BT Response to Complaint

[Susan2]

I posted a complaint to BT with regards to my reduced broadband speed and received the 'we'll contact you soon' email on 19th June 2020, still waiting. My 'guaranteed' download speed is supposed to be 69Mbps as I'm paying for 75Mbps (Infinity 2 as was), I'm currently only getting around 62Mbps, the system suggests that at some point between 23rd May when the broadband dropped altogether and today 5th July, the best speed has been 67Mbps but it must have happened when I wasn't looking as all my tests suggest 62Mbps. How long should it take for BT to investigate and reply to complaints? 

[imjolly]

Please remove your vol number as that is personal and should be posted on public forum

in order for the forum members to help please can you post the stats from your router (if hub enter 192.168.1.254 in your browser) and if  HH5 then go to troubleshooting then helpdesk and if HH6/SH2 then advanced settings then technical log information . 

Have you tried the quiet line test? - dial 17070 option 2 - should hear nothing - best done with a corded phone. if cordless phone you may hear a 'dull hum' which is normal

enter your phone number and post results  remember to delete number   https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

BT do not guarantee download speeds

[pippincp]

Your guaranteed download speed is not throughput as shown by speed test sites but the connection speed shown by the Hub. Speed test sites don't take account of the overheads involved in a connection.

[Susan2]

Distinguished Sage, thanks for your reply. I'm Susan2's husband answering for the technical bit.

This issue is about the download speeds.

Firstly on BT promotion for Superfast 2 they have a 'stay fast guarantee of 51Mbps'. I was also verbally informed when I had to complain in 2018 (this issue seems to repeat) that as we are paying for the 75Mbps Infinity 2 that we should not get less that 69Mbps as our guarantee speed. This was also confirmed in a recent confirmation that we should be getting at least 69Mbps but the best achieved at that point was 67Mbps

I've followed all the checks (i'm from R.F. / IT background), including quiet line, test socket etc. I've also run the BT wholesale test (newer version) which appears to show that the line is currently only capable of between 40 - 64.85Mbps. I know this because the last time we had this issue, tests stated the line was apparently only capable of 29Mbps. On the previous occasion, once the profile was reset the line went back up to 74/75Mbps.

Anyway here are the stats from my homehub 5 taken at the test socket

1. Product name:  BT Home Hub
2. Serial number:
3. Firmware version:    Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.264 (Type A) Last updated 24/05/20
4. Board version: BT Hub 5A
5. DSL uptime:    0 days, 00:21:42
6. Data rate:     20000 / 67000
7. Maximum data rate:   32143 / 83157
8. Noise margin:  13.0 / 10.6
9. Line attenuation:    12.4 / 13.7
10. Signal attenuation: 12.4 / 13.7
11. Data sent/received: 0.2 MB / 6.4 MB
12. Broadband username: bthomehub@btbroadband.com
13. Modulation:   G.993.2 Annex B
14. Software variant:   AA
15. Boot loader:  1.0.0

Below are the stats taken from my Homehub  5 upstairs where the router normally resides at the end of its cable run

1. Product name:  BT Home Hub
2. Serial number:
3. Firmware version:    Software version 4.7.5.1.83.8.264 (Type A) Last updated 24/05/20
4. Board version: BT Hub 5A
5. DSL uptime:    0 days, 00:07:43
6. Data rate:     20000 / 67000
7. Maximum data rate:   32143 / 83157
8. Noise margin:  12.9 / 10.6
9. Line attenuation:    13.6 / 14.1
10. Signal attenuation: 12.5 / 14.1
11. Data sent/received: 0.1 MB / 0.2 MB
12. Broadband username: bthomehub@btbroadband.com
13. Modulation:   G.993.2 Annex B
14. Software variant:   AA
15. Boot loader:  1.0.0

And below this are the stats taken from my Netgear D7800 which is my Modem/Router of choice taken at the end of its cable run.

DSL Link	Downstream	Upstream
Connection Speed	67.00 Mbps	20 Mbps
Line Attenuation	13.80 dB	13.50 dB
Noise Margin	10.30 dB	12.70 dB

Although the stats suggest 67.00Mbps, I'm seeing on a daily check that its approximately 62Mbps (sometimes less) and has been since we had a total outage on 23rd May 2020 which was sorted on 27th May 2020.

Kind Regards

Susan2's husband

[licquorice]

Your line has been banded at 67M by DLM due to an unstable line.

[imjolly]

As posted already all speeds quoted by BT are connection speeds and currently you have 67mb.  Due to your previous line problems and the disconnects when you are trying to improve speed and also moving sockets your connection is as @licquorice  posted in a banded profile

you now need to maintain a stable connection and DLM should release the banding but could take a few weeks stable connection 

[Susan2]

When the BT engineers stated they had fixed the issue they said re-boot the router and wait 3 days for everything to get back to normal, I waited somewhere between 10 and 14 days (no change) before I contacted the helpdesk a 3rd time. They informed me that I should connect my BT Homehub back up instead of my Netgear Modem Router and leave the Homehub connected for at least 24 hours, which I did. No change, so I put my Netgear Modem Router back online, that was sometime back in June (I can find out dates if need be). The last time I had this issue (24Mbps instead of 74/75Mbps) they sent an engineer out to check my home lines, I connected my homehub to the test socket 2 hours prior to the engineer visiting, the line dropped and came back up, surprise, the line was back to 74/75Mbps. The engineer checked my lines and showed me his test equipment which was showing the line was capable of 80Mbps, he also stated that he believed they had reset something in the Exchange or Cabinet. This current issue has now been going on since 23rd May!!  Does this mean I don't have a stable connection ??

[Susan2]

Forgot to mention I have only moved the connection to the test socket twice, firstly when there was no connection and today to assemble some data for you to review. Other than that I swapped modems as per the helpdesk request. How many weeks do I have to wait for the DLM or do I report an unstable line

[Susan2]

Further on this issue.

I've just conducted some tests using Routerstats.Lite. Its showing the 'Noise Margin Down' as a constant 10.3dB with an occasional burst above 12dB and a complete drop out (10.3 dB to 0 dB - speed drops to 0 at same instant) approximately every 10 minutes with the occasional flurry of dropouts. Do I take it that if I get these same results at the test socket I can contact BT and ask them to investigate further?

[pippincp]

While connected to the test socket check for line noise, 17070 option2, best with corded phone. It should be silent between announcements.

If it's noisey report a noisey line, don't mention broadband or you'll end up in the wrong queue.