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Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

chrcoluk
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Registered: ‎11-12-2013

Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

Do plusnet provide these yet?  having been told before they dont provide these, I do have another need for one as it looks like a ton more crosstalk (or fault) started on my line from 6pm on the 26th august.
Although my line is still synced at 75mbit on fast path, the error rate has sky rocketed and I am hanging on with a 1.4db noise margin.  A resync will likely have me at around 60mbit with a 6db noise margin which is over 13mbit below my estimate at point of sale and the lowest the line has synced at with fast path.
I dont want an engineer who will do basic JDSU checks and say thats it mate its within spec, I want a speed boost engineer or one who is willing to do some work.
Let me know on the speed boost engineers thanks.
17 REPLIES 17
AndyH
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Re: Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

It looks like Broadband Boost is for ADSL and not FTTC (https://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/customerzone/solutions/engineeringsolutions/broadbandboost/productdescription/description.do) - also I imagine the cost wouldn't be cheap for you.
GeordieMark
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Re: Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

I had a couple for my FTTC connection, but they were useless.
2 couldn't be arsed to do anything, the 3rd at least had a look but apparently the jointboxes are too old and tey can't open them, so they just left them
AndyH
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Re: Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

Quote from: Mark_
I had a couple for my FTTC connection, but they were useless.

I doubt these were Broadband Boost engineers - looking at what they do (which is very extensive and involves a lot of things replaced or changed) and the fact that this is a chargeable service where the ISP has to ask Openreach for the cost.
GeordieMark
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Re: Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

Plusnet said they were. The third guy did look into the routing etc but said because the joints were sealed and there was nowhere that he could "enter the network" there was nothing they could do, so they couldnt access anything to change / replace
chrcoluk
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Re: Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

Quote from: AndyH
It looks like Broadband Boost is for ADSL and not FTTC (https://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/customerzone/solutions/engineeringsolutions/broadbandboost/productdescription/description.do) - also I imagine the cost wouldn't be cheap for you.

want to share your user/pass with me? that link is behind authentication.
chrcoluk
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Re: Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

well I am raising a ticket, as was many errors accumulating I resynced and its down to 58mbit (still on fast path so no DLM reduction).
AndyH
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Re: Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

Sorry, I copied the wrong link on the page - this is the one I meant http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/solutions/engineeringsolutions/broadbandboost/downloads/Broadba...
There is something called Fibre Boost mentioned here http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/updates/briefings/super-fastfibreaccessbriefings/super-fastfibr...
If you ask nicely, the DCT guys will do a GEA Check on your line which will tell you if there's any cross talk (or other fault).
chrcoluk
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Re: Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

that GEA check I think doesnt really catch everything, is like the JDSU test in that way.
There is a clear fault on my line which I will show with the following graphs.  The problem is the path to resolution is jumping through too many hoops.  I now have to wait for a voice engineer to come before a broadband one will be booked, and then when the broadband guy turns up they will probably pulling every trick in the book to avoid doing any work.
I went down from 75 to 58, 58 was stable for about 3 hours then my attainable suddenly dropped by a further 3mbit down to 55 and now the 68mbit sync has been spitting out crc errors since.
AndyH
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Re: Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

It detects cross talk/electrical interference - http://community.plus.net/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=130781.0;attach=51004;image
I know it's going to become even more comprehensive and cover the quality of your wiring/compare to your neighbours etc.
chrcoluk
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Re: Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

Andy I think it cant reliably detect crosstalk.  e.g. My line had 110mbit attainable when I was first in the cabinet, plusnet ran that test on my line earlier in the year and it came back clean, so according to that test there was no crosstalk or fault yet my line had lost 40mbit of attainable signal, obviously it was wrong on one of the 2 things.  Given vectoring is needed to deal with crosstalk then its reasonable to assume without vectoring tech a test cannot reliably detect crosstalk.  Also when they last ran that GEA test it said no fault but then a fault was found within the local loop. so the test I think is only going to pick up certian specific faults.   I also believe the guy on the phone ran that test, as he told me he was running tests (it passed).
Right now I am on a weird DLM profile I have never seen on any line before.  FEC is enabled on the downstream but is still no INP or interleaving, I am getting around 500-10000 FEC and 100-2500 CRC  per minute.  Syncing at 55mbit with 6.4db snrm.
chrcoluk
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Re: Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

ok I now dont think this is extra crosstalk, given the errors and repeated drops.  Probably is a fault.
I am still on fast path no INP, with FEC enabled.
I did sync this morning at around 55mbit, but attainable has since dropped again to 49 so I have a 4.9 snr margin.
It seems openreach/BTw have an option for 6 hour callouts for a higher monthly fee? can plusnet consider offering it?
http://www.openreach.co.uk/orpg/home/products/serviceproducts/serviceharmonisation/serviceharmonisat...
AndyH
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Re: Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

Those aren't for FTTC - there is no 6 hour call out for FTTC.
FTTC comes with Maintenance Class 5 (BT will clear the fault within 40 clock hours of receipt of the fault report, excluding any allowable parked time - BT working hours 24/7 365 days a year - end user visits are Mon - Sat 08:00 - 18:00 excluding bank holidays).
You can Maintenance Class 4 or Maintenance Class 15 with FTTC - neither of which I think Plusnet offer as there is no demand for them.
chrcoluk
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Re: Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

there is demand as I am sitting here offering to pay, it doesnt cost them anything to offer it.
AndyH
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Re: Broadband boost engineers on FTTC

Would you really be prepared to pay an extra £10-15 a month though?