Broadband slow and dropping connection!

[#1]

As an update to close this off (in case anyone is interested). I've had email/phone conversations with the PlusNet complaints team and this has been resolved.

PlusNet agreed to send an Openreach engineer out. They saw the issues with the wiring and agreed it was a bit of a mess. The entry socket has been made into the master socket again and replaced with a new socket. The extension (at the end of which the socket had been made into the master socket) has been disconnected. i.e. a simple master socket where the line comes into the house.

The line tested fine after that. It was a week ago and so far no performance or reliability/stability issues. i.e. its looking like its been fixed (hopefully).

Thanks for the help here. Needless to say I've found this to be a frustrating, slow and painful process. To me it was always a simple issue that the service I was paying for wasn't working, I seem to have had to work a little too hard and for way too long to get a resolution. But, I am happy that this is now sorted!

[#2]

Thanks for the update.

I'm glad to hear this is finally resolved for you.

Apologies for the time it took, and please let us know if you need any further assistance.

[#3]

They saw the issues with the wiring and agreed it was a bit of a mess.

Hi @rsd

Pleased to hear this has been resolved, hoepfully permanently. That remark  above is an understatement if ever there was one!

Well done for persisiting - it pays off in the end

[#4]

An update on this, for the record...

In the long term, the performance is still terrible, terrible. For example 0.12 mbps on average since yesterday evening (upload is faster, a breath-taking 0.75 mbps). I generally find that the free wifi at McDonalds and similar places is significantly faster that I get at home, so I am no win the habit of doing things like turning off OneDrive synch at home, and then turning it back on when I am on someone else's wifi - an incredibly ridiculous situation!

Also, though I was told I would get 2 months free for all the disruption and time taken to resolve the issue. That never happened.

I don't have the time, energy or inclination to go through the endless 'tests' from my side. It would be reasonable to assume that the wiring is now ok, that a repeat of the test will just give the same results as last time, etc. So, I'll just move provider, that'll save us all a big argument!

In fact, I would have done that a couple of months ago, except I figured that having a couple of free months made sense for me to stay, and to give it a chance to see if performance was resolved. Clearly I was misled on that.

I'd like to say 'thanks' - but I can't, its been a painful process!

[#5]

hmm. Not good news @rsd and I'm somewhat surprised. Keep us posted on what happens with your new provider would like to know if you get better performance etc. 

Bear in mind If still in contract you may get stung with a hefty leaving fee! 

Good luck!

[#6]

Sorry to hear that.

We wish you all the best with your new provider

[#7]

Some feedback on the new provider. Its only been a week so lets see how things are over the long term, but the good news is that there has been an immediate and substantial improvement.

Generally, i.e. most of the day, the performance is the same. But, the plusnet service was ok most of the day too.

However, during busy times (e.g. 5:30 - 9:00 pm), where my plusnet service regularly dropped to below 1mbs, the new service does not. So it remains usable.

Its a massive relief, now we can actually use the Internet in the evenings again! And, I'm not locked into this continual battle with our provider.

Thanks again for all the help I was offered here. Though I retain the frustration that it was necessary, both because of the problems and also because no other effective support seemed available (and before anyone comments, I did try, repeatedly).

I have one more post which I will do separately as there are still problems with billing!

[#8]

Matthew (or any other member of the plusnet support team).

Despite having moving to a new provider, you still continue to bill me!

When I receive the email a week or so ago saying that you were going to take the money from my account (despite my having left you), I contacted the bank to block any further attempts. But, you tried anyway. And then you sent me an email saying that I needed to reinstate my DD!

Can you please let me know if I do owe you anything. I strongly suspect that I do not, if that is the case, please stop trying to take money from my bank!

If I do owe anything, perhaps you can take it out of that '2 months free' that I was given in part compensation for all the hassle and poor service (though, you continued to bill me throughout that period, so I still have it in 'credit').

In short, its over, deal with it and stop trying to take money from my bank!

As always I would have used online chat, but its too busy (i.e. not working), there is no email address, the phone wait is unreasonable and I lack the will to spend ages finding a form on your website only to be ignored!

[#9]

So, I'll just move provider, that'll save us all a big argument!

If you are on a long BT Openreach line which is known to be marginal … then do not set great expectations that you will fair better with a different ISP … who will be using the SAME phone line.  Good luck anyway.

[#10]

Hi,

Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention. Unfortunately, I will be unable to discuss account specific information in this response. However, I have raised a ticket on your account which explains the issue further this can be found here.