Broadband keeps dropping connection to the internet

[DL2]

Hi,

I've been having some major broadband problems for the past month. Basically the connection just keeps dropping out at random for minutes at a time several times over the course of an hour. The connection doesn't seem remotely stable. It makes it really difficult to get anything done online - because the connection fails so often. 

It is not a wi-fi issue - the wi-fi connection to the hub works fine. Wired connections work fine. It is that the hub is unable to access the internet - we get a flashing light as it tries to reconnect. 

It is not a hub issue - when the issue started with the BT Hub we thought it might be that the hub is getting older and we should try to replace it - the issue still occurs with a third party hub even.

It is not an internal wiring issue - it still occurs with the hub plugged into the master socket and nothing else connected.

I rang BT - after 50 minutes on hold - it was confirmed as a line fault. That was then fixed apparently, but the problem persisted - so an engineer was booked who fixed another line fault apparently. The engineer didn't show up (apparently there might have been a strike).

Another phone call to BT got another engineer booked. The engineer came to the house, tested the line - the line is near perfect - very little loss. The engineer confirmed there didn't seem to be a fault at our end. After the engineer visited, line speeds improved significantly, but still the connection kept dropping out. We were told if there is still an issue contact BT again.

The issue persisted , then we developed a noisy line intermittently for several days - I rang BT again reported it as a noisy line, another engineer was booked and has come and checked the line again. Noise has gone prior to engineer visiting. Broadband issue continues. Engineer still can't find anything wrong with the line physically.

I ring BT again - this time I'm told there has never been a fault at all - the tests have never showed there was anything wrong. At this point they try to upsell me onto another package - they can't even deliver the one I'm currently on. I'm told the line just can't cope with being used for broadband - it has worked mostly correctly for the past 10 years (if not longer).  An engineer is booked to visit the exchange on Monday - what are the chances they may/may not find a fault.

I'm really fed up with being given the run around from BT - they claim anything/everything rather than sort out the problem. Every time - I'm told its a wi-fi issue, or a hub issue, or a internal wiring issue - but the engineers have checked it all and it works fine - just intermittently.

It just can't go on. I can't go on with it. It needs to be fixed properly and BT just seem incapable of doing that.  I really don't want to have to switch providers but the service is shockingly poor - they don't provide excellent customer care - they take every opportunity to fob you off, so that you can't get anything done. They want to take the money but don't care if they provide the service.  I've spent hours on hold waiting to report faults.

I'm posting here in the hope that someone can actually see it and may have some real world suggestions - rather than BT customer services just continuing to give me the run around again.

[Keith_Beddoe]

@DL2 

When it is working, what speed do you normally get?

Is the line still noisy when you make a phone call?

[DL2]

At the moment I'm getting an download speed of 1.2Mbps and a upload speed of 0.17Mbps with a ping of 92ms. I have never got a download speed of more than 6Mbps - but was regularly achieving that earlier this week.

At the moment the line is basically silent - I can't hear anything on a corded quiet line test. When there has been line noise it has been very audible. The engineer said the "line is pretty much perfect". It seems fine when making a call. The noisy line only occurred after the broadband problem had been going on for a fortnight.

[Keith_Beddoe]

You must be a long distance from the exchange. A noisy line will affect broadband.

Check to see what to expect with your connection.

https://www.broadbandchecker.btwholesale.com/#/ADSL

Please edit out your phone number before you post the results

[DL2]

[Keith_Beddoe]

@DL2 

You have FTTP available, so the answer is to move to that.

You can get packages up to 900mbs, or less if you want.

[DL2]

Thanks for your help with this - 

But will it work any better? If they can't get the copper broadband to work - will the fibre work? 

I don't really need a faster speed - I just need the connection to stay up for more than a few minutes at a time. 

Why can't they just fix the problems with the current connection? Until the last month or so - it had been relatively stable. 

All the Openreach engineers have said the problems are not to do with the line. But there is nothing wrong internally either.

[Keith_Beddoe]

Fibre does not suffer from dropped connections as its delivered over optical fibre.

You can pay for a slower package, I think 30Mbs may be the slowest, but another forum member may have more information on that.

Its likely that ADSL will be withdrawn where FTTP is available. So if you re-contracted you would find that only FTTP is available. The phone service will be delivered using BT Digital voice.

The copper service would be terminated.

[imjolly]

The cost of your BT package is the same whether it is delivered as you have it now - fibre to cabinet and. Opper from cab to your home or fibre direct to your home.  The latter FTTP is far more reliable and does not suffer from line noise like your copper connection 

As you can see from dslchecker there is no FTTC shown as available just FTTP

[DL2]

So, an Openreach engineer came yesterday.

Apparently, the signal/noise ratio was set below what it should have been - 3db when it should have been 6db. This meant that there was a lot of packet loss. This has been reset and now the connection is more stable - or at least is so far. 

The engineer also confirmed that, despite the checker, FTTP is not available - swapping to fibre is not currently possible - the checker is just wrong. The cabinet is approximately 200m from the exchange but the line from us to the cabinet is several miles. There is a closer cabinet which is fibre enabled but we aren't/cannot be connected to it.

The line noise is probably down to an extremely old and non-updated switch in the exchange - the engineer has attached our line to another switch. There is no plan to update the exchange in the near future. 

I have recently received a bag for the return of BT kit - however I have no idea why I've been sent it - or what I'm supposed to send back. Perhaps a mod could look this up and let us know what BT want returned.

BT have been absolutely useless throughout. They tried to give us the run-around since the very beginning. They make it exceptionally hard for you to contact them - I've spent hours on hold. They make it exceptionally hard for you to speak to someone - but it was the only way it would get fixed. The customer service is extremely, extremely poor.