Abysmally Slow Internet

[#1]

The £65 charge applies if the fault is found to be your side of the test socket.  If you have properly performed all of the self help checks the fault is unlikely to be your side.

Have you checked the line for noise?  This is an essential diagnostic.

Please perform a quiet line test - dial 17070 select option 2 using a corded phone plugged into the test socket behind the face plate of the master socket. It should be silent. A noisy phone line (or no dial tone) will have a marked adverse impact on the performance of broadband.

If the line is noisy or there is no dial tone, then a PHONE LINE fault needs to be raised with your phone provider. If this is PlusNet, you can report a fault on line using the button below.

 Have you double checked your speed estimate? (Looks like you are on a very long line)...

Please use the following links to check the services available and their estimated speeds. From the first link, please record and report back the distance from the exchange. The second link advises of which fibre services (if any) are available on your line and their anticipated speed.

• Kitz line check
• Kitz BT checker

 Have you tried a different filter?

[#2]

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@aris wrote:

If I understand correctly, I'm to be charged for the engineer visit? I'm already paying for a service that isn't working, and I'm working a minimum wage while supporting another member the household - I simply can't afford £65 for an engineer visit that may or may not solve my problem.

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As per Townman's response and the engineer statement on your ticket, the visit will be chargeable if the fault lies with your equipment, your internal wiring or you miss the appointment.

There's always a possibility of a no fault found fee, however in your case I don't believe this should be applied because we know there's a fault. And, if an engineer can't find a fault, we would arrange another engineer to investigate it.

[#3]

Quiet line is silent. Apparently 889 metres from the exchange. Responded to question regarding engineer.

[#4]

Thanks - that is a key bit of information (if it's correct).

That distance and the reported attenuation do not match up.  The attenuation suggests the line length is over 4km...

@Gandalf,

Anoush, what does a full CLT report please?  What does the line balance look like?

[#5]

It may be that as my build is new, the post code might not be fully recognised? Perhaps its given an inaccurate position in relation to the exchange?

[#6]

Did you just use the post code or did you use your phone number?

I suppose it is just possible that the checker assumed you are connected to a nearer exchange.  I for example am not connected to my nearest exchange...

It would be useful if you can advise which exchange the checker said you are connected to ... just in case it is different to reality.

[#7]

I used both my phone number and post code. Says I'm connected to the Northwich exchange.

[#8]

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@aris wrote:

Quiet line is silent. Apparently 889 metres from the exchange. Responded to question regarding engineer.

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Thanks, the engineer's booked for Friday AM.

@Townman wrote:

Anoush, what does a full CLT report please?  What does the line balance look like?

Status: Pass MFL: OK OR Test ID: ############### Test Outcome: CIDT LINE TEST OK - ALL SOCKETS UNPLUGGED DTR: T302

Copper Test Details   A to E B to E Capacitance:     DP Line Length Estimate: 5494 Metres DN Line Length Estimate:   Celerity:   Line Loss: 59.87 dB Line Stability: Stable

The estimates aren't that great, but the sync speed is considerably below them.

[#9]

Trust me to move out and immediately end up with Mystery Internet! Will update once the engineer has been and had a snoop.

[#10]

@Gandalf,

Thanks for the info.  Does the missing information suggest anything untoward?

 @aris Is not too far away from me ... Sam Knows puts the exchange at just ove 3km away, but I suspect does not take account of the bendy roads.  There is a much nearer exchange (the one I'm connected to) ... buts that's on the other side of the river ... though I'm also across the river from it further down stream.

Sam Knows reports the anticipated speed to be circa 1Mbps.  Cannot believe just how bad the BTOR infrastructure is in North Cheshire in the urban areas.

[#11]

I wouldn't worry too much on the missing info, it does happen from time to time on tests. Let's see how the visit goes and pick it up from there.

[#12]

We really needed to see the line stats from the modem in the test socket, rather than a speedtest result. The speedtest result may not immediately change due to waiting for the line speed change to trickle through the system to Plusnet, but any change in the line stats from the modem will be immediately visible.

[#13]

That's an interesting suggestion with weighty implications. I'd always thought these reports obtained by tech support were CURRENT stats / data.

[#14]

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@ejs wrote:

We really needed to see the line stats from the modem in the test socket, rather than a speedtest result. The speedtest result may not immediately change due to waiting for the line speed change to trickle through the system to Plusnet, but any change in the line stats from the modem will be immediately visible.

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I tested the broadband service after the OP moved the router to the test socket.

Nothing had really changed, it was still in sync at a very slow speed.

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@Townman wrote:
That's an interesting suggestion with weighty implications. I'd always thought these reports obtained by tech support were CURRENT stats / data.

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The tests we run are generally current. I believe ejs was referring to their throughput. Though, having said that if they're provisioned on the dedicated network, the connection profile on our systems should have no bearing on the throughput.

The only times I've seen a test we run not showing current data, is an xDSL status check (see #3 and #10) run as part of a non intrusive KBD (which is a bulk of tests, including PPP data etc).

Running an intrusive KBD (which pretty much adds in a CLT and takes about 5 to 10 minutes to run), or a standalone xDSL status check generally resolves that.

[#15]

Just following up on this for you @aris it looks like the engineer has identified the problem lies with the internal wiring of the building as the line is in sync at 3 Mb at the distribution point, but reduced to about half a Mb at the master socket.

As it appears the engineer was unable to access the wiring they were unable to fix it. Their recommendation is either to contact the builders to investigate this, or upgrade to fibre broadband.

(In my opinion, this issue may impact a fibre service).

It looks like it's not good news I'm afraid.