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A general broadband fault in an area.

billium
Dabbler
Posts: 13
Registered: ‎07-02-2010

A general broadband fault in an area.

Hello
I'm no longer an F9 customer, but recommended several of my customers use F9 several years ago, when I was.
An event has occurred in the Leyburn area where people are having internet access problems, not just Plusnet, the fault all my customers are experiencing is where simple sites e.g. BBC work slowly and complex sites that require logins etc such a a solicitor's conveyancing s/w site don't work at all.
These customers ring up plusnet who tell them there is no problems reported in the area and the callers equipment reports ok.  Why can you not see there is a larger  number of calls in one area and tell the customers you will look into it.  One of my customers insisted on me coming out to them to prove the problem is external to him, another bought a new router and still has the same problem.  It is to co-incidental for all these people to be having problems, as I seem to be the common factor, I rang up some random companies in Leyburn area and found some more with the same internet problems (didn't ask about ISP).  The events are related to power supply around the town.
The main thing that gets me is that Plusnet cannot correlate problems in an area and advise their customers accordingly.  I will never recommend Plusnet again after this.  I am having to charge one of your customers a call out because of this.
Sad

I'm with A&A now (they do cost more) and even got a text saying my internet was down when I unplugged my router to help one of the above people. Smiley
7 REPLIES 7
Oldjim
Resting Legend
Posts: 38,460
Thanks: 787
Fixes: 63
Registered: ‎15-06-2007

Re: A general broadband fault in an area.

I just checked on the Zen status page http://status.zen.co.uk/broadband/ and nothing is showing up there either
x47c
Grafter
Posts: 881
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎14-08-2009

Re: A general broadband fault in an area.

Well you have said it in your post about A&A
you want more - you pay more!
Simple
BB in the UK is sold on the least price at all cost.
So that means a semi-DIY service, lowest grade router unit etc.
Start recommending that your customers pay more for a decent level of service - and see how many customers you have left after you do!
Uncle_Meat
Grafter
Posts: 167
Registered: ‎04-08-2007

Re: A general broadband fault in an area.

On the other hand, I remember Plusnet doing a cracking job with this kind of thing a couple of years ago.
Story time. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begind. Smiley
I live in a fairly rural location, and work in the "only computer shop in the village" kind of place.  One Saturday morning, I noticed I had no internet connection. Upon checking the router logs, I could see it was probably an exchange problem. Something something PPP server not accessible.  Oh well, it'll fix itself in time I thought and headed off to work, where internets were perfect, albeit on a different exchange from where I lived at the time.
That morning, I had about a dozen phonecalls from customers, all reporting internet connection faults and that they had been advised by their respective ISPs that it was their computer at fault and they need to take it in to wherever for reinstallation/diagnosis.  After the 4th call I noticed they were on the same exchange as my home number. Ahh....
I called plusnet, told them my findings and they had a look. I'm not sure how this works exactly, but initially there was no apparent fault but they said hold the line so we can look a bit deeper into it. Sure enough, they came back a few minutes later with "Yep, we've identified the fault and notified BT. Jobs a goodun."
The point being, all these other ISPs were seeming unprepared  to look into it, just going from a script that seems to run "It's not us, it's you" but PN were prepared to look a little deeper into things and get it sorted.  +1 for Plusnet if you ask me. Smiley
Pettitto
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 6,346
Fixes: 5
Registered: ‎26-11-2011

Re: A general broadband fault in an area.

@billium - I'm sorry that has been the case. Unfortunately we don't provide a service where we monitor each individual line and act on each and every drop like A&A appear to do. I'm sorry that we've caused your customer a problem. I'd be happy to investigate how and what happened exactly if you'd like me to. If you would, please feel free to reply back here or PM me with an account username.
@Uncle_Meat  - Thanks for your feedback on that Smiley
billium
Dabbler
Posts: 13
Registered: ‎07-02-2010

Re: A general broadband fault in an area.

The fault was a card in the exchange had gone wrong (or to sleep according to the engineer).
I think it is wrong for the ISP to always blame the customer's equipment, so now these customers have a bill for my time and in one case a new router (he followed the plusnet support).
As I said other ISP customers were affected mainly TalkTalk.
@Uncle_Meat
That is what I would have expected and where a customer is giving helpful info to the internet provider.  My guess is that a card may provide a service to say 1024 customers at the exchange.  So the ISPs could correlate these customers complaining and see the common fault.
@x47c
These are business customers so are paying Plusnet a bit more.  When I was on Plusnet it was about £32 per month with A&A it is £35 per month.  If this had gone on any longer I would have ported one of the customers to A&A as they also take on customers with faults on their line!
@Chris
My main complaint is that this will cost your customers because your checks are not extensive enough on exchange equipment no correlate complaints within the same exchange.  When speaking to your support staff they were not interested in the fact other customers from the same exchange were having problems and one customer that has a VOIP phone system also had lost their phones.  All information pointing to exchange problems.  It is good of you to offer help, but I am not a Plusnet customer, you will probably hear from your customers after they get my bill Smiley .

Thanks for all comments.
billium
Dabbler
Posts: 13
Registered: ‎07-02-2010

Re: A general broadband fault in an area.

Low and behold it has happened again less than a year. Leyburn exchange.
This time Force 9 are loosing a customer (to BT, Plusnet's parent company so I'm sure it won't matter).  One of them want me to call Plusnet on their behalf ... >10mins wait I don't want to waste my time. These are business accounts.
We know there was engineering work at the exchange yesterday. Please help your customers and keep them informed.  I get the brunt of all this because I recommended Force9 Sad .
One is a conveyancing solicitor who has gone all cloudyfied ... big mistake.
Chris
Legend
Posts: 17,724
Thanks: 600
Fixes: 169
Registered: ‎05-04-2007

Re: A general broadband fault in an area.

If you or they can't call us, they can report a fault to us online at https://faults.plus.net assuming they have an alternate internet connection it can be reported from.
Former Plusnet Staff member. Posts after 31st Jan 2020 are not on behalf of Plusnet.