Awful Speeds & Service

[spaced]

I'm hoping someone from BT can help.

I've had BT Infinity (the first one) for about 15 months. I've had quite a few problems with fluctuating speeds, line faults etc etc. I expect speed fluctuation to be within the realm of 10% if that. However recently, at peak and non peak times I have been getting around 7-8 mbps download and less than 0.5mbps upload!!! This is starting to annoy me. I'm paying a large amount each month and I'm getting no more than what I would be if I didnt have infinity!

My Latest result connected by Ethernet:

http://www.speedtest.net/result/2177695817.png

It's getting beyond a joke - I bought infinity because of the speeds and the speeds are rubbish.

I have been informed that if I have a noisy line then this could be the problem: I have a noisy line and always have had.

Is there anything that BT will do to make sure I am getting my 'predicted speeds' of 28mbps download, and 6mbps upload? I would let it slide (as i did) if it was within 10% but it's not.

On another note:

I'm paying for up to 40mbps on infinity (the original service) however I was predicted 28mbps. With infinity 2, I am predicted 40mbps. Why do we have to renew our contracts to get a speed that I should be getting with infinity 1?

Yet another note:

Why is it so difficult to get the correct engineer out? I have had a problem before with the line, that was also directly related to my poor broadband connection. Why have BT only trained their engineers to be either telephone trained or infinity trained? Surely it makes sense to be both, so, for people like me, where I have a problem with both phone and broadband, they can test it all?

[Bullitt]

dont worry about infinity2
if your nowhere near the limit on infinity1 then infinity2 will make no difference

[spaced]

No I know, I wont be getting infinity 2 for the main reason I will have to sign into another x month contract with BT which I dont wish to do. However, it is annoying that they wont give me (or other customers) better speeds because it's a 'different' service, even though I am paying for the 40mbps (if you see what I mean).

How likely is it that BT will change my line completely - as I hear from a BT employee that it is really the only solution to my varying speeds and noisy line!

[Bullitt]

when you say noisy do you mean you can hear noise on the phone?

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Yes, it's got a faint crackling sound and it's sometimes hard to hear who's on the other end. I have tried about 4 different phones, 2 wired - 2 cordless. I don't have anything connected other than the VDSL model BT provide, and the phone and these are to the master socket. I have no other internal sockets that are connected.

[archster]

normally a surefire way to get an engineer to your door is to tell them you hear crackling when your on the phone , they wont send out a broadband engineer but a phone guy. If he sorts that i reckon you'll be fine with your broadband too. A noisy line can cause all sorts of problems with ADSL , im not sure about fiber though im pretty new to it all

edit...obviously when you ring up to report the fault dont ring the broadband helpline but the telephone one

[john46]

If you can hear noiseon the line then you need to report it to BT faults on 151 but make sure  you try the phonein the test socket this eliminates any internal wiring issues

[spaced]

what is this 151 thing - i presume the 'lakeside' word was a mistake (i presume it was auto correct on the mobile!)

I have phoned BT several times reporting this, but unfortunately all they say is the line has been tested and is fine.
I also get frustrated when I do not speak to someone in the UK. More often than not I don't mind call centres abroad, but the BT one seems to be amazingly awful.

I once phoned up with a problem and I was told, 'I promise to fix it for you today by 5PM.'
I thought this was quite interesting (and impressive if he had managed to fix it) as the guy was in India - and it was a problem at the Infinity cabinet!

I have phoned for both, and everytime I get someone out ( I think i have had 3 people) it's always, "Yeah I cant deal with that, its the other sector." Excellent thanks!

I too believe that if the noisy line is rectified, then the fluctuation and lack of speed will be sorted. Hopefully the engineer that is coming tomorrow will sort it out - however I am expecting it to be passed onto another department:
and I also expect not to be kept up to date with what is happening.

I have so many gripes about BT it's unreal - and I've only been with them for 15 or so months!

[spaced]

And today's speed:
http://www.speedtest.net/result/2179836487.png

download is slightly better: still less than half of what i am paying for (up to 40mbps) and just over half of my predicted speed of 28mbps.

Upload - needless to say, useless! Around what I used to get at my parents house when I had original broadband! less than half a meg!

I hope the engineer tomorrow really tells me something productive will happen, and doesnt refer me to another engineer as he isnt trained!

[john46]

no 151 is the number to use to report a line fault  as the noise on your line is a voice fault nothing to do with infinity