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Message 1 of 14

Renewal time........ but may well be moving to one of your competitors......

So many questions and no luck getting answers from this BT site so far. I won't be renewing when my existing BT contract finishes next February if I don't get answers here.

1) What exactly do things like "73Mb download" on the bt.com/my-bb-renewal "store pages" mean? 73Mbits/sec? Which would be about 9Mbytes/sec. That's pretty below UK average isn't it?

I have two PCs, one is really old and slow, and over the WiFi gets things like 8Mbyte/sec when downloading of game store sites such as GOG and Steam, so yes, slightly less than the advertised "73Mb download", but not lower than the "60Mb MINIMUM download" claims. BUT the other PC, is new, and a powerful gaming PC at that, no better than 3Mbyte/sec! That IS below the minimum claimed.  It is not signal strength neither, as that shows "full". Previous PCs in the same room have had no such problems. It is simply not fast enough for downloading modern games which can be easily 100Gb+ in size. I do have some old ethernet wall plugs, I can get 4Mbyte/sec from those - but probably won't ever get any faster as they are very old CAT5 cable standard plugs, so they can't do any better that 100Mbps I believe.

2) Do I need a newer router?

If I did buy newer ethernet plugs/cables of a CAT6 or better standard, is the old router (must be at least 10 years old - have I been overlooked when it comes to router updates?) still going to slow things down? The one I currently have has a "GigaEthernet" socket (is that a 1000Mbps connection?). I have no idea what make or model it is though. I have no idea how I can find that info neither. I'm not sure if it is the actual wiring in the house, some must date back to the 60s, that's slowing it down. So should I avoid ethernet plugs that connect into the mains plugs?

3) This site, BT.com is horrid! Almost everything is poorly implemented or even completely broken. Eg, I tried the "fault testing facility" or whatever it's called. Only to get "this service has now been closed, please use our new improved service". It doesn't even work! It asks for a mobile number so test results can be sent, and it won't accept the number! "Enter a valid UK number" it says. I am FGS! If you cannot even get the basics of your own site working, how can I be expected to trust you with actual broadband services? And with everything I do, it seems to want me to log on, re-log on, re-log on again, and again, and again, and again with everything I attempt to do!

4) The current account name/email address is using that of my father, he first set this all up years ago, but he's been deceased four years! I'd like to know how to change it.

5) Then there's the issue with the land line number we've had for 50 years now. I want to keep that. But the store page on bt.com/my-bb-renewal doesn't make it clear whether this will be so or not. Would I be able to keep it if I did move to another ISP other than BT?

So if you can help with any of those please do.

Thanks!

 

 

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Message 2 of 14

Re: Renewal time........ but may well be moving to one of your competitors......

Hello @JohnMayer thank you for your post 😀

73mbps is the estimated speeds. Stands for Megabytes Per Second, you’ll have a download snd upload speed. It’s normal to have slower upload speeds.

BT uses the Openreach Network that is shared with over 650 other providers, BT will always offer the fastest speeds available on the Openreach Network to your property.

There isn’t a national average of acceptable speeds just like how 2G and 3G still exist or some parts have no mobile connectivity.

Sounds like you have a FTTC service and a Smart Hub 1 or 2 will work fine one this and you shouldn’t require any new equipment unless your property is eligible for FTTP.

I currently have an ADSL copper service with max speeds of 6mbps download and 0.45 upload, I use powerline adapters to boost my internet.

It’s impossible to note that BT only guarantee speeds over Ethernet not Wi-Fi, please connect a Ethernet to your computers and recheck speeds. It’s also impossible when running speed checks you remain as close to the router as possible.

In regards to the BT.com site can you explain what appears to be broken?

You can absolutely keep your number or get a new one, if unclear and you want a new upgrade please contact Value Team on 0800 800 150 available Monday to Friday 8am - 9pm, Saturday 8am - 8pm & Sunday 8am - 6pm. Who can place the order on your behalf.

It’s important you speak to Bereavement Billing first to update the records, then contact Tech Broadband and Landline to investigate any faults with your service, then contact Value who can regard your services for you.

Hope this helps! 🙂 If you like my reply and
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Message 3 of 14

Re: Renewal time........ but may well be moving to one of your competitors......

@JohnMayer 

This is just a customer to customer help forum, everyone here, including myself, are just customers.

The only BT Employees are the forum moderators, anyone else representing BT, are not allowed to post here unless authorised by the forum administrators and their own line manager.

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Message 4 of 14

Re: Renewal time........ but may well be moving to one of your competitors......

Thanks for reply,

73mbps is the estimated speeds. Stands for Megabytes Per Second, you’ll have a download snd upload speed. It’s normal to have slower upload speeds.

So 73Mb is 73MegaBYTES per second? I'd have no complaints at all if I got that! Over the wifi I get barely 1/10th of that speed on one PC, and half that again on another. I do not consider getting "under 10% estimated speeds" what could be called "normal", and if BT do consider it "normal" then that is another reason to switch supplier!

BT uses the Openreach Network that is shared with over 650 other providers, BT will always offer the fastest speeds available on the Openreach Network to your property.

If this is the best speeds I can get, then this "BT Openreach Network" service you "promoted" isn't good enough and it's and another reason to switch supplier. But that is something to make complaints about elsewhere.

Sounds like you have a FTTC service and a Smart Hub 1 or 2 will work fine one this and you shouldn’t require any new equipment unless your property is eligible for FTTP.

I think it's a Smart Hub 2, as for FTTP, I would wager I'm in one of the 5% households still forsaken of FTTP. Another reason to not really rate BT highly, we still pay the same rates, so why are we being left out? There's no point complaining about this here though, sorry. Anyway, I tried this:-

https://www.bt.com/products/broadband/deals?s_cid=con_bt_dg-home_ess_ppc-generic_vidZ60&vendorid=Z60...

That was supposed to be BT.com's FTTP availability checker....... but all it did was try to sell me stuff, which is obvious looking at it's address! It simply didn't do what it said it would "on the tin". So there's an example of broken BT.com features. So then, no point upgrading the router - especially if it will cost me?

I currently have an ADSL copper service with max speeds of 6mbps download and 0.45 upload, I use powerline adapters to boost my internet.

That sounds no better than what I get actually! So I'm not the only one. But, I have to ask - are you really happy with that? And by powerline adapters, you mean ethernet wall plugs? Well, I have those and they get no more than 4Mybtes/sec. This will be likely due to the old plugs I'm using though. They date to back in 2000's, and will be CAT5 standard, but even then, I believe I should get 100mbps (12.5Mbyte/sec), so 4Mbytes/sec is still very disappointing.

It’s impossible to note that BT only guarantee speeds over Ethernet not Wi-Fi, please connect a Ethernet to your computers and recheck speeds. It’s also impossible when running speed checks you remain as close to the router as possible.

I'm not getting you there, "impossibe to note BT guarantee speeds....."? "Impossible when running speed checks......"

It doesn't make sense! It's not possible to move the PCs closer to the router or move the router closer to the PCs. The router is shackled where it is by wiring and phone line sockets, the PCs and all their equipment and desks etc are too heavy to be moved around willy nilly like that! I'm simply not in good enough phyiscal or mental health at the moment for it neither.

In regards to the BT.com site can you explain what appears to be broken?

I was referring to the "phone line checker", or something, I'd have to find it again and give you a link, I just can't remember the exact "title" of it.

You can absolutely keep your number or get a new one

Just to be clear, I was referring to the existing landline number I've had for 50 years now, BT's landline services I have no problems with and wish to keep it. The poor broadband services however, I wish to see improved or be able to switch to another supplier but keep the BT landline.

It’s important you speak to Bereavement Billing first to update the records, then contact Tech Broadband and Landline to investigate any faults with your service, then contact Value who can regard your services for you.

Billing wise, it's fine, it's just the - and this is where words fail me becuase I don't know the correct terms - "account name" that needs changing.

Sorry to go on, and sound so negative about BT, but I'm not in good health right now and this is all extra uneeded stress really. Don't take this personally, I would be lying if I said this reply answered even one of my questions...... is there anyone else I can contact for answers?

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Message 5 of 14

Re: Renewal time........ but may well be moving to one of your competitors......

I cannot even edit my own posts now! What a pile of broken ****** this site is!
All I wanted to do was provide this extra info:-
https://www.bt.com/exp/engineer-booking/run-test/
That's another page on BT.com that just won't work. It's supposed to check your broadband for faults, demands a mobile phone number - so you're screwed if you don't have one - but no worries, even if you do have one, it wont even accept whatever number you enter!

And this

https://support.bt.com/fix/broadband/?view=broadbandtroubleshooter#/fault_flow/2

What a joke! It's just beyond words.

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Message 6 of 14

Re: Renewal time........ but may well be moving to one of your competitors......

The curse of not being to even edit my own posts strikes again!
Jesus BT! Get your website fixed! Better still, undo ALL of it and re-start from square one!
I am getting seriously stressed, ill, even now.
Anyway, more info, for what it's worth, I've just seen pictures of those "Smart Hub 1" and "Smart Hub 2" things. Those are NOT my router. Searching online for images of "BT routers", it looks like it's a "BT Home Hub 3.0".

Then there's the modem, looks like a Huawei HG612 FTTC modem, well the pics I'm finding online is the closest as far as I can see. Looking at my BT account I'm on "Fibre 2" whatever that is. My head is going to explode soon so I need to rest.

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Message 7 of 14

Re: Renewal time........ but may well be moving to one of your competitors......

Hi @JohnMayer and thanks for posting.

I'm sorry you're having problems editing your post. If you click on the 3 dots in the top right of the message box you'll see 'edit'. Click on that and you'll be able to edit your post.

I've also checked the links you've posted and they appear to be ok. What browser are you using?

Cheers

David

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Message 8 of 14

Re: Renewal time........ but may well be moving to one of your competitors......

Clicking on those three dots only works a few times! Then the "edit post" in the menu disappears! I'm using Firefox BTW.

Those links, you mean the "fault checker" link? Yes, they should work, but just try actually getting them to do something, first you get told "this service is no longer used, try our "new and improved service" and that ends up asking for a mandatory mobile phone number - and it won't accept it....... so it just all falls over! "New and improved"? I'd hate to see how bad the old system was!

 

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Message 9 of 14

Re: Renewal time........ but may well be moving to one of your competitors......

You can only edit a post here within an hour of posting. That was introduced some years ago, essentially to avoid confusion with posts being revised in a way which made subsequent contributions from others look inappropriate.

--
You can click the thumbs up icon below this message if you think it was helpful.
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Message 10 of 14

Re: Renewal time........ but may well be moving to one of your competitors......

That explains that small issue, thanks! But as for the elephant in the room, I did put all this (as politely as I could - but that's hard for me to do at this time😐) in the BT complaints section. Again, a lot of difficulty with the overall jankiness of this BT.com website, but got there in the end.

As a result, recieved a very helpful phone call from a chap called Neil, a very quick and prompt response indeed (a little early in the morning for my liking - my head was in a fog at the time🙂)! He is arranging for an updated router to be sent. So I'll see what that does. Not being with it this morning I also forgot to mention the modem is an old one as well, and if that needs updating, but I'll wait and see what the new router does for now.

PS/ Can I ask "LiamTeamMiniHub" to confirm 73mbps really does mean 73 megabytes per second and not 73 megabits per second (ie 9.125Mbytes/sec)?

Might still need more help later, but I'll give my thanks to Neil here! Cheers!

 

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