cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

daveg6hni
Grafter
Posts: 205
Thanks: 9
Registered: ‎07-01-2009

Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

When I first went on FTTC, which in itself was only because of all the speed problems I was having with ADSL+2, I was able to download at 44Mbs, but this dropped to about 37Mbs after a month or so and stayed between 37 & 35 Mbs for the next 6 months dropping slightly each month.
But then it plunged to below 26Mbs and did not recover so I had to get PN involved to try and sort it out. Since then every few months the same thing happens it remains steady and then plunges down and I have to get PN to reset my profile. However, each time I have to raise a new ticket and each time I am getting the same stock answer.
This one has been sent many times, but the values change, first time they said my estimated line speed was 37Mbs, 2nd time 35Mbs and so on, now they claim it is only 29Mbs ! Rather than actually trying to find the fault all they seem to want to do is re-estimate my line to a lower value. They avoid giving me any explanation as to why I get these sudden drops every few months or why my profile is now 10Mbs lower than it was 18 months ago. All they say is that it now seems stable and is over performing their new lower figures.... blah, blah, blah.
I would be happy if it just stayed at 33Mbs rather than bouncing between 35 & 26 Mbs.
Am I asking too much to just have a stable connection ?
“Dear Mr Baker,
Thank you for getting back to us. I have tested your connection today and can see that your connection is stable. I can also see that your line is still over performing at 35Mb. So should see speeds around this mark. So there is currently no fault on your line as it is in fact over performing the estimate of 29Mb. As such there is nothing further we can do on your connection at this point. Please now monitor your connection further and let us know if you have any further issues.
Please do not hesitate to get back in touch online at http://contactus.plus.net or by phone on 0800 432 0200 or 0345 140 0200 if we can be of further assistance.”

What a load of..... pity the guy who left this did not see they previous exact same comment but with an estimated line speed of 32 Mbs or the others with 35 or 37 Mbs estimates !
PN support used to be top notch, but now it seems just as bad as all the rest.
22 REPLIES 22
chrispurvey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 5,369
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-07-2012

Re: Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

Hi,
I've taken a look through the fault ticket and can see that we've tried to identify the issue but have been unable to. As mentioned lines can deteriorate over time which can affect your speeds, also depending on how full your cabinet is can change your line speed.
You still shouldn't be seeing the seeds fluctuate as they are and I'll push this back with our faults team to investigate further.
tijara33
Pro
Posts: 1,360
Thanks: 50
Fixes: 6
Registered: ‎22-06-2012

Re: Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

Quote
As mentioned lines can deteriorate over time which can affect your speeds, also depending on how full your cabinet is can change your line speed.

Maybe this warning should be made clear to customers before they order fibre & incur a greater expense over an 18 month contract. When I converted to fibre I was given an estimate of "up to 49 Mbs" which came in at 45 Mbs. Like Dave, my speeds have gradually dropped to an estimate of 38 Mbs, which is what I'm achieving.
I'm not complaining but I strongly feel that consumers should be warned in advance that their speed may decline by at least 20% within 12 months.
bg17aw
Dabbler
Posts: 11
Registered: ‎11-09-2013

Re: Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

Quote from: chrispurvey
Hi,
I've taken a look through the fault ticket and can see that we've tried to identify the issue but have been unable to. As mentioned lines can deteriorate over time which can affect your speeds, also depending on how full your cabinet is can change your line speed.
You still shouldn't be seeing the seeds fluctuate as they are and I'll push this back with our faults team to investigate further.

I can't believe you posted an answer like that! It is unprofessional to say the least.
"We've tried to identify the issue but have been unable to" ? Wow.
"As mentioned lines can deteriorate over time" ? Where is it mentioned please? Clients expect the speed/lines/network infrastructure/customer support to improve/grow/evolve. Or you, chrispurvey, have a different expectation ? We are talking here about 18 months, as the client mentioned.
" also depending on how full your cabinet is can change your line speed." So you (as in PN) do not offer any type of speed guarantee? So what is the point of getting into a contract with you, where only one party has obligations (stay captive in a contract for 18 months, pay all amounts in full and with no delays, take care of your equipment etc) and the other party (PlusNet) has no obligations what so ever?
Again, if more people get into the cabinet, the network infrastructure for that area should be improved to cope with the increased number of clients. In fact, the cabinet should be designed for the start to accommodate the maximum number of clients it can with the maximum speed.
"You still shouldn't be seeing the seeds fluctuate as they are and I'll push this back with our faults team to investigate further." So the faults team was incompetent for the last 18 months the client reported these problems? How come you immediately see the obvious that it should not fluctuate like that but they did not see the same thing?
I am really considering if I should keep my contract. I would advice everybody to take printscreens (screen shots) of the speeds tests page and the sync speed page (https://portal.plus.net/my.html?action=data_transfer_speed) and save them with a record of the date and time to be able to follow this up.
You can also try to take advantage of this part of the T&C:
... if you are always getting line speeds lower than the estimated range that we quoted, you can contact us any time within the first 90 days after you ordered the service and we will try to improve the speed. If, despite any improvements we try to make, the line speed you get is significantly lower than the estimated range we quoted you when you placed your order for the service (go to http://www.plus.net/support/broadband/speed_guide/speed-check-estimates.shtml Speed Check Estimates for more details) you will be entitled to cancel your broadband contract without paying a charge for ending it early subject to you following our instructions to resolve the problem.
daveg6hni
Grafter
Posts: 205
Thanks: 9
Registered: ‎07-01-2009

Re: Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

Guys Hi and thanks for all the very valid comments, what is considered an acceptable drop in line speed over 2 years ? Mine has gone from 37Mbs down to 26-29Mbs unless I keep nagging PN to reset my profile and then it settles down at about 32Mbs, which I could happily live with if it were not for the sudden drops down to 26Mbs.
Chris
What really really annoys me is that when it is referred back to faults, all they do is a quick check of the connection AS IT IS AT THAT MOMENT IN TIME !
They do not read any case notes, or look for any underlying issues. So all I get is the stock phrase of it is stable and over performing and don't bother us again, they then quickly move onto the next case and put a tick in the box for job done.
You need to change your system so that some ONE person takes ownership of an issue like this until it is resolved, over the last 18 months of these sudden drops I have lost track of how many times I have had to repeat myself because it is always someone different that next replies !
Whilst I can accept a slight drop of speed over time due to the issues you mention I am now 25% down on what was considered stable 2 yrs ago and still no one has been able to explain or stop these annoying drops to 26Mbs that occur every few months.
I have tried keeping a case open long enough to get to the next drop but it normally gets closed before the next drop occurs and then I have to start right back at square one of your fault diagnosis and go through endless replies until I get anyone who will take my issue seriously, but by that time the line is stable again and they can't do anything !
If you check back over my closed tickets you will see that I have opened between 4 & 6 identical cases over the last 2 yrs and I am still suffering the same issues.
Before I went onto Fibre I had issues when my exchange was upgraded to ADSL+2 I had a very good & stable ADSL connection until then, but once on +2 I started getting dropouts always at weekends and approx. 1 a months. I was persuaded to go up to FTTC when it was introduced to avoid further issues, but now I just get an issue every 2-3 months instead.
chrispurvey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 5,369
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-07-2012

Re: Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

I can see the faults that you've had open regarding this and that's why I'm trying to help get this resolved.
Your fault is being handled by one individual so there should be no notes missed and no reading the ticket history to catch up what is going on. I've spoken with Jonathan who is pushing this back to our suppliers and we'll now await an update. He did mention that when the Samknows box is disconnected speeds have improved, is that the case? Just wondering if this is causing any interference on your line.
daveg6hni
Grafter
Posts: 205
Thanks: 9
Registered: ‎07-01-2009

Re: Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

Chris Hi,
Well not really, firstly I only got the Sam-Knows box in March, because of all the problems I am having with the line and secondly the speed difference was insignificant, the results are in the current open ticket and on the BTW server around the 7th Sept, but here is my reply at that time...
"I have just run a few speed tests - first without he Sam-Knows white box in circuit and then with it back in circuit. The speed on the BTW claims 32.28Mbs whereas SpeedTest.Net can't get more than 30.1Mbs, however, the latency on SpeedTest.Net is only 10 or 11ms compared to over 30ms on the BTW site.
The only difference with the white box removed is my upload speed is 0.2-0.5Mbs faster."

So I don't see how he thinks it was better without it in circuit ?
As you can see from the attached Year 2 Date plot, since the Sam-Know box has been in circuit (March), my download speed has remained at a fairly steady 32Mbs until 17th June, then once PN reset my profile, steady again until 27th Aug, then after another reset, steady until yesterday, when it appears to have suddenly dropped  down to 26Mbs again.
The second plot is for just this week, please note the drop yesterday.
Can you see anything in your or my results that may have caused this latest drop ?
This is the first time it has dropped when there has been an open fault ticket !
chrispurvey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 5,369
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-07-2012

Re: Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

There's nothing on your line showing any fluctuation of speed, someone will be in-touch with you shortly to discuss moving this forward.
daveg6hni
Grafter
Posts: 205
Thanks: 9
Registered: ‎07-01-2009

Re: Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

OK I have now been contacted with a view to sending out a BT engineer, hopefully now we can get to the bottom of this.
But I'm still at a loss to know why these sudden drops occur for no apparent reason ?
My IP profile is now only 27.74Mbs accordng to the BTW speed test, but what has caused that to drop from the 35Mbs it was 24 hrs ago Huh
chrispurvey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 5,369
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-07-2012

Re: Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

Having checked your connection there's nothing to show any issues at all today or yesterday, it's certainly best to go down the engineer route so we can try to get to the bottom of this.
daveg6hni
Grafter
Posts: 205
Thanks: 9
Registered: ‎07-01-2009

Re: Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

Mmmm ?
I see that my PN profile is now only 27.6Mbs so what has caused that to change ?
So what factors determin changes is my BT & PN IP profiles ?
I've also checked my Quality monitor and that shows nothing other than when it switched at 7pm on the 11th (1st graph) ?
11th Sept http://www.thinkbroadband.com/ping/share/c14789862e1a6a81b9235c6bf459ef18-11-09-2013.html
12th Sept http://www.thinkbroadband.com/ping/share/5c270d007134cbd2b1765d3eccb6c2de-12-09-2013.html
13th Sept http://www.thinkbroadband.com/ping/share/580fc34a282f256ea0229602cbddfcb5-13-09-2013.html
chrispurvey
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Plusnet Alumni (retired)
Posts: 5,369
Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-07-2012

Re: Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

Your line sync speed has changed and when then receive notification of this which changes your line profile.
Checking over your line shows no errors as to why your sync speed has changed, that's why we need to go down the engineer route.
w23
Pro
Posts: 6,347
Thanks: 96
Fixes: 4
Registered: ‎08-01-2008

Re: Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

Quote from: Dave

So what factors determin changes is my BT & PN IP profiles ?

The BT IP profile should automatically be set to 96.8% of your sync speed (the only time this might not be the case is when the PPP session survives a resync due to the modem resyncing very quickly and the existing PPP session does not time out, a manual disconnect/reconnect on the router will force this to update if necessary).  The Plusnet profile is updated following a 'delta report' from the BT system advising of a change of sync speed (this may take a few hours - sometimes longer).
If all is working correctly the line profiles are determined by the sync speed which is controlled by the (DLM) equipment in the cabinet.  Similar to ADSL, the DLM will adjust the line speed to improve stability if required, reduced speeds are often the result of high error rates (caused by faults or interference for example).
Call me 'w23'
At any given moment in the universe many things happen. Coincidence is a matter of how close these events are in space, time and relationship.
Opinions expressed in forum posts are those of the poster, others may have different views.
daveg6hni
Grafter
Posts: 205
Thanks: 9
Registered: ‎07-01-2009

Re: Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

Thanks for that detailed explanation and I am currently trying to see if that might help me explain my issues.
My line, for 95% of the time, is syncing at about 35Mbs, 5Mbs down on what it was a year or so ago and 12Mbs down on the 47Mbs it was when I was on the 80/20 FTTC Trial when I could download at 44Mbs.
Looking at my Think Broadband Quality graph, I see very few drop-outs http://www.thinkbroadband.com/ping/share/1bc9423be3c910722c8b3fdb9077b509.html
However, every couple of months, usually a day after a small drop-out, it just plummets down to 25-26Mbs and stays there until I raise a fault and get PN to put it back to 35Mbs.
Unfortunately getting through to the right PN person is becoming increasing difficult and I now keep being told the my line estimate is only 29Mbs and I am outperforming it ! ?
When PN do eventually put it back up it will usually stay there for a couple of months but then plummets again for no reason.
The only change, which was about 18 months ago, is that I was given a different PSU for the BT Modem Huh
Before I upgraded to FTTC I was suffering issue with my ADSL+2 connection, where approx every 4th weekend my sync would fail for 24hrs, or drop down from14Mbs to <512Kbs !
After a lot of effort BT eventually put me on a different "pair" back to the exchange, but all that did is drop my sync speed down from a steady 14Mbs to a less steady 10Mbs.
nanotm
Pro
Posts: 5,756
Thanks: 156
Fixes: 2
Registered: ‎11-02-2013

Re: Plus Net support like my Speed has gone South !

ask for a new modem + plug both modem and router into a surge protection socket (which means an extension bar) it will eliminate those pesky power surges from over ageing the electronics in the PSU which will in turn be causing over/under volt state(s) on the gear its powering , meaning there going to operate smoothly for far longer and hopefully not give the same problems in the future for at least a year or two

and the symptom your describing sounds like a component failure, hence why its getting more frequent if its a PSU (I hope it is) then chances are it will just stop working but if its the gubbins in something there's a chance of a popping noise that signals the complete failure and possibly a line surge that takes out nearby ESSD based devices....
I had something do that on an isolated network loop 3 months ago, when the PSU finally failed 3 electrolytic capacitors blew out in the router and totally wrecked the dresser it was sat on Sad
just because your paranoid doesn't mean they aren't out to get you