All my neighbours are offered faster internet packages

[#1]

@markhawkin Agreed.

@Spangles Looking at your downstream attenuation figures, and based on my experience when on FTTC, I still think you have a problem on your external network. Unfortunately , as has been said previously, because you are not below your MGALS, Openreach will not investigate.

[#2]

Thanks.

If, for argument's sake, a neighbour paid for a much faster package through a different ISP, would their ISP not offer a higher min guaranteed speed i.e. above the baseline minimum?

(I'm not saying they can, it seems unlikely given the limitations discussed, but I'm anticipating an "oh, but, well, we don't know X..." from Plusnet if I call back with this info).

[#3]

@Spangles With FTTC, which is the best you can get over the BT/OR network, there are two speed 'tiers' - up to 40Mbps, or up to 80Mbps. Looking at the BTw figures in your earlier screenshot, as the service would still come over the same wires, even if they went for the higher speed, there is no guarantee they would get it.

When I was switching ISP - on FTTC - the person I  spoke to said that although I could in theory get around 60Mbps if I paid for the higher tier (at about £15.00/mo more), he would not recommend it.

[#4]

@Spangles 

With a different ISP (or even Plusnet) a neighbour might well get a higher minimum guaranteed speed.

The interesting question (and one which a test would reveal) is the actual speed they get.

Another potential avenue to explore (if you really need more speed) would be to buy a second line from a different ISP.

With the right equipment they can be combined (although that is a fairly expensive thing to do) and you would then get a second roll of the dice at the "copper pair quality" table.

Seeing what the neighbours really get is the first step.

[#5]

@Spangles The suggestion from @markhawkin has another angle that could be productive, depending somewhat on your contract situation.

Order a second line and see how it performs. If it's no better and you really need the speed combine the two.

If it is better you will have a VERY strong case for terminating the PlusNet line without penalty, especially if you've already raise it as a problem - even if rejected.

[#6]

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll probably not sink extra money into the solution though.

[#7]

@Spangles 

Line attenuation: 11.7 / 26.4

This suggests your router thinks your are 800 to 1000 metres from the street cabinet.

For that distance you are getting the expected speed. This does not mean there is not an issue, there might be a poor/high resistant joint on your copper line.

A point of interest, when you performed a BT Address checker comparison for you and your neighbour, did the result indicate the same Cabinet number something like Address xx, on Exchange yyyyyyyyyy is served by Cabinet z ?

For the Master Socket, is it connected directly to the incoming copper line or is there a join somewhere?.

[#8]

I don't see mention of Address/ or Exchange, but each says they are served by Cabinet 13

If Master Socket means the box by the front door, the line comes straight in from the communal hallway without any visible joins - apparently through a hole in the floor but fitted carpet means I can't tell any more than that.

[#9]

Yes, the master socket would be the one by the front door.

It would be handy to compare connection stats with a neighbour, these are the one of interest.

Data rate: 4.999 Mbps / 22.282 Mbps
Maximum data rate: 6.686 Mbps / 22.381 Mbps
Noise margin: 8.9 / 6.1
Line attenuation: 11.7 / 26.4
Signal attenuation: 11.7 / 29.3

[#10]

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@Spangles wrote:

The claim from Plusnet is the building as a whole has a low guaranteed minimum speed (according to Openreach ~12Mb) and they could not explain why all my neighbouring flats are offered twice my min guarantee. It was a collective shrugging of shoulders. It seems, unless there's a verifiable fault their end, I won't be seeing an engineer.

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Can someone square the above statement with this: https://community.plus.net/t5/Broadband/All-my-neighbours-are-offered-faster-internet-packages/m-p/2...

[#11]

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@Spangles wrote:

The claim from Plusnet is the building as a whole has a low guaranteed minimum speed (according to Openreach ~12Mb) and they could not explain why all my neighbouring flats are offered twice my min guarantee.

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Interesting insight suggesting that an ISP can see the guaranteed speeds for a neighbourhood...!!! 🫤

[#12]

Or - Plusnet telling porkies to save themselves from having to help their subscribers!

[#13]

My feeling is I would need to speak to someone at Plusnet with more knowledge or concern than the front line tech support I spoke to. It seemed once (a) they tested no fault on the line, and (b) I am getting above the guaranteed minimum speed in the contract, I reached a dead end. We ended up talking in circles until I was flat out told they would not send out an engineer. The person I spoke to even acknowledged my neighbour had a higher guaranteed minimum after I told her to check this.

I don't particularly know my neighbours but I'll try to pin one down for their input. It's the only extra info I can think of, based on your help, that may assist. That, or speak to someone who understands the situation more fully.

[#14]

AIUI MGS is predicated on the recently observed speeds for THAT CIRCUIT.

If there is a fault on the circuit, then clearly the recently observed speeds will be impacted, resulting in a lower MGS.  In some ways it is a cunning strategy to remove grands for investigation working but degrading circuits.

It is a tad unfortunate that broadband faults are better investigated by using the copper circuit (telephone) test rather than the broadband faults test.  Not every agent knows that.  In the past, @Marsh has used this approach to find faults on 'no fault found' lines.  However, he does not work around these parts any longer.

[#15]

Going slightly 'off-topic', but it appears to me that 'support' is now manned by 'script-monkeys' (apologies), rather than properly trained agents. Even when they do reply, all the 'new team of 13 experienced community support professionals' can only take a topic off-line by sending 'a PM to gain further information'.