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Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

BHLC
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎04-09-2015

Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

I've been with Plusnet now for many years, and have always praised the service. After struggling with rural broadband for a while, I was hugely excited to discover my area was fibre enabled. I had fibre installed about 3 weeks ago, and while it never quite reached the estimated speed, it was a magnitude faster than what I had lived with before.
However, over the past couple of weeks, the speed itself has dropped a little, when we were informed it may get a bit faster. And for the past few days I've noticed several disconnections from few seconds to a few minutes where no devices can get online, streaming services stop and lights flash on the ECI modem.
I've also noticed that while the internet speed is a lot faster when streaming etc, it can take a long time to load a webpage - it 'pauses' - often for several seconds when initially looking for the page, then the page loads in a flash. It does this on multiple devices.
We have noticed people complaining about noise on the line during phone calls, this may be an issue - and shortly before the fibre was installed, after a heavy storm our SNR doubled and ADSL speed dropped by half - not sure if this would have had an effect. Any advice would be gratefully received, thanks.
18 REPLIES 18
jelv
Seasoned Hero
Posts: 26,785
Thanks: 971
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Registered: ‎10-04-2007

Re: Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

Dial 17070 option 2. If there is noise on the line plug the phone only (preferably a wired phone, not a DECT) in to the test socket inside the master socket. It the noise is still there report it as a phone fault to whoever you pay for your phone rental.
jelv (a.k.a Spoon Whittler)
   Why I have left Plusnet (warning: long post!)   
Broadband: Andrews & Arnold Home::1 (FTTC 80/20)
Line rental: Pulse 8 Home Line Rental (£14.40/month)
Mobile: iD mobile (£4/month)
BHLC
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎04-09-2015

Re: Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

Thanks for your advice, I will check that when I get home from work - I'll borrow a wired phone from here as we only have a DECT phone at home.
Also, not sure if the following images help at all, but you can see the actual speed it quite a bit lower than estimated - and it's dropped since install. Thanks.
MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 8,896
Thanks: 1,506
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Registered: ‎01-01-2012

Re: Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

I'm just having a look now.
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team
BHLC
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎04-09-2015

Re: Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

Many thanks, Matthew.
If you need any more info from my end, let me know Smiley
MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 8,896
Thanks: 1,506
Fixes: 480
Registered: ‎01-01-2012

Re: Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

Our testing is showing that the sync speed is lower then it should be.
However it's also testing with a loop fault on the phone line which could be the cause.
Is it possible for you to connect the Openreach modem to the test socket with a microfilter?
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team
BHLC
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎04-09-2015

Re: Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

I'm at work at the moment, alas, which makes it difficult, I do know that we only have the one socket in the house and no extensions anywhere if that helps 😕
BHLC
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎04-09-2015

Re: Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

I can test the open reach modem on test socket tonight, if I can find a filter somewhere, but as I said - no extension or internal wiring, other than this one master socket.  Also, if it helps - it's been particularly rainy round here of late, and I have noticed in the past (pre-fibre) speed drops when we've had a lot of rain. Not sure if that would still be causing issues on fibre.
MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 8,896
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Registered: ‎01-01-2012

Re: Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

It could be a external fault but it would help to see what it's like without the faceplate connected.
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team
BHLC
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎04-09-2015

Re: Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

Ok, will do that tonight when I get home. Do I need to contact PN Customer Services to let them know I've done it?
MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
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Registered: ‎01-01-2012

Re: Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

Just update this thread and we'll have a look.
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team
BHLC
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎04-09-2015

Re: Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

Sorry for the delay - it timed out three times while trying to post this reply 😕
Hi Matthew, can confirm now have modem plugged into test socket with a filter (it's a new adsl filter I got with the router, hope that's ok?) My partner has said the internet has been playing up again today, and I can confirm at least 2 FIVE occasions in the last 30 minutes where the DSL light on the modem has been flashing. Browser status bar freezes for up to 30 seconds before loading a page - if the page loads at all. I have tested on multiple devices to ensure not a malware/device issue. Internet is practically unusable this evening. Where do we go from here? Many thanks for you help, much appreciated.
BHLC
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎04-09-2015

Re: Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

Update: Having spoken to Louis on LiveChat, we now have an engineer visit on the 9th. Even in test socket, with brand new filter, and no phone plugged in at all, we're still showing a "loop fault". Just letting you know, Matthew, so you're not all working cross-purposes. Had this via email:
Fault Type: Noisy  Test Results: Loop (Rectified) Fault Ref: TR0000004997621
So will see where we go from here. Now to try and struggle through the weekend with intermittent internet. (No Netflix? I may actually have to TALK to my missus! The HORROR! Wink ) Thanks for your help so far, if there's anything I can do/monitor in the meantime to make the engineer's (and my!) life easier in the meantime, let me know.
Will keep you posted.
MatthewWheeler
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
Posts: 8,896
Thanks: 1,506
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Registered: ‎01-01-2012

Re: Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

Sorry for the delayed response.
Glad to see you've got a engineer booked.
The good/bad (depending on how you look at it) news is that you've done everything you can.
Let us know how you get on Monday.
If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Matthew Wheeler
 Plusnet Help Team
BHLC
Dabbler
Posts: 18
Registered: ‎04-09-2015

Re: Concerns over my Fibre Connection.

Update:
Still waiting on the Openreach engineer to come - he's booked in tomorrow afternoon. But since it's stopped raining, we had no more disconnections (that I've noticed anyway) and the phone isn't nearly as crackly as it was. Line speed is still slow - 13.3mb, but up from the 10/11 we dropped to (still low compared to the ~29 we should be on.
I'm a little worried that another fine/dry day will mean there's no fault to find as the line joints/ connections dry out. Can you tell if there's still a loop fault on the line? I don't fancy a) the engineer not finding anything and it happening again when it rains, or b) Being charged for a waste of time callout 😕