrong then? Is this down to BT's new router or new socket?

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

imjolly — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 10:14:22 GMT

@Lila

are you currently a BT broadband customer? if so what broadband package do you have and are you on FTTP - fibre to home or FTTC fibre to street cab and copper to your home? what type of new socket have you got? do you have a home phone and if so is it digital voice (connected to socket on hub) or normal phone connected to wall socket?

some clarity on what you have will help get better replies

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

WSH — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 10:35:06 GMT

Unfortunately, it could be a wide range of things, which makes these things so difficult to diagnose remotely.

Usually best to start with the simplest things first, so have you restarted to router recently? I would assume the answer, under the circumstances, is yes. So, the next thing to try is unplugging the cable to the master socket or ONT and plugging it back in again, (both ends). Often expansion and contraction can cause a contact to become intermittent. Periodically reseating the cables will fix that. Replacing the cable may also help. (Cables do develop faults occasionally).

As imjolly says, you haven’t clarified if you are on ADSL/FTTC (copper) or FTTP (Full Fibre)? If it is still FTTC, with a removable socket lower faceplate, unplugging and re-plugging that may help. You can also use the test socket behind the faceplate to connect to the router. (Sometimes the faceplate itself develops a fault). This would also eliminate a fault in any internal extensions you have. (Incidentally, if there is a fault with internal extension wiring, that is not within BT/Openreach’s responsibility anyway).

As I said, unfortunately the list of suspects goes on. If the fault is outside, you will just need to persist with contacting support, of course. And, as people have indicated, that needs to be with you own provider as, if not BT, then there is nothing BT can do about it. (And also, while I think about it, while BT and Openreach are both part of BT Group they are separate companies, so this forum has no direct relationship with Openreach, if it is an Openreach problem).

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

Lila — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 11:35:15 GMT

Thanks all.

The BT 'expert' was here and checked everything, putting in a new socket and replacing the current router and cable. It is fibre to the cabinet only.

We always turn off the router once it goes down.

But we have had enough now - the fact this forum exists with volunteers telling paying customers what to do sums up BT's values. I am saying £25 a month on a new deal elsewhere.

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

WSH — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 15:17:32 GMT

I accept your point but you’ll find that all the major ISPs have community forums where people with experience, such as retired trade, offer their time to help out others less knowledgeable.

BT is not unusual in that and, speaking as someone with a background in IT support who posts on a number of forums, I would add that the level of technical know-how shared on this forum is second to none.

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

Kodikid — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 05:54:24 GMT

If you want BT support for your problem ring BT.

If you want a expert independent perspective or advice from non experts who might have had the same experience then you've come to the right place.

Disrespectful comments about those trying to help more or less sums you up not BT.

Re saving £25

Be careful what you wish for as the grass isn't always greener.

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

pddco — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 07:48:18 GMT

@Lila Just a thought. If your BT contract is up for renewal you may find, depending on where you live, that you can’t renew with BT without a free upgrade to a faster Fibre to the Premises connection and Digital voice. On the plus side this may potentially sort out those irritating “network “ issues.

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

Lila — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 08:48:47 GMT

No disrespectful comments about volunteers here.
If it uses Openreach, it's the same company I will be dealing with - at half the price - so I might as well save money for the same hassle. The CS at BT has been appalling.

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

Lila — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 08:52:17 GMT

No fast fibre here - they could only offer a downgrade to get rid of the Halo benefits that they now admit I can't use (unbreakable home connection). I gave them every chance but when it constantly goes down and they offer no help I don't see the point of paying for their alleged expertise.

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

pddco — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 09:21:47 GMT

@Lila Apologies if it you’ve already done this and I’m stating the obvious. But when the WiFi is down have you tried physically plugging in your laptop or whatever to a port on the hub and checking all is okay then? May be worth having the laptop plugged in for a few days so that when the WiFi is down you can immediately check whether or not the broadband is still working. If you see what I mean.

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

Lila — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 10:34:57 GMT

Well I have to have the phne plugged in due to the dreaded digital voice and that doesn't work, neither does the CCTV camera. But thank you for the suggestion.

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

pddco — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 10:53:25 GMT

Ahh, okay. If Digital Voice is not working or the wired CCTV then - with the hub being changed - it confirms an intermittent network issue. Unfortunately it’s a downside of having DV in that for Fibre and Copper Broadband you can no longer check for a crackling noisy line which may have been causing the issue.

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

pddco — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 13:05:15 GMT

@Lila Sorry, where I said “Fibre and Copper Broadband” I was referring to the broadband connection you’ve got, FTTC, Fibre to the Cabinet ( with last bit from the cabinet being copper upto and into the house).

Must say I too have got Digital Voice, and find it works very well. You’ll find that other ISPs offering phone services will have their own version of Voice Over IP service ( of which BT’s version is called Digital Voice) So you’ll still be plugging your phone into the router / hub just as you do now.

Re: Can anyone translate BT speak?

Lila — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 13:13:47 GMT

and yet according to BT when I call to report a fault, there are no issues! This is why I dispair of BT customer service. I am sure someone on here will now defend them and say that the person who answers a call is not an expert but that's not really the point: if you call for help, they should help.