topic Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection? in Plusnet Feedback

How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Forsh — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 11:26:53 GMT

After changing to PlusNet last Wednesday I expected I be up and running by Wednesday evening, the phone worked fine but was told the Broadband would be the following day - it wasn't - Friday was spent on the phone to PlusNet switching off & on, rebooting, resetting, connecting to the test socket behind the master socket - the works! and told someone would ring within 72hour.

3 days later my wife enquired what the situation is and was told we need an engineer to come out and we'll be contacted with in (another) 72 hours

At this point my wife disagreed and 'advised' the advisor they need to sort it prior to that

Over the weekend, after reconfiguring my old BT homehub4 with my PlusNet credentials and using a different micro filter and still getting the same orange light results it seams obvious to me the fault lies else where

So my question is why wasn't an engineer appointment arranged last week after all the diagnostic work and when he comes tomorrow how long can I expect to wait to be connected?

Are there issues changing from standard (copper) broadband to fibre?

TIA

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

adamwalker — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 13:45:11 GMT

Hi there,

From what I can see the service should have been up and running, however there seems to be a fault.

I've also noticed we've booked an engineer visit with you so I hope that helps to resolve the problem.

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Townman — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 17:32:19 GMT

@adamwalker,

Would this have been "an engineering visit not required" upgrade from ADSL to FTTC?

How do such installs verify that the VDSL signal is properly reaching the subscriber's premises ... before leaving site and writing the service delivery as being completed ... then waiting for Plusnet activation ... only to find that the install is faulty ... then needing to wait (at least) 72 hours before being able to get BTOR to go out and repair as a "fault" the install that BTOR male-hen'd-up in the first place?

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

MisterW — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 18:06:07 GMT

Over the weekend, after reconfiguring my old BT homehub4

The HH4 is not VDSL capable and won't work with a fibre connection without a separate VDSL modem

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

RealAleMadrid — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 18:47:11 GMT

Looks like the HH4 is the problem. @Forsh did you not order a new modem/router when setting up your PlusNet account? Or do you already have an Openreach modem?

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Forsh — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 06:52:45 GMT

Thanks for the replies guys!

Sorry I didn't reply last night but... er... no internet!

I got the PlusNet HubOne with my order and it came with new micro filter, after much diagnostics I resorted to reconfiguring the HH4 to my PlusNet credentials and swap between old and new micro filters to try and rule out faulty equipment.

Which ever combination results in a steady orange light

As for VDSL compatibility, forgive my ignorance, but I still have copper to the house, I presume the fibre goes to the green box at the end of the street

Engineer due this morning, I just hope it can be solved quickly, amazing how quickly we become dependant on the internet for allsorts - we've all burned through our mobile data quick smart and this forum is the closest I get to social media!

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Townman — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 06:53:06 GMT

You will have copper to the house but it carries VDSL not ADSL.

Suggest you use the supplied plusnet router ... which if it does work ... anticipate a £65 bill for a no fault found / fault in user equipment charge.

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Forsh — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 07:01:55 GMT

OK thanks for the clarification

On change over day the new PlusNet One hub was connected as it should followed by 3 hours of telephone conversation with PlusNet trying to get the internet to work on a line that worked fine with BT. Even down to connecting to the test socket behind the master socket faceplate so any wiring on the house side isn't an issue.

It's all connected up currently with new PlusNet equipment

Just let them try and charge me £65!!!

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Townman — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 07:46:35 GMT

@Forsh wrote:

On change over day the new PlusNet One hub was connected as it should followed by 3 hours of telephone conversation with PlusNet trying to get the internet to work on a line that worked fine with BT.

OK lets ensure that we fully understand your journey here...

You have migrated from BT to Plusnet?
With BT you were on ADSL?
With Plusnet you upgraded to Fibre (FTTC)?
Immediately upon switch over you (and Plusnet) tried without success to get the service working?
Thereafter you've had the old BT router connected?
Now that you have installed the Plusnet router, have you manually set up the Plusnet account details in the router?

The advice given above suggests that the old BT Hub is not compatible with VDSL - the modulation standard used with FTTC - this is quite different to what you had "on a line that worked fine with BT".

Migration from ADSL to FTTC is not an instant switch over service (a matter I am trying to obtain clarification on in the Superuser channels). BT Openreach need to inform BT Wholesale that the engineering work has been completed. BT Wholesale need to update their records that the service is ready for use to the ISP. The ISP (Plusnet) then need to activate the account ... all of this takes more than 3 hours!!

I would have hoped that the agent servicing the initial call would have ruled out the possibility that the account was not yet active AND that you had connected a VDSL capable modem.

@adamwalker can you please review?

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Forsh — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 08:19:04 GMT

Hi Townman,

BT to plusnet - yes

BT ADSL - yes

PlusNet Fibre - yes

Got email phone went live last Wednesday - then got email broadband went live last Thursday. Went through diagnostics Thursday, Friday and tried restarting hub every day but still steady orange light

Always with new PlusNet hub connected - last Sunday tried reconfigured BT HH4 to try to rule out there wasn't an issue with PlusNet hub and got same steady orange light so replaced PlusNet hub again and PlusNet hub still connected

Pretty sure PlusNet router is set up with PlusNet details (wife went through all that)

Wife just rang said engineer has arrived and has gone off to green box...

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Forsh — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 10:02:46 GMT

...and after "switching it on" at the green box all is well!

Woopidoo!

The point of the original post was I was worried he would go away and just report there was a fault but all's well that ends well

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Gandalf — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 10:17:24 GMT

That's good to hear!

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Forsh — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 12:22:44 GMT

Out of interest who's responsibility would it have been to "switch on" our broadband at the green box? and at what point "should" that have been done?

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Gandalf — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 12:28:10 GMT

It looks like the engineer that worked on the order didn't enable fibre on your line at the cabinet. This would've ultimately been that engineers responsibility and should've been done before the order completed.

Apologies for the inconvenience caused.

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Townman — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 12:54:26 GMT

@Gandalf,

Whilst we are picking over the corpse of this problem ... what becomes the account (billing) activation date on this account?

The day that BTw said the work done by BTOR was complete ... and Plusnet activated the account?
...or...
The date that BTOR final fixed their failings and the user first received service?

@Forsh,

I've added this case to the multiplicity of BTOR failure scenarios we are looking at in the Superuser space.

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Gandalf — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 13:06:20 GMT

what becomes the account (billing) activation date on this account?

The day that we activated the account which is normally the day the order completes.

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Townman — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 16:38:37 GMT

@Gandalf,

So on this account, due to non-attendance non-verification of proper connectivity by the BTOR engineer, this user will have had a number of days paying for an internet service, not actually being delivered by BTOR / BTw ... all because BT did not bother to check service at the NTE ... or somewhere else on the copper d-side?

As I suggested above ... the service provided by BTW / BTOR is not really for purpose if it does not verify functional operation ... is it?

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

RealAleMadrid — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:41:53 GMT

I would like to think the OP will automatically get a refund for the period when there was no fibre service and a generous goodwill gesture for being messed about by BT's incompetence, but will it happen?

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Gandalf — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:18:50 GMT

So on this account, due to non-attendance non-verification of proper connectivity by the BTOR engineer, this user will have had a number of days paying for an internet service, not actually being delivered by BTOR / BTw ... all because BT did not bother to check service at the NTE ... or somewhere else on the copper d-side?

I understand there's been a fault with the service and we'll provide a refund accordingly.

Re: How long from engineer to broadband connection?

Forsh — Tue, 24 Oct 2017 18:53:58 GMT

Thanks for all the replies once again guys!

@Gandalf

Good to hear a refund would be issued!

Although I would in fact forego the refund and instead take the current Unlimited Fibre offer of £22.99/month for 18 months

Thanks again all!