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Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

prosser99
Grafter
Posts: 66
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-02-2010

Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

Hi,

I've had a ticket open for months regarding multiple disconnections per day for around 3 months.

I've had multiple Openreach engineers visits resulting in replacement of master socket, line to master socket from outside, work on the pole outside and some work in the cabinet down the road. As the connection is fine when its connected I think the Openreach engineers could not locate the issue so have just started replacing things.

I have also received a new router from PlusNet and replaced all cables and power supply too.

The last Openreach engineer to visit actually experienced a disconnection while he was testing with his kit so they have seen it first hand and presumably ruling out the router? He said that he didn't see any errors but the connection just dropped!

I'm still seeing multiple (up to 10) disconnections a day including during work time which causes a great deal in inconvenience when you are connected to remote servers and in remote meetings.

My understanding is that the issue is currently with Openreach but I'm hearing nothing and have no confidence that its moving forward or if anyone knows or has resource to find the root cause.

Is there some way this could be escalated or do I just have to put up with this long term? 

If there's PlusNet staff looking the ticket number is #206983092.

Thanks

22 REPLIES 22
Rhyn
Dabbler
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Fixes: 1
Registered: ‎13-10-2016

Re: Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

I am no authority on broadband, but it sounds similar to a problem that I had. It was REIN cased by a faulty neon indicator on a circuit.

Openreach had visited 11 times with replacements/fiddling etc similar to yours, eventually yjr 12th guy turned up and diagnosed it with a portable radio, there's a characteristic sound at certain frequencies.

Just a thought.

prosser99
Grafter
Posts: 66
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-02-2010

Re: Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

Hi Rhyn,

I had considered REIN and have been asked questions around it, but my outages occur day or night / hot or cold / rainy or fine / windy or not i.e. would certain devices be on or not. Not ruling anything out though, if they want to send someone with a radio (or tell me how to do it) I'd me more than happy - just want to solve the problem. 

When the Openreach engineer actually experienced a disconnection with his kit connected, he also told me that there was NO burst or errors and that it just stopped! I'm guessing if it was REIN there would be a mass of errors and retries on the line before it dropped?

What is a neon indicator lamp? Googling, seems to be like a small neon lamp that would probably be replaced by an LED these days? Just wondering if I had one buzzing away somewhere. 

RichardB
Seasoned Champion
Posts: 1,038
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Registered: ‎19-11-2008

Re: Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

Hi @ prosser99

I had a REIN issue several years ago.

The broadband would drop but was accompanied by a massive amount of errors and reconnection at a very slow speed.

It was traceable by using a medium wave radio, tuned to a quiet frequency around 600 KHz.

When the issue was present a very loud buzzing sound was present on the radio, I did not have put the radio close to the noise source.

The problem was the power supply "wall wart" used to power the Freeview PVR.

It was OK until recording or playing back a programme. The extra power when the disc was in use was enough to overstress a partially failed power supply. Replacing the power supply cured the problem.

I your case I guess you will have wait for Openreach.

 

Sometimes it is very difficult for Openreach to find the REIN source, when it is intermittent.

I know of one instance where REIN issue is located by Openreach but the owner of the offending  device does not want to know. Openreach are powerless to compel the owner to fix the problem and cannot disclose the name of the owner others due to data protection.

 

Regards

Richard

prosser99
Grafter
Posts: 66
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Registered: ‎07-02-2010

Re: Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

Thanks for the comments @RichardB, I'm going to find a radio and have a play to try and rule it out.

But I must say that with my case it doesn't sound like a REIN issue due to the random nature time wise and that the Openreach engineer told me he didn't see any errors on the line when he witnessed it dropping - his immediate response was that its likely to be an issue in the cabinet which he subsequently did some work on but dropouts still occurring.

Are there any PlusNet staff watching this thread - can you confirm the current status of my ticket and can it be escalated or is that already the case?

Many thanks to all for input. 

prosser99
Grafter
Posts: 66
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-02-2010

Re: Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

Hi, @RichardB and @Rhyn,

Were either of you charged a penalty by PlusNet (currently £65) as the issue was identified within your house?

Every time an engineer gets booked for me I have a warning in the email that says "As agreed with you, if the engineer locates the fault is caused by your internal wiring, your equipment the condition of Openreach equipment within your property and its boundary, or if no fault is found the engineer will demonstrate to you where the faults exists and you will be charged £65 to cover the cost of the engineer"

By the way I have only been warned about this verbally once (from 7 bookings), I think the PlusNet engineers must get complaints from too many people when they raise it verbally so they don't say anything and put it in the email!

Chris

 

RichardB
Seasoned Champion
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Registered: ‎19-11-2008

Re: Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

Hi @prosser99 

I did not have an Openreach visit. I found the problem.

The £65 is not "penalty" as such but part of the cost Openreach charge Plusnet if they find the fault is within the house.

I believe Openreach charge Plusnet £130.

If you have followed the Plusnet guidance and plugged the router into the test socket behind the master faceplate, then it disconnects all the internal wiring. 

In addition, if Plusnet have supplied the router, then Plusnet have no scope to pass a charge onto you.

Richard

 

 

 

prosser99
Grafter
Posts: 66
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Registered: ‎07-02-2010

Re: Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

I've had a hunt around with an AM radio for REIN as people have suggested and couldn't find anything 'noisy'. 

8th Openreach engineer came and went on the 23rd Dec (they promised in a communication  with PlusNet that they would find the fault this time), I don't know current status and the fault is still there. Can someone please update / escalate my ticket?

 

prosser99
Grafter
Posts: 66
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-02-2010

Re: Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

... forgot to say, the 8th Openreach engineer didn't know anything about a previous Openreach engineer witnessing a disconnection with his kit connected???? How can this be, how can an investigation be progressed if there isn't a log of what has been done along the way with comments, logfiles etc. This is starting to sound like a incompetent shambles and no wonder that its not getting resolved ... am I being unfair or expecting too much?

Thrall
Seasoned Pro
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Registered: ‎28-09-2020

Re: Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

I believe they’ll just need to read the engineer statement once verbally and that’ll last for the duration of the fault investigation, with a £65 charge applied within 90 days of the fault investigation closing, if appropriate.

prosser99
Grafter
Posts: 66
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-02-2010

Re: Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

Sorry @Thrall, I don't understand ...

Thrall
Seasoned Pro
Posts: 568
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Registered: ‎28-09-2020

Re: Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

Just referring to your question of why you’ve only been read the engineer charge warning verbally once. 

prosser99
Grafter
Posts: 66
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-02-2010

Re: Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

Oh I see, thanks.

EmilyD
Plusnet Help Team
Plusnet Help Team
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Registered: ‎26-03-2018

Re: Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

Hi @prosser99,

 

I'm very sorry to hear that your connection is still dropping and that this wasn't resolved during the latest engineer visit. It's disappointing to hear that the engineer wasn't aware that a previous engineer had witnessed a drop in connection during their visit - I can see that our faults team made our suppliers aware of this. Due to the length of time that the fault has been ongoing, it is being dealt with a priority and our faults team will contact you as soon as they have an update.

If this post resolved your issue please click the 'This fixed my problem' button
 Emily D
 Plusnet Help Team
prosser99
Grafter
Posts: 66
Thanks: 3
Registered: ‎07-02-2010

Re: Multiple disconnections for months, can this be escalated?

Thanks for checking in @EmilyD. Given I was told there would be a 'multi skilled engineer / senior engineer' with us this time who would be able to solve the issue, its rather frustrating that he was not aware of the detailed history of the fault and that I haven't been given an update (I was under the impression that the Openreach engineers are supposed to update the customer once the days work is done).

It seems to me that the findings of a previous engineer who experienced a disconnection with his kit attached are key to this investigation, yet this seems to have been lost.