BT Retail Server Fault

[AllLies]

I have been reporting broadband faults to BT since September 2013. Each time the Indian broadband help claim no fault exists... The problems I'm getting are issues when gaming online, lag, disconnections, speed dropping, problems streaming movies and BT sport. Latency changing from fast to interleaved, noise margin  dropping to about 1.5dB. I can't check the later anymore as I upgraded to an hub 4 in the blind hope it would resolve my problem (the Hub 4 doesn't show a live noise margin or fault count).  

Following me reporting the problem I each time logged into my BT account and go into report and track a fault.

There it says; 

Progress

Sun 12 Jan 21:58

Broadband Problem

Further diagnostic tests began at the time and date shown to find the problem with your broadband. Once we know more we will contact you using your contact details above and once we have fixed your problem you will see an update on this page. Thanks for your patience

As you can see it shows a fault with BT Retail servers (It's now FRI 17th still not fixed) I receive the same message each and every time I've reported a fault since September.

Each time it takes about 10 days to show the problem has been fixed (I never receive a phone call or email informing me of this), within 1 to 3 weeks the problem is back. I've been reporting the fault every 2 to 3 weeks for 5 months and would like it to be fixed once and for all.

I'm going round in circles banging my head against a brick wall. I've tried to explain each time that it's the same fault each time I phone India, but it just falls on deaf ears!

I phoned BT (cancel contract phone number, spoke to Shaun in the UK) today in the hope that I could get released from my contract early, in the hope that, if I move ISP's that I would no longer be on BT Retail servers and moved to, lets say sky's own servers and to finally be away from the cause of my problem! (Not sure that's the case though!)

I was told they would release me from my contract without charge providing I gave them 1 more chance to fix the fault, they would pass me over to India and if it couldn't be fixed the person in India would put a release note on my account and I would be FREE!!!

Well of course that person had to run tests, pass it on to level 2 and offer a call back... I got a call back after only 4 hours... Told the cause of the fault is due to errors on the line and an engineer is needed to come to my home to fix the fault... Really!! I ask, what's with the fault showing as being at the BT Retail server... NO fault at servers I'm told.

I'm obviously going to have to wait till Monday, but I'm not confident that it will result in a final fix.

Can someone advise a course of action I can take to finally resolve this or maybe even suggest to the engineer and is the idea of changing ISP to free myself from BT servers a possible fix? 

[StuartH]

Hi AllLies

I can have this investigated for you.

Send us an email using the contact the mods link in my profile and we can pick it up.

Thanks

Stuart

[lashuk]

I have the same problem exactly only i have been given the run around for nearly two years only this year is just unbearable.

I did not realise until now that if you moved from bt then you would not be on thier servers and the problem will possibly then be resolved. I too have the picture you have shown but i have been stuck in the first loop of bt ignorance which goes like this:-

Phone or chat to indian guy or lass, says they will look into it and monitor it for a few days and call back. 10 minutes after getting off the phone to them my ip profile has been reset and i am back up to 3.5 mb from 110kb (they deny doing anything but after 20 times or so you know they are lying). When call back comes they ask if my speed has gone back up and when i reply yes they close the fault and we start again. The fault is unfixed and in around 3-4 weeks i am back on the phone doing the same again. Now i am in a different loop which involves engineers visits and they just say can't find anything everything is working fine which it would be as my ip profile was reset and speed back to normal ish for another 3 weeks. I too want to leave bt if it will solve the problem. One engineer suggested a fault with bt equipment but he said they were unlikely to fix due to cost.

[imjolly]

welcome to the BT community forum where customers help customers and only BT employees are the forum mods

in order for the forum members to help please can you post the adsl stats from your router you may need to 'show detail' to get all stats (if hub enter 192.168.1.254 in your browser and navigate to adsl or if HH4/5 then go to troubleshooting then logs and you are looking for 2 line together when hub last connected to internet and they will show your connection speed and noise margin or if netgear enter 192.168.0.1). Then run  btspeedtester  (MAC users may have problems). when first test completes then run diagnostic test and post the results ( do not reset the router).


are you connected directly via a filter to the NTE5 master or test socket or to somewhere else? Is the master the only phone socket in your home?

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

Someone may then be able to offer help/assistance/suggestions to your problem

[ADM]

This is exactly the same response/reply/action I get from the BT call center. I get the same graphic in relation to my reported faults. Then about 14 to 16 days later the fault/job gets marked as complete!?!? I have been sent round the same loop  for the last three years!

The best answer the call center gave me was that I would have to organise and pay for a contractor to dig up the cable and replace it from the exchange to my house!

Anyway enough about my problems (I have my own post) and I wish you a speedy and permanent repair/solution to your problem.

[andyfee]

Looks like I am being led down this path as well. My fault is still showing with BT retail server.

I called with a massive drop in speed. In test socket ect ne router tried, before getting through.

I was then advised an engineer would need to attend, Great I throught 🙂

Nope not the case, I get a text message to say that it will be resolved without having the engineer out and that we have now cancelled your engineer.......

Low and behold fault is still on going, after the timescale they have told me.

Just waiting for the fault to be closed now, for me to go through it all again

[steve_e]

I, and countless others are also in this loop. I have been pulling my hair out for a year now with the same issues posted here.

if you were to buy a car with a intermittent loss of speed the manufacturer would undoubtedly resolve the problem under warranty. if a large amount of cars had the same issue there may be a recall of that model.

if your electricity provider could not provide you with electricity to fully power your home, you would not be charged for the shortfall. seemingly due to the complexities of providing a Internet service, providers are not obliged to work by this rational. only when you experience full loss of service will BT provide a rebate and even then, long as they can provide you with a service regardless of quality, and any loss of service is resolved within 2 days, you will not receive a rebate. I question how this can be considered reasonable?

The reality is this is all about profits. if its not cost affective for BT to provide a reliable service for an individual, they will resort to temporary measures and no amount of calls to India will resolve the problem. the individual is of no conciquence to them as the individual has no real leverage financially or otherwise but as a group we do! 

Moving forward and how i intend to tackle my problem.

The first step to resolution is to exhaust every avenue with the ISP in question (BT in this instance) for information on the correct course of action, google 'broadband consumer rights guide' and go to the moneysupermarket website. there you will find information on your rights as a consumer and the correct course of action when making a complaint.

If there are a significant amount of people experiencing this problem with there BT broadband (specifically unresolved long term broadband issues as a result of presumably faulty BT equipment resulting in BT not providing there consumers with a reasonable level of service) 

[OlgaC]

Hi steve_e, 

I sent you a PM in regarding my edit on your post. Can you take a look at this before posting again. 

Cheers,

OlgaC 

[SHOLTIE]

My speeds have dropped massively I phoned India (30/03/2015), I did all they asked and they said I would need an engineer.

Very Strange as BT fault tracking shows the issue as being at step 1 BT retail servers.

I am not aware of any BT retail servers bieng at my home address.

It would be interesting to see what other other forum users think.

VOLxxx-xxxxxx60054

Broadband Problem

Further diagnostic tests began at the time and date shown to find the problem with your broadband. Once we know more we will contact you using your contact details above and once we have fixed your problem you will see an update on this page. Thanks for your patience