Full fibre fault - download speed less than 1Mbps

[dqj999]

My full  fibre  FTTP connection has developed a fault. The download speed is amazingly low at less than 1Mbps, but the upload speed is still around the normal 30Mbps as measured by the BT Speed test app. 

How can this happen? If both speeds were low I could understand it, It never seems to fail completely, it's just really slow all of the time. My neighbour's service is unaffected (also BT Full Fibre).

Anyone have any comments?

Derek

[ConnorW91]

Hi, I'd just like to add to this as well just in case a solution is posted as it seems we both may have a similar problem

I've been with BT for a year or so now as they had a monopoly on the FTTP lines for the new build house we moved into. I started with the 56MB download package and never really had any issues. However I picked up a new PC last week and the download speeds were horrific, both over WiFi and tested on Ethernet as well, peaking around 800kb/s on a normal download of a game. So I upgraded to the 150MB download package last week and it's got marginally better, now I can download at a whopping 1.2MB per second.

I'm currently plugged in via Ethernet using a BT extender 600 and the odd thing is, whenever I turn it off and on at the mains the download speeds shoot up to about 10/12MB per second which, whilst still not the speeds I should be getting, is a marked improvement. However this lasts for about 2 to 5 minutes then drops back down to the slow speeds.

I've got no idea what's causing this, every time I run a speed test the results are just so inconsistent. My upload speeds are still fairly steady, same as yourself.

I've got a BT engineer coming out tomorrow to have a look at this so if they manage to sort it I'll post an update here.

[iniltous]

BT didn’t have the monopoly on the new build house you occupy, they have never had any such arrangement, ever, if the developers told you that you had to use ‘BT’ that was their error , and if you didn’t want to use BT you could have easily found the other providers that can also provide service over Openreach FTTP, if you checked with some other ISPs that said they didn’t offer FTTP , that is nothing to do with BT , Openreach or any supposed monopoly and everything to do with company not wanting to offer FTTP.

FWIW, 12MB/s is around 96Mb/s , MB and Mb are not the same thing, testing your Ethernet connection with poweline  adapters may only be indicative of the speed the powerline is delivering, you need to test with the computer connected directly into the Ethernet port on the router.

[ConnorW91]

Well I went on uSwitch and the likes and BT were the only company who offered fibre to this address. I was with Sky previous and they couldn't move across my package and they suggested that BT had some sort of "rights" on this line, I'm no expert on the markets of broadband/fibre but I digress as this isn't the issue at hand.

I'm aware that 12MB download speed roughly equates to 96MB package but that's still below the minimum guarantee of 100MB and it's rare for me hit that speed. Most of the time it's 3/4MB download for 4/5 minutes then it plunges back into kB download speeds. Same thing happens over wi-fi with my laptop. As noted by the OP, my upload speeds always remain consistent however. The majority of speedtests are giving me anywhere from 4/5mb to 40-50Mb download which ties up to the download speeds I mentioned earlier.

I'm also aware the BT extender 600 allows for a max of 100MB to pass through the mains of the house but that should still give me a solid consistent 12/13MB but it doesn't and that's why the engineer is booked to come out.

I've got a feeling it may be the router as the speeds I'm getting on speedtest are so inconsistent across all devices but we'll see.

[dqj999]

The line has now failed completely. Red light on Nokia ONT. Awaiting Openreach engineers, meanwhile using BT WiFi MiniHUb successfully.

[pippincp]

@dqj999  The red light means loss of signal AKA a fibre break somewhere between you and the headend.

If you post your  exchange area I can have a look to see if it possibly an area fault. They do happen sometimes.

@ConnorW91  Until you can post the result of a direct cable connection no-one can give you any assistance or advice. Once you have that result I suggest you start your own thread so that someone can deal directly with you without confusing messages.

[dqj999]

@pippincp We are on Eyke Exchange (01394). I don't think that this is an area fault. My neighbour also has Full Fibre from BT and her service is working normally.

I've just spoken to BT Faults and they say that the fault has been passed to BT Wholesale (not Openreach) which leaves me a bit baffled.  

I've also now got a 2nd Mini Hub from BT. This one is slightly different than the first one. It  says it is a BT Mini Hub Halo 2020. The other one is an Alcatel BT70 Minihub (Tactical).  The first MiniHUb is working though, and it took a while to figure out how to use it with a wired only Win 10 PC. (Answer plug it into a USB port of the PC and it thinks its a wired connection). Why don't they tell us this anywhere?

Derek

[pippincp]

As you suspected it is not an area  fault. You'll have to wait for the engineer.

[dqj999]

@pippincp Yes it's very local.

Never mind I've had a magical visit from an invisible engineer and he is going to report what he found to BT. 

---

@pippincpwrote:

As you suspected it is not an area  fault. You'll have to wait for the engineer.

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17 Aug 2021

at 17:09

Engineer appointment booked
Problem
Broadband - No Connection

Reference number
VOL055-************

Estimated arrival
Wed 18 Aug 2021

between 08:00 - 13:00

Today - Wed 18 Aug 2021
18 Aug 2021

Engineer Visit Complete

This invisible engineer must have turned up just after 8am, in his ultra quiet van, had a look round and then left. I've still got the exact same fault, the only difference is that I no longer have an appointment. This looks like an attempt to avoid compensation for a missed appointment.

[pippincp]

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