GEA test request please

[#1]

Hi There

I have 2 issues.

The first is decreasing fibre speed.  Can I request a GEA test be done on my line as my upload speeds have gradually slowed down over the last year and my download speeds have dropped by about 15% since April?

Last October OpenReach installed new cabling from the outside line into my master socket where my computer is plugged into. They also found a fault outside a house along the road.

After they had finished I was getting 60 mb download and 9.9 mb upload. This stayed pretty constant (apart from the upload speed decreasing each month) until I checked the speed again in August when the download speed had fallen by 9 mb to 51 mb. This again has stayed more or less consistent apart from the steady decrease in upload speed.

25.11.17               DL 59.57               UL 9.92                

12.12.17               DL 60.06               UL 9.48                

27.01.18               DL 59.62               UL 8.50                

26.02.18               DL 60.78               UL 8.66                

18.04.18               DL 59.48               UL 8.24                

30.08.18               DL 51.04               UL 8.39                

25.09.18               DL 51.73               UL 8.25                

02.10.18               DL 50.66               UL 7.84                

The second issue is that on the morning of 2.10.18 I turned on the computer to find no internet. After talking to Plusnet, they said that 1. My password (which has never been changed) was incorrect and that

1. My router was not authenticating with the server.

I went online and managed to change my login password back to what is was and my computer was then able to authenticate.

I phone PN back and said that I was concerned that somehow overnight my login and authentication  password had somehow been changed on Plusnet’s computers overnight and asked if I had been hacked or something. The CS person said she would raise a ticket (Question 183201350) and get this investigated (Copy of that confirmation email below). On logging into my account this ticket is not present and to date I have had no communication back from Plusnet.

 "Our Support Team have opened Question 183201350 to track an issue on your account.

Internal Note

Spoke with Mr Boult and his password worked and he is now back online. Wondering if he had been hacked? Also informed that the router is now not necessary, so if we are able to cancel that order then we should.

Kind regards, 

[CSA Removed]

Many thanks

Moderator's note by Dick (Strat): CSA name(s) removed (to an area staff can see) as per Forum rules.

[#2]

"Our Support Team have opened Question 183201350 to track an issue on your account.

Internal Note

Spoke with Mr Boult and his password worked and he is now back online. Wondering if he had been hacked?"

I notice that this question has now been closed but with no communication to me about how my account log in password was changed at the Plusnet side so that I couldn't log into my account. It would be interesting to know what password they had on their server.

[#3]

Hi @Casc, I'm afraid we wouldn't have visibility on your password so I wouldn't be able to advise what it was set as previously, however it does look like an email was sent out a few days prior to the ticket you've referenced: https://www.plus.net/wizard/?p=view_service_notice&id=382378088 and https://www.plus.net/wizard/?p=view_service_notice&id=382378106

If this wasn't you, I'd strongly recommend changing the password for your email address that is stored as the contact email address on your account and ensure that no one else other than you has access to this email address.

The ticket you have referenced on the account was raised as a closed contact just to have record of the conversation, as opposed to an open ticket that you would be able to reply to as there doesn't seem to be anything further we can add to that from our side of things.

[#4]

Thanks for that. Those emails refer to August, the password change that caused the authentication error happened overnight on the 2nd of October and PlusNet have no record of me changing the password that evening.

Also...could I have a GEA test for the diminishing broadband speeds I am getting?

Thank you

[#5]

I see that a question has been raised about the broadband speed, so that seems to be under investigation.

[#6]

Thanks for that. Those emails refer to August, the password change that caused the authentication error happened overnight on the 2nd of October and PlusNet have no record of me changing the password that evening.

From what I can see your password was changed online on the 2nd as per this ticket, and these emails we sent you Here and Here.

Also...could I have a GEA test for the diminishing broadband speeds I am getting?

Our tests aren't showing any issues, your line is stable and speeds within expectations so we'd struggle to get our suppliers to accept this as a fault.

Test Outcome	Pass
Test Outcome Code	GTC_FTTC_SERVICE_0000
Description	GEA service test completed and no fault found .
Main Fault Location	OK
Sync Status	In Sync
Downstream Speed	54.9 Mbps
Upstream Speed	9.2 Mbps
Appointment Required	N
Fault Report Advised	N
NTE Power Status	PowerOn
Voice Line Test Result	Pass
Bridge Tap	Not Detected
Radio Frequency Ingress	Not Detected
Repetitive Electrical Impulse Noise	Not Detected
Cross Talk	Not Detected
Estimated Line Length In Metres	759.3
Upstream Rate Assessment	Good
Downstream Rate Assessment	Very Good
Interference Pattern	Regular Interference Observed Daily
Service Impact	No Impact Observed
Interference Duration Longest Occurrence	From 23:00 to 16:00
Interference Location	Customer Premise
Interference Observed In Days	14
Home Wiring Problem	Not Detected
Downstream Policing Discard Rate	0.0
Customer Traffic Level	Upstream and Downstream Traffic Detected
Technology	VDSL
Profile Name	0.128M-55M Downstream 6dB, Retransmission Low - 0.128M-20M Upstream, Error Protection Off

Featured Products	Downstream Line Rate(Mbps)		Upstream Line Rate(Mbps)
	High	Low	High	Low
VDSL Range A (Clean)	54.9	39.7	11	7.2

It may be worth trying the steps Here to bypass any internal wiring which may be affecting your connection.

Let us know how you get on.

[#7]

I see the line is banded at precisely the estimated speed, isn't that rather unusual or a bit fishy. Why is it banded at all?

[#8]

Hi Gandalf

Thanks for your reply. To clear up the password change, which is a bit confusing. I was on the Internet on the evening of 1.10.18 to one a.m. on 2.10.18.  I turned on the computer at ten a.m. on 2.10.18 to find it wouldn’t authenticate. I phoned PN who asked for my log-in password and told me it was incorrect. They used other identifiers to verify who I am. They told me to change my log-in password online which I did by 11:00 am. Those are the emails you are referring to.

if you look at the line test over 7 days it starts at 11:00 am on the 2nd, that was after I had re-authenticated and logged on. The timings can be matched by the telephone records of me phoning Plusnet just after 10 am and speaking to CS. After I had changed my log-in PN sent the 2 emails.

[#9]

Hi RealAleMadrid

That's a good question. Why is an unlimited fibre line banded?

Also what PN hasn't answered is why my download speed (which was 59-60 mb for the 10 months after the new line was installed) has dropped to 50 mb.  They also haven’t explained why my upload speed has dropped steadily each month (from 9.9 mb after install to 7.3 mb today).

I'm paying for an unlimited 66 mb line (speed when contract was taken out).

[#10]

Just to show how download has decreased from 59-60 mb to 50 mb and upload decreased monthly from 9.92 mb to 7.84 mb

[#11]

For further information.

Last October Openreach fitted a brand new telephone line from outside the house through to the new master socket which they also fitted. My computer is plugged directly (vis modem/router obviously)  into this master socket (It's 2 ft away from it) and is the only thing using this line, I don't even have a landline telephone. 

[#12]

Hi @Casc,

To offer an explanation regarding the speeds you're currently achieving, it would seem that the estimated speeds that your line is able to achieve may have degraded over time. Unfortunately, this is something that is beyond our control and can be down to numerous factors, such as more people in the area connecting to Fibre or the overall quality of the equipment in your area.

That being said, to back up what @Gandalf previously posted, it doesn't appear to be a speed fault as the speed you're receiving is still within the current estimated speeds for your line. In regards to the banding on your line, it shouldn't be affecting the speeds that you're able to receive as it is banded at the same rate as your highest estimates.

[#13]

@TheMightyAJ   You say the banding "shouldn't be affecting the speeds"

 I disagree with that statement, the line is showing "retransmission low" so must have low error counts so should not be banded, the fact that the banding and the estimate are the same is just coincidence and the estimate is just that, not an actual speed. Many people sync at speeds considerably higher than the estimates so you can't say with any certainty that the speed would not change if the banding was removed.

Try and help the customer by attempting to get the banding removed. The line has obviously achieved higher speeds in the past.

[#14]

Hi RealAleMadrid

Thanks for your support in this.

Re: syncing at higher than estimated speeds. This is true. After Openreach installed the new line last October the estimated 'highest' speed was 55 mb download when I was actually getting 60 mb. 

I really would like the banding remove as it may be restricting what I can actually achieve.

To be honest there seems little point paying for an unlimited 66 mb broadband and getting 50 mb, when I could literally halve my cost and get 35 mb from another provider.

[#15]

Hi @Casc

Thank you for getting back in touch.

On this occasion, as the sync rate is 0.1Mbps less than the banding I have suspicion that the banding is having some effect on the current sync rate. This has now been escalated to the correct team to process the reset and should complete within 24 - 48 working hours.

Further testing on your line does indicate more than 3 drops in the past 24 hours, I have sent you some diagnostics to complete on the ticket here.

If you reply to the ticket, please reply on here so we can pick it up for you as soon as possible.

Thank you.